Innovations in fabric technology have helped to take the indoors outside. Outdoor materials once stiff, rough and limited to a few stripes or florals now come in a variety of colors, styles and softer, more weather-proof fabrics, said Susan Andrews, fabric editor at Furniture Today, an industry newspaper. Most are engineered to resist stains, moisture and damaging UV-rays.While tough fabrics have been around since the '60s in awnings and marine uses, they now come in chenille, bouclé, terry and velvet.
Deb Kirchner, director of home furnishings at Mulhall's, 120th Street and West Maple Road, said a $349 chenille afghan for outdoors is as soft as an indoor throw.
"It's stain-resistant and it's fade-resistant, and because of that, you hopefully never have to wash it. The people who use fire pits in the fall love to use the afghan."
People even are turning to outdoor art, she said. Artwork transferred to metal resembling stretched canvas is treated to resist humidity and water. She said she put one in a fountain for two months; it emerged rust-free and undamaged.
At Mulhall's, an outdoor wall art piece - whether a hillside scene, beach ball or floral bouquet - costs $129 to $349, she said.
Another "awesome" new product, Kirchner said, is faux leather for pillows and outdoor furniture. Andrews said it used to be called vinyl, but that name doesn't do the new product justice.
