Dive Brief:
- Zillow's home improvement and design hub Zillow Digs has unveiled its top outdoor design trends for summer 2016, and it predicted that concrete, natural wood, and bright, monochromatic colors will take center stage.
- Zillow Digs designers said "clean, simple and contemporary" has overtaken the fussy, outdated look of wrought-iron furniture, floral motifs and hyper-manicured lawns — three trends homeowners are leaving in the rear view mirror this season.
- The Zillow Digs Home Trend Forecast based its predictions on a survey of interior designers and an analysis of the most popular photos on Zillow Digs.
Dive Insight:
Zillow Digs designer Kerrie Kelly said low-maintenance materials that can stand up to whatever the elements can dish up are becoming the outdoor choice of homeowners. For example, Kelly said outdoor furniture shoppers will prefer more natural wood furniture but with modern accents like concrete and stainless steel. Concrete's "all-weather" and "sleek" aspects make it a candidate for everything from accent tables to stamped patio floors. The most up-to-date outdoor living spaces will also eschew patterned upholstery in favor of bold statement colors like aquamarine and tangerine.
This latest Zillow Digs report continues the overall theme of simplicity featured in its December forecast. Similarly, at the end of last year, the American Institute of Architects published the results of its third-quarter Home Design Trends Survey, which found that homebuyers were increasingly choosing simple, contemporary-style homes with low-maintenance exteriors — and throwback features like front and side porches — in walkable, community-oriented neighborhoods.
In January, two designer judges for the Best in American Living Awards said that 2016 also would see more integrated indoor-outdoor spaces featuring design elements like "floor-to-ceiling, retractable glass walls and screens." Intimate, well-designed, low-impact outdoor living areas are also gaining in popularity, the experts said, as homeowners turn to the outdoors for entertaining and "destressing."