Creating Stunning Outdoor Retreats
Incorporating Fine Furnishings in Your Design
By Vincent E. O'Connell
The outdoor room has evolved with dramatic leaps from the traditional deck with a Webber barbecue, plastic chairs and a blow-up kiddy pool. Patterned after upscale resorts and exotic faraway hotels from around the world, homeowners can now see exciting new and sophisticated outdoor rooms become a reality.
The furniture industry has grown along with this market of lush gardens, elaborate water features, pergolas, pavilions and outdoor kitchens. This year some amazing and innovative designs have hit the market, bringing polished and graceful lines to our patios. Outdoor furnishings can now extend the exquisite tastes, architectural details and the fine craftsmanship from well-done interiors. Oscar de la Renta, for example, has taken inspiration from colonnade columns in his Punta Cana home and, with Century, has created a dramatic 60-inch round cast stone table. This beautiful weather-resistant table is cast from a combination of crushed stone and resin. This newer material is wonderfully stone-like, without the weight or other problems associated with natural stone. Another positive feature in working with a cast stone product is a wide array of custom finishes and textures that can be achieved.
The outdoor furnishings market has also adapted to the larger architectural scale now popular for outdoor entertaining. Tables are now designed to accommodate large parties of 12 or more. Double-canopied chaises and even sectionals are making their way outdoors. The creative use of multileveled tiered decks and terraces invite guests to explore and enjoy otherwise unused spaces. Comfort, durability and fashion are key features consumers are looking for with their designs. Outdoor cushioning has become fuller and more detailed with outdoor fringes and braids. We are seeing fabric companies such as Sunbrella rally to the needs with colors of warm reds and corals, palm greens and the fashionable cooler tones of aquas and cocoas.
Fabric patterns are only limited by the imagination. Soft tropical leaves, paired with bold multicolored stripes are making dramatic statements. These patterns can come in up to 16 different color ways depending upon the pattern. Fabric contents are now 100 percent Olefin and 100 percent Acrylic, which ensures a long life with minimal maintenance. The milling process of these new outdoor materials have advanced greatly. No longer are they rigid and coarse, but can be fine textured similar to a cotton or linen.
Along with these exciting advancements with fabric and furniture, outdoor lighting has also made some impressive strides. A beautiful new collection, called Costa del Sole by Fine Art Lamps, captures the rich design traditions of the Mediterranean coasts. A classic elegant quatrefoil design in metal, finished in a rich bronze and warm gold accents, highlights this collection. With its subtle iridescent textured glass, this new collection will have longevity in style for years to come. This collection also features a piermount design, with an updated approach to the standard installation process. The fixture installs easier and still maintains a streamlined appearance.
Creating outdoor retreats can now have strong impacts on the resale value of a home. Although not added into the square footage of a home, certainly outdoor retreats can visually maximize spaciel lines in a client's mind. So be bold and daring and wander down that stone path. Connect your interior design with you exterior, and vacation in your own backyard.
October 2005 Builder Architect Edition Issue