Beds in the Back Yard

Flip through one of the spring home catalogues pouring into mailboxes and see the lineup of beds that don't have to be made, just hosed down. From Restoration Hardware, the Del Mar Daybed is a towering four-poster in espresso hand-woven resin with a queen-size mattress that's available in a dozen Sunbrella fabric options. Smith & Hawken has introduced the tasteful teak Royal Hall Sunbed with a thick olive-colored mattress piled high with oversize bolsters and pillows.

Sears is offering its first outdoor bed, a resin wicker Sahara Garden Oasis Daybed with a fade- and mildew-resistant mattress and built-in storage drawers, all swathed in mosquito netting. Lowe's even has an old-fashioned glider that morphs into a twin bed.

Upscale manufacturer Tuuci, whose work is often found in high-end hotels, is selling resort living at home. Its exotic Bali bed has marine-grade construction, a luxurious seven-inch-thick mattress and an optional sunroof, although its size might overpower all but the most palatial properties.

According to Dougan Clarke, Tuuci's founder, the new designs have been made possible by advances in materials and fabrics. "People can make every afternoon a vacation in their own back yard."

Or take a nap between courses served up from that trophy grill.

"Why do you want to look at the ceiling when you can look at the stars?" says Casey Loyd, president of Cal Spas, a Santa Barbara, Calif., company that produces various versions of the bubbling tank (formerly known as the hot tub) under the label of "outdoor home resorts." Interestingly, his No. 1 dealer is in Minnesota.

His latest design, the Ultimate Outdoor Theater ($35,000 to $40,000) incorporates a 63-inch high-definition LCD TV, cocktail center with blender, two fire pits and three recliners outfitted with cup holders to heat coffee or chill beer.

David Ruskin, 23, just bought one of Cal Spas' Classic Atlantic 51-jet models with a TV, built-in bar, gazebo enclosure and iPod docking station from Atlantic Billiards, Bars & Spas in Chantilly for his new house in Arlington.

"I'm an outside person. I love being outside as much as possible," says Ruskin, who wants to outfit his back yard with lots of entertaining options. What about a bed? Says Ruskin: "It sounds fantastic."