Outdoor rooms are in! – The improvement of the national economy and housing market has had a great effect on the outdoor furniture, landscape and hardscape industries, as homeowners are gaining confidence and investing in their backyard spaces. In a recent issue, Casual Living, a leader of the leisure market, declared that the outdoor room trend that began nearly five years ago is seeing steady growth as the economy recovers.
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| Casual Living December 2013 |
Landscape designers and architects, stay ahead of the game and implement outdoor living space trends, sourced from Casual Living, into your next project.
1. Add fire pits for a touch of luxury. Due to the surge of consumer confidence, outdoor living enhancements and luxuries like fire pits and fireplaces are becoming more prominent. The addition of fire pits is attractive, in that they call for accompanying cozy seating furniture and arrangements. Try wood-burning fire pits for a more authentic feel, or convertible fire pits. Some convertible fire pits can be transformed from a pond to a planter, making them perfect for year-round use.
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| Casual Living December 2013 |
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| Photo credit – McKay Lighting |
3. Expand with outdoor rooms. Consumers are taking their typical indoor home activities outdoors. Design their spaces to meet these needs. Provide adequate seating and gathering room, countertop space for cooking and even technology amenities like televisions. According to Joe Fields, director of contractor services and sales for EP Henry, a New Jersey-based hardscape company, homeowners are no longer building on a second story or room; outdoor spaces are now being built as an alternative. “This is their addition to their home,” says Fields. “It’s becoming an extension of the family room.”
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| Casual Living December 2013 |
For more information about outdoor rooms, or to read the full Casual Living article, click the link. http://bit.ly/1lG6ZsN
