For many of us, “home” encompasses a wide array of definitions. It’s our comfort, our refuge. In 2020, home has also become our favorite restaurant, our go-to movie theater, our gym…. It’s everything!

It’s understandable that homeowners want to make the most of every square foot, and that includes the great outdoors. If you’re looking for inspiration, read on for the hottest outdoor living trends. 

Ready to maximize your outdoor living space and your enjoyment of your home? 

Outdoor Living Trends You’ll Love  

1. Inside Out

Think of your outdoor living space as an extension of your home, not a separate entity with a few pieces of patio furniture. This can boost the sense of comfort – and, of course, the style! To this end, look at your yard, patio, deck, etc., just as you would another important room in your home. Start with a floor plan, and keep factors such as focal points, seating arrangements, and kitchen/dining areas in mind.  

You can also bridge the gap between outdoors and in by using key elements strategically. String lights and pendant lights can be installed to create a “ceiling,” for example. Privacy walls and awnings can give you the solitude you need to fully enjoy your space, and folding glass doors blur the lines between indoors and out. 

In this Craftsman home, for example, the funky garage-style door connects the indoors and outdoors beautifully. The cooking area opens right into the bar seating, and there is ample space at the table too!

2. Experience-Based Spaces

Look at your outdoor spaces in terms of the experiences you want rather than focusing purely on aesthetics.  

Whether you want to entertain friends, have casual family cookouts, host a wine tasting, carve out a private niche for solitude and meditation, install a putting green, or build your own Field of Dreams, think about the experiences that will improve and enrich your daily life. 

3. Designer Deck Flooring and Outdoor Tiles

Go beyond patio pavers! Designer flooring and tile options give you a luxe look that is tailor-made for the outdoors. They allow you to bring the indoors out by using complementary color schemes, or, alternatively, you can complement the exterior of your home (e.g. the siding, trim, etc.). One great way to use flooring or tiles is to delineate different areas, such as the cooking area from the dining area from the yoga area… you get the idea. 

OUTDOOR
"Whether you want to entertain friends, have casual family cookouts, host a wine tasting, carve out a private niche for solitude and meditation."

4. Modular Design

Today’s outdoor living spaces are flexible and intended to meet the lifestyle goals of homeowners. It’s not surprising, then, that modular design is a hot – and, we expect, enduring – trend. Rather than having fixed spaces (which you may grow bored of or which do not “grow” and evolve with you), you can customize and rearrange your space as you need and want.  

A simple way to do this? Sectional or modular pieces. You can create one big lounging area, set two love seats opposite each other and the end chair in a reading nook, one love seat by the pool, one by the firepit…It’s easy and adaptable. 

5. Fire Pits and Fireplaces

The sky’s the limit when it comes to elements you can introduce to your outdoor living spaces, from pizza ovens to pools. But there’s one feature that’s all but mandatory: fire. Warmth. Comfort. Good cheer. Firepits and more elaborate fireplaces invite us to get cozy – but they also ensure we can use our spaces year-round. Bring some blankets out, curl up on the sectional, and enjoy the crisp, fresh air with a mug of cocoa, tea, mulled wine, or cider.  

There is one thread that runs through all of these outdoor living trends: they are about blurring the lines of “in” and “out,” and giving these spaces just as much attention as our indoor living spaces. They can be just as beautiful, just as convenient, just as comfortable, and just as enjoyable.  

If you’re ready to build your forever home, contact G&G Custom Homes. We’ll make sure your decks, patios, porches, yard, and other outdoor living spaces align with your lifestyle and set the scene for terrific memories.

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