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Topic: Outdoor Furniture



Date Posted: Tuesday, September 01, 2015
Posted by: Tanya Zanfa (Master Admin)
Source: http://www.pjstar.com/article/20150512/NEWS/150519799/2002/LIFEST...


With improved performance fabrics and an array of furniture frames, backyard living has never been more popular


  • With improved performance fabrics and an array of furniture frames, backyard living has never been more popular

  • By Elaine Markoutsas
    of universal press syndicate

     

    When the Apartment Therapy website collaborated with Casual Living, a trade publication, to do an outdoor decorating survey, their main finding was no surprise: Nearly eight out of 10 homeowners have an outdoor room or are creating one.
    “Outdoor rooms continue to evolve as one of the most important areas of the homescape,” says award-winning West Coast-based designer Richard Frinier.
    “Outside has become the dining, living room and kitchen,” says Steve Lowsky, president of Pride Family Brands, a company that specializes in luxury handcrafted aluminum casual furnishings. “And there is way more potential — it’s the ‘room’ with the most square footage.”
    With the explosion of performance fabrics and fibers for weathersafe rugs, as well as a range of furniture frames — including wood, metal, wovens and resin — that allow plenty of decorating, color and pattern options, there’s no shortage of style. And performance fabrics now have a softer hand, sometimes mimicking luxury indoor fabrics like silk, chenille, velvet and even leather.
    “The constructions, textures, patterns, colors, UV stability, easy care, and even use of recycled yarns, are remarkable,” Frinier says of Sunbrella, a leader in the performance industry. “That allows us to do much more outside than we would have ever considered doing just a few years ago.
    Consumer tastes have been trending to simpler, more modern silhouettes in recent years — both indoors and out. But no matter what the preference, there’s one thing that most everyone agrees on: comfort.
    While style choices are broad, here are five categories for this season’s al fresco offerings that are especially directional.
    White: White and natural often are part of the cushion package for outdoor furniture, as they go with everything. In frames, white long has been a classic — think Adirondack chairs and English painted planters and furniture. But this year, it is especially coming on strong in the contemporary category — both in slick glossy and matte finishes.
    Statement pieces: At the other end of the spectrum, there’s explosive color and bold form. Like statement jewelry, these are standalone pieces that can shake up a neutral setting.
    “When you bring colors into your outdoor spaces,” says Frinier, “whether subtle and soft or bright and vibrant, this splash of patterns and textures draw people into the space because of the visual interest and energy generated, exactly the same way we all use color and pattern for our interiors.
    Woven: All-weather wicker continues to be popular. It lends texture and options, as there are different styles of weaving as well as opportunities for combining more than one hue to create nuanced effects. Some mimic sweater weaves, others herringbone. And sometimes the material lends itself to bending in ways that can’t be replicated in other outdoor media.

  • Mixed media: There’s more of a desire in outdoor furnishings to not go all-suite, everything matching. It takes a good eye for design, though, to mix it up by pulling from different brands and collections, which is what good designers do for an eclectic look. So some manufacturers are mixing it up themselves, teaming up different materials within one collection or crossing collections.
    Upholstered and slipcovered looks: Fully upholstered sofas and chairs as well as slipcovered looks are here to stay. Fillings also have improved, not only with waterproof features but also in ultra plush comfort.
    Some of the comments from those surveyed by Casual Living/Apartment Therapy spoke to the psychology of being outdoors.
    A Michigan consumer weighed in: “My outdoor room is a place to feel connected with wildlife and nature. ... Somewhere to enjoy the sound of birds and rustling trees and to watch the flicker of the fire pit. It’s somewhere to entertain guests and to show off to neighbors.”
    And a respondent from Missouri summed it up: “It’s an escape in my own backyard.”

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