With last year’s limits on where we could go, many homeowners began the process of turning their own backyards into a fun, entertaining place to spend an evening. This year you can continue that process, or get started on your dream yard with some of these trending additions and renovations. Now that we have discovered the beauty of staying home with family more often, let’s examine some of the best outdoor living trends emerging in 2021.
Grow Your Own Food
A lot of folks decided to try their hand at gardening last year. This year you can take the lessons and mistakes you made and learn from them to create a flourishing edible garden! Harvest veggies, fruits, and herbs to use in delicious summer meals. Whether you start them from seeds yourself or buy seedlings at your local farmer’s market, creating a garden is an appealing and satisfying way to put your backyard to use. It’s one of the most delicious outdoor living trends of the year.
Cooking Al Fresco
Once you’ve grown some of your own food, perhaps you want to cook it outside too. But the standard grill is no longer enough for many Florida homeowners. Outdoor kitchens are rising in popularity and make for wonderful opportunities for entertainment. This way, the cook won’t feel isolated inside the house while guests mingle outdoors–you bring the food prep to the rest of the party. Outdoor kitchens can vary in size and complexity, meaning that you can design the perfect setup for your needs and preferences.
Increase Backyard Privacy
With more time spent outdoors, it’s likely you want to increase the privacy you have. While a dense vegetated border of arborvitae trees is lovely, it’s not always feasible for your budget or lot. Instead, you can incorporate portable screens set up around your patio, or hang some curtains from a porch or pagoda. You could train climbing, vining plants up a lattice to create a beautiful green privacy screen. Even a tilting umbrella can be used for some privacy along with protection from the sun.
Multipurpose Furniture
We’re constantly finding creative ways to increase functionality. These days, a table isn’t always just a table–many now come with spots to store drinks or table accessories, or can be separated to create two smaller tables. Fire pit tables have risen in popularity, and many come with rigid covers that convert the fire pit into a dining table during daylight hours. Ottoman cushions can be removed to create side tables, and some swings can now be converted futon-style into daybeds for an afternoon siesta.
Bring Technology Outdoors
No need to regret spending time inside watching a movie on a beautiful evening–bring the movie night outdoors with easy-to-setup projectors, wifi boosters, and screens. Color-changing LED lights can be used year-round and changed with the seasons. Orange or purple make for easy Halloween decorating, whites look beautiful for summer evenings, and blues or red and green bring holiday cheer.
Extend Your Enjoyment
Overhead fans or misting systems on your back porch allow you to enjoy even the hottest of summer afternoons, while fire pits or heat lamps make it possible to keep the party going well into a cool night. Add some of these elements to bring your backyard landscape to the next level and ensure your guests are comfortable no matter what the season.
West Coast Design Build Florida is a premier designer and installer of outdoor kitchens in the Sarasota area. If you are looking forward to a new outdoor area this summer, call today and let’s get to work.
