These are the outdoor trends you’ll see everywhere this summer
The backyard is where we will want to be this summer thanks to luxury pools, outdoor kitchens, firepits and cool concrete.
Outdoors
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Backyards are front of mind for many homeowners. “When Covid hit, many landscape designers, including me, felt business would be tough,” says Mark Browning, of Melbourne’s Mark Browning Landscape Design.
“To my surprise, that was short-lived. Now demand for my services is higher than ever before.” And his clients are spending in spades, about 25 per cent more than previously on their backyard blitzes.
“They were locked down and staring at their surrounds with money burning holes in their pockets, thanks to limited travel and entertaining.” It seems they are also craving to cosy up to nature. “There’s a hunger for green spaces, an urgency to get green back into our lives,” says Carolyn Blackman, of Vivid Landscapes. “In 30 years in the industry, I have never seen anything like it.” So what are we seeking in these treasured outdoor spaces? Here, the top 12 trends in outdoor living right now.
It’s official – the humble timber pergola may no longer cut it. “Those with space are looking at outdoor pavilions as stand-alones or as an add-on to the house. They are fully equipped outdoor rooms, with heat strips in the ceiling or underfloor heating, and directly attached to the living area or entertaining area as a breakout space,” says Dean. “And with all-weather fabrics that don’t need to be covered.” “I receive many requests for outdoor rooms,” adds Mark (who was responsible for the pavillion above), “whether these be for in-laws, garden studios such as conservatories, pool houses or home offices.”
Forget chunky plastic chairs, today’s outdoor furniture has slim designer profiles, with weather-resistant frames and fabrics.
“Consumers want outdoor spaces as an extension of their home’s interior,” says Bunnings’ trend and design manager Jane Wright.
“They mimic interiors, with distinct zones for relaxation and entertaining, and similar materials. Our Mimosa Suna outdoor range (pictured above) uses refined design and plush materials you might expect to see indoors, but it’s also durable for outdoor use.”
It’s made with sustainably grown teak, aluminium, rope, stone and wicker.
“Mixed materials are on the rise,” adds Brendan Nash, of Harvey Norman. Instead of pure timber, wicker or aluminium settings, consumers are looking for a blend, such as the Paso Dining Table (above), with its poly cement top and acacia legs, teamed with Sami dining chairs, consisting of a rope seat on a powdercoated steel frame.
“Furniture also invites you to snuggle up – think informal, oversized and self-indulgent furniture for one, such as our Hanging Egghair,” adds Jane.
Taking its cues from concrete, grey is the big colour story. “Dulux Colorbond Monument remains the most popular colour for exteriors, combined with the (mid-tone) Dulux Timeless Grey (above),” says Mark.
Picking up the theme, “concrete-look porcelain is big for flooring and Australian bluestone
for paving.” Other natural stones, such as granite and limestone, echo this palette, in textured concrete-like finishes for softness, adds Nathan. Think crazy paving and cobblestones, such as Endicott by Eco Outdoor, in small formats.
“With higher disposable incomes, everyone wants a pool,” says Nathan Burkett, of Nathan Burkett Landscape Design. “I’m asked for one in 95 per cent of our projects.” Mark agrees, adding wait times run at roughly two years. But today’s pools differ from the past. “On trend are green and turquoise tiles and integrated pool covering solutions,” he says. “And, for easier maintenance and aesthetics, fencing is less about glass and more about steel fin-and-rod solutions.”
Dean Herald, of Rolling Stone Landscapes, says pools are shrinking, with homeowners seeking quality rather than quantity. “Theyre better finished, fully tiled, with in-floor cleaning and spas. White tiles are popular with their aqua hue in the deep end and a translucence in the shallows.” The white is often teamed with smokey-grey coping.
Off-form concrete is the material of the moment, used for outdoor kitchens, benches and firepits. “Not only is it attractive, but it can be twisted, crafted and shaped into so many designs,” says Dean. “And it is practical, because, usually in a lightly ground finish with a sealer, it can handle spills.” It also neatly ties the outdoor spaces together, when also used for steps and planters. “The biggest trend in outdoor kitchens is concrete benchtops, splashbacks and waterfall ends to joinery, particularly in off-white and soft grey,” adds Mark.
Unable to dine overseas, homeowners imported trattorias and Argentinian grill houses to their backyards. “When cooking outdoors, we have grown beyond the humble Weber, favouring hot coals with a flame component, such as pizza ovens or Argentinian wood-fired cooking, perhaps teamed with a traditional gas barbecue, for smoky flavours,” says Dean. Teppanyaki grills and plates also reflect this global roaming. “They are inspired by an exposure to different cultures and restaurants, with a love of process as well as the food itself.”
Bunnings, Harvey Norman and The Good Guys all serve up these multinational ways of cooking, with some options such as a teppanyaki plate and pizza oven integrated into the barbie. Proving the popularity of new ways of cooking, a Bunnings Facebook group, called The Bunnings Jumbuck Mini Spit Society, was launched early in the pandemic. According to Jane Wright, it now has nearly 70,000 members, enabling fans to share recipes and photos of juicy creations cooked on the Mini Spit Rondo Rotisserie, over either wood or heat beads.
“Homeowners have been so intent on bringing the indoors outside, by including a shower or an outdoor kitchen, that there has been too much hardscaping,” says Nathan.
“Now they are asking for lush foliage, for a demarcation between inside and out.”
Think large-leafed favourites including fatsia, ligularia and taro (elephant ears). And massed plantings with a variety of species produces “a loose, rambling lushness.”
With the weather so unpredictable, while 10 years ago during drought, succulents were it, now they are getting root rot, says Dean.
“Now clients are avoiding the extremes of an all-succulent or all-moisture garden, with plants that like a bit of water, but not too much.”
Lawns are back, says Nathan. “If they have the space, clients want lawn. And they are getting passionate about maintaining them, some even investing in a cylinder mower to give a golf-course look.” Today’s lawns are not tricky to grow, unlike in the past. Think hardy, low-water varieties such as Sir Walter buffalo, RTF Tall Fescue and Sir Grange Zoysia, all shade and drought-tolerant.
The garden has become entertainment central, thanks to portable devices. Rechargeable speakers are a “huge trend”, offering great wireless sound, says The Good Guys’ audio buyer, Christos Boukogiannis. The Sonos Move, a rechargeable smart speaker, with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, is perfect for outdoor listening. Weatherproof and drop-resistant, it will balance sound wherever you are.
Whether you’re enjoying a podcast under the crepe myrtle or pumping the party tunes, a Bluetooth speaker, like the Ultimate Ears BOOM 3 Night Black, offers 360-degree sound. Meanwhile, Samsung’s The Freestyle is a portable projector that gives you an instant set-up for a family movie night. “People like their own outdoor cinema experience in the comfort and privacy of their backyard,” says The Good Guys’ television buyer John Milonas.
On a similar theme, firepits are hot, hot, hot. “People want firepits, even on small city blocks, for the campfire feel,” says Nathan. “About 90 per cent of our briefs include a firepit.” The many options include Harvey Norman’s simple Grillz iron bowl or Bunnings’ Glow Acheron, for the price-conscious, to Oblica and Robert Plumb offerings for upmarket looks. “Everyone wants one,” says Dean. “They’re as common as a dining table and barbecue area, and especially popular with families, because they allow kids to entertain their friends with some separation from their parents.”
“The home vegie plot has exploded over the past couple of years, from a skimpy two-by-one metre bed in a sunny corner. I put this down to lifestyle TV,” says Mark, adding apple-crate wicking beds (containers with a reservoir beneath) are on trend.
“We are asked for produce gardens in about two-thirds of jobs,” adds Nathan. “But with designer appeal that looks good year round, with raised beds in off-form concrete, steel, railway sleepers or natural stone.” Faves such as tomatoes, carrots, corn and strawberries share their bed with herbs such as coriander and rosemary.
Expect to see more and more of these in front yards. “We are asked for electric car chargers in about 20 per cent of our projects,” says Dean, and that is sure to increase. The challenge is how to make them attractive, either making them a feature on a stone plinth or by immersing them in foliage, so they don’t stand out like the proverbial.
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