There is a balcony garden in the UK where the gardener has artificial turf covering her metal balcony. it actually looks good, especially compared with what she had before. I think it really depends on what kind of set up you have though, as mine would look terrible with it. Here is a link that might be useful: the blog with the grass link

Since this topic has been renewed, I have now seen an artificial turf that really looks good. One of the neighbors put it in. I was prepared for it to be pretty ugly but it isn't. You would have to stop and inspect it to see what it is. About all he has to do is blow leaves off of it.

First, congrats on creating a really nice looking space for your customer. It's a great read. As to whether synthetic turf is becoming the lawn of choice: Fifteen years ago it seemed like a laughable idea that synthetic turf would be replacing lawn in any capacity whatsoever. It looked like a red-head in a family of brunettes. My mistaken biopic pigeon-holed the product as limited to the occasional putting green as you mentioned. Like all technologies there have been substantial improvements over time and synthetic turf looks much better today than what I saw in the past. It has picked up some popularity in the Chicago market, most notably on smaller lots in the city as well as roof-top gardens. While I'm not sure it will be replacing half an acre of blue grass in the suburbs, I think synthetic lawns can be the right component when the situation works for the client and the site. Again, wonderful looking project by you!

I don't have brand recommendations for you but just a warning: I wouldn't expect any artificial grass to hold up well to chairs and table legs .... any hard weight setting on it for an extended length of time. It is essentially made of plastic, like many carpets, and will hold depressions for a long time. Just like when you move your couch, you're going to see where its legs sat for weeks or forever. Even Lowe's and Home Depot carry artificial turf in various grades so you might start there. Also, Amazon ... check and see as you may be able to get samples from some vendors. Too, take your quest to Google Shopping and you can probably find vendors who will provide samples. There may/will probably be a fee for a sample. Many of the expensive grades are pretty good looking.