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Homeowners
are spending lots of money these days to furnish and
decorate the outdoors. According to a study by grill
manufacturer Weber‑Stephen Products, spending
on outdoor rooms rose from an average of $5,400 in
2003 to more than $10,000 last year.
Today’s
garden rooms might include weatherproof stereo gear,
stainless steel barbecues, copper‑clad fire
pits, teakwood furniture, propane‑powered heaters
and room‑size rugs.
Outdoor
artwork was the “next logical step to decorating the
outside,” McCormick said. “That was the missing piece–the
oil painting look.”
Designer
Debra Rosenbury agreed. The Nashville, Tenn., decorator
has hung regular artwork on porches and other protected
spaces, and used mirrors to dress up decks and patios.
“They
reflect a lot of neat things outside and look cool
when they start to age,” she said. The paintings can
help achieve the polished look people want outside.
“They
want to be able to walk from the inside of the house
to outside and feel homey,” she said.
Weatherproof
artwork gives designers and homeowners greater flexibility,
added Jack Poles of J.
Poles Interiors in Snellville, Ga. Before the prints
were available, he used iron pieces to spice up outdoor
walls.
“It’s
great that you can really have art for outdoors,”
he said.
Poles
likes the look so well, he actually encouraged one
client to replace an iron wall hanging with an outdoor
print.
“It
really gave (the space) the look I was looking for,”
he said. “I wish there was more variety.”
Kubach’s
company and frame shops like Middletown Framing can
only use prints licensed for duplication.
Poles
encourages clients to try and make their own outdoor
art by copying family photos or original pieces. If
the local copy center doesn’t offer the weatherproof
process, the pieces can be coated with polyurethane,
he said.
For
Poles, outdoor art adds color to an area that can
be dominated by wood, stone or other neutral elements.
“What
is the best way to bring color?” he asked. “It is
art.”
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