Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association Searches
April 9, 2007
HPBA
Get out there!; Living rooms, kitchens, even bedrooms find comfort under the stars
**HPBA**
The Oklahoman – Oklahoma City, OK
April 5, 2007
Penny Cockerell
HPBExpo
Show and tell how to sell outdoors **HPBA**
Casual Living
April 1, 2007
Cinde W. Ingram
Innovations abound at Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo **HPBA*
Casual Living
April 1, 2007
Cinde W. Ingram and Courtney Mueller
Outdoor Living Trends
Indoor styles in outdoor spaces
Families are gathering under the stars
DailyRecord.com – Morris County, New Jersey
April 7, 2007
Get out there!; Living rooms, kitchens, even bedrooms find comfort under the stars
**HPBA**
The Oklahoman – Oklahoma City, OK
April 5, 2007
Penny Cockerell
These days, outdoor nests are for more than the birds.
Folks are flocking like never before to a lifestyle under the stars, where durability and
technology have made comfort among the elements possible - and even beautiful. Wide
fabric choices, weather-resistant sound systems and kitchens make the desire for home
entertaining or simply relaxing at day's end a stylish reality.
"It's kind of a sanctuary. When you think about how you race around all day, if you can
just get home and sit on the patio awhile, it's a real stress reliever," said Nichols Hills
resident Marilyn Case, who has a sofa, chair, ottoman and tables and is adding an outdoor
rug and coffee table made of her own hand-painted tiles.
Terry Byers and Anders Carlson have taken outdoor living all the way, with a 600square-foot living and dining area off the kitchen of their Nichols Hills home. The area
has flagstone flooring, seating and a massive fireplace.
The couple added a kitchen, including an infrared searing feature for restaurant-quality
steaks. Other outdoor kitchens have the best of gadgets, such as built-in wine bottle
openers and roasting spits.
Gone are the days when patio living meant a postage stamp-size concrete patch and a
picnic table. These days, outdoor living spaces may include artwork, chandeliers, sconces
and flat-screen television sets.
"The transition between indoor and outdoor is becoming almost seamless. The beautiful
furniture that families typically have indoors can be duplicated with the same the look
and comfort level outside," said Jaclyn Hirschhaut, marketing vice president for
American Home Furnishings Alliance in High Point, N.C.
Kathy Emmert, president of Statuary World Patio and Fireside in Oklahoma City, said
business has never been better.
"We're just having a boomerang season. Here we are at the end of March and we're
breaking all records," said Emmert, whose customers are scooping up plush living room
ensembles with outdoor rugs, clocks and televisions.
And consider these features from Brandon Johnson, host of HGTV's "Get Out, Way
Out!" series: outdoor speakers designed to look like rocks, outdoor office areas complete
with Web access and cooling misters, and weather-proof plasma television sets.
This trend toward the outdoors is partly inspired by a desire to downsize and then make
the most of the space available. The bigger-is-better mentality of the 1990s has been
replaced by quality over quantity.
"People are going for less space, but they're wanting to use all of it," said Tim Shaw,
marketing director for David Sutherland Inc. "That's what's really driving this. People
want a cocoon; they want to entertain at home; they want a nest. A lot of it is related to
security needs - people really want to center more on home and family now."
Another factor comes with simply more options. Fabric choices for durable outdoor
furnishings range from beautiful chenilles, velvets and wovens in patterns and colors that
rival any indoor ensemble. The best part: they're ultra-durable.
Cynthia Swinehart, owner of Design Concepts to the Trade, points to the use of solutiondyed acrylics that resist fading, moisture and mildew, plus furniture frames built in
weather-resistant teak, cast aluminum, aluminum or PVC.
Faux wicker furniture, made of vinyl, not only looks great, but stands up to the weather.
Oklahoma weather also serves this trend - most of the time. Swinehart said her clients get
a solid nine months of outdoor living.
Other features, such as outdoor fireplaces, extend the time outdoors. Ceiling fans and
breezes help with summer heat. Pergolas, gazebos and covered decks make a rainy day
no big deal.
Some homeowners invest in bug zappers, misters or coils. Citronella is also an effective
and inexpensive pest repellant.
Shaw, who enjoys his backyard paradise in Dallas most of the year, said he invested in
two mosquito traps that operate on propane.
"With a little planning, you can be completely uninhibited by insects," Shaw said.
Bedrooms are also popping up outdoors. Hirschhaut said her West Virginia friends have
one, and they're not alone.
"They say it is so magnificent to lay in bed and look up at the stars," Hirschhaut said. "It's
very inspiring and impressive."
Kathryn Vaught, an Oklahoma City designer and member of the American Society of
Interior Designers, said folks now seem to have the means to create an outdoor oasis.
"People just basically have more money, so if they're going to grill outdoors, they might
as well have it all," Vaught said.
Outdoor kitchens are in a league of their own, equipped with barbecue grills, wood-fire
pizza ovens, refrigerators, dishwashers, built-in sinks, bottle rails, cocktail bars and food
preparation areas.
The Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association touted the 2006-07 season as its highest
growth year ever at its annual meeting earlier this year.
Dining areas now go way beyond the picnic tables of days gone by. Outdoor dining sets
offer more detail and incorporate more traditional indoor colors, such as pecan brown and
brick red. Consumers are no longer limited to tropical greens and blues, said Melissa
Birdsong, vice president of trend, design and brand at Lowe's.
Like designing an indoor space, Birdsong said homeowners should consider privacy,
noise, ease of use and maintenance as well as child and pet safety.
Byers also suggests considering proximity when creating an outdoor living space. Her
outdoor entertaining space was built directly off the kitchen's French doors.
"Because of its location near the kitchen, it's ideal for entertaining," Byers said. "These
areas need to be conveniently located, they can't be some destination location. The
location is really critical."
Case said she spends every morning outdoors reading the newspaper or working Sudoku
puzzles. In the evening, when her husband, Jim, comes home, she enjoys the landscape
and peace surrounding them.
"The beauty of the garden and being outside is very calming," Case said. "When
everything is hectic, it's just so nice to sit out there, with all the colors and breeze. I love
it out there."
Show and tell how to sell outdoors **HPBA**
Casual Living
April 1, 2007
Cinde W. Ingram
Maybe it's just the change of seasons as we move toward the promise of warmer days
ahead.
Advertisements for performance fabrics entice consumers to move outdoors and make a
statement.
You may notice more ads from outdoor furniture, lighting, pool, spa, grill and even
drapery manufacturers as you're reading consumer magazines like Architectural Digest
this month. Some of the ads include enough elements to help consumers visualize what
they can aspire to for their outdoor living rooms, which are the new home decorating
frontier. Those ads can be the seeds of inspirations. For example, in years past, my
mother used to rip photos and ads out of magazines and keep them in an idea file, which
she referred to when my parents built their dream home. One result was that she and my
grandfather, a contractor, created the best closet I ever had.
Last month at the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo, the Outdoor Living booth again
provided merchandising ideas retailers can use to increase sales by adding layers of
accessories to create an experience for their customers to want at their homes. Retailers
stopped at the booth to plan their shopping strategies and garner ideas inside the Outdoor
Living area, brought to the show for a third year by Casual Living and HPBA, and
sponsored by O.W. Lee, Dimplex, Duracord Textiles, Shuford Mills-Outdura, Cal Spas
and Open Air Designs. For more, see our HPB Expo report on page 50.
The designer for the space for the third year was Mark Abrams, a product and showroom
designer and former retailer who also is a part of our annual Merchandising Awards. The
best-in-show winner of the contest will have Mark in their store for a day to give advice
on ways to enhance the shopping experience.
Don't forget to take photos of your store(s) now that you have it ready for the 2007
season and send those images to Associate Editor Courtney Mueller. A panel of judges
will study your photos at the beginning of next month to pick winners of our annual
Merchandising Awards competition. For more details on entering, see page 47. Send us
your best shots and make a statement.
Some of you were at the HPB Expo in Reno and others were at the High Point Market
late last month. Hopefully by now, you've found the grills, grill accessories, furniture and
outdoor accessories you were seeking for your store - and some good merchandising
ideas to put the right dream in your customers' heads. It's all about surprising and
delighting shoppers with new treasures and keeping them coming back searching for
more.
Innovations abound at Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo **HPBA**
Casual Living
April 1, 2007
Cinde W. Ingram and Courtney Mueller
The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo, held March 15-17 in Reno, Nev., definitely brought
innovations to the grill and hearth industry. Though many exhibitors were happy with
their business during the event, others were displeased with the location and apparent
drop in attendance.
At the opening of the show, Jack Goldman, president of the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue
Association, reported a 26% increase of new exhibitors at the show this year - 118 -compared to the Expo in Salt Lake City last year. Overall, there were 9,815 registrants
and 474 vendors on opening day. Attendance appeared down by about 3,000 from its
peak, and at press time, final figures were not available.
Many manufacturers and retailers complained about the show location in Reno, Nev.,
being difficult and expensive to reach. Goldman said a survey is underway to gauge
HPBA members' perspectives. The HPB Expo is scheduled to be in Atlanta next year
then returns to Reno every other year through 2013. Noting no city is a perfect location,
he said the association would "take a good, hard look at it."
Steve Magnotti of The Fireplace and Patioplace, Pittsburgh, was announced as the
incoming HPBA chairman. Magnotti said although Reno is tough for some members to
reach, the city offers the exhibition space and hotels the HPB Expo requires at reasonable
rates and the city embraces the event. "We're important to them," he said.
"The mood is upbeat," said Mike Kempster Sr., executive vice president, Weber-Stephen
Products Co. "Reno typically doesn't attract as many people. With that being said, we did
see some of our bigger dealers."
Harold Hudson, Summer Classics vice president of sales and marketing, said he had seen
his existing dealers, but not many new customers. "I'm a little concerned about this
location," he said. "It's hard to get to."
More outdoor kitchens and grill islands appeared in three different levels, ranging from
custom-built to built-in and modular models. More manufacturers introduced the
category in their product line-up at the show, including Cook Industries and A&B
Accessories, who brought to market a modular synthetic wood outdoor kitchen.
Retailers gathered and relaxed inside the Outdoor Living area, brought to the show for a
third year by Casual Living and HPBA, and sponsored by O.W. Lee, Dimplex, Duracord
Textiles, Shuford Mills Outdura, Cal Spas and Open Air Designs.
Located in the registration area, the exhibit provided retailers with merchandising ideas
they could easily emulate in their stores. One retailer returned with photos of last year's
Outdoor Living display, printed from Casual Living 's Web site, to place orders for
furniture. She told the vendor that was what she wanted in her store.
Charcoal grills reappeared with a more upscale image in new products, replacing infrared
technology as the hot topic at the show. International grill vendors with unrecognized
company names also appeared and were expected to add confusion to the marketplace.
Outdoor living is more complete with the addition of several television models now
available to accent grill islands and kitchens.
Sunbrite TV displayed its all-weather outdoor LCD television. Cal Spas added an outdoor
counter top beverage cooler, blender, steam cleaner and microwave to its collection of
outdoor kitchens and islands.
"We're bringing all the conveniences from the inside, outside," said Nicole Lasorda,
public relations for the company.
Indoor styles in outdoor spaces
Families are gathering under the stars
DailyRecord.com – Morris County, New Jersey
April 7, 2007
The microwave popcorn quiets down to its final kernels. The wine is chilled to its
appropriate serving temperature. A healthy flame dances in the fireplace.
The gang gathers around the flat screen anticipating the latest movie -- all under the stars.
The concept of the outdoor room has been germinating for some time, but it appears to be
growing on more and more homeowners -- and furniture manufacturers.
Just ask Carolle Huber of Morristown. The landscape architect uses the slogan "creating
outdoor rooms," on her Web site, www.carollehuber.com.
"The concept of outdoor living is a huge trend," she said.
It's not all that unusual for her to construct a built-in barbecue that calls for a refrigerator
and warming drawers --"They're huge," she said.
"Last fall I set up a huge grille with side burners, a refrigerator and a pull out trash can
from under the sink," she said.
When it comes to décor, the upscale homeowner is turning inside out.
Designer and television host Joe Ruggiero regards the outdoor room as "the new
frontier," a merging of indoor and outdoor styles. The ambience is fueled by increasingly
sophisticated consumers who already have designed kitchens modeled after ones they
have seen on European vacations and baths inspired by fancy spas and boutique hotels.
That desire to recreate memorable travel experiences has nurtured a desire for greatlooking, well-made furnishings in a lush garden context, especially at the high end.
"From a sociological point of view, expectations we have for our way of life are so much
higher now," says Chicago-based designer Jane Hamley Wells, whose company
represents contemporary European lines as well as her own. For many Americans, she
says, "basic needs have been met. Our household income has doubled over the last 30
years. People are more willing to spend money on things that make them feel well and
look well. They are not compromising on their outdoor environments."
This holds particularly true in affluent Morris County, said Huber.
"People are staying home more, especially with kids," she said. "They can't go away
every weekend. Plus they have help to cook and clean up."
Even Martha Stewart has jumped on the bandwagon, with a new magazine called
Outdoor Living, all about "extending your personal space into your back yard or onto
your deck, patio or porch and really living in it."
Whether it's creating a "chat pit," the new buzzword for seating around a fire pit, or
erecting a pavilion, not just for a fancy party but to frame an outdoor room, consumers
are expanding their shopping lists for leisure furnishings. What you spend depends on
how many creature comforts you wish to export, from patio kitchens to entertainment
options such as outdoor movies and television.
Creating a hearth has been identified by the American Society of Landscape Architects as
a top trend for outdoor entertaining in 2007. A survey last year by the American Home
Furnishings Alliance, the largest association of home furnishings companies in the world,
indicates Americans most want to add a fire pit (with wells for firewood or fueled by
propane or natural gas) or gazebo to their porches, patios or decks.
Raised patios and fireplaces are all the rage among Huber's clientele.
"It's not just fire pits," she said. "But working fireplaces built of stone or brick."
Fire pits are a hit among customers at J & M Home and Garden in Madison as are chairs
for that perfect "fire pit circle," said co-owner Maria Carwithem.
"These are plastic chairs from Polywood Furniture, Adirondack style, made from
recycled milk bottles," she said. "The come in bright colors like lime green, red and blues
and people buy one of each color and put them around the fire pit."
Recycled or environmentally conscious décor earns approval from Huber, who holds a
degree in environmental science.
"Customers are more environmentally aware," she said. "They're asking for
environmentally friendly installation or native plantings. This green movement has made
people very aware."
More than ever, comfort reigns. Seating is more akin to your favorite cozy sofas and
chairs indoors in family rooms, but with fills that can take a downpour. Also look for
plump cushions, decorative pillows and outdoor-safe throws.
Technology continues to engage us with convincing synthetic wicker and rattan weaves
and wood finishes that rival those indoors. Plush fabrics like damasks, silks, velvets and
look-alike leather offer amazing outdoor options.
Toys include outdoor plasma or LCD TVs and the furniture to house them. As part of its
cottage-style Coastal Classics collection, Laneventure introduced an outdoor curio
cabinet with decorative mesh-paneled doors that conceal a popup mechanism for a TV,
which slickly raises and lowers from the back. Made of cypress, the cabinet sells for
$6,149. Rounding out the homey look are accessories such as weatherproof art to hang on
walls.
Of course, storage is not neglected. It's just more stylish. For example, consoles, chests
and armoires are upstaging clunky trunk-like pieces that once offered the only options for
stashing cushions.
These and other ideas are found in new mail-order catalogs that sell outdoor furnishings.
Last year Home Depot Direct launched Outdoor Living, targeted to consumers with
incomes of at least $75,000. The company also introduced "10 Crescent Lane," aimed at a
more upscale base with incomes of more than $225,000. Restoration Hardware has its
own outdoor catalog, and Frontgate and Smith & Hawken also are in the mix.
Last summer, simple-to-assemble metal frames that could be dressed with hanging plants,
vines or curtains at the corners to channel dreamy Caribbean villas were available from
Target, Home Depot and Smith & Hawken, ranging in price into the thousands of dollars.
Even Costco recently advertised a six-person spa (around $3,000) sheltered by a red
cedar pergola ($999).
If you don't have the space for something 10-by-10ish, there are a host of canopied
daybeds for one or two people designed with cocooning in mind. It's all about creating a
haven -- a vacation spot at home.
All the exposure has alerted consumers, who continue to be impressed that good looks
can be combined with function and wearability outdoors.
Jane Hamley Wells says that when her modern furniture lines were shown at the
International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York City last May, designers and
architects were enthusiastic about ordering pieces for clients' kitchens and dining areas.
They were even more excited when she told them the pieces were suitable for outdoor
use.
Besides synthetic wovens in unexpected hues, such as bright blue and lime, with curvy
backs that hug the body, Wells offers a handsome three-tiered cart on casters in teak and
stainless steel with built-in holders for wine and glasses. There's a great-looking outdoor
sink and an outdoor shower, a beautifully crafted slab of teak with an artfully placed
showerhead that stands like a sculpture.
San Francisco-based Henry Hall Designs introduced a sleek woven chaise that tucks
storage beneath its adjustable cushion. The company touts it as the first of its kind. And it
takes the hammock to unprecedented heights with a magnificent stand-alone, metalaccented wood frame and a pillow-bedecked hammock that can be enveloped with
billowing curtains.
The importance of producing stylish outdoor furnishings is not lost on manufacturers
with a reputation for high quality. London-based Barlow Tyrie, especially known for
high-end teak, tapped designer Vladimir Kagan to do his first outdoor collection.
Kagan is considered an icon of modern furniture design with a celebrated career that
dates to the 1940s. His synthetic wovens do not disappoint. A sinuous daybed beckons
cuddlers but also offers a practical built-in table that doesn't compromise the design.
Outdoor styles correlate to just about every one you'll find inside the home, from Arts
and Crafts, with metal translations of characteristic oak, to Eastern. California-based
designer Richard Frinier, known for his classic style and use of materials, followed up a
Japanese-inspired collection called Kyoto with a Chinese Chippendale collection called
Orient, both for Century Furniture. Typical fretwork and lattice define the generously
scaled, oval-backed lounge chair interpreted in PVC-coated aluminum cast from real
bamboo and finished in faux tortoise shell.
Maitland-Smith, a furniture company new to outdoor designs, translated the richness of
Spanish colonial style with highly carved consoles, tables and seating you'd never guess
were weather-resistant, a pleasant surprise at the fall International Casual Furniture &
Accessories Market at Chicago's Merchandise Mart.
Some manufacturers, such as Fire Stone Home Products, have come up with a one-stop
shopping idea. Its brilliant package is called the Outdoor Great Room and can include a
fireplace, grills, lanterns and furnishings, all under a pergola, creating an instant setting
for customization.
Creating a seamless extension of home interiors is the goal. With a landscaped backdrop,
the vacation spot at home has it all: a place to snuggle, grill, dine, entertain and relax
under the sun or moon.