Design & Designer: Inside/Out Showrooms

The owner of Inside/Out Showrooms, looks at outdoor furniture design trends, usage and best practices for selling to the higher-end interior design market.

Catherine Trevigne grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona, loving outdoor life but not necessarily outdoor furniture. Catherine Trevigne grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona, loving outdoor life but not necessarily outdoor furniture. After working as a rep for a cosmetics firm for a number of years, she decided she needed to get a job that didn’t involve much traveling.

“I loved sales, working with, and training people,” she explained, “but I got tired of being on the road and missing holidays with my family.”

In the early 1980s, a rep for Tropitone and Veneman, Ken Haddix, decided there was a need for a local showroom to showcase Tropitone products to Arizona’s design community. “At the time, said Trevigne, “outdoor furniture was known for its PVC construction and banana fold-up chaises. The Tropitone line, in contrast, was innovative and considered crazy expensive.

“We babysit their projects and make sure everything gets delivered in good order and on time. We also inspect, repair and, when necessary, handle warranty claims.”

“In 1994, Haddix hired me to manage the office and accounting. At the time, we had a group of salespeople who were highly focused on making sales but not necessarily a profit. My job included keeping track of their sales and profits.

“I loved the business, learned all about it, started working with clients and never left. Eventually, I purchased the company.” By then, Inside/Out Showrooms, Inc. had become a destination where interior designers could find everything from higher-end contemporary classics to elegant traditional designs. It’s the only to-the-trade showroom exclusively featuring casual furniture, fabrics and accessories in the Southwest.

Working With Designers

As the profile of the interior design community has risen in recent years, furniture brands and furniture shows like High Point and Las Vegas have become much more welcoming to designers. Trevigne believes that doesn’t lessen the importance of local to-the-trade showrooms.

“Local interior design communities benefit from trade showrooms that have the expertise to help designers become more familiar with the features and benefits of outdoor brands. Showrooms like ours provide a controlled environment where their clients can touch and feel comfort and quality. We also take the pressure off designers who otherwise may get locked into working with one or two vendors they met at a furniture show. Instead, they can come to our showroom, get their trade discount, have more flexibility to design exactly what they want, work with many vendors and not have to manage logistics details. We babysit their projects and make sure everything gets delivered in good order and on time. We also inspect, repair and, when necessary, handle warranty claims.”

Why Inside/Out?

“Inside/Out is our showroom name as well as a concept that’s become more universal. In places like Arizona, Hawaii and Florida, where people enjoy outdoor living much of the year, the concept used to make more sense than in North Dakota. However, designers nationwide have bought into the idea of blending indoors and outdoors.

“Our selling season,” said Trevigne, “has expanded. Designers purchase for clients who have multiple homes in other regions. We help them decide what products will stand up to weather conditions in the Northeast versus a vacation home in Scottsdale.”

Salespeople

“Our salespeople have design degrees, but they try not to interfere in the decision-making process between a designer and their client unless specifically asked to do so. Interior designers do their homework. They know their clients’ needs, are familiar with their spaces and have design visions for projects. Getting in the middle of that can cause a lot of trouble.”

Comfort and Wellness Trend

“Most of Inside/Out’s clients purchase transitional to contemporary styles,” Trevigne continued. “However, we also sell traditional designs that coordinate with homes in our area that have Southwest adobe or hacienda feels and the white brick homes found in Scottsdale with transitional to traditional architecture.

“Before the 2008 crash, our market was going full force into contemporary, but then everything turned on a dime to traditional. I believe that was because people were concerned that if they needed to sell their homes, they would be easier to sell if they looked more traditional.

“Post-pandemic, everyone is all about making their homes comfortable, welcoming places with a focus on wellness and healing. We recently hosted a panel discussion event that included landscape architects, builders and interior designers. They discussed the trend toward backyard areas that include places to decompress and unwind. They said they are designing sanctuary and meditation spaces that have a purpose beyond just being beautiful. During the pandemic, many people learned to value their families and respect their time so much more.

“Americans have always been people on the go. They skip vacation days, go to work, and send their sick children to school. But there’s a growing awareness that it’s not a healthy way to live.

“I don’t think we will ever shut down business here for an entire month as Europeans do in August, but we’ve seen an awareness shift. Inside/Out’s clients have shown more interest in purchasing furnishings to use in sanctuary meditation gardens, including rugs and meditation cushions, than ever before.

“The health and wellness trend can be seen across age and demographic groups. The average outdoor furniture buyer on a budget is very different from those we see in our world, but I believe it’s a societal trend.”

When asked if her in-showroom displays are heavily accessorized, Trevigne responded, “We don’t display or sell a lot of tchotchkes like acrylicware or dishes. There are other showrooms for that. We sell items that complete the furniture collections on our sales floor and enhance the look of our showroom.

“We work with a local artist who creates the colorful, abstract outdoor paintings for our walls. The showroom is filled with live plants that lend an outdoor feel. The floors are brick, and there are trees, so the showroom looks much like a patio.”

Color, Fabrics and Textures

“Neutral palettes always remain first and foremost, while accent colors come and go. Blues and denims never go out of style because they easily coordinate with the sky and water. Oranges remain popular for their inside-out appeal in the Southwest.

“The tables we sell day in and day out are mixed with many different chair styles. A Pavilion table might be combined with Kingsley Bate wicker chairs or Tropitone sling chairs. Finishes and materials look better when they’re not all the same.”

“Outdoor furniture textures have followed trends in interior spaces. Rope designs incorporated into outdoor furniture have become more interesting and tactile. Nubbly boucle fabrics and textured finishes make outdoor furniture items look like they can be used in a client’s living room. That’s what everyone wants.”

Commenting on the increasing use of rope elements in outdoor furniture, Trevigne observed, “At first, I thought it might be a fad, but it now appears to be a style that’s here to stay. Brazilian manufacturer Tidelli Outdoor Living, Belgium company Tribu and French producer Sifas have done amazing jobs fabricating with marine rope for years. More recently, improved access to rope from suppliers, including Sunbrella, has made it easier for manufacturers to source suitable rope materials.

“I’m also seeing manufacturers put much more creativity into these designs. I used to be able to purchase essentially the same chair from about six different vendors. Nothing was interesting about that. But now, when I look at a Sifas design incorporating rope, I instantly know it’s Sifas. The same is true for other manufacturers we source from because of their attention to how they weave their designs.

“We sell a ton of teak furniture. Whether they let it go grey depends on personal preference. The most important thing retailers can do is bring up the topic of teak maintenance with customers. At a minimum, teak furniture must be cleaned of dirt, body oil and food. It’s also a good idea to sand it slightly to remove rough grain and restore a smooth surface. Some people love teak, but the thought of it not keeping its golden color breaks their hearts. They may be better off choosing aluminum or a material that mimics teak and gives that feel but avoids maintenance.

“Here in the Southwest, especially, the nubblier fabrics hold on to dust and dirt more and break down quicker. In the Northeast, mold and mildew are a bigger problem.

The designers we work with know that if a client purchases $30,000 worth of outdoor furniture for their patio, they need to know how to maintain it. If they aren’t willing to vacuum frequently and wash it off with soap and water, it’s better to point them in a different direction. That’s especially true for the many homes here in Arizona designed to have seamless living rooms and patio spaces.”

“Nubbly boucle fabrics and textured finishes make outdoor furniture items look like they can be used in a client’s living room. That’s what everyone wants.”

Beyond Lounging and Dining

In many ways, outdoor spaces have evolved to mirror indoor spaces with work areas, outdoor kitchens, and beds.

“This trend is going to keep growing. There are so many options,” Trevigne observed. “We offer Tuuci, which makes covered cabana structures that can be customized with a full bed or various bench configurations. We also represent Dedon and Gloster, offering some of the most incredible daybeds. A vast range of price points is available in the daybed category, making this a specialty piece for anyone, granted they have the space.

“People are wise to create as much shade as possible, so the designers we work with purchase lots of umbrellas. We sell classic styles that fit much of the architecture here, such as Santa Barbara-style homes or brick homes surrounded by lush, green landscapes, that call for a more traditional umbrella. Designers also specify super contemporary architectural pieces, like the Tuuci Stingray, that might not be a good fit outside a 1956 ranch-style home.”

Planters & Partitions: “During COVID,” Trevigne recalled, “restaurants installed more outdoor open and semi-enclosed spaces that included partitions. I think people liked that added privacy, and that idea caught on in residential outdoor design.

“Planters that separate outdoor spaces are relatively easy to find in the marketplace,” Trevigne noted. “For example, Tuuci makes beautiful planters with screens.”

“I think we will see outdoor storage come back as a strong category that allows our interior design customers and outdoor furniture consumers, more generally, to complete their outdoor spaces.”

Storage & Cabinets: A product category that’s not easy to find is outdoor storage. Trevigne believes there will be a big market for outdoor storage units and cabinets. “It’s an underserved category I’ve been looking for,” she shared. “People want to put stuff away and close it up without going back inside. I recall that Kingsley Bate discontinued a beautiful, big teak cabinet a few years ago. I think we will see outdoor storage come back as a strong category that allows our interior design customers and outdoor furniture consumers, more generally, to complete their outdoor spaces.”

Electronics: “In 1970, my dad bought a small portable TV to watch sports on our porch. Now, people have 72-inch TVs and complete music systems on their patios, built-in fireplaces and full kitchens. They want to live in their outdoor rooms, do everything they can do inside, and more.”

In-Store Display

In addition to inside displays, Inside/Out uses portions of its parking lot to showcase furniture, see how it ages and perform product demonstrations. “Right now, we are showing a Gloster bar table with a teak top, plus Dedon and Lane designs,” Trevigne continued. “We also display Tropitone pieces to show customers what their tight upholstery will look like in full sun, how it weathers and how they can clean it. It’s also a great way to show fabrics and finishes in natural light.

“And we love to have parties here to show how clients might use their spaces. Sometimes, designers bring clients with them. However, others don’t want their clients to get distracted at our location. If they prefer, we bring the product to their locations for client meetings.”

Mixing and Matching

Trevigne recalled when everything Inside/Out sold matched. “About 20 years ago, that started to change. There was a time when, if we weren’t selling OW Lee’s Classico with its textured taupe finish and Sunbrella taupe rib fabric, we weren’t selling anything. It was the predominant Arizona look that everybody gravitated towards. Brown Jordan and Woodard had versions of it with strapped, crisscross looks and rolled arms. Everything matched.

“There was a time when, if we weren’t selling OW Lee’s Classico with its textured taupe finish and Sunbrella taupe rib fabric, we weren’t selling anything. It was the predominant Arizona look.”

Conclusion

“Now, mixed materials have exploded, including amazing ceramic tops, teak tops, and aluminum legs. Castelle does faux slate, and Pavilion just introduced a new ceramic top dining table that expands to 120 inches. The tables we sell day in and day out are mixed with many different chair styles. A Pavilion table might be combined with Kingsley Bate wicker chairs or Tropitone sling chairs. Finishes and materials look better when they’re not all the same.”

Furniture World asked Trevigne if her clients are concerned about sustainability.

She replied, “They don’t ask about it specifically, but since we deal with the high-end, the furniture we sell is heirloom quality that isn’t disposable. People who purchase a 16-foot cantilever umbrella will return to buy a cover from us 10 years later and again 10 years after that.

“People feel good about buying Sunbrella fabrics that are made with recycled fibers. Some outdoor furniture is made from recycled aluminum, but that’s not always an option. If it’s cast, it needs to be made from virgin aluminum.

“It would be great to say a piece of outdoor furniture is fully recyclable, but right now, since it’s impractical to find recycling centers, those are just words. Some companies are investing in using more recycled materials. I recently visited Tribu Furniture in Belgium for a training session. They’ve put a lot of effort into using recycled materials.”

Outdoor Lighting

“When asked about outdoor lighting,” Trevigne said, “It’s not my area of expertise, so I try to stay in my lane. Solar lighting has advanced a lot in recent years. Suppliers like Vibia and Les Jardin sell beautiful items. I like what Gloster is doing in the category because it’s user-friendly, adaptable and long-lasting.”

“A vast range of price points is available in the daybed category, making this a specialty piece for anyone, granted they have the space.”

Advice for Retailers

When asked to share her thoughts about best practices for furniture retailers who don’t often sell $30,000 to $40,000 worth of outdoor furniture to a customer, Trevigne offered the following suggestions.

“People walk into our showroom from time to time and relate a terrible experience they had with their patio furniture. They believe that none of it lasts because something they were sold was wrong for them. I always ask a ton of questions to figure out where the train went off the tracks. Usually, it was because the furniture was not well matched to its surroundings or the end user didn’t do required maintenance. If a customer who loves the color of an oiled teak table is unlikely to oil it frequently, it can make sense not to sell them a teak table in the first place!”

“While retail salespeople come and go, I think that most retailers can benefit from an increased focus on retail education in the outdoor category. Without that, salespeople can’t sell products correctly. They need to be able to relate what customers should expect from certain materials placed outdoors to the necessity of proper maintenance. Without that focus, it reflects poorly on stores and the entire outdoor furniture industry.