My Houzz: A Summer Beach House Charms and WelcomesBeach Style Living Room, Boston

3. Sunbrella AcrylicSunbrella is the trade name of a 100% solution-dyed woven acrylic fabric that is fade-, stain- and moisture-resistant. Suitable for indoor and outdoor applications, Sunbrella owes its colorfastness to the technique of dyeing the individual yarns before they’re woven together.

Are some outdoor fabrics unsuitable for indoor use? No, but some work better for certain applications. For example, you probably wouldn't want to use a stiff laminated fabric for floor-length draperies. Some styles also have a looser weave that allows pillow and upholstery stuffing or padding to breathe. Ask the manufacturer or your upholsterer or fabric shop about recommended usage of the fabrics you're considering.

Furniture upholstered in Sunbrella fabric surrounds a 1700s blanket chest doubling as a coffee table. “I think Sunbrella is the best-kept secret," Cote says. "We love that the fabric won't fade in the sun.”The white walls are a perfect backdrop for their collection of paintings by Provincetown artists. Paint: Linen White, Benjamin Moore; all upholstered furniture: Norwalk Furniture in Sunbrella; brightly painted wood pieces: Maine Cottage

Two sitting areas Not the furniture