6 Outdoor Decorating Trends Designers Can't Wait to Try in 2024

While we’re all used to swapping around our inside decor throughout the year, our outdoor spaces get understandably neglected during the colder months. The upside of this is that it’s often much easier to pull in new trends to enjoy once patio season returns.

We recently connected with a few of our favorite designers to find out their top outdoor decorating trends for this upcoming spring and summer, and here’s what they had to say.

Low-Maintenance Gardens

According to Cate Singleton, director of design for Tilly's, people are opting for lower-maintenance gardens and backyards these days, making it easier to simply enjoy the space.

“Picking local native flowers that will flourish in your climate is a huge priority for homeowners who would rather enjoy their yard than be working in it,” she says.

This can be everything from an evergreen option that requires less water than traditional hedges to native flowering shrubs that are a perfect fit for your pre-existing soil and climate.  Most notably, though, Singleton points out less people want sprawling lawns these days.

"Homeowners are getting savvy to keeping their water bill and maintenance down," she says. "Replacing traditional grass with garden beds is a great way to help wildlife and beautify your space."

Wellness and Self-Care Spaces

We’ve seen the collective love for spa bathrooms this year, and Kim Gordon of Kim Gordon Designs says this is extending into outdoor spaces.

"We are continuing to see wellness playing a part in our homes, and I’m excited to introduce plunge pools into some of our projects,” she says.

Gordon notes this is an especially great option if you’re looking to fill a small space, or added alongside a small shed that you can convert into an exercise space.

“Plunge pools are small alternatives to regularly sized pools, aren’t as deep, and are less expensive to create that cool-off zone in your yard," Gordon says.

Moon Gardens

If you’re big into entertaining or spending time outside at night, Singleton confirms that moon gardens are officially back.

“These types of gardens utilize plants with white or light blue blooms and silvery-grey foliage that glow in the light of the moon,” she says.

To really enhance the effect, Singleton suggests grouping your plants together by color.

Outdoor "Rooms"

If you live in a small home or an apartment, outdoor space can be critcal. That’s one reason Nancy Ruddy, co-founding principal and executive director of interior design at CetraRuddy, says people are trending toward treating their outdoor areas as natural extensions of their homes.

“These outdoor rooms have many leisure uses, but with hybrid work schedules, outdoor spaces are now being used as home offices, too,” she says. “This makes furnishings even more important.”

Ruddy says this trend is best approached by selecting the right height table that can double as a dining area, coffee table, and desk if needed. A mix of chaise lounges and tables adds variety and interest to the outdoor floor plan, she says. 

Covered Pergolas

Weather patterns are predictably unpredictable, but Benji Lewis of Benji Lewis Design says the rise in pergolas and open-sided coverings means you can still make the most of your outdoor space… come rain or come shine.

“I like to explore how and where to put a covered pergola—open-sided but providing shelter from the downpours,” he says.

Ambient Outdoor Lighting

One single, moth-covered exterior light just won’t do these days. Lewis says outdoor ambient lighting is a must.

“Use a combination of lights,” he says. “Backlight plants, place outdoor lamps on the dining table, and add a soft overhead glow with fairy lights.”

Kim Gordon agrees. "Lighting can be an underestimated part of your outdoor design," she says. "Set up a timer so when you find yourself staring at the TV you’ll be beckoned outdoors to stare at the stars."

Read the original article on The Spruce.