Your living space can be significantly increased if you take advantage of using outdoor furniture. Your yard and patio can be transformed into an extension of your indoor space. Don’t let your outside space go to waste. Choosing your furniture is the fun part. The hard part is finding fabrics that can withstand the harsh circumstances that will exist outside of your for walls. Remember, your decorations have to survive wind, rain, and the harsh light of the sun. An indoor fabric just won’t cut it.
First, you need to decide exactly what you need fabric for. Obvious areas include throw pillows and chair cushions. But, you can use fabric for more than that outside. You might want draperies to decorate a gazebo or porch. You might want swags to hang from balconies. You might even want coordinating sunshades and umbrellas for your space.
Next, make sure you choose a fabric that is waterproof. Some fabrics will claim to be water resistant, but this just isn’t good enough. A water resistant fabric might last for a month, but it just can’t survive a hard downpour. If you live in an area that has long summers and harsh sunlight, look for fade resistant fabric. Your colors will stay true longer.
Choose fabrics that will coordinate. You don’t all of your fabrics to be identical, but you do want them to match. Find a solid color for umbrellas and shades. Create throw pillows out of bold patterns. Make bows to place of posts out of the same bold pattern. Each of these needs to coordinate. You also want the fabrics to extend from the inside. If you can see your outdoors living space from your inside the house, you don’t want fabrics that are too jarring to the eyes. Your furniture and fabrics don’t have to live inside, but they do need to feel like an extension of the house. Your outside space will feel more welcoming if it does.
Caring for your fabrics, just like your outdoor furniture, is usually easy. Waterproof fabric can often be wiped down with a damp towel or sponge. Ideally, you would want to bring any of your fabric pieces in when the weather turns harsh. Realistically, this just doesn’t happen. So, you want to choose fabric that can survive in all climates. Still, if you can, store cushions and decorations in a shed or the garage to keep them looking tip-top for longer. Ultimately, the right outdoor fabrics on your garden furniture can add a lot of interest to any outdoor space. Choose fabrics that you like and that will last. Make your outdoor living space a place you want to spend time, instead of a waste of valuable property.