What’s on-trend for outdoor in 2025?

HIGH POINT — As the casual furniture segment heads into 2025, manufacturers are keeping an eye on what consumers want from their outdoor spaces, with a focus on utility and performance shaping both design approaches and material choices.   

Two industry leaders shared their perspectives with Furniture Today on the trends shaping outdoor in 2025, and both said they see a continued move into modern for the category.   

Bew White, founder and executive chairman at Gabriella White’s casual brand Summer Classics, said that his company is seeking to move beyond the traditional design aesthetic for which it’s previously been known.  

“It’s still a modern world, so most of what we’re working on for 2025 is modern,” he said. “But we are looking at architectural modern, not crazy modern. Some people are kind of getting crazy on design; they’re trying to do modern, but really they’re moving into contemporary. If you don’t go back to your traditional roots, you’ll make the mistake of going contemporary.” 

White added that this translates into how Summer Classics is planning on curating products for its showrooms next year.   

“We’re in the process of making our showrooms modern and taking the traditional out,” he said. “Everybody knows we have (the traditional designs), so why would we show them? Let’s just show people the new stuff.”  

Even with this renewed focus on modernity, Summer Classics is still looking to the past for inspiration, while at the same time, branching out into new mixed materials that can lend increased durability.  

“We’re always looking at old furniture because everything comes back to something that’s been done before,” he noted. “And while we’re looking at it increasing our teak business, we really want to move into more mixed materials like marine vinyl, resin wicker and aluminum.”  

A sense of calm

Another designer-focused casual brand, Sunset West, is headed into 2025 with an eye on modernity. Vice President of Marketing Aliena Klaus said that the company views its design approach as a key “controllable” in the face of uncertainty.  

“We like focusing on controllable trends,” she said. “We ask ourselves, ‘What are we seeing, and what are we doing in response? We’re very much influenced by fashion, color, architectural trends, (in particular) the fashions in Europe, which take a little time to get to the US, first translating into indoor, then finally to outdoor.” 

With people spending more time in their outdoor spaces in the post-pandemic era, Klaus said that consumers want casual furniture to lend a sense of calm.  

“Over the past few years, we’ve really seen a lot of clean, organic lines that reflect a desire for soft, organized modern design,” she noted, adding that the “handcrafted” look of pieces made of materials like wound rope and resin wicker is a huge part of how Sunset West communicates its brand identity.  

“Not everything has to be perfect and alike,” Klaus continued. “Natural lines, patina … these things are coming back, elements that feel and look special, unique and lived-in. We’re really focused on telling our handcrafted story in 2025.” 

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