When the Apartment Therapy website collaborated with Casual Living, a trade publication, to do an outdoor decorating survey, their main finding was no surprise: Nearly eight out of 10 homeowners have an outdoor room or are creating one.

"Outdoor rooms continue to evolve as one of the most important areas of the homescape," says award-winning West Coast-based designer Richard Frinier.

"Outside has become the dining, living room and kitchen," says Steve Lowsky, president of Pride Family Brands, a company that specializes in luxury handcrafted aluminum casual furnishings. "And there is way more potential -- it's the 'room' with the most square footage."

With the explosion of performance fabrics and fibers for weathersafe rugs, as well as a range of furniture frames -- including wood, metal, wovens and resin -- that allow plenty of decorating, color and pattern options, there's no shortage of style. And performance fabrics now have a softer hand, sometimes mimicking luxury indoor fabrics like silk, chenille, velvet and even leather.

"The constructions, textures, patterns, colors, UV stability, easy care, and even use of recycled yarns, are remarkable," Frinier says of Sunbrella, a leader in the performance industry. "That allows us to do much more outside than we would have ever considered doing just a few years ago.

"Also, people are starting to mix and match their outdoor furniture, (pulling) pieces from different collections the way they do indoors," says Frinier, "to create a more unique, original and sometimes curated look."

Consumer tastes have been trending to simpler, more modern silhouettes in recent years -- both indoors and out. But no matter what the preference, there's one thing that most everyone agrees on: comfort.

While style choices are broad, here are five categories for this season's al fresco offerings that are especially directional.

White

White and natural often are part of the cushion package for outdoor furniture, as they go with everything. In frames, white long has been a classic -- think Adirondack chairs and English painted planters and furniture. But this year, it is especially coming on strong in the contemporary category -- both in slick glossy and matte finishes.

"White is a classic neutral, which is always popular," says Frinier. "When used on upholstered furnishings, it serves as a starting point like a clean canvas to a painter. Whether bright or soft, warm or cool, white tends to lighten a space (indoors or out) and even lifts our moods and spirits. It is seen across all styles. Starting with a neutral, white palette allows you to bring your personal style to any collection simply by choosing a frame finish and also textured and patterned fabrics for toss pillows to stylize as you wish."

Frinier describes his new modular Connexion collection for Brown Jordan as a thoroughly indoor/outdoor sectional designed for comfort and versatility, light in appearance, though durable and functional.

"The framework is tautly upholstered with a double wall of a proprietary Versatex mesh, which means you can actually use the same or different fabric on the outside and inside vertical surfaces for either low or high contrast appeal."

Another modular grouping, from Royal Botania, has a less pronounced, slender frame that's barely there, serving as a platform with short feet for cushions, especially striking in black. White and taupe also are a dynamic combination in a tightly upholstered armless sofa from Room & Board. Other color options are available, including brights, which coordinate with a fun cube table designed by Frank Gehry.

More transitional is a new group for Janus et Cie that pairs handsome chairs with gridded backs by Orlando Diaz-Azcuy with a table designed by the company CEO Janice Feldman. The pieces were influenced by the style of Josef Hoffman and the early 20th-century Viennese collective Wiener Werkstätte, and their graceful lines suit both contemporary and traditional architecture.

Statement pieces

At the other end of the spectrum, there's explosive color and bold form. Like statement jewelry, these are standalone pieces that can shake up a neutral setting.

"When you bring colors into your outdoor spaces," says Frinier, "whether subtle and soft or bright and vibrant, this splash of patterns and textures draw people into the space because of the visual interest and energy generated, exactly the same way we all use color and pattern for our interiors.

"When you are inside of your home looking out to your outdoor room and spaces, or when you are looking down from a balcony, or near a pool, you have to remember you are seeing your outdoor furniture arrangements from a different perspective and it is smart to consider this when choosing frame finishes and fabrics."

That goes for scale as well. The Tiempo chair from Janus et Cie calls attention to itself because of its heft, but also because of distinguishing features: pairing teak and powder-coated aluminum and canting the sides of its square arms, plus its striped coral upholstery.

A double chaise takes up a larger footprint as well, and the eye-catching Oko lounger from Mamagreen also boasts functional pullout trays and small umbrellas as well as a perky stripe to make it a standout.

Form and materials put the spotlight on complementary pieces as well, such as a glass-topped side table from Janus et Cie, which has a pedestal that looks like it's made of knotted cords; it's actually Sunbrella fabric.

Even bolder is a chair from a line called M'Afrique for the Italian brand Moroso. Its vibrant hues rival anything blooming in the garden, but it's the craftsmanship that really stands out. It's handcrafted by artisans in Africa who use a technique of plaiting by hand -- with plastic cord traditionally used to make fishing nets that's perfectly safe for outdoor use.

Woven

All-weather wicker continues to be popular. It lends texture and options, as there are different styles of weaving as well as opportunities for combining more than one hue to create nuanced effects. Some mimic sweater weaves, others herringbone. And sometimes the material lends itself to bending in ways that can't be replicated in other outdoor media. A collection introduced by designer Celerie Kemble for Laneventure, for example, featured "movement" in skirted bases, a kind of draping that resembles fabric folds.

But even traditional forms can be tweaked for great effect. Take the outdoor wicker wing chair from Arhaus, for example. The shape and style are familiar, but the expression in a large-scale herringbone weave takes it in a new direction. That it sits on turned feet is another nice indoor furniture touch.

Another woven by Barbara Barrie for McGuire doesn't disappoint her followers; it delivers clean lines and smartly tailored looks.

Mixed Media

There's more of a desire in outdoor furnishings to not go all-suite, everything matching. It takes a good eye for design, though, to mix it up by pulling from different brands and collections, which is what good designers do for an eclectic look. So some manufacturers are mixing it up themselves, teaming up different materials within one collection or crossing collections.

Teak manufacturers, in particular, like Barlow Tyrie and Gloster have started to do this. Showing wood tables with woven chairs or tables with metal bases and stone tops lends more visual appeal.

Upholstered and slipcovered looks

Fully upholstered sofas and chairs as well as slipcovered looks are here to stay. Fillings also have improved, not only with waterproof features but also in ultra plush comfort.

The newest collection by Timothy Oulton at Restoration Hardware easily could transition indoors. Shown in white, the sectional is clean-lined -- one that can play off of a variety of companion pieces. The design seems to exude comfort, exactly the ambience that's so sought after because it reminds us of how we like to live indoors.

Notice, too, that sofas, sectionals and banquettes all lend themselves well to designing the space with all sorts of accessories, such as lanterns, throws, pillows, side tables -- anything that visually warms the setting. There's also the idea of creating a sanctuary, a getaway.

Some of the comments from those surveyed by Casual Living/Apartment Therapy spoke to the psychology of being outdoors.

A Michigan consumer weighed in: "My outdoor room is a place to feel connected with wildlife and nature. ... Somewhere to enjoy the sound of birds and rustling trees and to watch the flicker of the fire pit. It's somewhere to entertain guests and to show off to neighbors."

And a respondent from Missouri summed it up: "It's an escape in my own backyard."

Sources

-- Arhaus, 866-427-4287, www.arhaus.com

-- Brown Jordan, 800-743-4252, www.brownjordan.com

-- Century Furniture, 800-852-5552, www.centuryfurniture.com

-- Gloster, 434-575-1003, www.gloster.us

-- Henry Hall Designs, 800-767-7738, www.henryhalldesigns.com

-- Janus et Cie, 800-245-2687, www.janusetcie.com

-- Mamagreen, 415-279-7895, www.askmamagreen.com

-- McGuire Furniture, 800-662-4847, www.mcguirefurniture.com

-- Moroso, www.moroso.it

-- No. 9 Thompson, at Holly Hunt Ltd., 800-320-3145, www.jimthompsonfabrics.com; www.hollyhunt.com

-- Restoration Hardware, 800-910-9836, www.rh.com

-- Room & Board, 800-301-9720, www.roomandboard.com

-- Royal Botania, D'apostrophe, 212-812-9852, www.royalbotania.com

(For editorial questions, please contact Universal Uclick at -uueditorial@amuniversal.com)

Cover-up isn't the issue. For most, windows are welcome -- the more, the merrier. They usher in natural light, and sunshine is a surefire pick-me-up. There is that privacy thing -- you don't want to feel like you're living in a fishbowl. But equally important, is the matter of decor's finishing touch, the punctuation and warmth (both visual and physical) that fabric adds, in the form of well-chosen window treatments.

"Draperies are an important design element," says Marta Enriquez, director of interior design for Ethan Allen. "They can be used to filter light and protect furniture, to darken a room, and to keep it cooler or warmer. They can open up a space or make it appear cozier -- depending on how they are hung -- and can be used to add color and texture. They are great for drawing the eye to a beautiful view or architectural (element) you want to showcase."

Although some types of draperies (here's looking at you, swag) seem fussy or dated, working with an interior style and architecture for an appropriate complement will net major design dividends.

But buying window treatments is not as easy as snapping up a chair. Or is it?

That depends on whether or not your windows themselves are standard issue, meaning their measurements. If the dimensions are not unusually wide or tall, you're in luck. Most retailers today carry ready-made (or off-the-rack, in fashion parlance) draperies. The price ranges from just a little bit more than nice shower curtains (around $40) to several hundred dollars and up, depending on fabric (quality and how much of it), whether or not there's a lining, complexity of style (rod pocket, where fabric is folded over and stitched to allow sliding into the rod, is the simplest construction), and trims.

That's not all. There's quite the range in fabric and pattern styles -- from elegant silks and velvets to nubby linens and smooth cottons, from opaque to sheer, from stripes (skinny or fat) and geometrics to ikats and zigzags, from florals to paisleys. The designs can be screen or digitally printed, even embroidered.

Another bonus: dressmaker details. Contrast borders, ribbon ties, pompon edging, ruching (a kind of puckering), bands at the top, bands at the bottom, even nailheads or grommets used to define. The punctuation also is setting off top treatments like fixed boxy headers or loose valances.

"Cool white linen panels," for example, "can offer simple, sophisticated style on their own," says Enriquez. "But when you add a Greek key tape trim, the same panels take on a more classic, elegant look."

As in most other segments of home decor, fashion also is influencing drapery design -- from materials to accoutrements.

"Just as rich color and textures have been all over the runways this year," says Enriquez, "we're seeing those same trends in home decor. Luxurious fabrics, brilliant new embellishments and hardware options. Many designers also favor ultra-feminine looks and colors, so light, airy sheers are in vogue again."

But what to call them: draperies, drapes or curtains? Years ago, there was a kind of snobby distinction. Drapery was reserved for more formality, while curtains fell into the more casual beat (like cafe style, hung on the bottom half of a double-hung window, which often shows up in breakfast rooms. Designers often grimaced if the word "curtain" was uttered, though even cafe curtains are better looking today (check out Ballard Designs' checks with pretty French pleats and solid grosgrain ribbon trims, particularly fetching in black and white).

Curiously, retailers are referring mostly to curtain categories, although Pottery Barn hedges its bets by dropping all three names. Further, PB features two videos on its website that address "how to hang a drapes," and "how to hang curtains," but honestly, no revelations about what's the dif. Other sites offer tips that include how to measure, create fuller effects and puddle, with six to eight inches at the bottom for added oomph.

What all have in common, of course, is panels. When you're purchasing, that's what you need to know -- the width and length of a panel. Most panels are 50 inches wide; when doubling up (to open in the middle) that covers a good-sized space -- a little more than eight feet across. If that doesn't do it, you can purchase additional panels (and have them sewn together, if you like). More choices of lengths are available today, generally from 48 up to 120 inches. That full 10 feet happily handles windows in spaces with tall ceilings.

With sheers trending, some gauzy looks are especially suited to those loft settings, because they're light and airy -- even in bold hues like fashion-forward yellow. Crate and Barrel's French/Belgian linen is transparent enough to allow filtered light, and is attractively flow-y, to soften a modern layout.

Another semi-sheer, tie-dyed print on polyester, is even bolder because of pattern, but with an eclectic enough spirit that's a wonderful counterpoint in dark gray on white to shades of blue in a contemporary room, like one designed by Crate and Barrel.

Of course, a sheer linen in natural goes with pretty much everything. It's especially fetching in the presence of weathered or light woods, baskets and other natural materials, as seen at Pottery Barn.

Patterns can lead or follow design themes. Flora or fauna, especially in more modern, open styles, can lend a tropical or outdoorsy vibe. Geometrics often are a favorite go-to with mid-century styles. Velvet has become a more popular option -- and in brighter colors (a surprisingly modern choice), one that can add a bit of visual heft and suede-y texture in a simple design. And silk, especially lush taffetas, lends a ballroom-gown elegance to rooms calling out for more dressed-up decor.

Drapery accessories also have ramped up, with more attention now showered on finishes and shapes of rods (with some squarish alternatives), and stylish finials in metal, ceramic, resin. Mercury glass, so popular in furnishings accessories, has found a home in sparkly golden finials, for example, at Anthropologie. Tiebacks also are far more fetching than "self-ties," made out of the same fabric as the curtains, some even crafted in leather.

Going the custom route, of course, appeals to those who want to orchestrate a more personalized expression, choosing more exclusive fabrics and details, through decorators or programs such as Drapery Expressions at Ethan Allen (not available online), which offers choices of thousands of fabrics, trims and hardware options plus designers to help navigate the process.

At the high end, custom is as fabrics go; some ornate or sumptuous imported materials may command price tags of $1,000 per yard, times the amount of yardage (say 30 for full treatment on a few windows), PLUS labor -- and you'll quickly see how intimidating those numbers can be.

Online shopping is attractive because it's easy -- and offers almost instant gratification.

Says Enriquez: "That enables (consumers) to get the look and feel of custom with the ease and affordability of ready-made."

Sources

-- Anthropologie, 800-309-2500, www.anthropologie.com

-- Ballard Designs, 800-536-7557, www.ballarddesigns.com

-- CB2, 800-606-6252, www.cb2.com

-- Country Curtains, 800-937-1237, www.countrycurtains.com

-- Crate and Barrel, 800-967-6696, www.crateandbarrel.com

-- Ethan Allen, 888-324-3571, www.ethanallen.com

-- Pottery Barn, 888-779-5176, www.potterybarn.com

-- West Elm, 888-922-4119, www.westelm.com

SIDEBAR A

MAKING THE MOST OF THE LITTLE THINGS

You can't help but notice the details that distinguish some of the most fashionable draperies today. Even the simplest style -- shirred on top or folded over rod pocket -- can be dressed to transform it from plain to styling.

Banding -- at the top or bottom -- sometimes as deep as 12 inches, can be subtle or dramatic, in the same tone or contrast color or even pattern. Edging can simply be a sewn strip in a different color. Or it can be a ribbon trim in a pattern, like a Greek key design, which adds a sophisticated touch. Tassels or self-ties can add further punctuation.

Pompon or ball fringe dresses the edges of draperies, too, especially striking in a color picked up from a patterned fabric, like a golden yellow check and creamy white.

SIDEBAR B

AN EYE ON THE DETAILS

Even drapery hardware has stepped up in style. Once limited to designer-only sourcing, both design and materials have become much more fashion-forward.

This is especially visible when it comes to finials and tiebacks. From mercury glass to hammered or burnished metals, the added ends of rods leave open a lot of choices from the most prevalent spheres to other shapes, even charming dimensional ones like dogs.

(For editorial questions, please contact Universal Uclick at -uueditorial@amuniversal.com)

Color trends come and go, but certain hues are perennial hangers-on. Take red, for example.

Chicago interior designer Alessandra Branca is a known red lover. When she designed a collection of fabrics for Schumacher, red played a starring role. Sometimes her approach is playful, like pairing red-and-white ticking stripe lampshades with antique gilt bronze candlestick lamps. Google her work, and the rooms that pop up are laced with the fiery hue that seems to explode in every shot. She mostly likes it on the coral side, and the fact that she's pretty passionate about Pompeian shades speaks to her Italian heritage.

New York-based designer Alexa Hampton knows how to shake things up with red. While most of the furnishings she designs for Hickory Chair are classic, quiet neutrals with occasional bursts of color, she wowed High Point, North Carolina, furniture marketgoers when she rolled out several entire spaces in ravishing red. On the walls, in upholstery, as accessories -- and, for ultra drama, as a kind of racing ribbon stripe down the backside of a zebra-patterned chair.

"Red wakes you up," says Hampton. "When you paint a room red, you have a point of view, so don't use it if you want to hedge."

Like red lipstick, we love the stroke of sass. It's bold. It's sexy. Like a lightning bolt, it instantly grabs your attention. It's loaded with energy. It evokes passion and love, which is why it will be much talked about this month, with all those cliches of hearts and red roses, the color of valentines. But perhaps especially because the Pantone Color of the Year for 2015 is not red, but Marsala.

Pantone describes the color as a "robust and earthy wine red and says Marsala "enriches our minds, bodies and souls."

While the chip appears to be a milky, chocolatey rose, interpretations run from maroon to burgundy, dusty to dark. There are subtle differences in all reds from wine-y to bright, and designers seem to be tap dancing to find the part of the spectrum that works for them.

"I've seen way too many burgundy dining rooms ... to love this color again anytime soon," opined Maria Killam, author of the Color Me Happy blog.

Designer and TV personality Courtney Cachet was a bit more blunt. "I am not feeling this year's color at all. It's a little confining as it relates to coordinating (elements) ... and kind of blah. Marsala feels like Oxblood's sister who's late to the party wearing the same -- on sale -- outfit. Maybe in fashion -- for home it kind of sucks."

Ouch. But she goes on to explain: "Red is so much richer, prettier. It's a color you can work with," she says, noting that in her own dining room, which has navy walls and white moldings, she chose cranberry red velvet chairs for pop. "You don't have to perk up red with gold or metallic," she says.

Actually, Hampton likes a "more fun cousin" to Marsala: Farrow and Ball's Brinjal. "It is a wonderful reddish-purple. I just used it in a room that has purple, pale blue, red accents and mahogany doors. It really rocked."

Often a favorite on runways, red again made a splash with fall and winter fashions from Versace, Dolce & Gabbana and Prada.

As the tartan plaids at J. Crew attest, it can be sporty or elegant and luxurious, as in Oscar de la Renta taffeta.

And it's a hue that is well-suited for the most traditional to the most modern furniture. But a little goes a long way. Going monochromatic, changing up an all-white or all-beige bland to all-crimson could be way over the top spicy for most.

The power of red is immediately apparent. Consider a brown leather wing chair. Then imagine the same piece in red leather. Pow. A star in a neutral room, still not overpowering, though -- and still with a masculine enough edge to appeal to guys.

More sleek, contemporary silhouettes positively pop in scarlet (think red Ferrari). Its directness takes shape well. Sculptural sofas, for example, such as one designed by Erwan and Ronan Bouroullec for Ligne Roset are brilliant in red. Sinuous forms speak volumes in red. And tables and chests of drawers assume a new level of gravitas in red.

Designer John Strauss was floored when he made a seemingly simple change to a mid-century styled night table from a collection called Green Bay Road, which he had specified in walnut with contemporary stainless steel bar pulls. At the fall High Point furniture market, he showed the retro-look piece in red lacquer with black button knobs and it was a revelation.

"It has pop," says Strauss, whose company, JS Home, is located in Canton, Ohio, where he works with an Amish community in sustainable materials. "It is sophisticated. It has depth and a mystique."

"I think everyone understands the power of red lacquer," says Hampton. "A red lacquer screen, for example, can be so elegant. A bright red lacquer coffee table can be very youthful and edgy."

An area rug with a touch of red lifts a gray or beige setting. Also grounding is wall color -- paint or wallcovering in red, which can serve as a warm backdrop. Some designers are fond of playing up red in a powder room, as it's a small space that you're not in for a very long time. Other designers have used red drapery or Roman shades in a creamy interior, accenting with matching pillows, throws, accessories or flowers. Or, more quietly, as a red banding on window treatments.

You can dial down the drama with smaller-scale accents that still make strong statements. Lighting is one way to go. Choose an all-red lamp, like the mini globe Eclisse from Artemide. Or one with just a touch of red -- like a jewel inset in the Gem lamp, a cagey burnished gold piece with black shade from Koket.

Designers even have played with reds in acrylic and Lucite -- quite fetching, especially in a traditional style Chinese stool, where it looks as fresh as the iconic transparent polycarbonate Ghost chair by Philippe Starck for Kartell.

Hampton does caution that red -- especially when it envelops a space -- can feel too hot. "I have often taken a nail polish to my painter to color match because there are so many great sharp reds for nails that don't have too much yellow.

"A great way to use red is with a bunch of whites and neutrals," says Hampton. "It can make the room feel modern, in spite of the use of such a traditional jewel tone. The designer also loves the combination of black and red. "It makes me think of my father," she says. Her late father, decorator Mark Hampton, was an icon of classic American style. "Red with orange and pink makes me think of David Hicks and his great, playful geometrics. I love red and plum for sheer sexiness. It would be a perfect dining room."

Red is known to stimulate the appetite. Just watch the calories.

Sources

-- Alessi, through Bloomingdales, 800-777-0000, www.bloomingdales.com; www.alessi.com

-- Artemide, 312-475-0100, www.artemide.com

-- CB2, 800-606-6252, www.cb2.com

-- Hastings Tile & Bath, 631-285-3330, www.hastingstilebath.com

-- Hickory Chair, 800-349-4579, www.hickorychair.com

-- Hooker Furniture, 276-656-3335, www.hookerfurniture.com

-- JS Home, 330-456-0300. www.straussfurniture.com

-- Kelly Hoppen, the company is London-based, but you can order online at www.kellyhoppen.com

-- Koket, 703-369-3324, www.bykoket.com

-- Ligne Roset, 212-375-1036, www.ligne-roset-usa.com

-- Pagoda Red, 773-235-1188, www.pagodared.com

(For editorial questions, please contact Universal Uclick at -uueditorial@amuniversal.com)