While housing and rental markets have been on the decline, consumers are interested in improving their current homes, including their outdoor spaces. That’s according to the Summer Home & Outdoor Trends 2025 report from consumer review and information site Yelp.
Yelp’s data revealed a significant surge in home improvement project requests in 2024 over the prior year, with requests for gardeners up 376%, painters up 89% and interior designers up 81%.
While consumers are interested in upgrading their current spaces, they also want to do so as cost-efficiently as possible, particularly with tariffs adding another level of expense to some items. Yelp found that many consumers are looking for more budget-conscious sources for furniture and decor, including salvage yards (up 42% in searches), antique markets (up 33%) and liquidation stores (up 47%).
The trend of homesteading — a self-sufficient lifestyle that often includes producing one’s own food — has led to greater interest in gardening and making the most of outdoor spaces, according to the report. Yelp saw a 58% increase in searches for plant nurseries, a 27% bump in garden center searches and a 117% spike in garden statues — a clear sign that outdoor decor is on the rise.
Yelp also identified a growing interest in what it calls “in-home experience spaces,” which offer relaxation and entertainment for homeowners and their guests. This certainly applies to outdoor rooms, be they a simple patio or a fully developed space with lighting, fire features and comfy, durable furnishings.
And while neutrals still have their place, Yelp found that consumers crave more character in their rooms, including outdoor spaces. That means bold pops of color and pattern, as well as rich texture, be that in the form of a plush performance fabric, chunky woven furniture or accents such as rope that add depth to a look.
“The ‘millennial gray’ era is officially over,” the report said. “This summer, homeowners are breaking free from sterile, monochromatic designs and rediscovering what makes their spaces uniquely beautiful. … Color and texture are also on the rise.”
To identify trends, Yelp analyzed changes in consumer searches from January through March 2024 compared to the same period this year. For trending project requests, Yelp analyzed the change in user “Request a Quote” project queries from 2023 to 2024.
