Outdoor Living Areas With Dodds & Eder

Summer means spending as much time as possible outdoors, and that includes the time you spend at your home. Creating an outdoor room or living space has become one of the East End’s top design trends, and determining what outdoor furnishings and other accessories to work with has become as important a process as designing a bedroom, kitchen or living room. Outdoor spaces are like an extension of your home—enjoy furnishing it with the same attention to detail as you would any other living space.

Do you go with teak or cast iron? Umbrellas or pure sunshine? A Hatteras Hammock or an Adirondack chair…or both? Yes, it can be challenging to find the best products, but figuring out how to arrange them to fit your needs and tastes can be equally daunting. We asked Dotti Simon, President of Retail Sales at Dodd’s & Eder—landscape design and outdoor furniture experts—for some advice on how to plan your outdoor living area, so you can then get the most out of enjoying it. Dodds & Eder was founded in 1897 to sell gardening and farming supplies to the estates on Long Island’s Gold Coast, and they have since expanded to serve all of the East End’s outdoor needs, offering landscape development, outdoor furniture, a garden shoppe and home décor. Since everyone has individual tastes and spaces to work with, there is no one-size-fits-all approach, and Dodds & Eder’s Casual Furniture Design Team assists in creating that perfect alfresco space.

“The best way to find out what makes sense for your home is to get one-on-one help,” Simon says. “When we have a client that comes in, we always ask them to define how they want to use their outdoor space.”

“People don’t look at their outdoors like they used to,” Simon continues. “Years ago it was all about dining, but today people are looking to relax and really enjoy and entertain outside. We’re seeing people using their outdoor spaces as lounging and living-room type areas.”

If you want to make your outdoor space truly special this summer, Simon reveals that fire pits are hot, hot, hot. “Fire has become a big category. Outdoor fire pits and patio heaters are becoming very popular, so that people can extend the time they spend outdoors as much as possible.” Which, we all know, is what the season is all about.

Dodds & Eder is located at 11 Bridge Street, Sag Harbor. For more information, call 631-725-1175, or visit doddsandeder.com. Visit the Dodds & Eder sculpture garden as a part of Artwalk Hamptons, a series of self-guided art walks, artist-led art tours and art events throughout the East End. Visit artwalkhamptons.com for additional details.