by Kate Hull
“All of the outdoor furniture, accessories, umbrellas, and the like are from brands we love and enjoy working with and are also ones that can hold up to mountain living.”
–Heather Newhouse, Owner, The Open Room
The spring thaw beckons us all outdoors to toast to the season, gather, grill, and relax in our outdoor spaces. Long days and even longer evenings are a welcome retreat from the cozy, indoor days of winter. Your outdoor spaces can be just as cozy and welcoming as indoors. And with a little help from the team behind The Open Room in Ketchum, Idaho, you can craft an extension of your home, done al fresco. The Open Room furnishes, curates, and creates outdoor havens that reflect your interior style with brands that are expertly crafted and can withstand the elements.
“All of the outdoor furniture, accessories, umbrellas, and the like are from brands we love and enjoy working with and are also ones that can hold up to mountain living,” says owner Heather Newhouse.
From the well-crafted contemporary patio furniture company Brown Jordan that has been curating outdoors spaces for more than 70 years to American-made Loll Designs’ vibrant and modern Adirondack chairs crafted from recycled high-density polyethylene and made to last, the offerings cover every taste and style. And each brand is anchored in its timeless aesthetic and durable craftsmanship.
As the summer season kicks into gear, Newhouse is excited to see how outdoor furnishings are continuing to express individual style, allowing for bold colors or striking accents coupled with exciting design. This can be as simple as adding in a statement umbrella – Newhouse recommends the Tucci umbrellas that she calls a “gorgeous accent” to your space – or as bold as adding a vibrantly hued sofa and lounge chair placed around your firepit.
Whether it’s opting for unique materials like powder-coated aluminum or recycled plastic or tried-and-true teak wood, the breadth of options, colors, and styles is immense.
“They extrude resin into colorful fibers and then they ship it all to the Philippines where expert weavers hand-weave the pieces. It takes two weeks for one person to hand weave all of this fiber to create a chair or swing. They aren’t afraid of colors.”
–Heather Newhouse, Owner, The Open Room
One of The Open Room’s newest lines, DEDON, is making waves with woven outdoor furniture that is made from synthetic fiber turned into luxury outdoor designs in bold, vibrant, and classic colors. This global company is headquartered in Germany with a subsidiary in the United States, and showrooms across the globe. But production is based in the Philippines, where generations of weavers take each idea from start to conception.
“They extrude resin into colorful fibers and then they ship it all to the Philippines where expert weavers hand-weave the pieces,” says Newhouse. “It takes two weeks for one person to hand weave all of this fiber to create a chair or swing.” One of her favorite aspects? “They aren’t afraid of colors,” she says.
The Open Room carries the popular, award-winning KIDA hanging lounge chair. Each swing can either be mounted on a structure like a pergola or hung from a stand. It has a 360-degree swivel, allowing you to take in stunning views of the surrounding mountain landscape. “A lot of builds are designed to capture the surrounding wide-open spaces with beautiful views,” says Newhouse. “The KIDA allows one to lounge in the chair, swing around, and look at all the vistas. And why not have a little fun in your outdoor space?”
The KIDA is also the first of the DEDON products to be wrapped rather than woven in 834 meters of gorgeous fibers. The design is open, airy, light, and inviting. The inside features a plush cushion that can be ordered in many colorways.
For a stationary and cozy lounge, DEDON’s MBRACE lounge chairs mix modern materials with top-tiered comfort. The tall wingback chair and luxe cushion combined with a stunning woven exterior is as appealing to the eye as it is comfortable. The designer, Sebastian Herkner, says the design is meant to give the impression of an embrace. “I wanted to use the traditional technique of the weaving to create a strong design that was like the gesture of embracing someone,” says Herkner.
Newhouse has worked with clients who opted for a more neutral weave fiber color while adding color with cushions. Think deep forest greens or chocolate brown with a vibrant, bold cushion to match. “It is super tasteful and really different, and let’s your personality come out,” she says.
To round out the space, The Open Room also carries a selection of DEDON’s planters from the DALA Collection. “They are so different than your typical terracotta planter,” says Newhouse. “You can even have fun with coordinating your outdoor planters to the rest of your space.” Available in a variety of sizes and shapes, the DALA planters continue that iconic DEDON woven style with powder-coated frames of aluminum mesh wrapped in colorful strands of fiber.
