Backyard Trends

 

Are you thinking of adding to your outdoor living space or refreshing your existing patio or deck design? Gain inspiration from these 2022 patio trends.

Functional Outdoor Living Additions

Due to COVID quarantining and the need to fit work and school alongside family life within the home, incorporating added, usable square footage is high on the trend list. What type of spaces are people adding?

●       Outdoor living rooms

Bring the indoors out with cushy, weatherproof furniture outfitted with blankets and pillows, tables for snacks, and an outdoor TV, quickly adding multifunctional square footage to your cramped home.

●       Outdoor kitchens

If you can’t eat out – eat outdoors! Fill your kitchen with a mini-fridge, grill, and fun additions like a pizza oven, turning food prep and al fresco dining into a daily family event.

●       Outdoor workspace

Transform an unused patio, terrace, or balcony space into a quiet, outdoor workspace where you can relax and focus without interruptions.

●       Outdoor escape

We all need some space sometimes. From book nooks to secret gardens, giving your family someplace to get away has become a necessity in the COVID era.

 Natural, Minimalist Design

Clean, simple lines and the ‘less is more’ motif allow your surrounding landscape to shine. Less busy, lightly dressed outdoor spaces with whitewashed or natural wood finishes take your deck out of the limelight. Soft, earthy shades of greens, blues, and neutrals put Mother Nature center stage.

Eclectic, Boho Styles

For those looking to add a little fun and excitement to their outdoor design, Boho is back. This lively, eclectic style is a great way to evoke joy and express yourself with a mishmash of colors, textures, and patterns - from items in your environment to those you’ve collected while traveling.

Sustainable Selections

With climate issues front-and-center, eco-friendly solutions have never been more popular – or necessary. Sustainability is king, from recycled plastic and poly-rattan to natural materials like reclaimed wood and bamboo. Rather than disposable options, homeowners are looking to lasting solutions with a smaller environmental footprint that will create less waste.

Outdoor Climate Control

Today’s weather extremes make climate control a must for a functional patio or deck. How are homeowners taking control of their outdoor living environments?

●       Residential pergolas

Adjustable louvered pergolas like the StruXure Pivot 6 and Cabana X allow you to make use of outdoor rooms year-round. Access to sunlight, shade, and rain protection is just a click away. Louvers adjust up to 170-degrees, providing the perfect setting as temperatures change throughout the day and from season to season.

●       Ceiling fans

The wind chill effect created by ceiling fans makes you feel up to 7 degrees cooler – even more so when combined with shade protection from your home pergola.

●       Evaporative coolers

Energy-efficient swamp coolers blow fresh air through wet filter pads, using the science of evaporation to provide cooling comfort.

●       Screening

Motorized screens offer cooling shade from the brutal summer sun, cut frigid winter winds, and block precipitation.

●       Gas fire pits and tables

Ambiance and warmth with the click of a button. What more could you ask for?

●       Infrared patio heaters

Directional heat from infrared patio heaters, when installed as part of your home pergola design, create warmth like the sun’s rays. They offer the perfect solution for outdoor spaces that cannot contain heat.

 Enhanced Outdoor Lighting

Adding lighting can dramatically transform any outdoor space, whether it’s built-in task lighting on your aluminum pergola, color-changing strip lights surrounding the pergola roof, or decorative string and fairy lights for ambiance.

 Modular Furniture

Easily repositionable, modular furniture you can reconfigure on the fly offer versatility. Options like modular sectionals and furnishings that double in function - like seating/tables or seating/storage - make it easy to change the look of your space on the fly and manage your changing needs.

Fancy Cookery

Bye-bye box store grill-on-wheels – hello built-in grill, flat-top, cooktop, wood-fired pizza oven, and wet bar. Spaces to prepare food and drinks while entertaining are in big demand this year.

Vertical Gardens

Vertical gardens are a great way to add greenery to even the tiniest, most barren patio or yard.

Turn your backyard from “blah” to “beautiful” with these backyard trends. Refresh your yard with help from StruXure of Denver design experts. Contact us at 303-505-6669 to uncover new ways to use your space today.

 

This article was previously published at: https://denverpergolas.com/patio-ideas/backyard-trends/

 

Tips For the Perfect Curb Appeal

Homes that make a great first impression get more attention and sell for more than those with uninspiring exteriors. If your home isn't living up to its potential, buyers may not even look inside. Fortunately, there are many ways to enhance your yard and add curb appeal to your home, gaining positive attention.

Coordinate Exterior Paint Colors

It's surprising what a little paint can do to transform your home's exterior. A cohesive color palette featuring two or three colors puts your home in the best light without making it look too busy. Pair a main with a lighter or darker shade for the trim, paint siding and trim in similar tones, and add a bold accent color to ensure a successful color scheme.

Give Your Front Door a Facelift

Choosing a bold, standout front door color or a beautiful custom wood front door that accents the colors on the rest of your home is an inexpensive way to turn your entryway into a dramatic focal point.

Increase Your Home’s Character with Window Shutters

Shutters are an affordable way to add personality and transform a plain exterior. Size decorative shutters the same height as window trim and 25-50% of the width. Take care with functional shutters, which require precise measurements.

Add a Pop of Color with Window Boxes

Installing window boxes beneath railings and windows adds color and life. DIY or purchased at your local hardware store, they cost little to install. Filled with festive, seasonal flowers, they add instant charm.

Update Exterior Home Lighting

 Replace drab, aged lights with a new style that suits your home’s architecture, or add character with high-quality, vintage replacements from your area antique or salvage store. Choose fixtures that use the same mounting system as existing lights to ensure an easy switch. In addition to entryway lighting, consider incorporating solar or low voltage landscape lighting to trees and walking paths for a bigger curb appeal boost.

Update Old Hardware and Accessories

House numbers, wall and door-mounted mailboxes, entry door locks, and light fixtures can add style and interest – if they're not outdated, dented, or corroded. To ensure an appealing aesthetic, be sure to choose a cohesive color scheme, such as brushed nickel for your contemporary home or oil-rubbed bronze for your traditional architecture.

 Replace Gutters and Downspouts

Dented, dinged, discolored, or mildew-ridden drainage does your home a disservice. Replacing it with newer snap-fit vinyl gutters or contemporary copper dramatically enhances curb appeal.

Incorporate More Trees

 Established trees not only boost curb appeal and property value, they can also help you control utility costs, improve air quality, and reduce stress. Spruce up your lawn in a snap with these fast-growing options:

●       Crape myrtles

●       Emerald Green arborvitae

●       Leyland cypress

●       Crabapple

●       Dawn redwoods

●       Linden trees

●       Eastern redbuds

●       Paper and river birch

●       Pin oaks

●       Maples

Add or Renew Garden Beds

Refresh garden beds in front of your home. Upgrade old or worn borders, weed, prune existing foliage, and incorporate colorful new flowers. Add visual interest with a new garden bed surrounding your mailbox or along walkways, beckoning visitors into your yard.

Incorporate an Inviting Seating Area

Placing a homey bench, small bistro set, Adirondacks, or rockers near your entryway offers an inviting landing for neighborhood visitors. It also serves as an attractive transition between indoors and out, boosting charm and curb appeal.

Extend Your Living Space and Welcome Visitors with a Pergola

Turn your home into the highlight of the neighborhood. Add curb appeal and functional square footage with an adjustable louvered pergola. Contact StruXure of Denver at 303-505-6669 to learn more about ways to enhance the value of your property and get more out of your space with a new home pergola today.

This article was previously published at: https://denverpergolas.com/adjustable-residential-pergolas/tips-for-the-perfect-curb-appeal/