About Traditional Home Magazine:
Traditional Home is an upscale lifestyle magazine with an audience that is interested in creating beautiful homes, entertaining spaces and creating family traditions around those says Krissa Rossbund, the senior style at Traditional Home.
She recently gave me some tips and trends for outdoor spaces regarding furniture, outdoor fabric and colors.Tell us about some trends for summer:
With an economy that is still soft, people are spending a lot more time at home. There are many wonderful products for outdoor spaces that are weather friendly.
We are also seeing a lot of color outdoors. You can see it in products like outdoor pillows. Another thing about color is that the color you used to see only indoors is now going outside.
Then we have great new tabletops. It's a great opportunity for people to use color and do things differently.What are the colors for summer:
Bright colors, citrusy colors. Oranges and melon colors are big. Pink continues to be big. But as far as cool colors go, I think you are talking blue and definitely dark blue.What's new about outdoor fabrics:
One of the major trends is that outdoor fabrics like Sunbrella, are now even being used inside. People are understanding that these fabrics not only withstand the elements, but can also withstand children and pets, and can stand up to high traffic areas, such as three-season porches, sun rooms and family rooms.
What's so wonderful about these textiles is the soft hand. They are so soft and comfortable that you think it is fabric meant for interior use. Lots of interesting textures and patterns. Previously you just limited patterns, stripes, and solids, and that was it.
Any crossover between indoor and outdoor trends:
Stripes are coming in, in very interesting color combinations. We're always going to see blue and white,but now there are also interesting things in pink and taupe, a lot of citrusy colors and blues in a darker value.
What are some tips for a small patio or outdoor space:
There is a lot of really great small scaled furniture which works. Folding chairs can be put out when entertaining and folded up and put away. Look into pieces that serve the purpose of entertaining so if you have a family occasion or barbecue chairs should be easy to move around, and also for conversation purposes.
There should be lots of small tables when entertaining, so people can put down drinks. There's furniture that's barstool height, and standard height.
So functional furniture that can be used for entertaining, furniture that can be folded up, and easily moved around.
