April 1, 2021

When you hear us say the COVID-19 pandemic has had at least one benefit, please don’t think we’ve lost our minds. And you might just agree.

Having to spend so much time inside our homes has changed the focus to enjoying the great outdoors – many times in our own backyards. This can alleviate stress and increase vitamin D intake – among many other things.

A recent KBTribe Chat focused on today’s outdoor living trends, which is a timely topic, as homeowners are paying more attention to how to transform these spaces into exactly what they want. More clients want their indoor and outdoor spaces to be as integrated and seamless as possible, as these outdoor spaces is becoming the second most-used “room” in a home.

Outdoor living trends include:
– Elements that allow people to stay outdoors even longer – firepits, fireplaces, fire tables, heated furniture and coverings
– With so much working from home, clients are asking for outdoor working areas to take a break from being inside all day.
– Outdoor areas that serve multiple purposes are popular – for cooking and eating, working, entertaining, working out and relaxing.
– For warmer months, people want outdoor showers, pools and hot tubs – water therapy can help alleviate stress.

Products and materials growing in popularity include:
– Removable walls to bring the indoors outside and vice versa
– Cooking areas with plenty of prep space
– Low-maintenance options like porcelain and stainless-steel that can hold up to outdoor elements
– Specialized appliances like wine refrigerators and pizza ovens

Color for outdoor spaces was also addressed, and the Tweets suggested both colors that blend into the surroundings and don’t take away from the beauty of nature to those pops of color in cabinetry and upholstery accents.

Whether your clients have ample space for a complete outdoor living mecca with fire and water features, a kitchen and plenty of seating or just enough for a garden area in which to grow some of their own food, the need for making more out of their outdoor spaces will never be a thing of the past.