Living on the Patio

The ambiance of a porch, an outdoor room, or an outdoor cookout area is an old-fashioned idea that has become increasingly popular today, according to Carolyn Campbell of Carolyn Campbell Interiors. “People are spending more time at home and they’re entertaining more at home,” she says. “These outdoor areas can run the gamut from extremely simple to absolutely elaborate. They might include home entertainment systems, barbecue grills, or even a wood-burning pizza oven.”

Amy Heimermann of Retropolitan says, “We’ve been talking for years about bringing the outdoors in, but the trend today is to bring the indoors outside. I see more outdoor living and even sleeping spaces, and the demand for outdoor furnishings with an indoor feel continues to rise. Lines between indoor and outdoor spaces are becoming harder to distinguish and furnishings that fit in both environments are far more available.”

Saying that outdoor space has become virtually extra square footage for today’s homes, Lisa Huff of In Design reports, “Clients are using their outdoor spaces as much as they use their indoor rooms and consequently they want them to be as comfortable, functional, and beautifully decorated as their indoor ones.”

Gail Hancock of Baylor Bone Interiors says, “The growing movement toward outdoor living areas will probably continue to increase as the green movement grows in popularity. Homeowners are already enjoying their outdoor patios and porches as complete extensions of their living space. Recent clients have requested kitchens, fireplaces, and even a wine cellar in their outdoor rooms.  We advocate a seamless transition from interior to exterior spaces, at least in part through the use of similar colors and design themes.”

Redesign clients can improve their outdoor living spaces by repurposing indoor or outdoor furnishings, according to Gail Adkins of Change Magic Interior Redesign. “Repainting with a durable weatherproof finish in colors to compliment new pieces will ease the need to completely refurnish the outdoor area.” She adds that the level of comfort found indoors can “easily be extended to outdoor rooms without jarring the senses with abrupt changes of style.”

Paxx Burk of Burk Construction LLC says his company is doing a lot of timber work and stonework in the creation of outdoor living spaces. “The stonework typically consists of patios, grills, and fireplaces.  These spaces typically compliment the style and design of the house,” he says. The company frequently builds timber frame structures over patios with firepits, outdoor grills, and fireplaces.

According to Debra Juhl of Urban Patio, the outdoor living emphasis on television and in magazines has spurred a renewed interest among homeowners making their own spaces more inviting and more comfortable for as much of the year as possible.  She says, “Today there are more choices for outdoor fans as well as outdoor misting options for cooling. Conversely, fire pits have been around for a number of years, but today outdoor fireplaces, heat lamps and propane heaters encourage homeowners to stay outside in inclement climates all year round.”

Juhl reports that her shop specializes in meeting the needs of homeowners with smaller patios and balconies. “Our customers are looking for contemporary outdoor style. Many of our lines are from Europe where there are smaller spaces. So furniture, both indoor and outdoor, is being made to be stackable, collapsible, or multi-functional,” she adds.

Customers at Lynn’s Patio & Casual Furniture continue to favor neutral earth tones, according to Doug Franklin. He adds that artificial wicker and wrought iron remain popular for use in outdoor spaces. He adds that firepits remain very popular with the store’s customers.

There are a number of sources for outdoor furnishings in the Greater Nashville area including:

Baylor Bone
Hendersonville
615/ 822-3199

Burk Construction
Franklin, Kentucky
270/ 586-3978

Carolyn Campbell Interiors
Nashville
615/ 348-9065

Change Magic
Spring Hill
615/ 275-9514

Gibson Patio
Hendersonville
615/ 206-9244

In Design
Brentwood
615/ 661-4340

Retropolitan
Nashville
615/ 429-5000

Urban Patio
Nashville
615-730-9764