INSIDE OUT UPSCALE GARDEN FURNITURE LETS YOU EXTEND YOUR LIVING SPACE ONTO THE PATIO.

Byline: Barbara De Witt Staff Writer

Designers use terms like ``terrace,'' ``loggia'' and ``sun room,'' but they're just talking about gussied-up porches and patios designed to extend our living space.

``Today, people view outdoor living spaces as an extension of their home ... and patio furnishings are directly influenced by what's popular inside your house,'' says Carol Griffin, an outdoor designer for EXPO Design Center, which is affiliated with Home Depot stores.

The idea of taking the indoors out isn't brand new, but it's gaining popularity this year as more people are enjoying the comforts of home, say design experts.

``With fewer consumers traveling this year, particularly to exotic locales, we expect many of them will be looking to create their own outdoor escapes at home, often with tropical settings, motifs and colors,'' says Jackie Hirschhaut, vice president of the American Furniture Manufacturers Association in High Point, N.C.

Spending more to live on the patio may not work for everyone, but it's a good investment for Southern Californians.

``Not only is the weather warm here most of the year, but property values are high and many people have limited interior space, so they really need to expand their living space to the outdoors,'' says Kathy Jarvis, director of design at Glabman's Furniture & Interior Design in Woodland Hills.

That means no more patio chairs that create a waffle pattern on your thighs. And this year it's easy because so many manufacturers quickly picked up on the extend-trend and started making quality outdoor furniture with indoor possibilities, observes Hirschhaut.

When pushing the indoors out, Jarvis says to look at the room that opens onto your patio or porch and continue the decorating theme. ``The key is repetition. By repeating the colors, fabrics or furniture design, the interior moves effortlessly outside,'' explains Jarvis.

Pam Gietzen, co-owner of Deforest's Patio Center in Woodland Hills, agrees, adding that many customers actually bring in fabric samples from their living rooms or family rooms to match patio furniture cushions.

The style of furniture - whether it's wicker, wrought iron or teak - depends on personal taste, since it's now available in all price ranges at stores - from Pier 1 Imports and Cost Plus to Glabman's and PatioWorld. Regardless of where you shop, you'll note that the trend is to dark-toned furniture instead of the white we've seen for years, and it's often given a weathered patina.

``It's clearly a nostalgic trend (to old-fashioned styles) that started after Sept. 11, and customers are looking at new wrought iron in retro designs from the '30s, '40s and '50s to complement pieces owned by their grandparents,'' says Gietzen. She adds that hefty wrought iron has gained in popularity because it not only stands up to those Santa Ana winds but also because there's a new type of undercoating that cuts down on the rust factor.

That growing trend to darker, more natural-looking furniture is strong in the wicker and rattan area, with examples offered at numerous stores including Pottery Barn, Pier 1 Imports and Cost Plus. While settees are a standard because they take the place of a sofa, oversize club chairs with an ottoman will help create that tropical resort mood many are in, especially if teamed with a thatched-grass table umbrella, which was recently spotted at Z Gallerie but is also available in several catalogs.

While the new outdoor furniture designs often sport graceful curves and ornate latticework to complement traditional indoor furniture, there's also a streamlined '30s moderne look that works well with contemporary designs.

In addition to creating better-quality outdoor furniture, manufacturers have realized that since people may be using their patio furniture more than ever before, they need more-comfortable seats. The result is a cushion that is as deep and well-tailored as a sofa cushion. Even the fabrics are superior to those of the past, say designers, and often made of raffia or linen that's been treated to withstand exposure to sun and water.

New furniture is great, but if you truly want to extend your living space for a party, you need to make it look more like the indoors, so start mixing things up, says interior designer Hilary Zelman Katersky. At her Thousand Oaks home, she has an eclectic mix of furniture styles indoors and out. For instance, on her patio she has laid an indoor carpet over the brick and cement, then carried out upholstered and wicker pieces from indoors to be used with her wrought iron dining table and chairs. ``The chaise is a custom design, but this wicker table is from Pier 1,'' Katersky comments.

The idea of outdoor floor covering is a major trend, says Jarvis, and the hottest choices are sisal and seagrass, which can look tropical or traditional, depending on the style of the weave and the manner of placement.

These natural fiber rugs come in a variety of weaves and are sold with a nonskid rubber backing at stores such as Restoration Hardware, while Glabman's sells it by the foot for custom area rugs or wall-to-wall use.

If your patio is somewhat enclosed and you want a more-formal ambience, Jarvis says to layer the sisal rug with a lightweight Aubusson or needlepoint rug, but remember that none of these floor coverings can be hosed off like the AstroTurf of the '70s.

She also advises clients with an attached (covered) patio to paint the ceiling white - like the ceiling in the house - to add to that ``seamless'' look. And then add faux ``draperies'' made from awning fabric, gauze or netting. For shade, hang bamboo blinds, a decorator look that's also used indoors.

To make the outdoor area cooler during the day, install a ceiling fan and use misters (assuming there's an outdoor electrical outlet). If your patio is only used for evening entertaining, hang a wrought iron chandelier with candles over the dining table.

Think the loggia or fancy sun room look is just too luxe for your budget?

Jarvis says to spray paint your old white furniture black; turn a daybed into a sofa with a slipcover and pillows, then put slipcovers over folding or plastic chairs to dress them up. And if all you've got is a picnic or card table to use outside, then place it on a sisal rug to create a dining area, and cover it with a floor-length table cloth. Of course, you'll want to use china instead of plastic plates.

If you can invest in a few dramatic accessories, consider a wrought iron tea cart that can double as a cocktail bar, a tile-topped cocktail table and a chaise longue with that moderne silhouette for a bit of Old Hollywood. Add some ferns or ficus trees, a few beaded pillows and it's hard to tell if you're indoors or out.

Mission accomplished.

Loggia logic

Brown or black wrought iron and aluminum furniture

Natural-toned rattan, wicker

Whimsical wire accessories

Thick cushions in botanical hues

Teak benches and chaises

Retro silhouettes

Mosaic tile tabletops

Chandeliers with candles

Seagrass or sisal rugs

CAPTION(S):

6 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) Room to breathe

Comfy, versatile garden furniture blurs the line between outdoors and in

(2 -- 3 -- color) Extend your living space with weather-proofed wicker with deep cushions by Laneventure, Deforest's Patio Center in Woodland Hills, top, or mix wicker with formal indoor furniture, courtesy of Glabman Furniture & Interior Design in Woodland Hills.

(4 -- 5 -- color) Hilary Zelman Katersky of Thousand Oaks put an Aubusson rug under her patio table from Glabman and created a formal setting with artwork and fine china, but she says even a modest wicker table, far left, can look elegant when topped with a crystal decanter.

(6) Wrought-iron tea carts add style and versatility for outdoor entertaining.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

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Loggia logic (see text)