What’s Hot With Outdoor Living Trends

It’s not quite spring yet, but it’s not too early to start thinking about the outdoors.  You can start planning your next outdoor project today and by the time the weather warms up, you'll be ready to go.

The American Society of Landscape Architects conducts an annual Residential Trends Survey. Here are some of the findings from its 2011 survey, based on what landscape architects say are very to somewhat popular outdoor living feature trends:


■96.2% rated exterior lighting as somewhat or very popular;



■94.2% fire pits and fireplaces;



■94.1% seating/dining areas;



■93.8% grills;



■89.5% installed seating, such as benches, seat walls, or ledges;



■83.5% weatherized outdoor furniture;



■74.2% counter space;

■61.3% utility storage;



■58.3% stereo systems;

■54.7% sinks;

■50.2% refrigerators



The survey also showed more interest in technology featured on the outside too, such as stereo systems, Internet access, and televisions.



Also, low-maintenance landscaping and sustainability is also getting more popular, such as water-efficient irrigation systems and rainwater harvesting.



Source:  Styled, Staged and Sold,  By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR Magazine