ALISA MARIE COCCARI

Published in Your Home Magazine, January 2013.

By Alisa Bowen
Photography by Sunbrella

Endless days of searing sun and tropical heat, mixed with the relentless humidity and inevitable rainy season, require smart design for outdoor rooms and sunny sanctuaries. Fortunately, for those living in the sun a new era of all-weather fabrics have pitted beauty and brawn against the elements for innovative performance fabrics that repel stains, wick away moisture, are fade and mold-resistant and chlorine-proof.

Making a big splash poolside with fabrics specifically designed for these climate challenges is Sunbrella; they are leading the charge with textiles resistant to stains, mildew and fading as well as being water-repellent, inherently antimicrobial and easy to clean. Colorfast fabrics are not only sensible for outdoor spaces, but also prevent fading on window seats, window treatments, and furniture cushions that receive extreme sun exposure.

Thanks to new weaving and finishing techniques, alfresco fabrics are on par with traditional upholstery textiles sporting exciting, sophisticated designs from daring damasks, sunny stripes, seascapes and nods to nature with tropical colors. No longer resigned to the realm of bland utilitarian fabrics, outdoor materials fuse fashion and function, extending the living room to encompass outdoor living spaces, and in turn enlivening them with hip, inviting textiles that are practical to boot. With a heady choice of designs from modern abstracts to floral, animal prints or adventurous paisley, cheering up the outside has never been easier or more fun.

In addition to colorfast outdoor cushions and pillows, add all-weather drapes to the sunny side of the terrace and you can drop them down without fear of fading. Create an appealing shady gathering with sunny stripes or a playful print that can endure hours of glaring sun as canopies over chaises. Given that these modern materials are perfectly suited for tropical living and able to brave the harsh outdoor elements or years on end, adding a fresh twist to outdoor décor is a snap.

With all the choices in the ever-evolving material world there has not been a better, nor more inviting time, to live outside the box. So, say au revoir to dull patio furniture of yesteryear — and hello to fresh floral and modern prints advancing outdoor design to a new fashion-forward era under the sun.