Design 101 - Cheery Black

Kishani Perera Interior Design Photographed by Jean Randazzo via Decor Pad

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Trends - Our Favorite Trends of 2011

Decor Pad - Lee Industries Slip-Covered Sofa and Upholsterd Ottomans

The Casul Living Show is next week so we are thinking a lot about the outdoor living trends over the last year and speculating about what we might see and hope to see at this year's show.  This week I thought it would be fun to revisit my and Mike's favorite trends from last year and our wish list for 2012 and compare that to what we see at the show next week.

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Dream - Outdoor Living Pas de Deux, 4

Inner Gardens

Dream - Outdoor Spaces for Sun Worship, 1

Simon Upton, Photographer

To get deep into daydreaming sometimes it is necessary to appeal to a higher power.  One way to tap into nirvana is through sun worship.

This week - outdoor spaces for proper sun worship.

Discover - The New Contemporary Look of Ceramic Garden Furniture

Season Living Perpetual Ceramic Garden Furniture Set

Gary Pettitt of Seasonal Living, one of our ceramic furniture manufacturers, is fond of saying “ceramic furniture is the jewelry that makes furniture look good. Their highly glazed finishes in bold colors create a burst of color that can personalize your space and create the individuality we all desire.”

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Get The Look - Ceramic Garden Furniture

Photo Inspiration Celerie Kemble

Before we unveil the new contemporary look of ceramic garden furniture tomorrow in our Discover post, here is one more look at classic ceramic garden stools.  This classic and global style outdoor space incorporates a couple of different styles of the current look of ceramic garden stools which are a twist on the classic Chinese garden stools.

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Top Topic - The Artists' Version of Ceramic Furniture

Ane Davidsen Ceramic Sofas at Grimmerhus - Museum of International Ceramic Art - Denmark

It is said that trends get started and disseminated to the masses by a select few individuals who have been coined connectors, mavens and salesman.  I view artists and designers as the elusive group at the tippy top of that food chain that give the connectors, mavens and salesman something to talk about.  We keep a close eye on what artists and designers are producing because as a general rule their avant-garde version of something will eventually make it into the products market where we can snag it and make it available to you.

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Design 101 - Design Roots of Ceramic Furniture

Carrie Leber Nine Rooms of Happiness Book Launch

Outdoor ceramic furniture has been around for over a thousand years. The highly glazed ceramic stools and accent tables we are used to seeing today were first produced in China and began to appear in the West approximately 300 years ago.

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Inspiration Board - Ceramic Furniture

We had been following the trend of ceramic stools and side tables creeping from interior spaces into outdoor spaces.  When we headed to the Casual Living show last summer we expected to find evidence of the growing outdoor trend but we didn't see the traditional ceramic garden stools that we expected to see.

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Get The Look - Victorian Beach Pods

Photo Inspiration - Happy Hotelier

The outdoor pod trend has reemerged as a very contemporary furnishing - taking a cue from the mid-century designs of Jacobsen and Henrick-Larsen.  If your outdoor decorating tastes trend toward the romantic and Victorian, there is room for you too in the outdoor pod trend.  I was delighted to come across this postcard of high-back cane chairs from the Victorian era.  Contemporary wicker pods are bigger to allow for more comfortable lounging but you can still Get The Look with the help of some accessories with Victorian details.

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