Indoor glamour comes to the great outdoors

By MELISSA RAYWORTH

For The Associated Press

Outdoor living has always been a priority in the sunniest parts of the country. Interior designers Brian Patrick Flynn and Mallory Mathison often focus on the exterior when working with home owners in the South.

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AP Photo, Sarah Dorio Seen here is the floor of a rooftop garden designed by Brian Patrick Flynn which is covered in NewGrass. "This acrylic faux grass product has the soft feel of thick lawn, resists mold and insects and doesnít require any watering or maintenance.

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AP Photo, Mallory Mathison Mallory Mathison shows an outside dining area that she designed which features a low dining table and soft, overstuffed chairs with an indoor feel.

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AP Photo, Sarah Dorio Shown here is an outdoor space with a striped concrete slab floor and privacy wall of outdoor drapery panels. By tripling up on panels and attaching to poles with clip rings, it gives simple panels a more tailored look.

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But even in the Northeast, outdoor dining and entertaining have become a priority, says designer Janine Carendi, who primarily works with clients in New York City. "Not only isn't it the last thing people want to think about," she says, "but in New York, where outdoor space is so rare, it's often the first thing they start with."

Flynn says many homeowners have come to think of their outdoor space as an additional living room and dining room, decorating the space as though it's inside. At large homes, outdoor space has become the focal point, much the way kitchens and baths have garnered extra attention in recent years. And at smaller homes, outdoor areas are a great tool for maximizing living space.

Retailers have taken notice. The range of outdoor products — furniture, rugs, draperies — that look as though they belong indoors has increased considerably. "If you look hard enough and have the resources," Mathison says, "you can find anything for outside that looks as good as for inside. It's a huge advance from five years ago, and even in the past two years."

"It's no longer about throwing a lawn chair out there," she says. "It's about implementing your own style outside."

So how do these designers propose you do that?

— Comfy club chairs, low slung tables.

The shape and scale of outdoor furniture is changing, says Mathison. "You see people taking a cue from European lifestyle and doing al fresco dining, with dining tables that are a lower height," she says, "and chairs that are a lot more comfortable than standard dining chairs. ... It's all about lingering and really enjoying being outside, having long conversations." Flynn loves the latest offerings from Jason Champion Outdoor, which capture this lounge-y, relaxed feeling perfectly.

— Indoor elements brought outside.

Mathison recently saw an antique armoire that had been outfitted to hold an outdoor barbecue grill. "At a show house recently," she says, "you see this armoire, and then they open it up, and it has a grill inside ... with all the utensils and equipment hanging inside."

Televisions, too, have migrated outside: Flynn says moisture-resistant, flat-panel TVs are a popular outdoor accessory, though they are easy targets for theft.

Indoor/outdoor fabrics and rugs are also being used to amplify the living-room feeling. They add indoor style to an outdoor space, says Carendi, but also stand up to the elements and are easily cleaned. Patterns have changed: Rather than relying on awning stripes and other outdoorsy styles, these products are designed with an indoor look. Mathison likes outdoor rugs from Williams-Sonoma or Ballard Designs. For fabrics, Carendi and Flynn both like Trina Turk's outdoor designs for Schumacher.

— Outdoor kitchens with all the accessories.

The outdoor kitchen is here to stay, says Flynn, with a growing number of people going beyond an elaborate grill to create a full cooking and serving area. Outdoor refrigerators, outdoor ice makers, and separate coolers for beer and wine are becoming more common, he says. Mathison agrees: "You see outdoor cocktail stations ... and things like warming drawers and prep areas for grills."

These designers also see a wide selection of outdoor lighting and overhead fans, including some that spray a soft mist to cool the air.

— Architectural accents.

Old signage, reclaimed columns, old windows found at flea markets: Bits of commercial or retro architecture are becoming a popular way to put a unique stamp on outdoor spaces. These pieces are used on their own as decoration or sometimes used to construct a pergola to cover and draw focus to the dining or lounging area.

— Defining an open space.

Gazebos, pergolas and other garden structures are a great way to define a space and make it feel like an indoor room that happens to be outdoors. Mathison loves the choices at Smith & Hawken, but says even Home Depot has attractive pergolas for just a few hundred dollars. These structures limit sun exposure without blocking light entirely, and they're great for hanging lights or potted plants.

For patios that are simply a slab of concrete, Flynn suggests painting the concrete with bold color stripes or other designs. You're essentially creating an outdoor rug out of paint.

For roof gardens, his current favorite product is Newgrass. "No matter where you live," he says, "it instantly adds green space in a city, even for a tiny, 6-by-6 (foot) terrace." Unlike prickly fake turf, he says, this artificial grass looks lush and feels great to walk on.

With elements like this, Flynn says, it's possible this summer to turn even a carport or plain patio into "a high-end, over-the-top dining or living room."

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On the Web:

http://www.jasonchampionoutdoor.com/

http://www.ballarddesigns.com/

http://www.fschumacher.com

http://www.smithandhawken.com/

http://www.newgrass.com/