As the weather improves and more people look to spend time outdoors, green spaces will increase in popularity, especially as the year continues. Sunny climates, like San Diego’s, make our outdoor living spaces as valuable as those inside.
Whether entertaining, relaxing, or throwing a barbecue, outdoor areas offer a way to expand your home. Home improvements related to outdoor living can give homeowners a great return on investment and a beautiful space for their friends and family to enjoy. Here are some of the trends predicted to grow in popularity in 2023.
Now, more than ever, we’re informed about our impact on the planet. People not only want stylish outdoor spaces but sustainable ones. Eco-friendly décor and natural materials for building projects like reclaimed wood and bamboo are gaining popularity as companies and customers embrace more sustainable practices.
Besides environmentally friendly materials, landscaping designs have also been trending toward sustainability. This includes adding more native plant species, focusing on using organic planting methods, and efforts to conserve water through drought-tolerant plants and replacing turf with succulents and rock gardens. Succulents and drought-tolerant plants offer an attractive and energy-efficient alternative to traditional landscaping. By switching out your lawn for more water-wise plants, you’ll save money, too!
The benefits of sustainability have also given rise to a concurrent trend: low-maintenance landscaping. After installing new landscaping, few homeowners want to spend all their time constantly tending to their new plants. This is especially true with a new lawn. These must be mowed, fertilized, and watered regularly.
Switching to low-maintenance designs often means including a mix of fast- and slow-growing native plants or drought-tolerant plants as substitutes where native plants aren’t available. This allows for less expensive water-wise irrigation methods, such as drip irrigation.
Adding mulch and erosion control can also reduce maintenance since you do not have to water or fertilize as much. Mulch helps insulate plant roots and minimize water loss while lowering weeds and controlling erosion or mud problems. Compost-based erosion control products bond tightly with the soil, which means less water can run freely and undermine the soil structure.
Though everyone has been spending more time in their backyards than ever before, thanks to the pandemic, those lucky enough to live in a year-round outdoor destination like San Diego tend to spend more time outside than anyone else. With so much time spent outside, the focus on comfortable outdoor living spaces has become critical. Residents want to extend the design and style of the inside to their backyards.
This has led to well-designed areas meant for spending time together. Think fire pits, gazebos, and comfortable walking surfaces beneath your feet. A covered patio can be the perfect location for an outdoor “room,” too. Outdoor kitchens have grown in demand, built with high-quality materials and finishes and including top-notch appliances. These kitchens can be used year-round in a sunny region like San Diego!
Want a space to entertain? Outdoor living rooms are also a popular choice among San Diego homeowners. Everyone wants to relax in the fresh air while still having the same comfort you would find indoors. Outdoor living rooms are welcoming, easy to move through, and can be designed to have all the modern conveniences of a living room inside.
For those working from home, why not create a space outdoors where you can enjoy the fresh air and work simultaneously? The work-from-home trend is expected to continue in 2023, primarily as employers adopt the hybrid work-from-home model. Patios, balconies, and terraces can be converted into outdoor workspaces.
You can stay relaxed and focused with comfortable, weatherproof furniture, an umbrella, and a little privacy. You can even install wireless, weather-resistant speakers to play soft music while you work.
San Diego’s weather might be perfect most of the time, but even bad weather days shouldn’t keep you inside. This up-and-coming trend introduces methods of controlling the climate of your outdoor living space, no matter the weather.
When it’s cold, you can hang overhead heating lamps or style a fire pit table on your deck with coordinated lounge chairs. In the summer, ceiling fans can keep you cool under your covered porch. Luxury alternatives include energy-efficient outdoor evaporative coolers and larger outdoor fireplaces.
As everyone spends more time outside, so does the need for privacy from our neighbors. Privacy screens and creative landscaping choices, such as tall shrubs and vertical gardens, can help increase your sense of security and comfort whenever you’re outside.
Privacy solutions can also provide a multipurpose function. A wall can have built-in slats to hang wall pockets, act as a focal point with fountains and vertical gardens, or support a climbing vine, which adds greenery and increases privacy.
Not all outdoor spaces need to be for entertainment. Nature is a great way to escape the daily stresses of life, and an increased focus on health and wellness means more homeowners are looking for an oasis they can enjoy. Privacy features and comfortable outdoor furniture will ensure you have the perfect spot to unwind and enjoy the benefits of nature right in your own home.
Calm, cool colors such as soft, earthy shades of green, relaxing blues, and chill neutrals have all been announced by paint and design companies as 2023’s colors of the year. These colorways focus on themes of tranquility and renewal. Patio furniture in these hues will be accessible to the eyes and the mind and can enhance overall feelings of wellness.
This past year, more people became interested in locally grown ingredients and home gardening. Growing your vegetables, fruits, and herbs at home can be a great way to spend meaningful time in your backyard with delicious results!
Vertical gardens are another popular option this year. Initially created to save space in smaller living spaces, vertical gardens have become a beautiful way to showcase plants no matter the size of your room. They add visual interest while offering a practical way to grow your food. You can also intersperse your home garden with foliage, such as suspended pots of succulents.
Ready to make your dream outdoor living space a reality? The team at Kaminskiy Design & Remodeling can help! Our experienced staff can walk you through designing and building your outdoor living space. Whether you want a living room or an outdoor kitchen, we can find a design that fits your style.
As San Diego’s premier design and build company, we pride ourselves on communication, project management, and design skills. Call us for your complimentary design consultation today!
Sustainability in outdoor living trends emphasizes eco-friendly décor, using natural materials like reclaimed wood and bamboo, and landscaping designs incorporating native plant species, organic planting methods, and water conservation techniques such as drought-tolerant plants and rock gardens.
Low-maintenance landscaping allows homeowners to have beautiful outdoor spaces without needing constant care. This includes using native or drought-tolerant plants, which require less water, and adding mulch and erosion control to minimize water loss, reduce weeds, and protect the soil structure.
Enhanced outdoor living in sunny climates includes well-designed areas with fire pits, gazebos, comfortable walking surfaces, outdoor kitchens with high-quality materials, outdoor living rooms, outdoor workspaces with weatherproof furniture, privacy options, and even wireless speakers for ambiance.
Homeowners can enhance privacy by using privacy screens, selecting tall shrubs and other landscaping choices, creating vertical gardens, and using walls with built-in features like slats for wall pockets or supporting climbing vines.
Home gardening trends include growing vegetables, fruits, and herbs at home and the rising popularity of vertical gardens initially designed for smaller spaces. These vertical gardens save space and provide a visually appealing way to showcase plants and can even be used to grow food interspersed with decorative foliage.
Kimberly Villa is a recognized expert in the Home Design and Remodeling industry. Her passion for the industry is matched only by her love for sharing insights, new trends, and design ideas. Kimberly’s expertise and enthusiasm shine through in her contributions to the Kaminskiy Design and Remodeling website blog, where she regularly shares valuable information with readers.
