Stylish, substantial furniture for the outdoors

By Kaui Philpotts
Advertiser Staff Writer

Rattan, wicker or bamboo furniture, such as this sofa, available at Pier 1 Imports, is easy to move outdoors and creates a comfortable ambience for summer entertaining. Furniture may be be weatherproofed for protection. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser Create a comfortable 'room' outdoors Tips to add pizzazz to your summer outdoor space: Find outdoor accessories and furniture that reflect your indoor style so that the transition from indoors to out is seamless. Buy those overstuffed "outdoor" cushions only if you have a place to store them when it rains. No matter what the sellers tell you, the cushions will come apart when left in the relentless Hawai'i sun and rain. Think classic indoor arrangements for outside, too. For instance, a love seat and side chairs around a low coffee table. Or a market umbrella between two chaises, just like they do at your favorite hotel. If you want your outdoor furniture to blend into the surroundings, select a natural color such as green. beige or brown — especially effective if you have a great view. If you want to make a statement (and there's no view to look at), go for strong, hot colors. Fill in with large potted trees and shrubs, making outside a "destination." Cluster plants together for more impact, and banish the mismatched pots. Stick to one look, such as terra cotta, European or Asian. — Kaui Philpotts

No longer.

The new outdoor furniture of the last couple of years, more stylish and substantial, is meant to make a fashion statement and give the same comfort that your cozy living room club or wing chair does.

In fact, those oversized indoor styles are now available in outdoor versions, with wicker-like, weatherproof materials and fitted with thick, comfy cushions upholstered in Sunbrella outdoor fabrics.

"Chaises are wider and the cushions plusher these days," says John Fiedler, of Lanai Things on Kamake'e Street. "People want the comfort and style outdoors that they get indoors."

The trend may have begun just because people wanted a more bohemian, eclectic look, says Patty Kincaid whose business, Place Lift, specializes in taking what you already own and giving it a new look. "They are mixing and matching," she said.

She has taken her overstuffed wicker furniture and dragged it out onto the deck. "It's just more homey taking the inside outside," she said. She suggests, as an example, adding pillows to an outdoor-proof teak bench. When you go inside, so do the pillows.

Classic, romantic porch furniture is popular again — the wicker, rattan and wooden Adirondack pieces that graced early-20th century lawns and deep front porches are being sought after and copied by contemporary designers such as Brown Jordan, Summit Furniture, Gloster, and the Gardener's Eden catalog.

Indoor chaise longues were notorious in the 18th century as a place for hasty liaisons. Today, they are indispensable on the lanai and beside the swimming pool.

Old motifs are back in fabrics, too. Look for botanical prints, foliage patterns such as banana and palm fronds, and textured matting. The inspiration is traditional, but with the addition of sun-resistant treatments.

"It used to be all white, neutrals and beige," Kincaid said. "Now you see lots of colored fabric like mango and purples. People are taking those Peter Max and Marimmeko designs of the '70s and updating them."

Manufacturers are also using better-quality aluminum and plastic. When designers don't use natural materials, they try hard to make them at least look like them.

A trend in outdoor tables, says Fiedler, is to get away from the pounded "look like glass" tops of old-fashioned sets. Instead, plastic table tops now are embossed to look like stone or ceramic tile.

Teak has long been an island favorite for its sturdiness and the beautiful way it mellows with age. Look for new teak pieces coming from China and Indonesia in a wide range of prices. The finish work and hardware will determine the price.

Also being seen more are over-stuffed, three-inch-thick, cotton canvas cushions on furniture. Wicker is now often lacquered for longevity, as is bamboo. They make a design statement without being as fragile as indoor furniture.

Trendsetter Ralph Lauren stacks outdoor mattresses on top of woven, futon-like platforms and covers cushions in tough, blue and white striped canvas. To this look he adds "beefy" hurricane lamps, fat candles and an oversized market umbrella for protection from the sun.

Pier 1 Imports, which merchandises style on a budget each season, is showing rope hammocks ready for hanging between trees, cotton canvas director's chairs and folding side tables, as well as cheerful, striped canvas and teak lanai chairs.

Other economical places to hunt for this look are Kmart (look for the Martha Stewart designs in the garden department), Wal-Mart, Indonesian import stores and Costco.