2024 Outdoor Decorating Trends

As we enter into a new year, there’s no better opportunity to transform your outdoor living space. Knowing where to begin is the hard part, but once inspiration strikes, you’ll end up with your favorite outdoor space. 

Continue reading to learn more about our 2024 outdoor decorating trends. We’ll also highlight how you can mold each trend to fit your home’s aesthetic and personal lifestyle.

#1. Natural Flow Between Your Interior and Exterior

As more people are spending time at home, they’re looking to extend their living space to their exterior. Gone are the days when your outdoor space is a plot of grass that doesn’t match your interior design or lifestyle. 

One way homeowners are doing this is by converting part of their backyard into an outdoor kitchen. This space can be fully functional with your most-used appliances or a simplified version of your existing interior kitchen.

Must-haves for your outdoor kitchen should include a granite or marble countertop, a dining table with a set of chairs, and a grill. If you’re looking to take the space a step further, consider adding a brick pizza oven, an outdoor wine cooler, or a skillet stove top. 

To better protect your outdoor kitchen from all the weather elements, we recommended adding a pergola or gazebo to the space. These large structures can keep the area more shaded to reduce the risk of overheating equipment, eliminate snow from piling up within the area, and allow you to still use the space while it’s raining. 

Another way to seamlessly blend your interior and exterior spaces is with a partially covered patio. This can create the perfect combination of comfy living room vibes and the serene sounds of nature. A fully, or partially covered patio can also act as a second living space and help it feel less crowded in your home.

#2. Sustainable, Low-Maintenance Landscaping

This 2024 garden trend is all about moving towards a greener environment. The options below are going to help your home be more energy-efficient, visually appealing, and fruitful. 

Foodscaping, or edible landscaping is incorporating fruit, vegetables, and herbs into your garden. And it’s growing in popularity. This new trend is not only great for the environment and making your home more sustainable, but also it can help you freshen things up in your kitchen. 

Within your garden, you can incorporate different textures and colors to create a beautiful, and functional space. If you’re new to foodscaping, leafy greens like lettuce or kale, or small tomato plants are a great place to start. Herbs are also an excellent choice for extra flavor in the kitchen. If you allow the herbs to bloom, they’ll also serve as nectar plants for pollinators. 

To further add dimension to your garden, consider vines or climbing plants. These plants can provide shade and cool down the area for you to hang out in. Passionflowers, Trumpet Vines, and English Ivy are all great choices to balance visual appeal and sustainability. 

Include structures and lines in your garden with an arbor or arch. These are also great pieces to help your climbing plants flourish. 

Other ways to move towards a more sustainable landscape are the following 

• Plant deciduous trees around your property.
• Block wind by surrounding your home with plant walls.
• Shade your AC units with shrubs.

 #3. Versatile Spaces

In 2024, we’re moving past buying single-use furniture and exterior pieces. Now, people are swaying towards furniture that’s functional in more than one way, or will be used often. 

Home exteriors are becoming more of an extension of your interior design style, and so homeowners are looking to maximize every space. This 2024 outdoor decorating trend will look different for everyone and should be dependent on your lifestyle and preferences. 

Lawn furniture such as Adirondack chairs, small tables, or benches can be used in a variety of ways and redecorated depending on the season.

#4. Comfort is Key

Outdoor lounging is a main priority for homeowners in 2024. The idea of laying outside all day without the feeling of aches and pains the next day is what we all strive for. In 2024, we’re getting rid of plastic outdoor furniture and switching to functional and comfortable pieces. And we hope this 2024 backyard trend is here to stay.

The biggest trend is integrating your interior styles into your landscaping, and comfortability plays a huge role in this. Adding pillows, hammocks, and swings is the perfect way to optimize comfort and style. 

Comfort goes beyond the physical sense. In 2024, create an outdoor oasis that you can truly relax in. Incorporate your favorite colors, scents, and textures to allow yourself to fully immerse in the space. 

Warm lighting is most popular for outdoor spaces and creates a sense of serenity outside. This ambiance is ideal for late-night hangouts, outdoor dinners, or movie nights. Compared to cool lighting, warm lighting is more yellow and less bright so it’s not as jarring at night.

#5. Smart Outdoor Features

Speaking of outdoor lighting, our next 2024 outdoor decor trend emphasizes smart features to make your home more energy-efficient and convenient. You don’t need to completely renovate all your lights in order to incorporate smart features. 

Add smart light bulbs to your existing lamps and fixtures. These bulbs can be controlled from your phone so it’s hands-free and convenient for you. Solar lighting is also an environmentally friendly and convenient decision to light your outdoor paths. 

Entertainment systems and outdoor speakers can spruce up your hangouts and movie nights. As you’re looking at new technologies, it’s important to remember they should be designed to withstand different weather conditions. 

We’ve already mentioned sustainable landscaping as one of the 2024 backyard trends, and you can take this a step further by investing in a smart irrigation system for your lawn and garden. 

A smart irrigation system conserves water and can be a healthy option for your plants. You’ll be able to set a specified watering schedule to limit the risk of over or underwatering your plants. Technical irrigation systems track the health of your plants to let you know what the best course of action is moving forward.

#6. Small, Minimalistic Patios

The final 2024 outdoor decorating trend is focusing on small, minimalistic patios. We’ve talked about bigger areas, your garden, an outside kitchen, or an outdoor living room. But the small, minimalistic spaces are still a popular choice. 

Your patio is very versatile and we’re seeing simplistic styles continue this year. For smaller porches or patios, start with your staple pieces. That could be a set of chairs, a small table, or an outdoor rug. 

Then, pick out seasonal pieces that can be easily interchanged throughout the year. Floral centerpieces, blankets, or signs are a great way to liven the space each season without breaking the bank.