PATIO PANACHE : TURN YOUR PATIO INTO AN AT-HOME SANCTUARY FOR A RESTFUL RETREAT FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD.

Byline: Barbara De Witt Daily News Staff Writer

After years as the place to store barbecue and bike, the patio is returning as boffo backyard party place, a sea of cement that can be transformed to offer a tranquil retreat from office politics.

Faith Popcorn, America's trend guru, calls the back yard a buffer zone between the home cocoon and the real world.

``As the '90s come to a close, backyard barbecues, the family pastime of the '50s and '60s, are the latest phase of the decade's cocoon and burrowing-in trend,'' said Debra Fritz, home and garden consultant for Target stores. ``Our patios and gardens have become extensions of our homes and personalities.''

This yearning for a slice of Americana is just one reason to rethink the patio. Yards are also getting a boost this year from the popularity of period films such as ``Sense and Sensibility.''

``Everybody wants an English garden this year,'' said Debra Summey, spokeswoman for Sperling Nursery in Calabasas. ``You can't believe the number of people who want those little two-person cement benches, and birdbaths and neoclassic statues and urns on pedestals.

``And instead of little ceramic bunnies and ducks, there's a trend to orbs - a big round ball of cement to nestle in the grass.''

Another movie inspiring decorating trends is ``Waiting to Exhale,'' which has resulted in numerous requests for terra cotta hand warmers, a type of portable fireplace, Summey said.

IKEA spokeswoman Pamela Diaconis also has noticed the renewed interest in backyard soirees and patio furniture.

``It used to be just redwood or white plastic or metal, but now there's pine, metal and traditional designs to create a hip or country or serene theme,'' Diaconis said. ``Not only is patio furniture more fashionable, but it's also more durable and can be used indoors or out.''

Fritz said the hottest looks this season are wood and metal. ``You'll see a return to cedar furniture like gliders and arbors, which convey a feeling of rustic beauty, and also elegant wrought-iron sets with textured finishes and distinctive scrollwork details that add romance to an outdoor setting,'' she said.

Galvanized metal is a newcomer to the patio, appealing to the ``Friends'' generation. It's unpretentious, mostly associated with the buckets that hold flowers at outdoor markets, but now it's being used in patio furniture, lanterns for citronella candles, watering cans and garden tools.

``It's popular not only because it's a fresh look, but because it doesn't rust like metal furniture,'' Diaconis explained.

Mosaic table tops in bright colors are another option, Summey said. Wrought-iron tables and chairs remain a classic, but these days what looks like iron is actually aluminum, and it's not always painted a shiny black or white. This time around, you'll see it with a weathered green or rusty brown finish, Summey said.

Regardless of the furniture style you choose, spend some time planning a theme so that it blends with the rest of your house, said Fritz. ``If you're going to be entertaining outside, consider seating arrangements. Besides a table and four chairs, you may need a rocker or a pair of lounge chairs. You'll also need an umbrella to keep the sun off guests as well as the food, and the newest style has a wooden base with a canvas cover instead of nylon.''

And don't go crazy with accessories. ``If you've got a Victorian setting, you're better off with white cement pots with a garland trim or big shiny green pots instead of terra cotta. And think of stone birdbaths instead of cutesy little garden animals,'' Summey advised.

When the crowd becomes bigger than you anticipated, think about those stackable high-impact resin chairs with fold-up tables. ``It's true that they're plastic, but in hunter green or white, resin furniture is very practical. It's the folding chairs and card table of the past,'' said Barbara Hamman, who sells patio furniture at Green Thumb Nursery in Canoga Park.

The season's hot trends Wooden gliders and arbors

Antiqued metal

Neoclassical statuary 

Birdbaths and fountains

Whimsical garden ornaments

Meditation gardens

CAPTION(S):

10 Photos, Box

Photo: (1--Cover--Color) CAN THIS PATIO BE SAVED?

David Sprague/Daily News

(2--Color) Look for texture mixes of rattan and metal this summer, particularly popular in bistro sets such as this fold-up model from IKEA. It's $39 per piece.

(3--Color) An alternative to the country garden look is sleek and contemporary metal with awning-stripe fabric. This green, six-piece set is $629 from IKEA.

(4--Color) Nostalgic cedar arbors are making a comeback on patios and garden paths. This one, which also includes a detachable slatted bench, is $149.88 at Target stores.

(5--Color) Garden ornaments like these colorful metal flowers on a stake, $1.95 at IKEA, are a quick way to freshen up patio pots and flower beds.

(6--Color) no caption (Garden, angel)

(7--Color) Elegant European-looking gardens are a major theme this year, and one of the key trends is statuary such as this life-size angel, $1,565 in the Toscano catalog. To order, call [phone].

(8--Color) To create a romantic ambience on the patio, start with a charming wrought-iron love seat, priced at $185 at Sperling Nursery in Calabasas. Other styles featured in local stores include wood, wicker and mosaic tiles in faux stone.

(9) Bunnies and ducks are out and orbs are in. This bowling ball-size lawn ornament is $38 at Sperling Nursery in Calabasas.

(10) Can't afford a pricey fountain? You'll create a bird-friendly yard with a small birdbath. This cherub style with a clay patina is $110 at Sperling Nursery in Calabasas.

Evan Yee/Daily News

Box: The season's hot trends (See Text)