As temperatures warm, homeowners across the nation begin reemerging from their winter hibernation, ready to spruce up their outdoor spaces, be they fully realized exterior rooms or just simple patios or balconies.
With that in mind, consumer reviews and recommendations site Yelp has released its Summer Home Trends report, highlighting shifts in online consumer searches and project requests in January-March, comparing them to the same period last year.
Here are five of the top trends for outdoor spaces, according to Yelp’s consumer data:
1. Outdoor Entertainment
Yelp identified a surge in demand for entertainment- and hobby-related spaces in their homes. And leading the charge by an absurdly high percentage — 4,288% — are outdoor theater installations. Along with screens and projectors, outdoor theaters also include one more crucial component: comfortable seating with plenty of performance-fabric pillows and throws.
2. Midimalism
A happy medium between the starkness of minimalism and the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink ethos of maximalism, midmalism balances character and style with function and comfort. This trend incorporates touches of pattern and prints while maintaining a sensible approach to design. To that end, Yelp saw a 70% increase in custom upholstery searches, along with a 47% bump in sofa upholstery — a big trend for the outdoors.
“Don’t stress about making the ‘right’ choice,” said Yelp design consultant Hema Persad, founder and principal designer, Segrada Studio. “When it comes to color and pattern, what matters most is that you love it, since you’ll see it every day. If you’re mixing patterns, stick to a cohesive color palette.”
3. Fashion, but Make it Home
Elements such as fringe, tassels and other embellishments add a touch of runway style to home goods — think vintage-style fringed patio umbrellas and textured piping on cushions. Yelp also saw an increase in searches for drape and curtain installation, including for outdoor spaces such as porches and pergolas.
4. Color-maxing
Drenching spaces in color continues to strike a chord with consumers, with searches for painting everything from ceilings to decks on the rise on Yelp. Exterior painting searches jumped by 500%, while deck or porch painting climbed 177%. Door painting and staining led the pack, though, up in searches a whopping 187,073% since last year.
“Heritage-inspired blues, greens and dark shades of red tend to work great in traditional homes, while yellows and oranges could suit midcentury style and Bauhaus design,” Persad said of choosing door colors. “Knowing your home’s era and architectural style helps you make choices that complement and enhance its character, rather than working against it.”
