Fabric Makeovers for Outdoor Rooms

Transform your outdoor room with fabrics. Add color, create walls, and surprise guests with these creative ideas for using fabric outdoors.

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Fabric Finesse

Add pizzazz to an outdoor gathering space with colorful fabric panels. Curtains sewn from outdoor fabrics in a vivid pink, orange, and brown swirl motif elevate this porch's contemporary style. The playful pattern provides an interesting backdrop for the neutral wicker seating set. Throw pillows scattered throughout the space feature the same colors as the curtains.

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All-American

This lovely sitting room was positioned to take advantage of the stunning views surrounding this classic farmhouse. The room, furnished with white-painted exterior furniture, matches the simple white color of the home's exterior. Accessories in bold red and cool navy hues add a patriotic touch that looks right at home all year round.

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Soften the Look

Curtains add a soft touch to the stark construction of this pergola. The linen panels on each side of the structure can be closed to create a secluded, intimate space, or they can be left open to connect the dining area to the rest of the patio.

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How-To: Design a Container Garden

Beautify your deck, patio, or porch with a beautifully designed container garden.

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Varied Uses

Like indoor rooms, outdoor spaces can be made multifunctional by using versatile furnishings like ottomans. Move them around at will to serve as extra seating, as small side tables next to a chair, or even as a coffee table with the addition of a tray perched on top.

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Window Wise

With the addition of outdoor draperies and pillows, this outdoor room begins to feel like an indoor living space. A tall pergola provides an ideal place to hang outdoor curtain panels. The arrangement frames the yard, similar to an indoor window, for people sitting on the porch.

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The Perfect Porch

Enhance the columns on a patio structure with fabric panels. The whispy white drapes used here lend visual interest by drawing the eye upward. When they're closed, they can also create an intimate seating area beneath the large structure. Dividing the patio's seating areas further helps the outdoor space feel more like a cozy room.

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Rustic Elegance

Sleek white curtain panels, colorful throw pillows, and a statement-making light fixture create an air of elegance in this outdoor room. The pillars in each corner of the space lend a hint of grandeur. The unfinished wooden pergola offers a bit of sun coverage and lends a hint of rustic appeal to the luxurious outdoor living space.

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Good Lines

Create privacy with a wall of curtains. Here, a thick curtain panel separates seating areas on this home's wraparound porch. The separation of space helps the large porch feel more cozy.

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Resort Inspired

This attractive outdoor room is replete with stylish details. A stately outdoor fireplace and statement-making floor tiles lend stark contrast to the modern black-and-white-stripe canopies above each bench. The fabric coverings lend coverage similar to an ordinary umbrella, but they convey much more personality.

More: Decorating from the Inside Out

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Fabrics and Rugs

Outdoor rugs are all the rage and they help anchor outdoor seating areas. In this space, a tiny skirted table, colorful throw pillows, and a bold patterned rug are all fashioned from durable, fade- and weather-resistant fabrics. A low-hanging trellis structure above the seating area comes complete with twisting vines and shrubbery, which make the arrangement look more intimate.

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Style Under the Sun

Enjoy all the comforts of the indoors outside. Outdoor fabrics come in everything from neutrals and stripes to florals and animal prints. Pieces outfitted with these fabrics are widely available and durable enough for heavy use.

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Take a Seat

On this deck, cast-aluminum furniture in a metallic brown hue lends a simple backdrop for soft sage green cushions and geometric-pattern throw pillows. The neutral scheme allows the lush green landscape to take center stage. A faux zebra-print outdoor area rug lends a splash of striking pattern.

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Go for the Green

Gray-and-white-stripe fabrics lend a modern touch to these vintage furniture pieces and add another layer of pattern to this home's stone exterior. Pretty planters, pots, and urns surround the dainty outdoor seating area with lush greenery, echoing the sprawling green views of the land beyond the patio.

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Delightful Dining

Turn a porch into a dreamy dining area with wispy curtain panels and a pretty dining set. Here, the white curtains lend separation between the porch's dining area and casual seating space. Curtains hung along the outer-facing wall frame views of the yard but can be closed to keep out bugs and other pests.

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Whimsical Patterns

Colorful fabrics and playful patterns give this outdoor gathering space youthful energy. The large area rug beneath the dining table features a retro floral print, which expertly coordinates with the floral accent pillows strewn throughout the area. The lime green umbrella above the table received a splash of personality from hand-painted blue and pink stripes.

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