OUTDOOR FABRICS
Bright, bold and fun
The outdoor living market exploded in the summer of 2020, and the momentum continues for this upcoming season. People are turning their backyard spaces into extensions of their homes, outfitting them in high-quality furniture that's multifunctional and stylish. Outdoor fabrics play a big role in the overall look of a space since they're used on cushions, throw pillows and other accents.
“People are waiting for the okay to gather and they're preparing for it for summer; they want to make sure they get it done before the fall because time goes by so quickly and they want to decorate their backyard for guests,” says Helena Pandelidis, marketing manager at Fabricville. “This season, we're seeing a lot of fresh, happy colours to lift everyone's spirits.”
Andre Michel, head home décor buyer at Fabricville, agrees: “They want to have fun in the backyard so they're going for more whimsical patterns with bright colours.”
The current trends tend towards neutral colours for the furniture, with more colourful throw pillows and accents, which homeowners can change when they feel like it.
“This year's colour is bright yellow, and now we're seeing some pink and purple in there too,” Michel adds.
Fabricville's newest collections integrate unique patterns too, like floral motifs with skulls, and anything to do with nature, like birds and bugs. Some surprising colours have also moved from Europe into the North American market in exterior fabrics.
“Now more than ever, all the new catalogues have jewel tones,” explains Jonathon Auger, owner of C&M Textiles. “We didn't see these as much for outdoors but they're very popular, even the richer, warmer tones.”
While homeowners want outdoor fabrics that are on-point with trends, they also want something that is durable and will withstand the elements.
“People are investing a lot of money in outdoor furniture, so when they're having it upholstered, they want a fabric that lasts,” Auger says. “That's why they turn to high-performance fabrics like Sunbrella. We're selling a lot of these fabrics as people are upholstering bigger pieces.”
The same holds true when it comes to fabrics for shading options such as canopies, umbrellas and curtains: quality makes a big difference in its longevity.
“Because of the pandemic, people are having more and more outdoor gatherings, and a lot of people are doing more of a covered deck feel,” Auger explains. “We've never had such a high demand for curtains or gazebos. People like to be able to close themselves off from bugs and the sun. On a personal note, even I built a covered deck outside, and last summer we used it more than ever.”