RANGE REVIEW: OUTDOOR LI


RANGE REVIEW OUTDOOR LI IVINGRANGE REVIEW: OUTDOOR L


Trend specialists have put forward their forrecasts for the season but what changes and o suppliers and retailers identified in the outdoor


door living category. Fiona Garcia reports.


he UK may not boast


from,


that other countries with sunn


but


benefit that isn’t f increasing number of c that e keen to use their space all year round. As su end-users want


ar


garden furnitur cooking, dining and even for shade or shelter.


their outdoor living choi e and acce


says: “Increasingly


the weather nier climes fazing the


flexibility


onsumers r outdoor uch, these and


stylish designs when it comes to ices, from ssories, to n options


Homebase director of trading in the gardening sector Stephen Pitcher y, customers are


creative ways to cr functional space that caters for relaxing and entertaining, all year .


round, regardless of the weather end now is for


of outdoor furnitur the flexibility they need, and this is increasing demand.” Homebase outdoor living category buyer Katy Higgins adds: “The end of Brits embracing an


This means that the tr customers to have multiple pieces t i th


f td f it e to give them tr


‘outdoor-room’ is set to continue This is when our


.


this year customers transform their outdoor space into a multi-functioning om


typical ly inconsistent,


glorious summer has encouraged -


our customers to consider a year round living space outdoors for elaxing.


dining, entertaining and r


barbecue – have outdoor end.” tr Bramblecrest


g g


As such, outdoor kitchen areas – with a food preparation ar ea and a become a growing


lifestyle consultant


garden is being tr can be unpr


Paula Cole concurs and says the eated like another


room. “Although the British weather edictable, patio heaters


and fire pits provide warmth and are very popular .”


Many of the suppliers DIY Week month said ther


22 WEEK DIY


spoke to at Hampton Court this e was a high level


of interest in taking a step up from just having a barbecue in the garden


19 JULY 2019


seeing the gar of the home and finding new and eate a multi-


den as an extension


and, instead, c kitchen eas – so ar with fridges, sink those with money Lower Barn


director James A business had see in outdoor kitche “lots of


cr eating outdoor ome fully equipped ks, and storage for y to spend. Outdoor Living Argentieri said his en a huge uptake ovided,


functionality,


with hot and cold plates and integra really adapt the s like cooking.”


of consumers a the flexible spa go


automated per different shapes a


f


living area that can be lived in fr spring through to early autumn. Although the


British weather is last year’s


button, you can or sound


ens that pr y,


from sinks taps, to hot


ated fridges... They space to what they


He adds that a growing number are also


can open and clos pu


around it and cr or use to extend than just using


to cr


and sizes, the r se at the touch of a heating


You can get oof


ut lighting,


sound, which are also controlled by a remote, pl lus they’re water tight, so you can e e


eate a gar d the house rather . It


even can put walls den oom r


a conservatory


depends what s eate but peo


versatility of pro den now.


g g


their gar And, when it seating, flexibilit high on the agend


maintenance and creating a style aes interior ends. tr reported a sharp woven furnitur what Paula Cole “abundance of lo e’s a


says: “Ther for cushioning a


oducts like this ”


, g y.


so meone is ople just love the in


trying


comes to outdoor ty is very much da, along with low


d comfort but also sthetic that matches Bramblecrest has


p rise in sales of re, along with


e describes as an, ose cushions”. She growing demand solution does that


seeking


ace provided by olas. “Y


not equi r can be le year. Sale are gener e


to be pr and store it over winter


es of teak gar rally in decline, as you have epared to oil it once a year .”


ir e storage, with a fabric that oughout the den furniture


eft outside thr


Long lasting yet stylish M d l


arrangements ar e popular . Harriet Lomax of luxury supplier


also


beanbag Armadillo Sun says the company ge in sales of its y, particularly in its .


furniture


has seen a sur products recently


new modular range this summer “People love the fact that they can ound, as


lightweight, so they can pieces y.


around the garden really


easily. It’s a very versatile product, den furniture tends


which a lot of gar not to be.” She adds: “Our range of modular


things. We’ve had a that range.”


p


chairs can be linked together in an L-shape pattern, can incorporate sofas, day beds, tables – all sorts of in


lot of uptake


Bramblecr est has trend for L-shaped formats. Paula ent end tr


also seen a explains:“There is a curr


for corner sofas. The classic corner arrangement was a big hit in the living oom in 2018, with John Lewis


r


seeing the sales of corner sofas up ecreating elaxed


56%. Customers are now r


that open-plan living and r den.”


style in their gar Homebase has observed continued demand for low-maintenance


be left outside all year r well as the flexibility of them being move the


Modular collections and proving


sting yet stylish ll ti


d


outdoor furniture, “as people opt long lasting yet stylish ranges” says Stephen. He adds: “W


Wood is on terms of


decline, with rattan and aluminium emerging as market leaders.” In


Bramblecrest has seen a leaning t


hi h has been a huge trend –


with


towards darker colours and grey – which interiorsi


Armadaillo t


n t


pt for n the


colourways, aning


d in the company’s


charcoal grey option proving very successful.


Harriet agrees, adding that Sun’s


and light blue ocean colours ar er’s best sellers. e quite


the manufactur


“I think it’s because they’r neutral, which as Brits, we like. But they do then tend to add flair with ge,


cushions in bright colours and lar b


bold patterns ” patterns.”


And, it appea rs consume rs a re still on the lookout for something a bit dif


b fferent to help them put their


stamp on their outdoor space. East oaring trade every


4 West does a r y


for gar


p i


b h


year in unusual and exotic garden p


and botanical styles ar t


y


parasols. Alex Yewman says tr e still in but


y,, they y think to opical


there is an even gr deners to buy: “When


eater incentive


people are sat in their garden and it’s nice and sunny t


themselves ‘I could be anywhere


right now’ and you haven’t got to be sat under a B&Q parasol, you can e unusual. So


m b


because they won’t know wher a little dif


get it’. That’s what ferent, they love it.”


have something mor many customers say ‘my neighbour always copies me! I’m buying this e to


people like. If it’s www.diyweek.net


pumice grey e


nium ways,


FLEXIBLE AC SP CES PACES T


opportunities ve ha


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