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Demand for outdoor living space opens options for upholsterers.
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Ahhh, summer. It's that time of year when decks, patios and porches become
C our sanctuaries-prime spots to relax or entertain others. These outdoor living
...,:J spaces are essentially extensions of our homes. And as consumers look to enhance
Cd their outdoor areas, they are turning to upholsterers to provide fabric options to
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make this space truly shine .
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A growing industry
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In record numbers, consumers are creating outdoor rooms, and for good
reason. Everybody needs a getaway-a private retreat for entertainment, rest
and relaxation. More than simply placing some plastic chairs on a deck, today's

34 . www.upholsteryjournaLinfo
outdoor rooms have evolved into care-
fully planned focal points that truly
extend living spaces, and are com-
plete with comfortable, stylishfurnish-
ings, fabrics, pillows,kitchen/cooking
areas, and entertainment zones.
According to the Hearth, Patio
and Barbecue Association (HPBA),
the outdoor leisure lifestyle industry
is now a $6.2 billion industry. In fact,
consumers are indulging and extend-
ing the home makeover process to
the outdoors thanks to the enormous
choice of products, such as wood-fire
pizza ovens, refrigerators, dishwash-
ers, built-in sinks, bottle rails, cocktail
bars and food preparation areas.
And when it comes to outdoor
upholstery fabrics, consumers are
seeking stylish, well-designed materi-
als that can handle the elements and
add a sense of style and comfort to
their al fresco experience.
"Nothing can outperform solution-
dyed acrylic fabrics when it comes
to ultraviolet protection," says Jeff
Jimison of Shuford Mills/OUTDURA.
"They typically deliver 1,500 hours
of UV protection. Other fibers fan
between 300 and 1,000 hours. Acrylics
also deliver a better hand, deeper,
richer colors, and depth of color.
They are stain and mildew resistant
and can be cleaned with bleach."
According to Sarah Hardy of
Michael's Custom Built Inc., Glen
Raven's Sunbrella is one of the more
popular and well known solution-dyed
acrylics,but many other manufacturers
produce their own versions, including
Donghia, Perennials, Robert Allen, Comfort and beauty meet durability in exterior fabric options such as PhiferteX® Marquesa@.According to CarOlyn
Pindler and Pindler, and Duralee, to D'Amato, of Astrup, many consumers are requesting fabrics that resist damage from sunlight, mildew, rot and
atmospheriC chemicals, yet are soft and breathable for complete comfort.
name a few.
"Some are much more decora- As Hardy explains, some compa- and animals. We also have a large
tive and more expensive than the nies are starting to market outdoor number of clients with either actual C
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basic Sunbrella fabrics," Hardy says. fabrics that are made from polyolefin. sunrooms or just sunny rooms who zr
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"Others are similar to the more basic "These fabrics are intended for select outdoor fabrics for upholstery ~
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Sunbrella line. But most of the acryl- outdoor use," she says. "A lot of the and window seats, so that they won't ~
ic fabrics are inherently resistant to outdoor fabrics are treated with a fade. Most outdoor fabrics are resis- c-
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moisture, mildew and fading. They stain repellent, such as Teflon, to tant to fading for at least five years." c
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can literally be hosed off or scrubbed add to the stain-resistant qualities According to Carolyn D'Amato of !!?
with soapy water, or even bleached for of the fabric. Here in California, Astrup, many consumers are request- c,
dark stains. C
we have a large number of clients ing fabrics that resist damage from :J
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"Cotton fabrics or other natural using outdoor fabrics for indoor sunlight, mildew, rot and atmospher- •
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fibers will mildew and fade when used furniture. The outdoor fabrics do ic chemicals, yet are soft and breath- c
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outdoors, even when protected by not fade as quickly and they are easy able for complete comfort. tv
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shade. The extra moisture outdoors to clean, which is especially impor- "Today's high-performance special- o
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will quickly destroy the fabric." tant in homes with small children 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.
fabrics or Phifertex Marquesa are
amazing in this respect," she says.
Trends in outdoor living
Indoor-outdoor connections become
popular as people realize that connect-
ing their indoor and outdoor environ-
ments opens up entirely new options
for living space and increases the livable
square footage of their homes. As a
result, they are investing in high-end,
well-designed outdoor upholstery.
"We're finding watery, clear blues,
greens, and terra cotta oranges to be
very popular this year," Jimison says.
"Stripes, as always, are strong, but fab-
ric texture is very hot right now, as are
small-scale patterns."
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o Enjoying the great outdoors is the
o cornerstone of many Phoenix resi-
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invest in high-quality outdoor furniture
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c and coverings.
..,:l "Many of our clients are looking for
Iii year-round products that willcomplement
•..c the interior of their homes or the design of
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..,o their patiosand decks,"saysAliceNobles of
~ Gemini Upholstery and Custom Interiors,
Phoenix, Ariz. About 80 percent of her
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clients are looking to upholster or reup-
holster cushions and elements for their
wrought-ironfurniture sets.
36 www.upholsteryjournal.info
"They often put money in the
framework and come to us periodically
to replace their cushions," Nobles says.
Not surprisingly, Tuscan colors are
popular in Phoenix, as are arctic icy
blues and stripes.
"Mildew resistance isn't an issue for
our climate, so I do use high-density
closed cell foam," Nobles says. "But for
more humid applications, the open
cell foam works the best."
Hardy adds that she is seeing a huge
increase in the use of outdoor fabrics
for both indoor and outdoor use ..
"One reason for this is because the
fabrics are losing the classic 'outdoor'
look (for sail covers or awnings) and
are moving toward patterns other than
simple stripes," she says. "We are seeing
more and more chenille-type outdoor
fabrics, as well as floral prints, plaids,
multicolored stripes, tapestries, and
vivid-colored solids and textures. This
year, we seem to be using a lot of lime
greens and hot oranges, as well as the
European Tuscany reds and golds.
''We still have clients using tradi-
tional blues and greens to go with the
greenery in their yards or their pools,
but more and more clients are moving
toward decorator touches outdoors.
In California, there has been a trend
toward outdoor kitchens, so now our
clients are moving away from the metal
and plastic strap or all-wood furniture
and picnic tables, and more people are
purcbasing wicker pieces and going for
a more interior look."
Experts agree that this season's pat-
terns range from large tropical leaf to
dots, stripes, jacquards, chenilles and
exotics-from spicy to soft plums.
"There's an abundance of beau-
tiful neutrals that offer cool casual
sophistication," D'Amato says. "It's all
fashion and the mood of the outdoor
and indoor setting, as homeowners
now select their outdoor furnishings to
blend with their interior style."
So what are the typical types of
upholstery projects for outdoor spaces?
"For us, it's deep seating, removable
cushions and umbrellas," Jimison says.
"Pavilions are also a growth area, as
well as high-end furniture covers."
D'Amato agrees. "Deep seating is
the buzz word," she says. "This is gen-
erally overstuffed, removable cush-
ions and lots of matching toss pil-
lows and coordinating throws. While
there's perhaps a bit more profit
margin with a large upholstered
piece, removable cushions present
an opportunity for more frequent re-
covers as fabric patterns, colors and
trends change each season."
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Outdoorfabrics are gaining popularity for use indoors due to durability, stain-resistance and fade-resistance.
The team at Michael's Custom
Built Inc. is currently working on a
large number of cushion orders.
"Some of them are re-cover jobs
for clients who already had cushions
but wanted new fabric. Others are
new cushions for newly purchased
outdoor furniture and built-ins,"
Hardy says. "We do not see much
of a trend towards fully upholstered
furniture for outdoor use. The big-
gest issue with fully upholstered
furniture outside is that the wood,
springs and padding are not going
to hold up as long as the synthetic
fabric 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 of
different types of firmness, softness
and thicknesses of foam to come up
with the best possible fit for their indi-
vidual preferences. A large number
of our jobs are for clients who have
purchased their furniture frames from
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large companies but are not happy
with the cushion choices that are
offered. They come to us to purchase
fabrics and have us fabricate the cush-
ions to their specifications."
One of the types of foam that
Michael's Custom Built is using for
outdoor use is the dry-fast, or flow-
through, foam.
"This foam will not hold water or
moisture so our clients can walk out
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the door first thing in the morning-
even after the sprinklers have watered
the cushions-and sit down on their
furniture without getting a wet bot-
tom," Hardy says. "The foam is more
expensive, but not one client has ever
been disappointed with it."
On the horizon
One thing is for sure, consumers are
creating more direct and sometimes
dramatic interactions between interior
rooms and an attached patio or deck.
Today's consumers realize that the out-
door spaces around their homes are
one way to liven up the property and
create a true symbiotic indoor/out-
door living experience.
Jimison explains that, when it
comes to outdoor upholstery projects,
upholsterers often make the mistake
of not encouraging the use of new
colors. "Neutrals are great, but don't
be afraid to get adventuresome with
color and mixing of patterns, solids
and stripes with cushions, pillows and
umbrellas," he says.
Industry experts agree that outdoor
rooms are a huge growth area that pro-
vides new, unique and lucrative market-
ing opportunities for upholsterers.
"Remember the decision maker is
primarily female," D'Amato says."They
want style, but durability seals the deal.
Upholsterers can market to this group
by selling the strong points of these
new fabrics."
So how do upholsterers most effec-
tivelyobtain and retain outdoor uphol-
stery clients?
"At any given time, 50 to 70 percent
of our clients are regular consumers who
have found our company through adver-
tising or word of mouth," Hardy says.
'The other part of our consumer base is
interior designersworkingwith their own
clients. In the case of the outdoor furni-
ture market, most of our clients come
to us because they do not want cushions
that look like everyone else's. We can
customize an order to suit the client's
individual needs and preferences. That
iswhat keeps our customers satisfiedand
coming back. We carry a broad selection
of outdoor fabrics in a price range from
$30 per yard to $130 per yard. We try to
have a little bit of everything that is avail-
able on the market, and something for
everybudget"
Nobles also finds opportunity with
clients who come to her for interior
upholstery work. "I may be visitinga cli-
ent to quote a livingroom set and I only
need to glance out the window to the
back yard to see the condition of their
exterior furniture," Nobles says."People
may not be focused on the exterior until
you bring it to their attention."
Nobles also works closelywith a select
group of interior designers who provide
her with referrals.
"Forty percent of our work comes
from these designers, and 60 percent of
our work comes from word of mouth,"
she says. "Outdoor upholstery projects
are a wonderful addition, especially
when you can help designers and clients
think more globally when it comes to
upholstery projects and the potential of
creating wonderful outdoor rooms."
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Sources: o
The Astrup Co., Cleveland,Ohio,
+12166962820,8007861876 -<c...
Gemini Upholstery and Custom o
Interiors, Phoenix, Ariz., .,
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+1 602 353 9003 ~
Michael'sCustomBuiltUpholstery c...
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and Furniture, San Rafael, Calif., :J
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+14154590208 •
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Shuford Mills LLC, Hudson, -<
N.C., +1 866 688 3872 !l1.i I\)
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www.upholsteryjournal.info 37