Consumers are expanding their shopping lists for leisure furnishings and opting for comfort foremost.
BY ELAINE MARKOUTSAS
The concept of the outdoor room has been germinating for some time, but it appears to be growing on more and more homeowners — and furniture manufacturers.
Designer and television host Joe Ruggiero regards the outdoor room as ”the new frontier,” a merging of indoor and outdoor styles. The ambience is fueled by increasingly sophisticated consumers who already have designed kitchens modeled after ones they have seen on European vacations and baths inspired by fancy spas and boutique hotels.
That desire to recreate memorable travel experiences has nurtured a desire for great-looking, well-made furnishings in a lush garden context, especially at the high end.
”From a sociological point of view, expectations we have for our way of life are so much higher now,” says Chicago-based designer Jane Hamley Wells, whose company represents contemporary European lines as well as her own. For many Americans, she says, “basic needs have been met. Our household income has doubled over the last 30 years. People are more willing to spend money on things that make them feel well and look well. They are not compromising on their outdoor environments.”
Even Martha Stewart has jumped on the bandwagon, with a new magazine called Outdoor Living, all about “extending your personal space into your back yard or onto your deck, patio or porch and really living in it.”
A CHAT PIT
Whether it’s creating a ”chat pit,” the new buzzword for seating around a fire pit, or erecting a pavilion, not just for a fancy party but also to frame an outdoor room, consumers are expanding their shopping lists for leisure furnishings. What you spend depends on how many creature comforts you wish to export, from patio kitchens to entertainment options such as outdoor movies and television.
More than ever, comfort reigns. Seating is more akin to your favorite cozy sofas and chairs indoors in family rooms, but with fills that can take a downpour. Also look for plump cushions, decorative pillows and outdoor-safe throws.
Technology continues to engage us with convincing synthetic wicker and rattan weaves and wood finishes that rival those indoors. Plush fabrics like damasks, silks, velvets and look-alike leather offer amazing outdoor options.
Creating a hearth has been identified by the American Society of Landscape Architects as a top trend for outdoor entertaining in 2014. A survey last year by the American Home Furnishings Alliance, the largest association of home furnishings companies in the world, indicates Americans most want to add a fire pit (with wells for firewood or fueled by propane or natural gas) or gazebo to their porches, patios or decks.
Of course, storage is not neglected. It’s just more stylish. For example, consoles, chests and armoires are upstaging clunky trunk-like pieces that once offered the only options for stashing cushions.
These and other ideas are found in new mail-order catalogs that sell outdoor furnishings. Last year Home Depot Direct launched Outdoor Living, targeted to consumers with incomes of at least $75,000. The company also introduced ”10 Crescent Lane,” aimed at a more upscale base with incomes of more than $225,000. Restoration Hardware has its own outdoor catalog, and Frontgate and Smith & Hawken also are in the mix.
METAL FRAMES
Last summer, simple-to-assemble metal frames that could be dressed with hanging plants, vines or curtains at the corners to channel dreamy Caribbean villas were available from Target, Home Depot and Smith & Hawken, ranging in price into the thousands of dollars. Even Costco recently advertised a six-person spa (around $3,000) sheltered by a red cedar pergola ($999).
If you don’t have the space for something 10-by-10ish, there are a host of canopied daybeds for one or two people designed with cocooning in mind. It’s all about creating a haven — a vacation spot at home.
Jane Hamley Wells says that when her modern furniture lines were shown at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York City last May, designers and architects were enthusiastic about ordering pieces for clients’ kitchens and dining areas. They were even more excited when she told them the pieces were suitable for outdoor use.
The importance of producing stylish outdoor furnishings is not lost on manufacturers with a reputation for high quality.
London-based Barlow Tyrie, especially known for high-end teak, tapped designer Vladimir Kagan to do his first outdoor collection.
Kagan is considered an icon of modern furniture design with a celebrated career that dates to the 1940s. His synthetic wovens do not disappoint. A sinuous daybed beckons cuddlers but also offers a practical built-in table that doesn’t compromise the design.
Some manufacturers, such as Fire Stone Home Products, have come up with a one-stop shopping idea. Its brilliant package is called the Outdoor Great Room and can include a fireplace, grills, lanterns and furnishings, all under a pergola, creating an instant setting for customization.
Creating a seamless extension of home interiors is the goal. With a landscaped backdrop, the vacation spot at home has it all: a place to snuggle, grill, dine, entertain and relax under the sun or moon.
