CHICAGO -- Not too long ago most of us thought outdoor furniture was a table with four chairs for the patio and maybe a few chaises by the pool.

No longer. Outdoor furniture has gone uptown with styles as varied and as comfortable as what we put indoors.

``The business was predominantly teak when we founded our company 17 years ago,'' says Jennifer Mulholland, owner of Rock Wood Casual Furniture with her husband, John. ``It has changed from patio furniture to become a real fashion statement.''

The recent International Casual Furniture and Accessories Market in Chicago proved how fashionable outdoor furniture can be. Sectionals. Beds with canopies. Motion furniture that rocks or reclines. Mahogany frames painted to withstand the weather. Chat groups of four chairs surrounding a table with a fire pit. Cuddle chairs for two or for you and your pooch. Colors inspired by the fashion runways.

But be forewarned. Because this is fashion, like haute couture, it often is expensive. You can easily expect to pay $4,000 for a dining table and four chairs and $3,000 for a chaise. Some of the ideas will eventually trickle down as inspiration to less expensive lines, sold at places like Target, Lowe's, Home Depot and Sears, but don't expect details and workmanship to be the same. This is the equivalent of finding a knock-off of a designer dress or handbag.

A few of the introductions were surprising, like the leather furniture introduced by Rock Wood Casual Furniture of Ontario, Canada. Mulholland wasn't impressed at first when a company in Austria approached her about using its leather outdoors. But she soon changed her mind. This leather, made from bull hide, doesn't get hot or sticky and comes in 40 colors.

``Leather may be one of the next big things in outdoors,'' she predicts.

Mulholland originally did cushions, and then took the idea to an upholsterer, who made a chair slipcover. The slipcovered chair sells for about $2,000.

Another departure from the typical finishes on outdoor furniture comes from Brown Jordan, a company known for understated elegance. The company introduced its Murano chair with a fashion forward color -- orange with a brown undertone.

``I'm not sure how many we will sell,'' says Stephen Elton, director of Brand Opportunity. ``But it will get some attention.''

LOOKING TO FLORIDA

Manufacturers say Floridians have a major impact on outdoor furniture trends.

``We base our season on what Florida does,'' says Teresa Buelin, sales and marketing operations manager for Laneventure, which introduced several products, including outdoor beds and cuddle chairs. ``They are ahead of the rest of the country.''

Many collections were not only inspired by the Sunshine State, they are named for Florida locations.

Richard Frinier, an icon of the industry who received a lifetime achievement award at the market, introduced the South Beach Collection for Century Leisure. The collection includes side chairs and tables for terraces and balconies as well as sectional, lounge and dining pieces for larger outdoor spaces. It is made of Hularo fiber, an extruded polyethylene material that is hand woven over a powder-coated aluminum frame in a classic box weave pattern.

``South Beach is a compelling American destination city,'' Frinier says. ``You feel a little more alive when you are there. I wanted to design something that would be smart, durable and comfortable for the vertical living and loft spaces that demand a chic but soft-modern aesthetic.''

Join the discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

     Showing: Oldest first Newest first Most-recommended first Least-recommended first

@Nyx.AuthorDisplayName@ wrote on @Nyx.PostedAtTime@:

@Nyx.repliedToText@

@Nyx.replyAnswerText@

Reply to this Comment @Nyx.Recommender@ @Nyx.AbuseReporter@