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Demand for outdoor living space opens options for upholsterers.BY MADRA KELLER

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Ahhh, summer. It's that time of year when decks, patios and porches becomeour sanctuaries-prime spots to relax or entertain others. These outdoor livingspaces are essentiallyextensions of our homes. And as consumers look to enhancetheir outdoor areas, they are turning to upholsterers to provide fabric options tomake this space truly shine .

A growing industryIn record numbers, consumers are creating outdoor rooms, and for good

reason. Everybody needs a getaway-a private retreat for entertainment, restand relaxation. More than simply placing some plastic chairs on a deck, today's

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outdoor rooms have evolvedinto care-fully planned focal points that trulyextend living spaces, and are com-plete with comfortable, stylishfurnish-ings, fabrics, pillows,kitchen/cookingareas, and entertainment zones.

According to the Hearth, Patioand Barbecue Association (HPBA),the outdoor leisure lifestyle industryis now a $6.2 billion industry. In fact,consumers are indulging and extend-ing the home makeover process tothe outdoors thanks to the enormouschoice of products, such as wood-firepizza ovens, refrigerators, dishwash-ers, built-in sinks, bottle rails, cocktailbars and food preparation areas.

And when it comes to outdoorupholstery fabrics, consumers areseeking stylish, well-designed materi-als that can handle the elements andadd a sense of style and comfort totheir al fresco experience.

"Nothing can outperform solution-dyed acrylic fabrics when it comesto ultraviolet protection," says JeffJimison of Shuford Mills/OUTDURA."They typically deliver 1,500 hoursof UV protection. Other fibers fanbetween 300 and 1,000 hours. Acrylicsalso deliver a better hand, deeper,richer colors, and depth of color.They are stain and mildew resistantand can be cleaned with bleach."

According to Sarah Hardy ofMichael's Custom Built Inc., GlenRaven's Sunbrella is one of the morepopular and well known solution-dyedacrylics,but many other manufacturersproduce their own versions, includingDonghia, Perennials, Robert Allen,Pindler and Pindler, and Duralee, toname a few.

"Some are much more decora-tive and more expensive than thebasic Sunbrella fabrics," Hardy says."Others are similar to the more basicSunbrella line. But most of the acryl-ic fabrics are inherently resistant tomoisture, mildew and fading. Theycan literally be hosed off or scrubbedwith soapy water, or even bleached fordark stains.

"Cotton fabrics or other naturalfibers will mildew and fade when usedoutdoors, even when protected byshade. The extra moisture outdoorswillquickly destroy the fabric."

Comfort and beauty meet durability in exterior fabric options such as PhiferteX® Marquesa@.According to CarOlynD'Amato, of Astrup, many consumers are requesting fabrics that resist damage from sunlight, mildew, rot andatmospheriC chemicals, yet are soft and breathable for complete comfort.

As Hardy explains, some compa-nies are starting to market outdoorfabrics that are made from polyolefin.

"These fabrics are intended foroutdoor use," she says. "A lot of theoutdoor fabrics are treated with astain repellent, such as Teflon, toadd to the stain-resistant qualitiesof the fabric. Here in California,we have a large number of clientsusing outdoor fabrics for indoorfurniture. The outdoor fabrics donot fade as quickly and they are easyto clean, which is especially impor-tant in homes with small children

and animals. We also have a largenumber of clients with either actualsunrooms or just sunny rooms whoselect outdoor fabrics for upholsteryand window seats, so that they won'tfade. Most outdoor fabrics are resis-tant to fading for at least five years."

According to Carolyn D'Amato ofAstrup, many consumers are request-ing fabrics that resist damage fromsunlight, mildew, rot and atmospher-ic chemicals, yet are soft and breath-able for complete comfort.

"Today's high-performance special-ty fabrics, such as Sunbrella furniture

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Typical upholstery projects for outdoor spaces tend to be deep seating, removable cushions and umbrellas.

clients are moving away from the metaland plastic strap or all-wood furnitureand picnic tables, and more people arepurcbasing wicker pieces and going fora more interior look."

Experts agree that this season's pat-terns range from large tropical leaf todots, stripes, jacquards, chenilles andexotics-from spicy to soft plums.

"There's an abundance of beau-tiful neutrals that offer cool casualsophistication," D'Amato says. "It's allfashion and the mood of the outdoorand indoor setting, as homeownersnow select their outdoor furnishings toblend with their interior style."

So what are the typical types ofupholstery projects for outdoor spaces?"For us, it's deep seating, removablecushions and umbrellas," Jimison says."Pavilions are also a growth area, aswell as high-end furniture covers."

D'Amato agrees. "Deep seating isthe buzz word," she says. "This is gen-erally overstuffed, removable cush-ions and lots of matching toss pil-lows and coordinating throws. Whilethere's perhaps a bit more profitmargin with a large upholsteredpiece, removable cushions presentan opportunity for more frequent re-covers as fabric patterns, colors andtrends change each season."

"They often put money in theframework and come to us periodicallyto replace their cushions," Nobles says.

Not surprisingly, Tuscan colors arepopular in Phoenix, as are arctic icyblues and stripes.

"Mildew resistance isn't an issue forour climate, so I do use high-densityclosed cell foam," Nobles says. "But formore humid applications, the opencell foam works the best."

Hardy adds that she is seeing a hugeincrease in the use of outdoor fabricsfor both indoor and outdoor use ..

"One reason for this is because thefabrics are losing the classic 'outdoor'look (for sail covers or awnings) andare moving toward patterns other thansimple stripes," she says. "Weare seeingmore and more chenille-type outdoorfabrics, as well as floral prints, plaids,multicolored stripes, tapestries, andvivid-colored solids and textures. Thisyear, we seem to be using a lot of limegreens and hot oranges, as well as theEuropean Tuscany reds and golds.

''We still have clients using tradi-tional blues and greens to go with thegreenery in their yards or their pools,but more and more clients are movingtoward decorator touches outdoors.In California, there has been a trendtoward outdoor kitchens, so now our

fabrics or Phifertex Marquesa areamazing in this respect," she says.

Trends in outdoor livingIndoor-outdoor connections become

popular as people realize that connect-ing their indoor and outdoor environ-ments opens up entirely new optionsfor living space and increases the livablesquare footage of their homes. As aresult, they are investing in high-end,well-designed outdoor upholstery.

"We're finding watery, clear blues,greens, and terra cotta oranges to bevery popular this year," Jimison says."Stripes, as always, are strong, but fab-ric texture is very hot right now, as aresmall-scale patterns."

Enjoying the great outdoors is thecornerstone of many Phoenix resi-dents' lifestyles, and that's why manyinvest in high-quality outdoor furnitureand coverings.

"Many of our clients are looking foryear-round products that willcomplementthe interior of their homes or the design oftheir patiosand decks,"saysAliceNoblesofGemini Upholstery and Custom Interiors,Phoenix, Ariz. About 80 percent of herclients are looking to upholster or reup-holster cushions and elements for theirwrought-ironfurniture sets.

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Outdoorfabrics are gaining popularity for use indoorsdue to durability, stain-resistance and fade-resistance.

The team at Michael's CustomBuilt Inc. is currently working on alarge number of cushion orders.

"Some of them are re-cover jobsfor clients who already had cushionsbut wanted new fabric. Others arenew cushions for newly purchasedoutdoor furniture and built-ins,"Hardy says. "We do not see muchof a trend towards fully upholsteredfurniture for outdoor use. The big-gest issue with fully upholsteredfurniture outside is that the wood,springs and padding are not goingto hold up as long as the syntheticfabric coverings."

Michael's Custom Built special-izes in custom settings for their cli-ents. "We strive to make our clients'cushions and furniture comfortable,"Hardy says. "We can use a variety ofdifferent types of firmness, softnessand thicknesses of foam to come upwith the best possible fit for their indi-vidual preferences. A large numberof our jobs are for clients who havepurchased their furniture frames fromlarge companies but are not happywith the cushion choices that areoffered. They come to us to purchasefabrics and have us fabricate the cush-ions to their specifications."

One of the types of foam thatMichael's Custom Built is using foroutdoor use is the dry-fast, or flow-through, foam.

"This foam will not hold water ormoisture so our clients can walk out

the door first thing in the morning-even after the sprinklers have wateredthe cushions-and sit down on theirfurniture without getting a wet bot-tom," Hardy says. "The foam is moreexpensive, but not one client has everbeen disappointed with it."

On the horizonOne thing is for sure, consumers are

creating more direct and sometimesdramatic interactions between interiorrooms and an attached patio or deck.Today's consumers realize that the out-door spaces around their homes areone way to liven up the property andcreate a true symbiotic indoor/out-door living experience.

Jimison explains that, when itcomes to outdoor upholstery projects,upholsterers often make the mistakeof not encouraging the use of newcolors. "Neutrals are great, but don'tbe afraid to get adventuresome withcolor and mixing of patterns, solidsand stripes with cushions, pillows andumbrellas," he says.

Industry experts agree that outdoorrooms are a huge growth area that pro-vides new, unique and lucrative market-ing opportunities for upholsterers.

"Remember the decision maker isprimarily female," D'Amato says."Theywant style, but durability seals the deal.Upholsterers can market to this groupby selling the strong points of thesenew fabrics."

So how do upholsterers most effec-tivelyobtain and retain outdoor uphol-stery clients?

"At any given time, 50 to 70 percentof our clientsare regular consumers whohavefound our company through adver-tising or word of mouth," Hardy says.'The other part of our consumer base isinterior designersworkingwith their ownclients. In the case of the outdoor furni-ture market, most of our clients cometo us because they do not want cushionsthat look like everyone else's. We cancustomize an order to suit the client'sindividual needs and preferences. Thatiswhat keeps our customers satisfiedandcoming back.We carrya broad selectionof outdoor fabrics in a price range from$30 per yard to $130 per yard. We try tohave a little bit of everything that is avail-able on the market, and something foreverybudget"

Nobles also finds opportunity withclients who come to her for interiorupholstery work. "I may be visitinga cli-ent to quote a livingroom set and I onlyneed to glance out the window to theback yard to see the condition of theirexterior furniture," Nobles says."Peoplemaynot be focused on the exterior untilyou bring it to their attention."

Nobles alsoworkscloselywith a selectgroup of interior designers who provideher with referrals.

"Forty percent of our work comesfrom these designers, and 60 percent ofour work comes from word of mouth,"she says. "Outdoor upholstery projectsare a wonderful addition, especiallywhen you can help designers and clientsthink more globally when it comes toupholstery projects and the potential ofcreating wonderful outdoor rooms."

Sources:The Astrup Co.,Cleveland,Ohio,

+12166962820,8007861876Gemini Upholstery and Custom

Interiors, Phoenix, Ariz.,+1 602 353 9003Michael'sCustomBuiltUpholstery

and Furniture, San Rafael, Calif.,+14154590208

Shuford Mills LLC, Hudson,N.C., +1 866 688 3872 !l1.i

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