This three-legged design, by the way, was huge both indoors and out this season — as was the asymmetrical, soft geometric design of the Made Goods table pictured earlier.
Outdoor fabrics used to look and feel plastic-y. These days, they’re barely distinguishable from indoor fabrics. And just like the textiles in the latest indoor furniture collections, outdoor fabrics this season were often highly textured and available in a range of warm, nature-inspired colors. The Pasadena outdoor collection from Revolution Fabrics, seen here in spa-inspired hues, is a good illustration of this nubby, earthy trend.
It’s worth noting that in addition to making the look and feel of outdoor fabrics more natural, textile manufacturers are trying to make performance fabrics less environmentally damaging than they’ve been historically. Revolution Fabrics’ outdoor fabrics, for example, are made of upcycled polypropylene and free of harmful PFAS “forever” chemicals.
Speaking of aqua, bright color has been the buzz for outdoor spaces, and there was indeed a smattering of jewel tones in the collections we saw – noticed they were usually blue, green or blue-green.
Woven materials have been popular both indoors and out in recent years, and woven faux grasses and synthetic fabrics were very popular outdoor collections too. But at this market, rope reminiscent of Danish paper cord often showed up where we’d gotten used to seeing woven materials.
For example, the back of this weathered-teak Escape outdoor bench from Arteriors, which launched its first (gorgeous) outdoor collection at the market, has synthetic rope wrapped around its dowel back.
We heard in one showroom that the great foam shortage of 2021, caused by storms in the Gulf Coast region, didn’t just affect the supply chain — it spurred an increase in comfy, cushionless outdoor furniture.
That shortage seems to have been resolved, but three years on we did see many attractive examples of deep, cushionless lounge seating that owed their comfort to woven material, including woven rope, instead of seat pads. The Grigio high-back chair pictured here — Sunset West’s take on the Adirondack chair — has a hand-woven rope seat deck and back.
Front porch rockers and reclining poolside chaises have long been staples of outdoor furniture. But over the past couple of seasons, we’ve noticed an uptick in outdoor swivel chairs, recliners and other dynamic lounge and dining seating in both indoor and outdoor collections. The Horizon pergola dining set from Skyline Design North America, which debuted earlier in the year and now comes in this model that seats eight, was one attention-getter in the bunch at the spring market.
When purchasing large, expensive items like outdoor sofas and dining sets, most consumers opt for timeless, neutral designs. But a side table or garden stool is a smaller investment and a low-commitment way to add some contrasting color, pattern or texture to a space. At the spring market, the options were plentiful and included earthy garden stools in glazed ceramic and textured concrete, as well as candy-colored resin and powder-coated designs.
This selection of Made Goods stools shows off some of the materials, textures and shapes that are on-trend this season, including rope and fluting.
Many of the new outdoor collections presented at the market created visual interest with a mix of three or more materials and intricate details more often associated with indoor furniture. This Arteriors Emoto outdoor coffee table, for example, has a white concrete composite top, teak dowels and bronze-stainless steel metalwork in a herringbone pattern.
Decorative perforated metalwork like this, by the way, seems to be cropping up more and more in furniture as well as lighting.
The increased focus on outdoor spaces over the last few years hasn’t been limited to furniture. Lighting options have expanded too, not least thanks to improvements in rechargeable lamps. In some cases, the lamps are rated for outdoor use. But now there are also a lot of elegant rechargeable indoor lamps — like these brass Freya cordless table lamps from Pooky — that can simply be brought outside for an evening without the fuss of a cord.
Classic lantern-style lights with a modern twist are super popular both indoors and out, and they’re offered in pendant, sconce, portable and plug-in designs. This 24½-inch-tall Arteriors Corbin outdoor lantern is a chic example of a plug-in style coated with marine-grade enamel to withstand the elements.
We saw midcentury-style conical and tubular sconces, traditional and modern lantern sconces, barn-style sconces (though, it should be noted, fewer of those than in years past) and modern, minimalist box-style sconces. But whatever their style, many of the new introductions at the market had one thing in common: They were big and bold. Hubbardton Forge’s dramatic Element outdoor sconce, seen here, was a standout example. Its dark-sky-friendly downlight washes over the textured metal to create an interesting play of light and shadow.
This photo of a covered patio encapsulates many of the latest trends in outdoor furnishings, in terms of shapes and materials as well as colors. The bronze reinforced-concrete Payton dining table, faux rattan Deborah swivel chairs and Bevan chandeliers, and a hand-woven Manolo rug made of performance yarn — could be picked up and put into a living room and look right at home.
In particular, notice the furnishings’ shapes, which mirror the curvy, round and organically shaped furniture that has dominated interiors for several seasons.