Take, for example, today’s popular modern style—which is a reimagining of the modern aesthetic that was in vogue from the 1920s to the 1950s. This sleek, unadorned style uses clean lines and geometric shapes to create a minimalist look that is as sophisticated as it is simple. Featuring low profiles and deep seats, today’s modern-style outdoor furniture lines are crafted from teak, metal or all-weather wicker in a variety of colors and finishes.

Keep this look on-trend with cushions and pillows that enhance this modern profile. Neutral solids like beiges, creams and grays—or even a more contemporary neutral like navy—fit the bill perfectly. In lieu of excess embellishments, consider adding pops of color in the form of throw pillows to draw attention to the look without detracting from the overall style.

Ready to put the finishing touches on your modern outdoor furniture line? Our experienced in-house design team will work with you to create a custom finished product that that is both beautiful and functional.

TRENDING COLORS, UPHOLSTERY AND STYLES

Our Creative Director, Natalie Quinn, shares what’s new and what’s next
for 2016 outdoor furniture trends, from new neutrals and bright color palettes to laid-back looks and mix-and-match upholstery.

Whether you’re looking for on-trend colors or avant-garde concepts,
you’re sure to find some inspiration for your upcoming outdoor furniture lines.

GET INSPIRED

Download your copy today!

Below we’ve compiled some facts and figures illustrating how e-commerce is making an impact on the furniture industry in general, and outdoor furniture specifically.

ONLINE FURNITURE SALES

Furniture e-commerce has not been as fast-growing as online shopping in other industries, mostly because furniture buying is a largely tactile experience. But the market is definitely growing. In fact, 8 out of 10 shoppers have now purchased furniture online.

According to the March 2015 Retail Monitor, outdoor furnishings are among the more popular online furniture purchases—so it’s safe to assume that the projected increase in sales will also benefit the outdoor market.

MULTI-CHANNEL SHOPPING

As more retailers take a multi-channel approach to marketing, it becomes easier for shoppers to combine online or mobile research, shopping and purchasing with visits to brick-and-mortar stores.

Whether customers purchase in-store or online, they want to touch the merchandise first. The Retail Monitor states that retailers are driving foot traffic by freshening up their in-store product lines—and points to a recent interior decorating trend of bringing outdoor elements to indoor furnishings as one way to do just that.

WHO’S BUYING ONLINE?

While tech-savvy millennials are responsible for the increasing interest in e-commerce, the online shopping generation gap is not as big as you may think.

As millennials gain a bigger presence in the housing market, their impact on the home furnishings market also increases. Retailers with an e-commerce option are better prepared to meet these buyers where they shop the most. Millennials’ design tastes may even create additional opportunities for the outdoor furniture industry—a recent report notes that this generation prefers a living space with less division between indoors and out.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Continued growth for the furniture industry in general bodes well for the future of outdoor furniture retailers. As consumer shopping preferences shift to include more online purchasing, retailers must embrace e-commerce as a component of their business model in order to remain competitive.

Sources:  furniturefurnishings.com, furnituretoday.com and
Furniture|Today and Apartment Therapy Consumer Survey, 2014

OUR VISION

Easy Way’s vision is to be the premier provider of high-performance lifestyle furnishings by anticipating and exceeding our customers’ expectations.

OUR MISSION

Easy Way’s mission is to create value for our stakeholders by:

• Doing only those things we believe we can do well
• Pursuing new products that leverage our strengths
• Implementing unique systems and processes designed to meet the requirements of our retail business partners
• Proactively managing all aspects of our global supply chain
• Assembling a capable, motivated and responsive team
• Striving always to perform better tomorrow than we did today

OUR VALUES

Easy Way’s values include:

• Integrity: We are open, honest and fair in all our dealings
• Accountability: We do what we say we are going to do
• Creativity: We continuously seek improvement in all we do
• Unity: We support one another in our pursuit of excellence
• Discipline: We maintain focus on our agreed priorities
• Fact-based: We leverage data and draw upon the collective wisdom of our team
• Safety: We ensure a physically and emotionally safe work environment

The elements can be rough on even the most well-made outdoor furniture—a tailored cover can help keep every piece in your collection (as well as the cushions and pillows that go on them!) looking great, season after season.

CUSTOM-TAILORED FURNITURE COVERS

Easy Way’s custom outdoor furniture covers can be made to fit the unique dimensions of any piece in your collections, from sofas, chairs and sectionals to tables, umbrellas and firepits. And unlike generic covers, our tailored covers actually complement the furniture underneath!

We craft our covers from the highest-quality materials and the industry’s most durable fabrics:

• Resists mold and mildew
• Protects against UV rays
• Resists shrinkage, fading, tearing and stretching
• Easy to clean
• Secures with durable buckles and zippers

The benefits of custom outdoor furniture covers extend to you as well—adding tailored covers as an add-on to your lineup can help you grow sales organically.

Your customers see the outdoor furniture they purchase from you as an investment in their home—help them protect that investment!

VOLUNTEERING TIME AND TALENT

We’re proud to announce that United Way of Greater Cincinnati recently recognized Easy Way Products as a Corporate Hero for volunteering 47 hours of time in October 2014.

Easy Way associates came together to assemble 40 Literacy Kits for United Way’s “Every Child Succeeds” Program. Each kit contained a variety of books and activities, including “Popsicle people” that help to make reading even more fun. The kits will be used to prepare children in the Greater Cincinnati area for kindergarten by helping them learn essential reading readiness skills—which will hopefully instill in them a lifelong love of reading.

We were one of 153 local companies that volunteered time and talent with United Way last year. Together with these other corporate volunteers, we gave more than 59,000 hours of service!

CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS

Easy Way also clocked in at #40 on the 2014 Live United 100 list, which recognizes companies with 10-500 employees and minimum combined giving of $10,000.

This year, we’ve committed more than $16,000. We’re happy to be able to continue to give back to our community and to help United Way of Greater Cincinnati fulfill its mission of helping people measurably improve their lives.

Mass production—whether it’s of cars or outdoor furnishings—has advantages for manufacturers and customers alike: manufacturers can amass more inventory in a shorter period of time and with lower labor costs, while customers benefit by being able to walk into a store and quickly purchase affordable items. But in a time when buzzwords like “artisanal,” “local,” “salvaged” and “DIY” abound, the phrase “mass produced” gets a bad rap.

How can you satisfy your customers’ desire for outdoor furnishings that have a custom, unique feel without negatively affecting your bottom line? You can pay attention to the details.

Attention to detail at every level of the process is key to making mass-produced outdoor furnishings feel custom:

• During the design phase, incorporating “hand-made” elements into the item enhances the feeling of craftsmanship. We can help accomplish this by adding details such as top-stitching, buttons or tufting.
• During production, your choice of materials can add authenticity (think natural or reclaimed—bonus points for locally sourced), while different finishes and textures can create a homespun, small batch feeling.
• For a final touch, our outdoor cushions and outdoor pillows are manufactured to your exact specifications—with hundreds of patterns and colors, as well as numerous trim and embellishment options, it’s easy to help your customers create a distinctive look.

Ready to get started? Easy Way’s experienced designers will work alongside your product developers to produce outdoor furniture with a unique, truly custom feel.

Image courtesy of http://www.khaane.com

How to Work with Pantone’s Color of the Year

Marsala—a.k.a. Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2015—is the embodiment of all this year’s outdoor furniture trends, conveniently packaged into one tasty color:

• It’s a trendy choice for interior spaces, and for bringing the indoors outside
• It’s a warm, rich shade that pairs beautifully with a variety of woods
• Its sophisticated earthiness unifies an assortment of colors, textures and patterns

Whether you’re going for high drama or subtle stylishness, you can make Marsala work with your outdoor décor. Here are a few color palettes provided by Pantone that show just how versatile the color can be:

Bringing the Indoors Out:  Upholstery is in—any piece of outdoor furniture that can be wrapped in fabric will lend a comfortable, indoorsy feel to outdoor furnishings. Ottomans are another trendy indoor-to-outdoor style, not only for putting up your feet, but also for use as extra seating during outdoor gatherings. Our custom poufs tie these two trends together to create the perfect outdoor accessory—versatile and comfortable, and customizable with a variety of durable, stain-resistant outdoor fabrics.

Mixing it Up:  Keep it eclectic—pair bold, vibrant colors with fresh, earthy tones to help customers cozy up their outdoor living space. Mingling solids with polka dots, stripes and paisleys adds depth and richness. Work with our design team to complete the look, creating unique designs with monogramming, trims and embellishments.

Getting Back to Nature:  Wood is the word—in particular, teak, cedar and wooden wicker will be the foundation for outdoor living this year. Accentuate the natural beauty of wooden seats and tables with custom-designed cushions, pillows and runners that are as stylish and comfortable as they are durable—then help your customers keep them looking good for years to come with our high-quality furniture covers.

COLOR TRENDS 2014

Linens, beiges and whites have consistently been the top sellers. Following those neutral staples were classic colors such as navy and red.  Rounding out the assortment were a few dramatic pop colors; coral, turquoise, and lime green.

#1.  Linens and Naturals
#2.  Whites
#3.  Blues – Navy and Indigo
#4.  Coral – Sangria
#5.  Rust – Brick
#6.  Turquoise – Aruba and Spa
#7.  Brown – Cocoa
#8.  Greens – Gingko and Jade
#9.  Grays – Fog and Charcoal
#10.  Red – Jockey Red
#11.  Oranges – Tuscan and Clementine

PATTERN TRENDS 2014

FLORALS: Bold, Impressionistic, Etched, Tropical, Geometric, Watercolor.  Florals consistently make their way into trends and this year was no exception. In particular, we saw artisan elements which included painting, stamping and hand renderings.

BOLD GEOS: High-Contrast, Clean & Simple, Primarily Two Color. Chevron, trellis, fret, quatrefoil, interlocking.

RETRO REVITALIZATION: 70’s and 80’s Bold Stripes with Strong Color Contrasts of Bright Orange, Electric Yellow, Fuchsia, and Black. Seeing designers pull from their archived fabric libraries. Hints of these patterns made their way into fabric designs this past season.

COASTAL CONNECTION: Navy & White Stripes and Patterns; Shells, Seahorses, Fish, Rope Details, Gold Accents. Escaping to a seaside retreat, even if it’s only in your backyard.

BIRDS: Vintage, Hand Painted, Contrasting, Geometric, Adding a Whimsical Touch.

Banner credits: Luli Sanchez, Schumacher, Mimi Paulusma, Lear Gauker, Duralee