HIGH POINT, N.C. — Outdoor rooms have become a major priority for interior designers in recent years, and while they often source directly from brands for their projects, many designers also want to work with local outdoor retailers to acquire furnishings and accessories.
At the recent High Point Market, a panel of interior designers discussed their priorities and processes for outfitting exterior spaces, and for many, working with local outdoor retailers plays a big role.
“I’m a big proponent of working with the showrooms and bringing your clients,” said Stephanie Larsen, Stephanie Larsen Interior Design. “I am not a designer that says, ‘Here it is on my computer screen, trust me.’ I want you to sit in it. I want you to feel it. I want you to touch it, and I want you to experience it. And there are far less problems in the end when you can take your client to a showroom.”
Alena Capra of Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Alena Capra Designs said being able to take a client into a store to experience furnishings in person can help them better understand a designer’s choices for their home.
“Depending on the project, there may be stock items that are available that they can see in person,” she said. “Often, seeing and sitting in a certain piece helps — it’s client specific, and sometimes it’s very helpful to shop at a patio store.”
When retailers want to forge a relationship with local designers, a few things can help them build beneficial partnerships. Discounts certainly help, as does the kind of personalized customer service independent retailers already specialize in. Carrying a wide assortment of products also makes a difference, but if your sales floor doesn’t have room for every piece in a collection, having samples of finishes, fabrics and other customizations can still give interior designers and their clients a good feel for a product.
“Having a good inventory in your showroom is important,” said Lisa Mende, Lisa Mende Design. “We can bring the client in so that they have the option to see the furniture, and the store may have all these collections, but they’ll only have three types. You can’t really get a feel for what the product’s like without options.”
Another big differentiator for designers? Offering products that can play into wellness setups — think spas, saunas and other sensory-focused accessories.
“We’re planning for wellness from the very beginning of a project,” Larsen said. “We plan for a cold plunge, a spa, a Jacuzzi, a pool. We are doing infrared saunas, red light therapies and meditation pads. We place crystals on the exterior and gongs, and as we’re moving through the exterior, we’re always thinking, ‘How are we doing wellness?’”
Outdoor kitchens also are a priority for many designers on exterior projects, and even if a retailer doesn’t offer cabinetry, having an assortment of grills and accessories that can be incorporated in these setups can make a retailer a better source.
“One of the biggest pain points that we see in outdoor kitchen design is seeing all these options and wanting to include everything, but maybe you only use that one particular appliance once a year,” Capra said. “So maybe you don’t need to dedicate a full cabinet or full counter space for that — you can add on a countertop appliance or something like that.”
While some casual retailers may see interior designers as competition, savvy store owners know that creating partnerships with these individuals can boost their business and give them access to customers they might not meet otherwise. And as the demand for outdoor rooms continues to grow, relationships with designers will only become more important to patio retailers.
“Outdoor living is an extension of indoor living,” Larsen said. “It’s never an afterthought — it’s planned from the very beginning. Outdoor spaces are additional square footage and super-important.”
