Transitional decking and a fire pit, all in for 2014 – Trex
The
outdoors is to a house as shoes are to a person. Do you want to know
what a person is like, look at their shoes, it can tell you a great
deal. Conversely, do you want to know what a person is like, look at
their front or back yard and you’ll get a good feel for who they are and
what they’re like. This is a grand generalization, but it’s a tried
and tested rule of thumb.
We have seen examples of properties
being bought for $100,000, which has an out of control yard and tired
looking paint, being landscaped and painted for $2000, being re-listed
onto the market immediately and being sold for $120,000, flipping the
property instantly for an $18,000 profit. This can be attributed,
mostly, to a little outdoor TLC.
In this article, we’re delving
into the top outdoor trends of 2014, looking into some great ideas
that’ll transform your tired yard into something extraordinary.
1. Inventive Lighting
If
you want to make the most of the outdoors, you’ll want to use it in the
evenings when it is dark, and to do this you’ll need outdoor lighting.
Opt for creative, or chic options like ambiance lighting, placed under
seating or garden features, to complement well placed lamps. Don’t just
stick to one color either, versatility is fresh and having the option
to change the color of the light at a press of the switch will
drastically change the mood and ambiance of the outdoor area. This’ll
give a slight edge, making the outdoor escape that much more attractive
in ones minds eye; hopefully coaxing you outside to use the area more
and more. The trend is timeless, and continues to be a winner in 2014
through new and inventive garden light fixtures.
Great use of inventive lighting from Harold Leidner
2. Outdoor Saunas
For
those who like saunas, this is probably one of best investments you’ll
make in 2014. There is nothing quite like heating up the sauna and
escaping to the end of the garden, especially after a long stressful
day. A outdoor sauna installation like the one below (conversely, an indoor sauna installation)
won’t break the bank, and it’s a wonderful way to add to the
saleability of ones home, whilst also increasing the homes value, even
if it’s nominal.
We’re seeing more and more demand for outdoor
saunas; maybe due to economies improving, but whatever the fundamental
reason, this is a winner for 2014, and it’s sure to impress anybody who
visits your home; unless you live in a Scandinavian country where it’s
an expected standard, where it’s reported there are more 2.5 people per sauna (the stat is valid for Finland at least).
Lovely outdoor sauna with a green roof by JP Builders, Inc.
3. Outdoor Hot Tub
In
a similar vain to saunas, one which is more broadly sensationalized and
bragged about, as outdoor hot tub is a perfect way to get outside and
use the outdoor area. It’s a great place to escape to to relax an
unwind, especially in today’s insanely hectic world. We’ve heard of
people using hot tubs in creative ways, for example, one business man
returning from a holiday came home to 100 voice mail messages on his
phone.
Quite overwhelmed and not particularly excited about
answering all of them, he thought to himself, ‘How can I answer all of
these messages while enjoying myself at the same time?’. He hopped into
his hot tub, laid back, and went through each of those calls, one by
one, turning what would have been an ugly frog of a task into something
much more enjoyable.
If you have the capital to run and invest in a
hot tub in 2014, it’s a winner. Pictured below with a fire pit, also
hot for 2014.
Outdoor seating, fire pit and hot tub from Brandon Architects
4. Natural Materials in Garden
If you’ve seen any of our other trend articles,
you’ll notice there is a theme running through all of them and that’s
the use of natural materials, and there are no places in the home which
is more appropriate for the use of natural materials than the garden.
Slabs of stone work excellent as benches and’ll last forever. Opt for
wood and stone over man-made materials such as plastic. Natural options
tend to be more expensive, but if you were to calculate life to cost
value, a natural stone option ends up winning.
Beautiful natural stone bench from Finnerty LLC
5. Sunken Seating in the Pool
Look
past the stunning views and the infinity edge of the pool below and
focus on the sunken seating. This is architecture and design at it’s
finest. It looks good, plain and simple, and it’s sure to impress the
guests. We’re been seeing a real growth in sunken seating over the past
few years and it looks like this explosion is continuing in 2014 as all
the pool suppliers we’ve seen are brandishing all types of different,
creative sunken seating solutions.
Relax in style with sunken seating – Pasquale Design
6. Fire pits/fireplaces
It
doesn’t matter if you’re in the cold of England or the warmth of
Florida, a fire pit is awesome and practical. The warmth it gives is an
outside enabler, giving people the opportunity to use their gardens
when it’s cold outside. One of the biggest factors for not using an
outdoor area is either the cold or the wet; a fire pit solves one of
these pickles. Wouldn’t you like to spend more evening with your loved
one, gazing up at the stars in front of a nice, bone warming fire? It’s
like sitting around a camp fire, and all the wonderful memories that
come with it. This is one of our favorite outdoor trends in 2014.
Enjoying the evening outside, possible with a fire pit – Rick O’donnell Architect
7. Native Plants
This
is all about going back to using plants which naturally occur in the
region which you reside. No longer importing plants from other
countries, this is all about sticking to your roots and honoring where
you live. It also goes without saying that native means natural and
natural means you’ll have a happy, well balanced garden. The native
plants which you choose will be perfectly suited to your garden (barring
climate change), and will therefore flourish even more perfectly than
other plants from afar. We feel this trend is about embracing the area
which you live, an expression of pride through plants! Whatever is the
underlying fuel for the trend, it’s a strong one for 2014 and it’s
definitely going to grow over the next few years.
Great use of native plants from Designscapes Colorado
8. Wall Gardens
This
is especially popular, obviously, amongst home owners who have limited
outdoor space or no space at all, but it’s also used by home owners who
want to add a splash of natural color to their wall. Succulents work
especially well in wall gardens and are easy to maintain, as pictured
below. Be creative; design a wall garden in all kinds of different
shapes, sizes and colors.
If anybody knows of any houses who has
an entire side of the house as a wall garden, we’d love to see. This is
a perfect solution for apartment owners who have green fingers but
don’t have a garden. A wonderful growing trend in 2014. Indoor wall gardens, especially in the bathroom are also a trend in 2014.
Short on space? Wonderful example of a neat wall garden – Debora Carl
9. Herb Gardens
This
is an obvious one; and it’s made our list because it’s still a monster
of a trend. Herb gardens are especially popular amonst those who
appreciate the culinary arts and those who like to know where their food
is coming from. The trend has been strongly promoted by popular chefs
such as Jamie Oliver,
which has gained strength and momentum over the past 5 years. Where
gardening of this sorts was once widely regarded for older people over
the past number of decades, attitudes are changing. We are seeing
youngsters, teenagers and young adults moving in this direction more and
more, embracing this trend.
For those of you who have your own
herb garden, you’ll know that there’s nothing quite like taking a sprig
off a home grown herb and adding it to a dish you’re preparing:
Incredibly rewarding.
Compact and practical herb garden – Aloe Designs
10. Reduced lawn
We’ve
noticed this trend developing over the past decade, where people are
reducing the size of their lawn and are opting for featured gardens,
patios and other non-grassy areas. great expanses of grass are great if
you have children as they can play all their games uninhibited, but
let’s be honest, most of us don’t keep our grass looking perfectly cut,
green and lush to warrant having a lot of it. Landscaped gardens like
the one below, which were once all grass are taking over the traditional
lawn which has been popular for decades. In the small lawns which are
left, add a pattern which will add that edge of pizzazz which’ll set it
apart from the next door neighbor.
A backyard with a reduced lawn, with pattern in grass – Avalon NW
11. Synthetic Lawn
Last
but not least, and you knew this one was coming: Synthetic grass. When
if first came out, most people were synics, but as the manufacturing of
the artificial grass became more and more real, its use has also become
more popular. This is a great option for those who want to have a
‘lawn’ which looks well kept all the time, who don’t enjoy cutting the
grass every week. It’s especially useful in areas where grass is
difficult to grow, such as underneath bushes, in dry, thin areas.
Synthetic grass is also an ideal solution for creating fancy shapes
that’ll always look crisp, like the one below. The applications are
endless.
It may be a shame to use a fake option over the real
thing, but it’s a good option for some and is a trend which will most
definitely grow further through 2014 and beyond.
