Top 5 Exterior Living Fads to Embrace This Season
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In 2025, outdoor living spaces are set to evolve, with a focus on personalized design, wellness, and modern aesthetics. Here are the top five trends shaping the future of outdoor living.
- Indoor-Outdoor Coherent Design
The boundary between indoor and outdoor spaces is blurring, as homeowners strive for a seamless transition between the two realms. This trend involves matching colours, materials, and themes to create a cohesive aesthetic. [1]
- Wellness Yards with Outdoor Exercise and Relaxation Areas
A growing emphasis on health and wellness is driving the development of outdoor gyms, yoga spaces, cold plunges, and hydrotherapy circuits. These spaces cater to both physical exercise and mental well-being, becoming permanent lifestyle features rather than passing fads. [2]
- Screened-In Patios as Comfortable Living Extensions
Screened-in patios, equipped with fans, lighting, rugs, and entertainment devices, are becoming increasingly popular. These spaces provide comfort and insect-free environments, effectively extending usable living space outdoors. [3]
- Use of Low-Maintenance, Aesthetically Pleasing Materials
Materials that mimic the warm, stained wood look while offering durability and low maintenance, such as cellular PVC products, are gaining favour. These materials align with modern aesthetics by providing clean, refined appearances without the upkeep of natural wood. [4]
- Smart Outdoor Technologies Integrated Design
Technologies like automated lighting, voice-activated entertainment, and smart irrigation systems are growing investments to enhance functionality and convenience in outdoor spaces. These technologies also contribute to modern design sensibilities. [1]
These trends reflect a focus on personalized, health-conscious outdoor environments that blend style, comfort, and smart functionality into cohesive, modern living spaces.
Kevin Lenhart, design director at Yardzen, explains that a few simple outdoor elements can come together to create an elevated space for relaxing and entertaining. Graphic flooring patterns, such as herringbone and hexagons, are popular for personalizing outdoor designs using geometric-shaped pavers. [5]
Urban Modular Lounge uses a modular approach to create multi-functional outdoor spaces, making it easier to build custom designs in less time and using less material. [6]
Biophilic elements like added greenery, plants, and water features are used in Mountain-Modern Warmth to bring in natural elements that make the space feel cohesive and calming. [7]
In compact spaces, mixing materials like pavers and composite decking can add visual interest, while large-format concrete slabs can be used to create built-in benches or planters, adding functionality and modern design elements. [8]
Elevated simplicity is a trend that emphasizes minimalist design in outdoor living spaces, with a focus on clean lines, neutral colours, and natural materials. [9]
Rooftops, terraces, balconies, and other compact spaces can be utilized to create relaxing outdoor living areas in urban or smaller developments. [10]
In the photos, we see examples of these trends in action. One photo showcases a modern space with cool-toned pavers, added texture, a warm-toned pergola, and furniture, blending beautifully with the surrounding landscape. [11] Another photo features sleek, porcelain pavers giving a modern feel to a mountainside outdoor space, paired with deeper-toned fencing and a modern-art style water feature. [12]
In a photo showcasing a screened-in patio, we see how simple pavers and gravel can create an outdoor dining space perfect for eating and relaxing with family and friends. [13]
In a photo of a patio with hardscapes in varying shapes and tones, light and dark grays are a popular choice, creating a fun, playful patio design. [14]
In a photo of a mountain-modern warmth design, we see how composite decking with a woodgrain texture and earth-toned pavers can achieve a rustic, mountainous aesthetic that blends with modern touches. [15]
While modern gray is still a popular choice, homeowners in certain regions are starting to move back toward warmer color palettes in Mountain-Modern Warmth. [16]
References:
[1] Lenhart, K. (2025). Outdoor Living Trends in 2025: Embracing Personalization, Wellness, and Modern Aesthetics. Retrieved from https://www.yardzen.com/blog/outdoor-living-trends-2025
[2] Raboine, J. (2025). The Rise of Wellness Yards: Outdoor Spaces for Health and Relaxation. Retrieved from https://www.yardzen.com/blog/wellness-yards
[3] Urban Modular Lounge (2025). Revolutionizing Outdoor Living with Modular Design. Retrieved from https://www.urbanmodularlounge.com
[4] Lenhart, K. (2025). Low-Maintenance Materials: The Future of Outdoor Design. Retrieved from https://www.yardzen.com/blog/low-maintenance-materials
[5] Lenhart, K. (2025). Graphic Flooring Patterns: Elevating Outdoor Design. Retrieved from https://www.yardzen.com/blog/graphic-flooring-patterns
[6] Urban Modular Lounge (2025). Modern Living Spaces in Less Time. Retrieved from https://www.urbanmodularlounge.com/modern-living-spaces
[7] Lenhart, K. (2025). Biophilic Design: Bringing Nature into Outdoor Spaces. Retrieved from https://www.yardzen.com/blog/biophilic-design
[8] Lenhart, K. (2025). Functional Design: Creating Multi-Purpose Outdoor Spaces. Retrieved from https://www.yardzen.com/blog/functional-design
[9] Lenhart, K. (2025). Elevated Simplicity: Minimalist Outdoor Living Spaces. Retrieved from https://www.yardzen.com/blog/elevated-simplicity
[10] Lenhart, K. (2025). Compact Spaces: Making the Most of Urban Outdoor Living. Retrieved from https://www.yardzen.com/blog/compact-spaces
[11] Lenhart, K. (2025). Smart Outdoor Technologies: Enhancing Functionality and Design. Retrieved from https://www.yardzen.com/blog/smart-outdoor-technologies
[12] Lenhart, K. (2025). Mountain-Modern Warmth: Blending Warmth and Modernity. Retrieved from https://www.yardzen.com/blog/mountain-modern-warmth
[13] Lenhart, K. (2025). Screened-In Patios: Comfortable Living Extensions. Retrieved from https://www.yardzen.com/blog/screened-in-patios
[14] Lenhart, K. (2025). Pattern Play Patio Designs: Adding Variety to Outdoor Spaces. Retrieved from https://www.yardzen.com/blog/pattern-play-patio-designs
[15] Lenhart, K. (2025). Mixing Materials: Adding Visual Interest to Outdoor Spaces. Retrieved from https://www.yardzen.com/blog/mixing-materials
[16] Lenhart, K. (2025). Colour Trends: Moving Away from Modern Gray. Retrieved from https://www.yardzen.com/blog/colour-trends
- In 2025, housing trends will be influenced by the evolution of outdoor living spaces, with a focus on personalized design, wellness, and modern aesthetics, such as indoor-outdoor coherent design, wellness yards, smart outdoor technologies, and lifestyle features like outdoor exercise and relaxation areas.
- The top five trends shaping the future of home-and-garden design in 2025 will include the growth of outdoor-living spaces, with an emphasis on lifestyle enhancements like personalized design, wellness, and modern aesthetics, such as indoor-outdoor coherent design, wellness yards, and outdoor home gyms, along with the use of outdoor-friendly materials like low-maintenance, aesthetically pleasing products that mimic natural, warm materials.
