Today’s outdoor rooms are so popular that many people enjoy spending time in their outdoor living space more than they prefer being inside. From using cellphones for calls and games to working on computers, watching TV, eating, exercising and, of course, relaxing, outdoors has become the new indoors. Here’s a look at what’s new in home furnishings for outdoor living:
Dining tables and chairs are at the top of outdoor shopping lists this year (followed by lounge chairs, lighting, fire pits, umbrellas and sofas). Leading the list of 2018 spring trends in the dynamic dining category is ultra-comfortable seating and a wide variety of table options in all sizes. Extra-large dining tables are perfect for large families and people who like to entertain groups for alfresco dining.
Gloster’s Clipper dining table is available in a 110-inch length, perfect for hosting a large gathering for alfresco dining. The Clipper table retails for $6,670 and the Archi chairs are $1,585 each. Total retail price for the table and eight chairs is $19,350.
Yet, since not everyone has a large outdoor space, there are also plenty of new selections for small spaces, including dining groups suitable for apartment- and condo-size balconies.
The Richmond balcony rail table and chairs from Jensen Leisure Furniture is designed to complement the small outdoor spaces accompanying condos and apartments. The table retails for $649 and the Opal counter-height chair for $304.
The perfect complement to these seating groups are fire tables and fire pits, which are growing in popularity every day. Just having a fire outside creates amazing ambiance, and it’s inevitably where everyone will gather.
O.W. Lee addresses today’s outdoor lifestyle with its new modular entertainment system that is part of the Pacifica collection of deep seating, dining and lounge pieces. The group allows for a fully accessorized outdoor setting that’s much like an indoor setting and is just as comfortable. The sectional retails for $10,323, the entertainment center for $5,394, and the fire pit with LED lighting options for $3,464.
Much like indoor spaces, design trends for outdoor rooms are leaning more toward mixing rather than matching. It’s easier than ever to create your own personalized look with the latest styles on the market. Manufacturers are offering pieces that incorporate several different elements such as aluminum, wicker and teak, as well as groups that pair, for example, wicker seating with iron and wood tables.
Sporting a stylish gray finish and transitional styling, the mixed media Bradley collection from Veranda Classics features an all-aluminum frame that looks like teak mixed with a wicker seat.
Look for deep-seated chairs with high backs for relaxed comfort that encourages your diners to linger. Because they are so comfortable, these chairs extend the length of dinnertime, which promotes conversation and togetherness.
Designed by Peter Homestead, the transitional Brazo collection from Tropitone highlights mixed materials with a combination of aluminum, faux wood and woven elements together. It also features deep seating for enhanced comfort. The sectional as shown retails for about $8,700 and the table for $750.
On the color spectrum, after years of brown as a dominant color, shades of gray are increasingly peeking through as a more popular finish.
With a neutral gray finish, Agio’s Aurora Deep Seating Collection shows off several key trends for 2018. Porcelain table tops mix nicely with the resin wicker weave, and the deep-seated cushions invite relaxing, with or without a fire pit. Retail prices for the group in the foreground are sofa, $1,363; coffee table, $640; end table, $362; and two large chairs, $1,382; prices for the fire pit chat group in the background are three large chairs, $2,073; and the fire pit, $1,238.
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