By Mary James
Copley News Service

It’s a warm summer night. You switch on a lamp and settle into the down cushions of your leather couch to read. Your golden retriever naps on the rug. Curtains sway gently in the breeze.

Are you sitting indoors or out?
These days it could be either.
Spurred by the trend in alfresco relaxing and entertaining, “outdoor rooms” are looking more and more like their indoor counterparts — dining room, living room and kitchen.

Consumers can choose from a wide variety of accessories such as rugs, outdoor lighting, serving carts and fireplaces to complement or accent their patio furniture. Style choices are just as abundant — from Old World to midcentury modern.

Even some of today’s most popular furniture designers, including Bob Timberlake, are expanding into the outdoor arena, making it easier than ever to coordinate indoor and outdoor decor.

“The outdoor room has been evolving to provide increased comfort and functionality,” said Jackie Hirschhaut of the American Home Furnishings Alliance, an industry organization based in High Point, N.C. “But we’re not done yet. Some of the newer items are geared to making outdoor spaces as attractive and luxurious as indoor spaces and to making the transition between them seamless.

“Details and products that you would have seen heretofore at a five-star hotel or on ‘Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous’ are now available to a much wider market,” she said.

Luckily, these amenities are available for large or small rooms — and pocketbooks, she added.

One increasingly popular addition is an outdoor area rug “that helps define the space and draw all the elements together,” said Hirschhaut. “All are colorful and easy-care. Most can be cleaned by hosing them off.”

Outdoor lighting options are expanding to table and floor lamps made to withstand the elements in style. Many offer choices of shades and finishes.

Another popular source of light — and warmth — is the portable outdoor fire pit. It, too, is evolving to look more like indoor fireplaces, Hirschhaut noted.

“Fire pits now have been grown to counter heights and are becoming more sophisticated in design — less bulky and more attractive,” she said. “Many are part of coordinated collections and will blend in with existing furniture.”

Furniture mainstays of family rooms and living rooms continue their move outside. Couches, down-cushioned chairs and even sectionals are part of the mix. This year, several were covered in a deep brown or black faux leather that “just adds to the sense of luxury,” said Hirschhaut, who said she expects more color options in the future.

The traditional coffee table also has been modified for easy-going outdoor life. In the center is a galvanized metal box that can be filled with ice to chill your favorite coolers or dressed up with potted plants or cut flowers.

As more socializing takes place under the stars, outdoor dining tables are growing to accommodate a greater number of guests and family members.

“Before, seating six to eight was the norm; now seating for 12 is common, so you don’t have to crowd your guests or limit the number,” Hirschhaut said. Many tables expand with the use of butterfly leaves that hide under the table when a smaller size is desired.

To define these dining rooms, gazebos wrapped in fabric panels that open and close increasingly are finding a home in outdoor rooms. They create outdoor spaces for dining, reading or relaxing and provide welcome shade during sunny afternoons spent by the pool.

Where cool breezes blow or the fog brings a chill, the new All-Seasons Table from O.W. Lee will help banish goose bumps. The spacious round table has a heat lamp in the center, where an umbrella traditionally is placed. A metal shade directs the warmth to the tabletop below. In warmer weather, the heater can be replaced by a typical umbrella.

“The possibilities for outdoor rooms are just exploding,” Hirschhaut observed. “This is a direct response to consumer demand, as more and more people recognize the opportunities for outdoor living, for enjoying the benefits of being outdoors.