Making the most of your outdoor space allows you to spread out in the summer months. Here are the top trends for outdoor living spaces this summer.

Biophilic

Biophilics is a design concept embraced by indoor commercial spaces. However, you can use the concept in your outdoor scheme. The idea is to use more natural features. While your garden, trees and lawn are your natural backdrop, you can think green to add details such as living walls for privacy. You can also use natural woods to build walls, trellises, and privacy screens to create a more rustic look. A big part of biophilics is using more texture in unexpected places, such as using porcelain tiles placed on the lawn to create a whimsical grass pathway, or using colorful pebbles in amongst your manmade pavers.

Aluminum Railings

Instead of going all wood for your deck, add modern touches such as aluminum railings. They add safety while also providing a design accent. Black finishes are most popular, but you can use your own color choices in grays, whites, creams, or even custom colors. For a super modern look, you can go with a stainless-steel finish combined with glass panels.

Designated Spaces

Using specific layouts to create separate spaces for different uses is becoming more popular. People are finding quiet shady spots for yoga, creating rooms such as kitchens or bars, and building gazebos for elegant dining spaces. Looking at your backyard as an extension of your home allows you to find unexpected uses from putting greens to reading hammocks and she-sheds to a little guest room Bunkie.

Custom Floors

Outdoor floors might sound crazy, but they add a designer touch while also allowing you to create different spaces. You can use custom floors on decks, but you can also create patios as well. Flooring ideas include creating patterns with decking, adding natural stone as patios, using outdoor tiles, and creating patterns with a mix of patio stone colors or shapes.

Creative Lighting

Many people are now hard wiring lighting in different areas of the garden from gazebos to pathways. Permanent lighting creates a sense of anchoring along pathways. A dramatic, sparkling chandelier hung over a dining table in a gazebo adds dazzle. You can also add sparkle by stringing permanent fairy lights along fences or over trellises. Lighting is magical, creating an otherworldly feel that is calming.

Fire and Water

Outdoor fireplaces and fire pits provide a perfect gathering spot while offering a moody, campfire feel when entertaining. They also allow you to extend the usage of your outdoor space into the colder months. When combined with water features, they become even more appealing. Fountains, waterfalls, water walls and bubbling ponds are all examples of water features that can be installed on their own, or along with a fire feature.

Heaters

Another way to extend your outdoor use is to purchase outdoor heaters. They come in several options including freestanding and hanging ceiling designs.

As you can see, there are many ways to make the most of your outdoor space.

If you are in our outdoor living spaces to enjoy this summer, speak to the Empire Construction team today.