We’ve learned to love spending (a lot!) more time in our homes over the past year. With that has come a major uptick in outdoor space investment. Industry experts expect the popularity of outdoor living spaces to trend upward again in 2021, as Zoom calls, happy hours, workouts, and virtual school continue – at least to some extent – from home. Here are some other major trends to look for in 2021:
It’s All About Harmony
The outside of our homes is no longer considered a separate living space. Integrating the exterior with the interior creates a more balanced sense, so when you move from your outdoor gardens to the kitchen or look out from your home office to the landscaping, everything feels seamless. Kitchen pass-through windows and folding door systems—both of which add unique design elements and make entertaining easier—also provide interior-exterior continuity.
Catching the Light
Our collective mood is still in need of brightening, and lighting can be one of the best ways to soothe the soul. The right outdoor lighting—including pathway lighting and moonlighting in trees—combines areas of darkness with light to highlight spaces you want to draw the eye. When our Outdoor Spaces team assesses your landscaping and home’s exterior, we look for the perfect features to showcase, while ensuring light sources and bulbs are always shielded from view.
Netflix and Football, Outside Please
With movie theaters and sports bars mostly off limits this past year, we’ve had to get cozy watching a lot of television at home. We can incorporate televisions and projection screens into beautiful outdoor designs, creating a media space to watch your favorite shows, host movie night, or enjoy the big game.
Let’s Get Outside to Clear the Air
What’s better than enjoying the company of friends and family for open-air conversation next to a cozy fire? Everyone seems to love reaching for those heated blankets and heading to an outdoor fireplace, firepit, or patio heater for year-round entertainment. Conversation pits are another big trend. These sunken seating areas—often built around a fire feature with comfy seating—carve out a specific space for people to relax and connect with one another in the fresh air.
We’re Having a Pergola Moment
Pergolas—those semi-open, large outdoor coverings that provide shade—continue to be a hot trend. Our team at Outdoor Spaces has built gorgeous pergolas in pool areas, over gardens, and integrated next to homes with custom light features. The geometric features of a pergola act as a focal point to draw everyone in for some R&R.
Your Front Yard…the New Frontier for Gathering?
We think of our backyards as the go-to place for playing and relaxing, but more people are looking to their front yards to casually entertain and enjoy the outdoors. Get creative and set out a long table in your front yard as a safe alternative to hosting indoor dinners, invest in some comfy new porch furniture, or find space in an existing plant bed to add a seating nook. Small water features like drilled boulders and bubbling urns, along with the right lighting, are also perfect for creating front-yard ambience.
Looking to add something new and special to your outdoor living area this year? Let our team help you create the perfect Outdoor Space!