With the creation of outdoor spaces gaining momentum in UAE developments, outdoor furniture continues to demand attention. Lauren Hills reports on the latest trends.
With people increasingly considering the outdoor space the ‘fifth room’, a living space outdoors, there is increased demand for innovative, stylish outdoor furniture that is not only functional and durable, but a chic and creative expression of style and opulence.
But while interior spaces have a range of opportunities for furniture design, there are unique challenges to be considered when selecting furniture for outdoor spaces. Outdoor furniture needs to be able to withstand a variety of climates, and specifically in this region needs to be able to weather heat and humidity.
“People want to have the same luxury outdoors as they do indoors, so making innovatively-designed furniture is very important. Terraces and gardens become living rooms,” says Kevin Snyders, marketing manager at Royal Botania, a Belgian outdoor furniture manufacturer.
“[But] it is actually easier to create furniture for the interior [than exterior furniture]. We are limited in the use of materials for outdoor furniture. For example, we need to know that a material is UV resistant and durable.”
SYMBIOTIC
Quality and design go hand in hand in the creation of successful furniture for the outdoors. An innovative design that is durable and long lasting is what end users ultimately require and unique, creative designs that are of luxury quality are in high demand in this region.
“If the article lacks design, no matter how good the quality is, it will not sell. And if the design is fantastic but the article does not offer good quality, the high-end customer will ultimately be disappointed and will not buy it,” says Guiomar Alvarez, general manager of Ogapora, the Spanish company that produces outdoor dinner-ware.
Both durable and attractive, natural materials such as teak have always been a popular choice for outdoor furniture. However, synthetic materials such as rattan, melamine and polycarbonate products are also growing in popularity, suppliers report.
“The trend in outdoor furniture at the moment is the association of materials such as batyline, lacquered glass, ceramic and other synthetic materials, such as corian,” says Dominique Lafaurie, export manager of the French-based outdoor furniture designers and manufacturers, Ego Paris.
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Furniture designers are now also exploring materials that previously were predominantly used indoors. Spanish designer and manufacturer Andreu World, for example, has developed a new outdoor line that was showcased for the first time at Milan Furniture Fair 2008.
“We want to use solid beech wood; that is not typical for outdoor furniture. Normally, teak or other tropical woods are used, but we want to use beech because it is at the heart of the company – 80% of our products are made from beech,” says Jose Palau, marketing and sales manager, Andreu World. “We are doing all the tests and we will soon be able to say that these specific products made from this specific beech wood, treated in a particular way, will be suitable for outdoor use.
“Sometimes, the customer wants to have a product that you can use indoors and outdoors, or at least they want to have similar concepts in the indoor and outdoor areas. So this is what we will aim to offer,” he adds.
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