Resort-style features have been creeping into our backyards for the past two decades, but the pandemic vastly accelerated the requests for even more luxurious, amenity-laden outdoor spaces, and there’s almost no limit to the bells and whistles currently being offered. According to a 2021 report from the International Casual Furnishings Association, six in 10 Americans planned to buy furnishings for their outdoor spaces within the year. And one online retailer professed that searches for two types of outdoor furniture were up 50 and 65 percent.
The options are limitless: Are you always cold? Flush-mount infrared ceiling heaters can come to the rescue! (Or perhaps a fire pit!) Susceptible to mosquito bites? Retractable, disappearing screens can help solve that. Love to watch sports? TVs designed especially for outdoor viewing let you watch the big game in the great outdoors with intense clarity and definition.
Three design experts offer their keen insight on what’s new and what’s next in outdoor living.