It’s no surprise that the outdoor room is getting cozier, with so many new products on the market to provide creature comforts. Chair cushions are softer and deeper, rugs are plusher, and the lighting is so much more attractive.
It’s difficult to tell where the inside ends and the outside begins.
Curtains, table lamps, mirrors and even paintings have been installed in outdoor rooms, making the outdoor space so much like, well, home.
Mark Vaughan, owner of Domain XCIV in Fort Worth, Texas, says the market for these outdoor accessories is growing. He saw many new products, such as table lamps wired for exterior use and seating pieces covered in hardy fade-resistant fabrics, at the recent High Point market in North Carolina. “I saw a lot of torchieres and table lamps that looked like they were for indoor use wired and UL approved for outdoor use,” he says.
Besides art, other decorative room items that have found their way outside include chandeliers, draperies, table lamps, large mirrors and throw pillows.
But take note, design buffs: Exposing such items to the harsh elements can be damaging, warns designer Gayla Jett Shannon.
“They need to be tucked away,” she says. “Even though the new fabrics are very durable and are mold, mildew and fade resistant, they are not indestructible. Indoors, they can last as long as regular draperies, 25 to 30 years. Outdoors, without protection, most are only guaranteed for five years. Sunlight and UV rays will fade things. I’d be careful with things like paintings.”
