DENVER — The seamless blending of indoor/outdoor living is emerging as one of the biggest outdoor trends, according to industry experts surveyed by Fixr, an online home improvement guide.

The poll, which covered architects, home builders, remodelers and land specialists, placed indoor/outdoor coherent design as the top trend for 2024, with more than three-quarters (78%) citing it.

Fixr’s 2024 Outdoor Living Trends Report said homeowners want a smooth transition between interior and exterior spaces with designs that use colors, materials and styles that are complementary rather than contrasting.

Multi-functional spaces were second at 48%, tying in closely to the coherent design aesthetic. Products that can help with this transition include furniture, appliances, heat, fans, lighting and media systems that allow outdoor sites to be functional year-round and serve as an extension of the indoors.

Easy maintenance/long-lasting furniture that withstands the elements no matter the season was mentioned by 35% of respondents as a key trend. Materials that fit in­ range from steel and aluminum to natural ones such as rattan.

Other trends mentioned included more plants and greenery (30%); sustainability (24%); the use of indoor design elements for the outdoors, such as rugs and comfortable furniture (20%); and Zen style (13%).

Asked which items or features homeowners were likely to buy or install this year, 73% said outdoor kitchens, while 64% said sliding doors that facilitate the indoor/outdoor living lifestyle. Outdoor work-from-home spaces were named by 16%, while other options included swimming pools (31%), fire pits (58%) and pizza ovens (11%).

Narrowing the focus to small outdoor spaces, 74% of those surveyed said multifunctional furniture — benches that turn into tables and footrests that double as seating — was tops on the list. On that same theme, furniture with hidden storage solutions (48%) was also seen as important to homeowners with smaller spaces.Having an updated, usable outdoor space adds to a home’s value, said respondents, with 70% agreeing it has a big impact. And homeowners are spending accordingly, the survey found, with 72% of the experts saying about 25% of home improvement budgets are dedicated to exterior spaces.

Source: https://www.furnituretoday.com/