Even at the other end of the price spectrum, people are demanding more style for their money. Designers are also working with new materials steel and high-quality molded resins, for example and mixing familiar ones to create untraditional looks. We re seeing a lot of mixed media wrought iron with wood, with glass, with stone. It makes for an eclectic look that will match with a variety of other styles, Hirschhaut says. Fred Reisewitz, owner of Patio Shop in Santa Cruz, agrees.
People love the look of cast aluminum and teak.
It s gotten a huge reception here, he says. The manufacturer Veneman won the top award of the 1999 American Society of Furniture Designers for its Silver Collection table and chairs in teak paired with silver-toned metal. Sleek, continental style, is how Hirschhaut describes it. Another welcome development is the introduction of fabrics for seat cushions that are water-resistant and won t fade in the sun, but sport designs you would gladly put in your family or dining room. A lot of interior designers are getting involved to coordinate that outdoor set with the indoor furniture, Reisewitz says.