<table> </table> These days it&#8217;s easy to mistake outdoor fabrics for their indoor cousins.</p><p>Whether it&#8217;s the look of supple leather, silky chenille, plush mohair velvet or gossamer sheers, outdoor fabrics are showing as much sophistication as the most fashion-forward indoor fabrics.</p><p>As a result, outdoor fabrics &#8212; which are colorfast and resistant to stains, mildew and odors &#8212; are being marketed for indoor use as well.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a no-brainer,&#8221; says Joe Ruggiero, a television host and furniture designer based in Los Angeles. &#8220;You don&#8217;t have to worry about fading, pets, kids. With heavy wear, easy-care fabrics blow everything away.</p><p>&#8220;Durability makes the fabric perfect for outdoors. The softness, beautiful colors and patterns make it equally perfect in the home.&#8221;</p><p>Some manufacturers of casual furniture have created collections of coordinated outdoor fabrics for furniture, draperies, pillows, throws and table runners.</p><p>Designer Marcia Blake is spearheading Outdoor Couture, which offers 18 pillows, four throws, two table runners and draperies with rod pockets or tab tops.</p><p>&#8220;It helps give a finishing touch to a well-dressed room,&#8221; says Blake, who also heads her own company, Outdoor Interiors (www.outdoorinteriors .com) based in Laguna Niguel, Calif.</p><p>Ruggiero, whose first collection of woven outdoor furniture recently debuted with Woodard Furniture, shows his indoor line for Norwalk Furniture with upholstery from his Sunbrella Fabrics collection, some of which is available by the yard to consumers through Calico Corners. He also does cast-aluminum designs for Terra Furniture.</p><p>Sunbrella, a registered trademark of Glen Raven Inc. ( <a href="http://www.sunbrella.com">www.sunbrella.com</a>), is perhaps the most recognizable name in weatherproof coverings, known in the industry as &#8220;performance fabrics.&#8221;</p><p>Recently Maine designer Angela Adams, whose signature is bold graphic designs, put together a collection for Sunbrella under the Architex label. They were intended for outdoor use but were suitable for indoor use as well.</p><p>Another company with performance fabrics is Crypton Super Fabrics ( <a href="http://www.cryptonfabrics.com">www.cryptonfabrics.com</a>), launched in 1994 and chiefly known for antimicrobial properties.</p><p>Crypton, which supplies fabrics for hotels, hospitals, cruise ships and fast-food establishments, also has made enormous inroads into the home, with chenilles, leathers, velvets and corduroys &#8212; finishes you&#8217;d never expect to withstand the elements.</p><p>Architect Michael Graves and photographer William Wegman have designed collections for Crypton. Both have created dog beds, the former in fetching toile with a suede gusset and piping, the latter in his signature canine silhouette pattern.</p><p>At the high end, Perennials Fabrics and Chella are well established in the industry. Donghia, Robert Allen (Portico), Scalamandre (Island Cloth), Marimekko and Designers Guild have outdoor fabric collections, as do licensed home furnishings groups such as Tommy Bahama (Laneventure) and Ralph Lauren Home.</p><p>Some design professionals long have appreciated the benefits of outdoor fabrics. When the estate of the late fashion designer Bill Blass went up for auction at Sotheby&#8217;s in October 2003, it was revealed that his interiors were filled with sofas and chairs covered in white Sunbrella fabrics to keep them canine safe.</p><p>Practicality, after all, is a huge part of the attraction. It&#8217;s not a big leap from sunrooms to interiors throughout the house. Performance fabrics are perfect for kids&#8217; rooms or as shower curtains, bedding and draperies. Some designers use them as inner liners to protect exquisite, fragile silks from the sun.