Plenty of Outdoor Living Products on Display at Spoga+Gafa

Many homeowners have taken indoor living outside, adding high-quality furniture, deluxe grills, full outdoor kitchens and more in their backyards.

And spoga+gafa, the world’s largest lawn, garden and outdoor living trade fair, which runs through tomorrow in Cologne, Germany, is the place to find these trends and products consumers are looking for.

While neutral colors remain popular and have their place in almost any color scheme, brighter colors also stood out among the displays at spoga+gafa.

Patio furniture, outdoors rugs and more come in a variety of colors, allowing for easier customization as consumers select what best fits their decor.

One color that particularly stood out? Purple. The Pantone Color Institute^® selected Radiant Orchid, a shade that’s a mix of purple, pink and fuchsia, as its 2014 Color of the Year, and the popularity of purple has extended to the outdoor living sector. Available in both brighter and softer shades, purple offers anything from an alternate neutral tone to a splash of bright color.As for materials, wicker continues to be popular, as it’s lightweight, durable and easy-to-clean. Plastic, especially plastic made from recycled materials, is also a good choice, especially for consumers on a budget, and furniture made of aluminum is less likely to rust or fade.

Customers are looking for furniture that multitasks,too. Whether it’s a chair with a place to rest your tablet or a lounge chair that doubles as a bench, customers want multiple features in products.

“They’re looking for something different that offers more features,” says Brian Horowitz, director of sales for Creative Outdoor Distributor. “They don’t want chairs they can just sit in—they want chairs they can sit in and that have trays to hold food, for example. They’re looking for more bang for their buck.”

Some consumers may not have much outdoor space, but it’s not a problem. Homeowners who don’t have a deck or patio but want to add to their outdoor living space have other options, such as freestanding garden buildings, which were on display at spoga+gafa. These buildings offer many of the benefits of a backyard patio, and even a few extras, such as being weatherproof.

Stay tuned to www.hardwareretailing.com for more trends, as Hardware Retailing editors continue to report live from spoga+gafa, which runs through Tuesday, Sept. 2.