By Harriett Hendren
HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER
Stylish outdoor furniture creates an inviting oasis
Marisol and Bud Renfroe of Lexington chose outdoor wicker
furniture to bring the comfort of indoors to their back-yard patio. The space is so inviting now, the Renfroes say, that they find themselves entertaining more often. Synthetic wicker is much more durable than the natural material.
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Walk into your neighbor’s back yard this summer, and you might swear you’d taken a wrong turn and ended up in the living room, save for the grass, trees and open sky.
Outdoor “rooms” can include all-weather rugs, grill islands — even fireplaces. And customers are looking for beautiful furniture to complete the look, with pieces that are as comfortable as they are stylish.
“They want it to be the comfort center,” said Carl Vice, general manager of Casual Living and Patio Center on Industry Road. “They want to feel just like they’re sitting inside on their recliner. They want to be that comfortable outdoors.”
Pieces that move, says Vice, are desirable. Seven out of 10 chairs sold at his store, he guesses, rock, swivel or glide.
While wicker is still a popular choice, the traditional natural material, which deteriorates if left outdoors, is being replaced with a synthetic wicker, a man-made material woven around an aluminum frame.
This new version looks a lot like the old but is long-lasting and weatherproof, something the original was not. Prices can range from $375 for an armchair at Pier 1 to more than $1,000 for an Ethan Allen chaise lounge with cushion.
The most popular line at Casual Living — and what general manager Vice has chosen for his back yard — is tubular aluminum with sling seating.
Water flows through a woven vinyl that forms the back and bottom of the seat, so it dries out quickly, and the breathable material stays cool under the summer sun. The woven seats last about seven to 10 years and can usually be replaced for about $65.
For strength as well as style, cast aluminum, with a solid core, lends itself to a variety of styles, including large family-size dining tables. You can soften the look of the sturdy chairs by dressing them up with vibrant all-weather cushions.
Available in an array of colors and designs, modern fabrics are made of solution-dyed acrylic for less fading and water resistance.
Color plays an important part in the new outdoor living space. At Housewarmings on Palumbo Drive, “The trends that seem to be going forward are an aqua and chocolate brown and a lot of espresso in the wicker,” said Jill Kimbrough, the store’s director of retail.
And the seating is more plush than ever.
“I have noticed in the past two years that our cushions have grown from a four-inch-thick standard to now a seven-inch-thick cushion,” said Vice.
It’s what Dallas Brandenburg, a senior consultant at Housewarmings, calls “deep seating,” the feel of indoor upholstered furniture.
It’s “one of the hottest things,” he said. “They can get the indoor look on the outdoors now. It makes the exterior flow with the interior.”
After buying cushions, furniture and accessorizing, furnishing your outdoor areas can be costly. But Brandenburg says that hasn’t slowed down business at Housewarmings.
“People don’t mind spending money on items that are going to last,” he said. “I think people are probably staying at home more now than before and enjoying their home more than traveling a lot. I think that’s why it’s catching on.”
Bud Renfroe and his wife Marisol have transformed their Hartland Parkway back yard into an outdoor retreat with a sling-back table setting and outdoor wicker.
Guests love the colors and comfort, says Renfroe, who works as director of product development at Everburn Manufacturing and director of creative design at Housewarmings.
“It’s been really used,” he said. “I’ve found myself spending more time entertaining.”
While the new outdoor furniture is more durable than ever, weather is still the enemy. So to make sure your pieces last as long as possible, a little care is needed. Vice suggests cleaning regularly with a mild soap and a quick spray with the hose.
And cover your furniture in the winter to keep dust and water out of the frames.
“It’s a lot like a car,” he said. “It needs to be washed and cleaned. If it’s a metal frame it needs to be waxed. Cushions need to be washed and cleaned. The more you take care of it the longer it lasts.”
