Collaborative Post
It’s that time of year. The time when all of us start thinking of plans to up the ante on our outdoor spaces; finally making plans to build that deck we’ve been talking about, screen in the back porch, purchase a gazebo, remodel the garage, or refinish that pool deck. When the seasons are warm and everything is sunny, naturally you want to spend as much time outdoors as possible. You want your outdoor spaces to be comfortable, functional, and look great – after all, they’re an extension of your home and they need to reflect that.
So what are the hot trends right now for outdoor additions and spaces? These days, the sky is the limit when it comes to decks, porches, patios and gazebos – people are doing all sorts of creative things, from DIY additions that look fantastic, to elaborate and professional upgrades that up the value of their home, using innovative, fun and eco-friendly materials. Here’s a few of our favorite things; maybe you’ll find the perfect one for your individual style and aesthetic.
Colorful Additions
When it comes to outdoor areas, most people have always erred on the neutral side. Whether you stain, paint or go natural on your porch or deck, you’ve probably always opted for shades of brown, or maybe a nice muted gray or charcoal. It’s always just been understood that these outside areas should be neutral, basic, “natural” colors.
Until now.
These days, people are starting to get really colorful with their outdoor spaces. Gone are the days are boring tan or brown wood for your deck or porch. More and more we’re seeing beautiful stains and outdoor paints in a variety of eye-popping colors, from vibrant blues to deep reds to crisp greens.
If you’re interested in adding a pop of color to your wood but don’t want to go bright with a full paint job, you can purchase color-treated or heat-enhanced wood for your deck or patio that comes in a variety of colorful options that are still understated and natural. One great example is https://www.irotimber.co.uk/, who provide heat-enhanced timber that looks elegant and gorgeous and comes in over 15 shades.
Versatile Spaces
Another big trend that many homeowners are choosing is to take an outdoor space and give it more than one function. Adaptable additions are a great way to utilize small spaces and get more out of them, for the homeowner who doesn’t have a ton of space to work with. For instance, taking a back porch space, screening it in with eco-friendly and energy efficient screening for the winter, giving you an extra lounge room; then taking off the screens in summer to make it into a deck. Utilizing just a few key pieces – screens, energy efficient heaters, and curtains that block light, heat and cold – you can transform an outdoor area from a room into a deck and back again.
Not only are these a space saving measure, but many architects and home designers are starting to implement these ideas to help save the environment, too. Using energy efficient and eco-friendly materials, furniture and accessories will cut down on energy costs and promote a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.
Garden Spaces
Gardens are nothing new, but the way we think about and use our garden spaces have definitely evolved in recent years.
So many of us have spent a fortune on landscaping and having that “perfect” garden full of perfectly manicured lawns and flowers. These days, the focus is more on seasonal, local flower and grasses that look more natural and give something back to the environment. Many homeowners are electing to have more natural gardens, accented with a nice bench or hammock for enjoying the natural beauty of their environment. Rather than spraying their gardens with pesticides and hiring landscapers to make everything perfectly uniform, it’s about attracting bees to native flowers and creating your own ponds and rain gardens to create beautiful nature scenes while also positively impacting your local environment.
You can easily create your own natural garden space with sustainable building materials and furniture, too! It’s really an opportunity to get creative about sustainable living, with DIY projects and beautiful, natural products and building materials that are every bit as gorgeous and functional as they are safe.
And don’t just focus on the flowers: vegetable, fruit and herb gardens are more popular than ever these days, with people growing seasonal, local produce in their own yards. An organic herb garden just off your patio is more than just useful for all those dishes you’re whipping up: they smell great, look beautiful and add to the atmosphere in a good way.
Classic Touches
Everything old becomes new again, and many homeowners have begun implementing old classics onto their modern homes. Metal porch railings and balustrades with elaborate designs, old-fashioned pillars, classic shutters and wrap-around porches are all relics of a time gone-by that are becoming new again as more and more homeowners adopt classic looks for their homes. The gazebo is another old classic that is surging again in popularity, an elegant outdoor space that is generally easy to build and assemble and usually pretty affordable.
These days it’s easy to get that “old fashioned” look with newer, more affordable and sustainable materials, too. You’ll find that builders these days are using everything from recycled plastics and bamboo to timbercrete and treated wood to achieve all sorts of classic looks in safer and more affordable ways.
If you’re looking to build an outdoor deck, patio, porch or gazebo, or just remodel or renovate an existing outdoor structure, the choices are endless for you. With a huge variety of amazing new building materials on the market, endless color and style choices, and great sustainable and eco-friendly options available, you can build the perfect outdoor space no matter what your aesthetic or style. Best of all, most of these options are totally DIY-friendly if you choose to do it all yourself, saving yourself serious money and giving you the satisfaction of a job well done.