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10 Outdoor Living Trends for 2024

10 Outdoor Living Trends for 2024

Over the last few years, homeowners have been spending more time at home and realizing they want better for their outdoor spaces. They want to feel like their backyard is as luxurious and exciting as the exotic places they’ve vacationed. And that is possible, even in Minnesota! 

Stunning outdoor living spaces create a home away from home feeling when installed correctly by our pros at Outdoor Innovations. While swimming pools and outdoor patios may be the norm in outdoor living design, many more cool and unique features can elevate your style and provide endless entertainment! 

Here are some top outdoor living trends to incorporate in your backyard.

1. Swim-Up Pool Bar

Maybe we’ve all been inspired by Wisconsin Dells, but a swim-up pool bar is all the rage right now when designing a custom in-ground pool. 

Carefully built alongside your pool, a swim-up bar stocked with all your cocktail and mix drink favorites provides that high-end finish that luxury living is all about. After swimming or relaxing in a pool floater, just swim by the bar, pick up a drink, and keep on floating without even leaving your pool.

2. In-Ground Hot Tubs

When designing your pool area, don’t forget about the best way to unwind and let the world drift away: a hot tub! 

Imagine sinking into a steamy hot tub after a dip in the pool and letting all your worries melt right off you. When creating your poolscape, take advantage of the process and incorporate a customized hot tub. 

Keep it separate from your pool area, or design an attractive spillway that glides into your pool. Either way, you’ll be glad you added this trend to your backyard!

3. Natural Stone Pool Features

Natural stone is a super popular building and decorating feature right now, as it aligns with our desire to experience nature's beauty. 

When designing your pool area, incorporate rock or stone features that create visual and architectural interest: 

  • Place large rocks or limestone in a circular pattern to create natural seating areas.
  • Instead of clunky diving boards, use dive rocks as jump-off points around your pool.
  • Elevate your outdoor space with gorgeous waterfall features or spillways cut through complementing stone structures. 

4. Elegantly Shady Pergolas

Lots of outdoor equipment has provided shade in the past, from awnings to pop-up umbrellas, but what’s trending now are more permanent structures, especially pergolas. 

Pergolas are glamorous structures that add height and visual appeal to your yard or outdoor living room, and they are an immediate way to feel transported to another place with their exotic design. 

Leave the roof slats open for lots of filtered sunlight or drape them with light fabric for a more enclosed and intimate patio space dappled with soft shade. 

5.  Firepits & Outdoor Fireplaces

Nothing creates a more inviting atmosphere than a charming fire! From custom-made firepits and fire bowls where all your friends and family can circle around and share memories to extravagant stone fireplaces built into your outdoor living area, fire features are a must-have in your backyard! 

These easy-to-add special elements not only enhance your outdoor living design but also extend your outdoor season by providing warmth and comfort in the cool beginning of Minnesota spring and the gradual shift into fall. 

6. Full-Service Outdoor Kitchens

It’s not enough to just grill outdoors. The trend now is to cook, dine, and entertain in the comforts of your customized luxury outdoor kitchen!

With spacious designs for easy hosting, you can upgrade the space with standard kitchen appliances like stove tops, ovens, and even dishwashers. While you’ve got the brats on the grill, you can whip up the customary potato salad and sides without the messy transition in and out of the house!

7. Spacious and Functional Decks

 

Decks are a great addition to any home. Decks can be customized to suit your home’s aesthetic. They can be any size, have built-in seating or tables, and are a cool transition piece between indoors and outdoors. Your built-in seating can double as storage for cushions and other outdoor accessories. 

Love to relax in a hammock? Have one installed on your deck so you can while away the hours comfortably while close to home. Like pergolas, arbors, or gazebos? Combine them into your deck! Give your deck shade and ambiance by building a pergola over your deck. 

8. Luxury Backyard Cabana

Do you already have a pool or a backyard water feature and want to increase your relaxation and enjoyment? Build a luxury backyard cabana. Keep a watchful eye on your kids in the pool while you relax in the shade with a frosty drink. Stretch out on a comfortable chair and read in the shade while enjoying the outdoors. 

If you want to stop pool water from dripping all over your home, you can build an attached cabana bathroom. 

9. Green Garden Oasis

Another trend for this year includes plants! Native plants, butterfly or pollinator gardens, and edible gardens are popular for greening up your outdoor living space. 

Naturally occurring plants in your area are low-maintenance. Butterfly gardens can help nurture the lovely insects around your backyard. Edible gardens can be made of box gardens where everything you grow is edible! Snack on some tomatoes or freshen up with a mint leaf as you walk by. 

10. Eco-Friendly Spaces

The idea of eco-friendly outdoor living spaces is to create beauty with fewer resources. You can design and build an incredible backyard oasis while using multi-functional furniture and including plants and flowers for the local ecosystem. After all, we need bees! 

Those aren’t the only ways to bring nature into your backyard. You can use natural colors, such as neutrals, greens, and browns, when decorating your outdoor space. You can honor nature while enjoying the outdoors. 

Reimagine Your Backyard With Outdoor Innovations!

With more than 15 years of enhancing Minnesota backyards, our expert team is ready to take on even your biggest renovation project! Our design and build team collaborates with you and develops a comprehensive plan matching your vision and transforming your entire outdoor space. Check out our gallery for inspiration and previous projects. 

Call our office at 651-983-1976 or message us online to discuss your ideas for an individualized backyard escape! 

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