If you live in a cold state and your backyard is still covered in snow, you may not yet have turned your attention to updating your outdoor furniture and landscaping for the new year. But this is actually the perfect time to do some planning, before the spring rush begins. Here is what the experts are saying will be hot in 2015 concerning patio furniture and outdoor features:
- Built-In Features
Gone are the days of portable charcoal grills set up in the backyard. These movable, utilitarian options are being replaced with built-in features: outdoor fireplaces, high-end fire pits and propane grills as part of outdoor kitchens. Stationary fixtures also make natural gas lines run from the home an option, which can eliminate hassle.
These act as gathering places, too. “The conventional backyard is being replaced with an oasis for the family and entertaining friends,” Glen Goldberg of Four Seasons Garden Center suggests. Almost 78% of people in the U.S. who own grills or smokers say that grilling is an “extremely important” or “pretty important” aspect of entertaining guests at home.
- Indoor/Outdoor Elements
Patio furniture is quickly becoming indistinguishable from standard furniture, experts say. That’s not to say you can’t opt for traditional wicker patio furniture; wicker over 2,000 years old was found in the tomb of Tutankhamen, but there are plenty of non-dated wicker designs. However, Sally Falk Nancrede of the IndyStarwrote on Dec. 31 that “outdoor furniture feels more like your living room” in contemporary outdoor designs.
If you’re wondering what this might look like, check out the patio furniture chosen for the 2015 HGTV Dream Home. The teak set, which includes a dining table and chairs, sofa, four armchairs, two ottomans and a coffee table, features delicately carved legs and arms, crisp fabrics, and a casual yet elegant color scheme.
- Mixed Finishes and Bold Patterns
Outdoor furnishings are following cues set by interior design and allowing for more eclectic parings. Nancrede suggests “acrylic and brass, dark wood and stainless, gold leaf and antique mirror.” The idea is to put your own personal spin on a space, instead of letting it feel like you picked out a generic set, assembled it and stopped there.
Patterns are also in fashion, and they don’t need to match — they simply ought to not clash. Nancrede predicts “paisleys, marble prints, Ikats, bright Orientala and traditional blue and white Chinese patterns, and birds, especially peacocks.”
Have you started thinking yet about how to keep your outdoor space up to date this year? Share your ideas in the comments.