New durable fabrics for the patio can move indoors as well

Velvet Textile From the look of supple leather to silky chenille, plush mohair velvet to gossamer sheers, outdoor fabrics are showing sophistication that is a spot-on match to the most fashion-forward indoor counterparts. And consumers are catching on to the fact that there's incredible substance beyond the style. The durable materials are colorfast under exposure to intense sun and resistant to stains, mildew and odors. Designed for outdoor furniture but with looks that mimic indoor decor, the fabrics have come full circle. The mission was accomplished, and now these outdoor fabrics are being marketed for indoor use as well. "It's a no-brainer," says Joe Ruggiero, a television host and furniture designer based in Los Angeles. "You don't have to worry about fading, pets, kids. With heavy wear, easy-care fabrics blow everything away. "Durability makes the fabric perfect for outdoors. The softness, beautiful colors and patterns make it equally perfect in the home," Ruggiero says. Some casual furniture manufacturers, such as O.W. Lee, have taken the initiative to create collections of professionally coordinated outdoor fabrics for furniture, along with draperies and accessories such as pillows, throws and table runners. This simplifies selections and provides a complete ensemble. Designer Marcia Blake is spearheading Outdoor Couture, which currently offers 18 different pillows, four styles of throws, two types of table runners and draperies with rod pockets or tab tops. "It helps give a finishing touch to a well-dressed room," says Blake, who also heads her own company, Outdoor Interiors, based in Laguna Niguel, Calif. Ruggiero, whose first collection of woven outdoor furniture recently debuted with Woodard Furniture, shows his indoor line for Norwalk Furniture with upholstery from his Sunbrella Fabrics collection, some of which is available by the yard to consumers through Calico Corners. He also does cast-aluminum designs for Terra Furniture. It makes perfect sense, as Ruggiero always is thrilled to amaze designers and buyers with the wide range of chic style capabilities, some so elegant they could well transfer from patio to living room. In recent years, he's designed outdoor fabrics that are rooted in Asian style, menswear, 1930s Hollywood and country cottage. He recently showcased his Sunbrella fabrics on runway models in an apparel show with the panache of haute couture. Ruggiero designed 16 outfits, from evening to poolside, including saris and kimonos, for the show in Scottsdale, Ariz. Sunbrella, which is a registered trademark of Glen Raven Inc., is perhaps the most recognizable name in weatherproof coverings, known in the industry as performance fabrics. Recently, Maine designer Angela Adams, whose signature is bold graphic designs, put together a collection for Sunbrella under the Architex label. They were intended for outdoor use but were suitable for indoor use as well. Another company with performance fabrics is Crypton Super Fabrics, launched in 1994 and chiefly known for antimicrobial properties. Crypton is a supplier of fabrics for hotels, hospitals, cruise ships and fast-food establishments. According to its Web site, the company boasts installations of more than 60 million yards of fabric "from Buckingham Palace to the White House to your house." And Crypton has made enormous inroads into the home, with chenilles, leathers, velvets and corduroys -- finishes you'd never expect to withstand the elements. Architect Michael Graves and photographer William Wegman have designed collections for Cyrpton. Both have created dog beds, the former in fetching toile with a suede gusset and piping, the latter in his signature canine silhouette pattern. At the high end, Perennials Fabrics and Chella are well established in the industry. Donghia, Robert Allen (Portico), Scalamandre (Island Cloth), Marimekko and Designers Guild have outdoor fabric collections, as do licensed home furnishings groups such as Tommy Bahama (Laneventure) and Ralph Lauren Home. The label Hyde Me, available to the trade, offers convincing fabrics that resemble real hides, such as ostrich, snakeskin, crocodile, lizard, rhinoceros and kid-smooth leathers. Still, many designers remain unaware of the enormous design potential that performance fabrics offer. "It's the best-kept secret in the industry," an interior designer recently told Ruggiero. Yet a handful of design professionals long have appreciated the benefits of outdoor fabrics. When the estate of the late fashion designer Bill Blass went up for auction at Sotheby's in October 2003, it was revealed that his interiors were filled with sofas and chairs covered in white Sunbrella fabrics to keep them canine safe. Practicality, after all, is a huge part of the attraction. It's not a big leap from application in sunrooms to interiors throughout the house. Performance fabrics are perfect for kids' rooms or as shower curtains, bedding and draperies. It's a formidable throw-in-the-wash solution for sunny climes such as Florida and Arizona. "You don't even have to worry about ketchup on white fabric," says Richard Frinier, a California-based, internationally acclaimed designer known for transforming outdoor living with his trendsetting designs. No worries about pillows or cushions handled by kids with pizza- or brownie-caked fingers. Or paw prints from muddy pets. Frinier's Estancia collection for Century Leisure drew raves at the annual casual furniture market at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago and the furniture markets in High Point, N.C. Frinier used weather-friendly leather that fit Spanish colonial-style chairs and chaises like a glove. Even the brass nailheads were elements-safe. "We're designing furniture that has no boundaries," Frinier says. "Indoors, outdoors, you decide." "People want to bring the outdoors inside -- but they don't want to give up luxury or comfort," says Ed Tashjian, vice president of marketing at Century Furniture. As technology continues to advance what's possible in fiber and textile design, combining the best of indoor fashion with outdoor practicality, lines between the two blur even further.