Have we ever been more anxious to spend time outdoors?

With today's new norm of staying in place, the strangest spring in memory is largely in lockdown mode until we get COVID-19 tamed. But that doesn't mean we can't dream about the summer days when we can stretch out on a chaise, grill to our heart's content and drink a few cold ones with friends.

And since many of us now have the luxury of time, we can plan like never before! Prep that outdoor space. Clean the grill. Use it! Acquire some new skills -- culinary techniques and dishes -- before your official welcome-to-summer soiree. You might even hone your presentation skills for the debut of "social undistancing."

We've been getting heartening messages from furniture manufacturers, like the Spanish company Andreu World: "For all the good times that will surely come."

While many manufacturers are shuttered, others are still doing business. And retailers are welcoming customers to their websites, where there are guides galore for outdoor living.

It seems so long ago that we were introduced to 2020 collections, this past fall at the Casual Furniture Market in Chicago and the more recent international trade show Maison and Objet in Paris. There is a lot to offer.

An overarching trend, of course, is the furthering of the cohesive outdoor rooms that mimic gathering places indoors, for drinking, cooking, dining and lounging. All of which translates to comfortable furniture in a wide range in style, color, pattern and texture. Seating and dining are the main areas of interest, but so are fire features (tables, fire pits or outdoor fireplaces), outdoor kitchens and pergolas, or some kind of sheltered space. Also, some manufacturers appear to be taking cues from the contract sector (products designed for offices, hospitality, hotels, etc.), looking to integrate battery chargers or USB ports for phones and laptops into seating or tables.

Here's what's on tap for 2020:

-- It's all in the mix. Diversity is the lesson to be learned from high-end outdoor manufacturers in Europe. Not only are materials merged in single pieces of furniture, like concrete or porcelain with teak tables, but also, wood is being paired with outdoor wicker and rattan, and metal, for an eclectic look.

-- Folding screens are an emerging category, and we're down for it. Folding screens made out of slatted wood or rope, in a range of styles, provide a bit of architecture and a means of creating a corner, defining a space. In addition, there's a marvelous hybrid: a vertical planter wall. At Mamagreen, the wall plays with positive and negative space and provides space for several planters. Plus, it's on casters, so it can be moved about. It's like a room divider, and with the extra benefit of foliage, a wonderful addition to a patio or deck. Plant stands with staggered placements for pots are another strong option.

-- Practical add-ons. With modern modular seating, same-height tables can be an extension at the ends, or even the middle, handy for snacks, books or magazines. We're also seeing new features: Plank and Hide's new etched aluminum end table has the look and feel of wood grain and doubles as a functional food service station, with one large stainless steel container for an entree like pasta and three rectangular slots for salad, fruit, veggies.

-- The easiest glow up: pillows. Sure, a bold color can go a long way. But have you seen patterned pillows lately? Many of the designs continue to extend beyond traditional florals and geometrics. Couture touches like mitering and accenting with fringe or buttons are signature for Elaine Smith, who is very much inspired by fashion. This season, we were absolutely blown away with the Frontgate pillows that were inspired by botanical prints from the New York Botanical Garden. The digital imagery is absolutely brilliant.

-- White-on-white is a clean, modern look in powder-coated aluminum with matching upholstery or striking in contrast with teak frames.

-- Embracing new finishes for teak. We're seeing a lot more distressing, similar to what happens naturally over time. But it's skewed a bit warmer, a little less gray and more refined than rustic. Baixa, a new three-piece sectional for CB2, for example, features a gray-washed mahogany platform base with tight, overstuffed cushions.

-- Rope and wovens are moving from neutral to color, extending options for accents. A mustard-hued chair in handwoven synthetic rattan from CB2 is a great example, as are several rope collections from Talenti, shown in a shade of brick red.

-- Color is reflecting sophisticated palettes from nature that also are on trend indoors. Largely driven at the high end in Europe, some of the palettes include a rosy brick, plum, mustard and teal, as well as paler versions of these. Green still is a force. One of the most attention-grabbing new collections from Lloyd Flanders is a woven sectional shown in a brighter green called "basil."

-- Cook outdoors in style. There are more design options now for cabinetry to go with those grills, outdoor refrigerators, wine coolers and sinks. In Europe, there's more of an integrated approach, and we're seeing more of these all-in-one concepts that merge at Italian brands Ethimo and Talenti.

-- Light it up. It's hard to imagine early examples of outdoor lights, which were, well, pretty lamp -- essentially table lamps with bland shades that showed little imagination in style and merely made indoor looks outdoor safe. With fun, sassy stripes from Sunbrella, Maori is one company to offer a range of shaded floor lamps or freestanding cylinders. Woven looks also have exploded, as has the category of lanterns, most of which are battery operated.

-- Gimme shelter. The romantic vision of a Victorian pergola has morphed into a very modern pavilion, with a choice of walls, roofs and even integrated light and sound.

With a current focus on wellness, the notion of a relaxing oasis where you can chill in your backyard has never resonated more.

Sources

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

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

-- Ethimo, www.ethimo.com, distributed through Morlen Sinoway Atelier, 312-432-0100, www.morlensinoway.com

-- Frontgate, 888-263-9850, www.frontgate.com

-- Janus et Cie, 877-705-2687, www.shopjanusetcie.com

-- Jensen Leisure Furniture, 800-403-0403, www.jensenleisurefurniture.com

-- Kannoa, 305-651-9655, www.kannoa.com

-- Kettal, 786-552-9002, www.kettal.com

-- Lagoon Furniture America Corp., 786-420-2934, www.lagoonfurnitures.com

-- Mamagreen, 312-877-5155, www.mamagreen.com

-- Missoni Home, 866-966-0390, www.missoni.com

-- Pavilion Furniture, 305-823-3480, www.pavilionfurniture.com

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

-- Talenti, www.talentisrl.com, distributed through Morlen Sinoway Atelier, 312-422-0100, www.morlensinoway.com

SIDEBAR

Get It Together

To frame those professional outdoor grills, fridges, wine coolers and the like, there now are more options for cabinetry, most recently at retail home stores such as Pottery Barn. In Europe, there's more of an integrated approach, and we're seeing more of these all-in-one concepts that include built-in sinks, grills with optional fridges, wine preservers and ice makers at Italian brands Ethimo and Talenti.

Trim -- in fashion or home furnishings -- often is described as a finishing touch. Iconic as the braid punctuation on a Chanel boucle jacket, it can be subtle on upholstery as in a barely there piping that edges a chair, or a same-color banding that contrasts simply in texture or sheen. Or perhaps it can wake up the skirt of a white sofa with a cobalt Greek key border. Sassy fringe on a handbag or cladding the side of a chair? Oh yes, fringe can be dramatic.

Six years ago, Laura Kirar boldly fashioned fringe out of leather strips and wrapped it around her shaggy Guernica chair for McGuire. And 15 years ago, London-based Kelly Hoppen used chain mail in an imaginative way -- as a fringy skirt on a curvaceous rusty-red velvet chair for a collection that she designed for Century Furniture.

Today, fringe is noticeably entertaining. Billy Porter immediately leaps to mind. The performer's glittery peacock blue jumpsuit, cropped jacket and matching eye shadow were everything on the Grammy red carpet -- but it was all about that hat. He rocked glittery crystal fringe that served as a curtain hanging from the wide brim down to his chin.

But we digress -- just a little. Silky, shimmery fringe certainly is having a moment again in home decor. It's popping up on the sides of chairs, rimming ottomans, sometimes in color-blocked layers. It's framing mirrors and even dripping from sconces and pendant lights, like the crescent-shaped ones from the Spanish brand Houtique.

Beyond fringe, woven and embroidered bands, piping, cording, galloons (decorative woven trims, often with metallic gold or silver thread, used in military uniforms and liturgical garments), pompons, rosettes, gimp, soutache (narrow, flat decorative braiding) and tassels are commanding attention in the trim universe, which at its most posh level is called passementerie. And at the haute level, trim can be much more than a finishing touch. In fact, most of what's happening with trims in interiors is about personal expression, customization -- those pivotal elements that really lend character.

"I consider it just as important as the fabric," says Jana Platina Phipps, AKA the Trim Queen. A blogger since 2013, she is passionate about embellishments in fashion, interior and DIY -- not only well-versed in the field, but a hands-on designer. "It can become a tool to signify style like nothing else. And it can bridge design elements in a room like nothing else."

Some of the most coveted trims still are handmade, with the finest yarns and threads, even pure gold, which kicks up their price to $500 per yard and more.

At Heimtextil, the international textile show in Messe Frankfurt, and Paris Deco Off, where luxe fabric brands show their newest collections and trends, both in January, standouts were bold because of palette, use, and mixing of materials, scale and tactility.

-- Wide bands are making more of a statement.

-- Matte finishes. Though silks are still strong, there's movement to linen, wool and blends for a natural, more casual look.

-- A mix of materials seemed fresh, even with high contrasts such as matte with shiny, rustic with refined.

-- Natural elements like mother of pearl, seashell, cork and raffia are especially strong in drapery tiebacks.

-- Embroidery. Complexity of design really shines through the best artisans. Motifs include geometric, architectural and floral.

-- Ribbon patterns included animal prints, camouflage, stripes, sequin florals and lace.

-- Leather. No longer relegated to piping alone; banding also reflects decorative treatments, like shredding, perforating and top stitching. Vegan alternatives and hide also are part of the conversation. Leather also was used as tassels in curtain tiebacks -- solo or in combination with other fibers.

-- Bling. In addition to metallic threads in gold, silver, copper or color, beading is woven in or applied to trims. We saw crystal, pearl, sequin and glitter looks.

-- Metal elements. Think nailheads and circles. In drapery, mirrored, stainless, brass spheres, plus textile ones "striped" in iridescent metallic strips.

-- Intricate weaves were dazzling in richness of pattern and color. An example of some of the most energetic weaves is the work of Elizabeth Ashdown, a London-based artist. One of the U.K.'s last remaining passementerie-makers, she uses traditional weaving techniques with an energetic use of vivid color, pattern and material to create contemporary, exclusive one-off pieces.

Inspirations for trim creators are coming from fashion and architecture.

Chicago-based interior designer Frank Ponterio recently debuted a textile and trim collection for Clarence House during Paris Deco Off. He says he was inspired largely by growing up in Italy and from travel photos.

His fabrics include soft lambswool, nubby alpacas and linens, and the trims are highlighted by details such as stitching on hide and metal rings on linen. He describes the collection as "refined and authentic, tailored precision, pretty and strong, delicate but livable."

"For trims, I looked at men's fashion. A multicolored cord was inspired by friendship bracelets. There's a leather trim on a linen background, stripped back and forth -- it came from a jacket design, the leather strips shirred on the bodice of the coat."

Ponterio says he has doesn't have a particular decorating style, though he has done a lot of significant historical work, as well as contemporary.

"I have a little more fun with contemporary detail, even in a classical interior," he says. "I want something to feel thoughtfully put together, curated and bespoke."

In a living room setting, his metal and linen banding edges a window shade. A skinny piping punctuates the seat of an ottoman covered in lush alpaca. Linen pillows are decorated with cut vegan leather bands. A rug is framed by a decorative border.

"I've used gimp or flat tape on the inside of a cabinet, on the face of shelves as a nice surprise detail. And on upholstered walls. I've dressed up old picture frames with flat tapes. It's another tool in our toolbox."

Another area of design that has seen an uptick is that of outdoor trims. Even Houles, a high-end French brand nearly 100 years old, known for exquisite passementerie that has graced the Chateau de Versailles, introduced an indoor-outdoor collection called Palma, which has a fresh, modern look.

Modernity is also the hallmark of a new Houles collection by Michael Aiduss, who says he wanted to make traditional trims less fussy. His collection was inspired by the ancient Greek style of the early 20th-century Villa Kerylos in the south of France -- but it's stylized and appealingly geometric.

Milanese designer Lorenza Bozzoli also looked to geometry to create her Couture collection of ottomans produced with handmade fringes woven on 19th-century looms. Her work recalls a sinuous aesthetic typical of 1930s Art Deco and the architecture of Gio Ponti.

How trims are used makes all the difference. It's all about editing. The key is nothing in excess.

"Layering is being done much more than ever before, especially in window treatments," says Phipps, the Trim Queen, who recently entered a business partnership with ThreadCo, a New York City-based manufacturer. "Like grosgrain (ribbon) on top of gimp or something to add dimension. Designers are using trim in contrasting colors around upholstered walls. Everything is more of a statement."

Sources

-- Caravane, www.caravane.fr

-- Clarence House, 800-803-2850, www.clarencehouse.com

-- Elizabeth Ashdown, info@elizabethashdown.co.uk, www.elizabethashdown.co.uk

-- Fabricut, 800-999-8200, www.fabricut.com

-- Houles, 212-935-3900, www.houles.com

-- Houtique, info@houtique.es, www.houtique.es

-- IKN, Ikon perde, ikonperde@ikonperde.com, www.ikonperde.com.tr

-- Kravet, 800-645-9068, www.kravet.com

-- Lorenza Bozzoli, info@lorenzabozzolicouture.com, www.lorenzabozzolicouture.com

-- Trim Queen, www.trimqueen.com

With an ever-growing versatility and range of styles, ceramic tile is a formidable surfacing material that can be fashionable as well as practical. Its rich history, one that goes back thousands of years, impresses, and to this day, inspires. Walking through the porticos of Bologna, for example, which hosts Cersaie, the annual to-the-trade show for ceramic tile, surfaces and bath furnishings, you can't help but appreciate the engaging tapestry of stones on walls and underfoot. This is especially true of terrazzo, which has enjoyed a design renaissance in recent years with no sign of letting up, as changes in scale and palette are giving way to exciting new effects -- even textiles and decorative accessories.

Porcelain tiles have been getting the most attention, and that's mostly due to boosts in technology that allow remarkable fidelity to images and textures that replicate all sorts of stones, as well as concrete, majolica and photography, much of which are enabled by extraordinary digital printing. Inspiration from history sees turns in classic design, plus looks of rustic or glam, with flecks or additions of gold, copper or silver. Some designs are stylized, some hyper-realistic, while others are playful.

From slabs that are dead ringers for real marble, limestone and gemstones that can be impossibly slim, to micromosaics fashioned to create stunning murals, there's a lot to offer. Which is why more designers and homeowners are considering moving beyond kitchen backsplashes and bathroom walls and floors for installations.

Wallcover Up

One reason pivots around a growing trend in recent years: porcelain tile being billed as "wallpaper." Large-scale allover patterns or bold decorative imagery on open grounds, as well as strong geometry that taps into popular retro eras -- '60s, '70s and '80s -- keep feeding designs. Creating feature walls or even framing tiles as art is catching favor, much as it has in wallpaper.

Full-scale murals amaze with their fidelity to images and extraordinary detail. Land- or cityscapes, such as one of Venice by ABK, create atmospheric interiors.

Flower Power

Vivid depictions of flowers are taking different paths, as evidenced at Cersaie. Ceramics producer Casalgrande Padana unveiled a blooming wall of roses nestled into glossy green foliage that was so lifelike it demanded a touch just to make sure -- even though this fool-the-eye example was just 2D. The same was true of two other designs -- one ivylike pattern and the other foliage that featured tiny white Stephanotis flowers.

Bringing the outside in is appealing, but this porcelain tile also can be used outdoors, to permanently brighten a drab wall. In addition, a technology borrowed from sanitary ware manufacturer Toto activates a reaction in the presence of sunlight to reduce air pollutants and decompose dirt deposits, which are washed away by rainwater.

While uber-scale flowers have been popular in wallcovering as well as porcelain tiles, Vallelunga and Co. explored another intriguing direction. Designed as a companion to a black ground that features swirling patterns, there's a series of horizontal tiles with graphic images of flowers. On an entire wall, the effect feels almost random, and it's a departure from the overblown florals we've seen in tile and wallcovering, and one with a very modern look.

Another floral pattern conjured the feel of textiles, and for good reason -- it's a collaboration between Florim and Rubelli, a revered high-end textile manufacturer based in Venice. One of the patterns, a soft, breathtaking, medium-scaled floral felt almost like the fabric that it replicated. Whether it's used in a living space, teamed with a chair that repeats the pattern in jacquard or damask upholstery, or in a bathroom with modern fixtures, it's uber elegant.

Wood Play

Wood looks, which have been dominant in recent years, offer a whole new range of possibilities. Grain, with real, palpable texture, sometimes exaggerated in wide planks, has been prevalent, even in unexpected colors. Some of newest iterations riff on traditional parquetry in a new hybrid of wood look on porcelain tile. One by Emilceramica features a kaleidoscopic pattern. The Italian brand Sant'Agostino features several novel patterns -- skinny wood tiles arranged in a labyrinth, or in a random look of Pick-Up Sticks dropped on the floor and incredible replication of hand-rubbed and oiled wide planks.

Industrial, Take 3

Although the industrial look has backed off a bit as a style category, cement and cement-look tiles still appeal. Combinations, like those with wood, also include terrazzo. At ABK, geometric pieces patterned in terrazzo create a sort of rug pattern on a "concrete" ground.

Some of the cement looks are very painterly, with a fresco feel. One from Del Conca depicts a worn threadbare look popular in rug design.

Surface mixes

Contrasts between matte and glossy, and smooth and textured surfaces, are adding more interest, even to monochromatic schemes. At Tonalite, for example, an entire wall of emerald green tiles (bottiglia) from the Tissue collection, which the brand says is a favored hue, is all the more striking because of several textures, including large-scale herringbones, plaids and honeycomb. In addition, slivers of shiny copper and gold could be seen intertwining or overlapping rough cementlike textures in broken-up plaids.

The Italian brand Imola took an ordinary subway tile, showed it in a coral red, then accented it with a metallic gold in a bubble pattern. Dimensional mosaics, especially on a beefed-up scale, which enhances pattern options and allows for more seamless designs, are an emerging category. Artistic Tile's Garden Party shows lovely elements such as dragonflies, butterflies and flowers that pop from a ground of creamy Bianco Dolomiti marble.

Another dimension

Besides bas relief, more exaggerated 3D examples continue to push the design envelope. Chunky pieces, like those of Made39's Cube, are hollowed out or assembled in overlapping cubes, a rich dimension that is highlighted by light and shade. Zephyr, one of the most striking new designs from Artistic Tile, which won the 2019 Best of the Year award from Interior Design magazine, depicts dynamic sweeps of gilt-edge ruffles that mimic fabric. In fact, the undulating design by Alison Rose was inspired by the symbol for infinity.

Fashion, architecture, archival patterns, paintings, photographs, cityscapes and dreamscapes, as well as geometry, textiles and paint techniques all are driving today's tile designs. Choices abound for those looking for surface materials for floors and walls, indoors and out. On a smaller scale, backsplashes, fireplace surrounds and feature walls offer special canvases for striking designs that require little maintenance -- always an attractive selling point.

Sources

-- ABK, www.abk.it

-- Ann Sacks, 800-278-8453, www.annsacks.com

-- Artistic Tile, 877-237-4097, www.artistictile.com

-- Casalgrande Padana, www.casalgrandepadana.com

-- Ceramica Bardelli, www.ceramicabardelli.com

-- Cle, 415-887-9011, www.cletile.com

-- Del Conca, 865-657-3550, www.delconcausa.com

-- Emilceramica, 703-481-1150, www.emilamerica.com

-- Florim, www.florim.com

-- Imola, www.imolaceramica.com

-- New Ravenna, 757-442-3379, www.newravenna.com

-- Refin Ceramiche, www.refin-ceramic-tiles.com

-- Sicis, 877-839-8900, www.sicis.com

-- Tonalite, www.tonalite.it

-- Vallelunga and Co., www.vallelungacer.it

For further information about Italian Ceramics of Italy tile and contacts for Italian companies without U.S. phone numbers, call the Italian Trade Agency, 305-461-3896, www.ice.it