Hot for '09: the New World of Patio Furniture

Create Your Own Private Paradise with this Season's Trends

The selection of styles for patio furniture has recently become as wide ranging as those for interior furnishings. Not only have the materials used in outdoor furnishings become more resilient and better looking overall, but the introduction of new colors, textures, and genres has expanded the world of outdoor living to a whole new realm. Your deck or patio can become an extension of your living space more easily than ever, thanks to options that are built to suit every taste and every space. We've taken the hottest trends for this season and divided them into four unique categories: "Traditional," "Tranquil," "Contemporary," and "Seaside." Take a look at what we consider the hottest trends, and you're sure to find something right for you.

At Home with Traditional Styles

Traditional patio furniture is by far the most popular style. This may be because these styles incorporate what's most commonly found in homes' interiors, making it only natural that those tastes would extend to the patio as well. Framed in classic, time-tested materials like wrought iron and cast aluminum, these sets generally feature soft lines, familiar shapes, and often deep seats, similar to those on your sofa.

Fabrics incorporate paisleys, damasks, tone-on-tone patterns, and subtle solids. Generally more earth-tone in hue, these patio sets blend well into most environments, and usually create a rich - sometimes even luxurious - place to enjoy some fresh air.

Hot Traditional Patio Furniture Styles

Summer Winds Aston Patio Dining Set	Parisian Patio Dining Set	Lisbon Bistro Set	Palazetto Lucca Mosaic Dining Set
Briarwood Dining Collection	Summer Winds Whitley Faux Wood Dining Set	Summer Winds Dover Patio Conversation Set	Parisian Petit Patio Dining Set

The Bliss of a Tranquil Patio

A popular choice for those looking to make their outdoor living space feel like, well, the outdoors, Tranquil furniture incorporates the beauty and colors of nature's best. Patio sets in this genre are most commonly framed with wood, and, resin wicker. The growing popularity of resin wicker is thanks to the fact that it looks like real wicker, but doesn't split or crack, and is UV-resistant so its color never fades.

Another hot new trend is aluminum furniture specially finished to look like wood, which provides a natural look with little to no maintenance.

As far as fabrics are concerned, traditional forest green has been tossed to the wayside to make room for fresher, more naturally colored shades of green in softer, more subtle hues. Earth tones and rusts are other popular choices, as are patterns that might be considered more botanical than floral, simple stripes and organic mixtures of lines and curves. Pieces in the Tranquil genre are often eco-friendly or crafted of FSC-certified wood.

Hot Tranquil Patio Furniture Styles

Genova All-Weather Wicker Dining Set	Cypress Wicker Bistro Set	Oxford Garden Hampton Dining Set	Cabos Collection Spice Square Dining Set
Toulon Wicker Bistro Chat Set	Atlantis Poolside Dining Set	Pasha Wicker Conversation Set	Lotus Wicker Chat Set

Take a Walk on the Modern Side with Contemporary Pieces

Clean and crisp, contemporary patio furniture makes a bold statement in any outdoor living space. Generally crafted of durable materials like steel or aluminum, this style also includes some resin wicker thrown into the mix. Extremely unusual, space-age designs would also fall into this category. These furniture pieces use industrial-colored finishes and deliberate lines to create eye-catching pieces that are as artful as they are comfortable. Modern, art-deco patterns, lively botanical prints, bold stripes, and cool solids are what you'll commonly find paired with these pieces.

Hot Contemporary Patio Furniture Styles

Garden Gate Pub Bistro Set	Santiago Dining Set with Expandable Table	Venice Square Dining Table with Bench Seating	Woodard Torino Dining Set
Summer Winds Mingle Complete Sectional Set	Parisian Plush Conversation Set	Garden Gate Conversation Set	Santiago Conversation Set

Keep Things Fresh and Simple with Seaside Sets

High style doesn't have to mean high maintenance, as the patio furniture in the Seaside genre demonstrates. Constructed of aluminum, resin wicker and recycled plastic, these sets are quick to dry, extremely resilient to the harshest weather conditions, and require very little maintenance. Ideal for poolside use or in particularly wet climates, the materials used in these pieces won't be as quick to rust, rot, or mildew. Many of the options feature sling seating surfaces, which dry almost instantly, while the others use water-resistant fabrics. Bold, vibrant colors are the norm for these sets, and classic stripes and safe solids are the most common choices.

Hot Seaside Patio Furniture Styles

Summer Winds Legend Dining for Six	Nautica Harbor Heights White Dining Set	Kenai Sling Poolside Dining for Four	Summer Winds Legend Dining for Four
Nautica Harbor Heights Graphite Dining Set	Newport Bay Poolside Dining Set	Nautica North Bay Conversation Set	Avalon Strap Poolside Dining Set