Taking the indoors out

It's no surprise that the outdoor room is getting cozier, with so many new products on the market to provide creature comforts. Chair cushions are softer and deeper, rugs are plusher and the lighting is so much more attractive.

It's difficult to tell where the inside ends and the outside begins.

Curtains, table lamps, mirrors and even paintings have been installed in outdoor rooms, making the outdoor space so much like, well, home.

Mark Vaughan, owner of Domain XCIV in Fort Worth, Texas, says the market for these outdoor accessories is growing. He saw many new products, such as table lamps wired for exterior use and seating pieces covered in hardy fade-resistant fabrics, at the recent High Point market in North Carolina.

"I saw a lot of torchieres and table lamps that looked like they were for indoor use wired and UL approved for outdoor use. One of our upholstery vendors has now covered their frames with Sunbrella fabric."

Vaughan says, "We're putting everything outside that is made of a material that can go outside." He should know — he even has a painting on the exterior wall of his garage.

"We want those outside places to be cozy and to feel like a room in the home. That's why I hung that painting. It solved a problem; that little sitting area was up against the garage, but you forget that because there is a painting on the wall."

Besides art, other decorative items that have found their way outside include:

• Chandeliers

• Draperies

• Table lamps

• Large mirrors

• Throw pillows

Exposing such items to the harsh elements can be damaging, warns designer Gayla Jett Shannon. "They need to be tucked away. Even though the new fabrics are very durable and are mold, mildew and fade resistant, they are not indestructible. Indoors, they can last as long as regular draperies, 25 to 30 years. Outdoors, without protection, most are only guaranteed for five years. Sunlight and UV rays will fade things. I'd be careful with things like paintings."

Vaughan doesn't worry about his acrylic painting on Masonite. He fully expects it to get crusty over time. However, that time has not come. The eaves of the garage, even though they are fairly shallow, have protected the painting. To get that aged look, "It may have to be out there a lot longer," he says.

The goods

• Weather-resistant curtain panels can soften an outdoor room or screen out an unsightly fence. Be sure and use weather-resistant hardware as well. Crate & Barrel offers Sunbrella panels in neutral colors of pebble, ivory and cocoa in three lengths. The linenlike fabric makes them suitable for all-weather rooms as well. $99 to $129 each. Crate & Barrel or www.crateandbarrel.com.

• Add a lot of impact with plump pillows covered in weather-friendly fabrics. They'll make the patio furniture more inviting and comfortable. From Williams-Sonoma Home comes this collection of embroidered rectangular designs with beach motifs. Clad in acrylic canvas, they have a poly-fiber fill and measure 16 inches by 12 inches. $68 each, Williams-Sonoma Home or www.wshome.com.

• Create an outdoor game table and leave the board set up throughout the summer. A 12 inch by 12 inch board made of Vermont quarried green slate with matching game pieces is $54, www.outdoordecor.com.

• Copper wall art created by artist Ken Rausch comes in iridescent hues of red, green and blue and will brighten up any space. Each hand-painted square is fade- and weather-resistant and will not peel nor oxidize. The 35-inch squares also come with stakes and stands and are signed by the artist. $1,295, www.frontgate.com.