As the outdoor space evolves from merely a patio or backyard to a full-fledged room, new product categories emerge to help homeowners outfit their exterior spaces just as they would interior rooms. Over the next two days, we highlight three of those product trends fueling growth in the outdoor industry: accessories, lighting and upholstery. Traditionally indoor trends, these products are coming outside in a big way thanks to innovative technology that makes them as durable as they are stylish.
It’s the perfect evening. Everything is all set for your party on your pool deck. The drinks are chilling, the food is cooking away in the outdoor kitchen, the perfect playlist is streaming to your outdoor speakers, and the lights… The lights aren’t exactly right. So, you pull out your tablet, the same one handling the music, switch to another app and make a couple swipes with your finger.
In perfect unison, your pool lights, water feature, walkway and landscaping all instantly change to a gorgeous, soft aquamarine glow. Now everything is perfect.
With outdoor living trends exploding—kitchens, dining, fireplaces, theater rooms and more—outdoor lighting is quickly evolving to keep pace.
No longer will a Coleman lantern or a flashlight cut it. Outdoor lighting has become more than functional. It makes a statement, is integrated into the design or accessorization process and is as common now as an outdoor sofa or table.
“Our line of indoor-inspired outdoor durable lighting was created in response to a need within our outdoor living product line for lighting to complete the exterior room,” says Chad Harper, national sales manager for Watermark Living. “Each is designed with indoor style and appeal, but durable features including rust-proof materials, resin bases and caged bulbs, all ETL certified for outdoor use. “
While Watermark Living lamps look just as much at home inside as they do outdoors, Jardinico takes a bolder approach.
“The Jardinico lanterns are designed with a mix-use media construction,” says Jennifer Dorr, contract sales manager for Jardinico-Shademaker. “This makes our products more organic and a natural fit for the outdoor spaces. Blending in with furnishing constructions as well as the environment is a feature of our products.”
And it’s not just outdoor-specific companies that are joining in. Recognizing the trend, Klaussner, who has built indoor furnishings since 1963, expanded into outdoor several years ago.
“We realized there was a relatively limited range of designs in outdoor several years ago,” explains Gary McCray, president of Klaussner Outdoor. “And we felt we could develop lighting that would both address that void and complement our furniture designs.”
Unlike Watermark Living, though, Klaussner went in a different direction.
“We have purposely avoided working from the indoors-out and have designed our lamps with outdoor function and durability in mind,” McCray continues. “Until now we have focused on synthetic wicker, aluminum and stainless steel construction that clearly look like styles that are meant to be in outdoor environments.”
“With the advances in resin, we are able to craft realistic lamp bases of natural and artistic subjects with fine coloration and detailing,” Harper says. “Advances also have been made in lightbulb design and protection for outdoor use.”
Improvements in material technology have been one factor in advances in outdoor lighting, especially the use of resins and polymers. But other technical innovations are driving outdoor lighting to be a statement— among them, the rise of LEDs, improved battery technology and IoT (Internet of Things) integration.
LEDs have been a breakthrough for outdoor lighting in a variety of ways. First is efficiency—they use up to 75% less power and produce less heat than incandescents. Then there’s longevity—they last up to five times longer than comparable bulbs.
Because of the decreased power usage, battery-powered LED lights have helped companies like Jardinico create cordless lanterns that can be placed anywhere. “The design of our products is a stand-alone light source, and there are battery/electric candles to place in our lanterns,” Dorr says.
Low power consumption is also ideal to match with a solar panel. Klaussner is among several that have solar-powered lights on the drawing board.
With the advent of smartphones and the interconnected devices, more end-users are looking for connectivity with their lighting.
McCray hints that Klaussner has some IoT products in the works. But Dorr of Jardinico makes no bones about it. “We see the addition of smart lighting as a growing trend and it will be a part of our future planning,” she says.
Designers are taking advantage of the flexibility of new technologies, as Ryan Hughes of Ryan Hughes Design in Tampa, Florida, explains.
“By design, spaces often take on multiple personalities; one by day and another by night,” he says. “With the advancements in lighting, technology and exterior animation, a backyard can be very tranquil and calming by day; but as night falls it can be ablaze with drama created through lighting sources to provide a totally different appeal.”
Pal Lighting has embraced LEDs in a big way. They’ve become an increasingly popular choice for OEMs, builders and renovation companies worldwide. Everything from pool lights to accent lights to light ribbons—all LEDs that can change color with the Pal Color Touch system, which gives the user the ability to wirelessly control pool lighting, landscape and feature lighting all from the one system.
“Our passion is to be able to light up any space,” says Raymond Thibault, director of business development for Pal’s U.S. distributor. “Whether it’s a spa or plunge pool to an immense resort pool with running streams, exotic lagoons, children’s play areas and all things in between.”
The result is a diverse line of pool, spa, landscape and water feature lights.
“We offer affordable options for every market level to use LED lighting as a design or architectural feature of the backyard,” Thibault says.
As technology continues to advance and more companies enter the fray, the exterior lighting pie will certainly continue to expand.
“Homes continue to be designed and built incorporating these areas,” McCray says. “And I don’t see that changing.”
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