Posted on: June 14, 2006

Life on the Outside

Creating an escapist sanctuary in your backyard is more about indoor luxury than outdoor limitations

By Timothy R. Schulte
CTW Features

Be it in southern France, the Italian coast or your own hometown, it doesn’t get much better than a romantic champagne picnic under the stars. For most of us, though, that’s a dream tarnished by the unpleasant reality of plastic chairs and a blowup pool. But it doesn’t always have to be. It’s easier now than ever to create a cozy outdoor sanctuary that will put you right on Riviera – or at least your flowerbed, says Jennifer Garrigues.

“It’s amazing … [in Palm Beach] and New York everybody wants to be in the fresh air; everybody wants to be outside but feel enclosed,” says Jenny Garrigues, owner of Jennifer Garrigues, Inc., which operates design studios in both cities. “I think there’s something about an outdoor room that’s filled with romance.”

So how do you make romance out of cheap plastic chairs and a wood table in need of a new coat of Thompson’s? By throwing those notions out the window. Think living room, not patio.

Fabric houses have been developing materials that can withstand the elements, and they’re being developed in all sorts of patterns. One of the people leading the way is Laurie Jenkins, president of Laurie Bell, LLC. Jenkins has used her background in chemistry to forge into the textile industry. Her company designs fabrics, pillows, cushions made specifically for outdoor use.

“We use mostly 100 percent acrylic yarn, and they’re specially engineered for the outdoors so that they won’t fade and that they’re easy to clean,” Jenkins says.

Drifast Outdoor Foam and polyester blown fibers are used for fillers and high UV threads for the finishes. Faux leathers developed with polyurethane also are engineered to survive the outdoors. What does all that translate to? Colors that won’t fade, as Jenkins said, and outdoor cushions and pillows you can just shake water off of to dry. “If it’s not a heavy rain, it just rolls off,” she says. The pieces also are designed to look good. Jenkins draws inspiration from architecture and fashion – Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Prada – as well as from her vintage clothes collection.

“Brown has been very important as an apparel and also now as a furniture,” she says. “We try to do as many combinations with brown as we can.”

To bring your outdoor room to life, pair outdoor products – cushions, ottomans, pillows and throws – with furniture that best fits your needs. People like to eat outside, so Garrigues recommends a table and chairs, with additional chairs or a sofa to fill out the space, and a table to set drinks on.

“Don’t overcrowd it,” she says. “Count how many people you like to entertain. Think it through before you go out and buy these pieces of furniture because they are expensive.”

If you’re looking for the spot to relax rather than the spot to gather, chaises, sectionals, wicker beds and daybeds with canopies make for an exotic place to get away.

Wicker, wood, rattan and teak all make great outdoor materials, but if you’re stuck on what to do with what, you have a few options.

“We are inundated with catalogs of every shape and form,” Garrigues says. “It’s easy for people to go through the catalogs and see what they have to offer. That gives somebody a bit of a start.”

If catalogs aren’t helping you organize your outdoor resort, you might just want to seek the help of a professional designer. The designer will help you get the root of how you’re looking to utilize your outdoor space and find the best looks and fabrics for your dream. And it’s not to say that the designer will take the project and run with it. Use items your found or certain ideas you like to jump-start the room. You’re the reason the room is coming together, and you’re the most important part of the process. A landscape architect might be a good resource, too, depending on what you want to do with your space.

When it comes to outfitting your room, there’s unlimited options for where your design goes and for the materials you choose.

“Use a texture, then use a stripe, then maybe a floral design, mix all those in together. It just makes it a lot more interesting,” Jenkins said. “Most of the times I try to mix three fabrics, sometimes five or six.”

Barbara Balaban, a designer with Balaban and Shapiro Interiors in Los Angeles, also tries to mix materials and tap a variety of suppliers.

“Make the materials go together but not match,” she says.

You can draw inspiration from your indoor rooms to make the outdoor room of your dreams.

“Don’t be shy. If you use bold colors inside, use them outside, as well,” Balaban says.

Garrigues echoes the indoor/outdoor play.

“If the porch is right off the living room, it’s nice to continue colors through,” she says. “It’s nice to acknowledge each other.”

Before you cozy up in your new outdoor room and get ready to enjoy your picnic, don’t forget to accessorize.

Encased candles or lanterns can give your space an exotic feel and provide the lighting needed during the night. Plants are good, too, because they require less fuss.

“You want leaves around you; you want foliage around you,” Garrigues says. “It’s romantic. Have fun with it. There are so many outdoor rooms out there that look great.

“I would make it functional and romantic at the same time,” she says. “If it’s well designed and well put together you’re going to spend hours out there.”

And that’s the precise idea.

Backyard Checklist

“Homeowners today entertain in their homes a great deal,” says Everett Collier, president of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, Des Plaines, Ill. ”An outdoor kitchen is a novelty and provides another area to entertain guests. Outdoor kitchens can be added to patios, decks, under a gazebo and in courtyards,” Collier adds.

NARI urges homeowners about to undertake an outdoor remodel to start by making a basic lifestyle checklist:

• How do you currently use your indoor kitchen? How would you like to use your outdoor kitchen?

• On average, how many cooks use the kitchen at one time? If you have multiple cooks in the family, you may want to consider dual work zones for more efficient use of the space.

• Do you enjoy cooking or will the area be more a gathering place than a gourmet retreat?

• If it is a gathering spot, is there room for family or friends who are not involved in the meal preparation? Is that space convenient and comfortable for everyone?

• Is the lighting in the area sufficient for evening entertaining?

• Will your family use the area for regular dining or will this be primarily an entertainment spot?

• On average, how many would you need to seat? Do you have enough room for all of them?

• Remodel according to local code. Before finalizing the design of your outdoor space, your remodeling contractor should check zoning laws to make sure your outdoor space will be the proper distance from your property line, and obtain the necessary permits for the job.

Comments	Date

Name:
Email:
Comments :

Copyright © CTW Features