Modular furniture — what some people refer to as "the sectional" — has finally come out to play. Kathy Vegh, CEO at Danny Vegh's Billiards & Home, notes that the pieces in Lloyd Flanders' wicker-framed Hamptons collections can be easily rearranged to suit varying spaces and seating needs. "It has all this flexibility; people love that if they're investing in nice pieces," Vegh says. The styling is equally accommodating. "You can make it work." Prices vary; Danny Vegh's Billiards & Home locations in Mayfield Heights, Westlake and Fairlawn; dannyveghs.com
Take the pingpong match outside at your next party, and leave the table there when you're done. Vegh says Killerspin's MyT7 regulation-sized outdoor pingpong table, with its plastic weatherproof top, can take the heat, sun, rain and wind. Vegh says the table won't go unused after the guests leave, even in a houseful of tech-savvy kids. "Pingpong is one of the few unplugged things that has grown in popularity with teens," she says. From $799; Danny Vegh's Billiards & Home locations in Mayfield Heights, Westlake and Fairlawn; dannyveghs.com
Surya's collection of outdoor rugs put your ratty old welcome mat to shame. Janet Gruber, a designer and buyer at Harrison's Interior Design & Fine Furniture in Westlake, says the rugs, which look like they belong in the front hall or living room, come in a range of sizes and patterns. "You might think that they were a nylon, more of an indoor fiber," she says. But the rugs are woven of a mildew- and UV-resistant polypropylene that can be hosed off, making them perfect for defining seating areas and softening your step on a patio or deck. From $200 for a 5-foot round (available by special order); Harrison's Interior Design & Fine Furniture, 30655 Detroit Road, Westlake, 440-899-5200; harrisonsfurniture.com
Never drag a dinky portable television out to the patio or deck again. The Pantel outdoor TV is housed in a powder-coated aluminum casing that protects it from the weather yet keeps the flat screen relatively slim, according to Roger Abady, development manager at Audio Craft in Cleveland. Even the remote control is completely waterproof. A specially coated front panel protects the LCD screen from direct sunlight. "The picture quality is bright enough to watch in direct sunlight," Abady says. "That in itself is really a breakthrough." $3,950 for a 32-inch model; Audio Craft, 3915 Carnegie Ave., Cleveland, 216-431-7300; audiocraft.com
