Page 46 - enLIGHTenment Magazine - February 2017

outdoor liviNg trENds

DECORATIVE FURNITURE
NATURAL MATERIALS

Forget about the plastic/vinyl feel and look of typical According to Garden Design magazine, “A er

outdoor cushions. Today’s outdoor furniture features years of minimalist dominance in hardscaping

a variety of materials such as wood, cast aluminum, materials, furniture, and décor, designers are no-
wicker, and PVC in styles that rival their indoor ticing renewed interest in natural materials and a

counterparts. Complementing these aesthetics is the less geometric style.” Designer Julie Blakeslee at
wide assortment of a ractive outdoor area rugs that Big Red Sun in Austin, Texas, told Garden Design,

allow consumers to personalize their outdoor spaces “Rather than clean and modern, clients are asking

to create a custom look.
for a more old-fashioned, more DIY look in their
gardens. We’ve been using railway ties, free-form

decks, smaller outdoor furniture, and swing seat-
ing. I think clients are looking for something more

“A er years of minimalist dominance in authentic and real. People may be yearning for

something more organic in their gardens.”
hardscaping materials, furniture, and Richard Hartlage of Sea le-based Land

Morphology told Garden Design that he sees a
décor, designers are noticing renewed heightened interest in natural, tactile materials

like wood and stone for the built elements of a
interest in natural materials and a less garden. “People are moving away from concrete

geometric style.”
unless it’s an ultra-modern, minimalist garden,”

he says.

44 enLIGHTenment Magazine | february 2017
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