While the trend of transforming outdoor furniture to resemble indoor furniture has been going on for a few years, brands like Kettal have taken it to a new level, recreating the living room for the terrasse. The latest fad, however, is taking the outdoor-furniture look indoors.
For clients who are prone to pursuing the latest trends and are looking to refurbish their current or new home, mix-match furnishing is a must. Here are some examples for inspiration.
The Outdoor Living Room Look
Creating a space in an exterior environment which imitates a comfortable living area found inside the home can be achieved by placing the usual interior elements outside.
Architect and designer Patricia Urquiola designed her Mesh collection for Kettal. It includes furniture that looks like it is for a typical living room, but is made with materials such as weather-resistant teak wood, light metal and waterproof fabrics: ideal for use in an outdoor setting.
A highlight in the Mesh collection is the sofa set, made with woven aluminum backrests and cushions upholstered in UV-resistant fabric. This furniture set, complemented with Ambient Nest outdoor LED lamps designed by Henrik Pedersen for Gloster, echoes a living room look that provides the same benefits of warmth and comfort you would have inside the home in an outdoor environment.
Kettal Mesh collection by Spanish architect Patricia Urquiola. Courtesy of Kettal.
Urquiola also designed a collection of patterned rugs, mats, roll pillows and cushions called Garden Layers for Gan, which are made of UV and water-resistant polypropylene fibers that are hand-loomed together. Matching and arranging various pieces from the Garden Layers collection with outdoor plants and fixtures can result in a space with a more relaxed vibe, imitating what would have been an indoor lounging area normally found inside the home in an exterior setting.
Importance of Color and Textiles
“One has to maintain a precise color choice and play with different finishes and textures.”
Andrea Parisio, Art Director of Meridiani, has been successful in blending indoor and outdoor codes in all his collections for the brand. In an interview with ArchiExpo e-Magazine, Parisio states that in order:
“To obtain continuity between indoor and outer spaces, one has to maintain a precise color choice and play with the different finishes and textures.”
Parisio’s latest collection Blend presents a neutral color scheme with various pieces upholstered in technically-developed fabrics, generating the softness and refinement typical of indoor furniture covers.
Parisio shares that the Blend collection was “created with the aim of breaking down the boundaries between indoor and outdoor environments.” He explains:
“We’re able to create the same comfort and warmth of interiors in outdoor spaces through combinations of new materials, while maintaining a recognizable style.”
Notable pieces in the series include the Zoe armchair and the Joi Dining Table . The Joi dining table is built with a wooden frame that is supported by a metal structure and topped with a concrete slab, while the Zoe armchair has a varnished aluminum frame available in different chromatic options fitted with cushions upholstered in polyurethane and polyester fabric.
“Thanks to the versatility of the materials and their neat lines they can easily be combined with other products of the living area.”
Bench Blend Collection By Meridiani design Andrea Parisio. Courtesy of Meridiani.
“According to Your Own Personality”
Living Divani promotes the concept of personalization for clients through their online showroom which offers choices of fabrics in a rich palette of colors and a wide range of graphic patterns, similar to the ones that have always characterized the choices for indoor use.
The increasing popularity of outdoor life led Living Divani to develop designs that enable greater interaction between indoors and outdoors, combining the two settings. Their collection called Agra, designed by David Lopez Quincoces, “offers endless combinations of its elements to fulfill different spatial needs” Carola Bestetti, CEO of the furniture brand, told ArchiExpo e-Magazine.
Living Divani’s advice for blending indoor and outdoor furniture is:
“To privilege mainly sober elegant elements which are the leitmotif from the living room to the bedroom and from the dining room to outdoors, to be freely complemented by various items of a different nature, essential and rigorous or eclectic and decorative, according to your own personality.”
A space that is both livable inside and out is an objective that can be elusive to some designers who are tasked to update a home using existing indoor or outdoor furniture. Altering interior furniture with the latest fabrics and materials suited for outdoor use is a good start, making these refurbished pieces ideal to be placed in both areas as needed. Choosing a color scheme that can be showcased by all elements found inside and outside the home is essential.
Agra collection by Living Divani, designed by David Lopez Quincoces. Courtesy of Living Divani.
