Photo by Illume Photography This set features a three-seat curved sofa, two club chairs, an ottoman and a coffee table, and is available at Today’s Patio (five Valley locations.) Manufactured by Mallin, the grouping retails for $3,900. todayspatio.com

Durability and comfort catapult patio furniture
to a whole new level.

The good, old-fashioned backyard barbecue will never go out of style. But the days of settling for shoddy wicker chairs or plain picnic tables are long gone.

Craftsmanship, comfort and luxury now rule the patio.
“We’re creating outdoor living rooms now,” says Susie Hersker, ASID, owner of Scottsdale-based Design Directives. “We can install wine units, refrigerators designed to handle the heat and complete outdoor pizza ovens. We really live outdoors.”

Outdoor televisions, kitchens and accessories such as candles, vases and rugs can transform your outdoor living space into an intimate, stylish extension of your home’s interior. But durable, deeply cushioned furniture and vibrant fabrics beautifully merge den with Zen.
 
Hersker’s list for outdoor furniture trends includes:
• Cushioned furniture ensembles that create outdoor comfort and complement interior design;
• Patio coffee tables with built-in fire pits;
• And solution-dyed outdoor fabrics, including velvets, chenilles and even sheers – durable enough to withstand the heat or be hosed down.

In fact, today’s outdoor fabrics have triggered a new trend: outdoors blending to the indoors. “You can use these durable outdoor fabrics in kids’ rooms because they can’t destroy them,” Hersker says.

Ronna Nitzky, co-owner of Pentimento Inc. in Mesa, upholstered some of her own indoor chairs with outdoor fabric. “The outdoor fabrics will last for years and years in direct sunlight. It’s amazing.”


Furniture Dos and Don’ts
• Do buy wove resin. Don’t buy untreated wicker. Sun eats through wicker, but woven resin can handle the heat.

• Do buy cast aluminum. Don’t buy untreated wrought iron. Cast aluminum mimics the latter without nasty oxidization marks.

• Do try teak. Don’t try bamboo or other woods. Teak can take the elements. Other woods? Not so much.