Outdoor Living

Have you every wondered how to spruce up a plain outdoor living area? See how two designers created two very different looks using a mix of color and pattern.

To soften the hard lines of our classic garden furniture (center photo), fabric designer Laurie Jenkins introduced a bench cushion and throw pillows. She chose fabric-covered ottomans in lieu of side tables. "You can use them as cocktail tables, a footrest, or extra seating," Jenkins says. "Plus, they're lightweight, so you can move them wherever you need them."

She mixed paisley, stripe, polka-dot, plaid, and solid fabrics in the outdoor living room to create a rich, sophisticated tapestry. "Black and white tends to be viewed as contemporary, but I wanted to show it can be traditional, too," Jenkins says.

Introducing rich interior details to the outdoor spaces (lower photo), fabric designer Elaine Smith entertained visions of sassy reds and rich browns as soon as she saw the outdoor living and dining rooms. "I like to use contrasting colors -- some light, some dark -- because it just makes a space more compelling," she says. "This combination seemed so warm and inviting and perfect for a setting with a lot of natural greens." She cocooned the space with drapes secured with formal tie-backs and embellished a long bench cushion with luxurious fringe.

For an unexpected touch, Smith paired pillows in traditional interior patterns of herringbone and paisley with outdoor cabana-style stripes. Floor pillows provide extra seating or convert side tables to comfy footrests. "I designed the floor pillows with kids and pets in mind," Smith says. "The fabrics are so durable you can just leave them out and hose them off."