Durable Decor

American Made Outdoor Living – Spring/Summer 2009 Trend

Decorating outdoor living spaces and the creation of outdoor rooms continues to be a major consumer trend heading into this summer. For 2009, however, this trend takes on a new emphasis with high transportation costs, general belt tightening and the newest buzz in outdoor, the “stay-cation or staying home to vacation. Creating these spaces, rooms or stay-cation destinations has also taken a turn this season due in part to changes in the rising costs of products made continents away. The solution is one that is not new, but a growing trend – buy American. Leisure products still are one category that is available to outfit outdoor spaces, high in quality and made within our shores. Products can range from crafted picnic tables to towering pergolas or room-defining structures.

1. The family meal – make it an all-American picnic –
If bringing your family together for a meal feels like a vacation in itself, create an adventure by turning it into a theme picnic. Your picnic can be as simple as adding a little creativity in menu and table settings and the perfect American made picnic table. High quality tables are weather resistant, of sturdy construction and made to facilitate conversation. A table such as the Red Cedar Octagonal Walk In Picnic Table from www.allpicnictables.com is designed to offer a no-hassle way for eight people to comfortably eat and converse. Made in the USA, this table is made from weather resistant cedar and zinc plated outdoor durable hardware.

2. Stories from the porch swing -
What could be more All-American than enjoying a relaxing afternoon on the front porch swing with a loved one curled close, swaying to the stories of the day? Whatever the size of your porch, swings have always been a favorite and today many styles and constructions are available handcrafted by artisans nationwide. Designs can range from high backed to intricate scroll cut designs. “Porch swings remain our number one seller,” said Tim McTighe, president, http://www.CedarStore.com western Pennsylvania manufacturer and retailer of outdoor leisure products. “Our design department is committed to creating items that accentuate the wood and our local craftsmen.”

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3. Defining the outdoor room - the sky’s the limit –
The concept of the outdoor room that is taking America and the world by storm is based on the idea of creating spaces that feel more like indoors. Structures that create these ”rooms” also are available made right here in the USA. From garden path arbor seats to towering pergolas, definition of outdoor spaces can be customized to any outdoor space. Natural wood is viewed as the most popular material for these structures. Internet retailer, www.gazebocreations.com offers structures in a range of sizes as well as the ability for customers to custom order sizes to exactly fit the outdoor space.

Who needs a slow and costly boat from wherever to create an outdoor room of quality and comfort when American made leisure products can make the perfect setting for summer enjoyment? “We offer some offshore items on our site, so we are aware of what is happening in places like China with their cost of living, labor and energy on the rise,” said McTighe. “For us, our largest sellers are our furniture crafted right here in Western Pennsylvania. We find that our sense of pride in the products made locally is reinforced when our customers express the same satisfaction in ownership.”

For spring and summer 2009, there is no need to travel. Enjoy America from the comfort of your own backyard.