A World Past The Door: Elevating Outdoor Living

The home is where the heart is. As the global pandemic persists, the house has also become where the office, school, pub, and various other places are. After almost a year of sheltering-in-place, the functional interior spaces of the home are slowly running out.

It's become less of a tranquil haven and more of a hectic, stress-inducing environment. This shouldn't be the case for any home. Now, as more people spend extensive amounts of time indoors, residents are taking a look at their outdoor spaces in a different light.

Take Your Pick

As a result of being cooped up for quite a while, people have begun to crave the outdoors. However, some are still fearful of what traveling to different places might have in store. While the vaccine rollout is expected to happen sometime soon, many people are still wary about going out.

After all, the threat of the virus is still very much real. This has led many to remain inside their properties in the meantime. Likewise, people are finding more ways to utilize their private outdoor areas to their advantage.

There are two main ways that a lot of residents are doing to maximize their outdoor spaces. The first is equipping it for hosting gatherings. As lockdowns have begun to ease, more and more people reconnect with their friends and family but not through a screen.

The other popular outdoor movement has residents creating their gardens. Countless people took up gardening as a useful hobby to cope with the pandemic. It's proven to have significant health and wellness benefits. Here are some of the most prominent outdoor living trends to expect going forward.

Extended Living

There have been many outdoor projects attempting to bring the comforts of the indoors to their backyard. This shouldn't be surprising as outdoor spaces are essentially an extension of a person's living space. Wanting to have gatherings year-round after almost an entire year of isolation is also one of the most significant contributing factors.

More Private and Intimate

One of the first steps that residents take when trying to make their outdoor spaces into a suitable gathering spot is to increase privacy. This is crucial, especially in high-density areas. The increase in demand for pergolas is a result of this need for a more personal setting.

For people who are more into DIY, a commercial carport canopy is a viable alternative. Despite being manufactured for a garage, these are reasonably versatile fixtures. They are easy to install while still providing adequate shade and privacy for guests.

Elevated Equipment

Of course, it wouldn't be a proper gathering spot without the appropriate equipment. Upgraded seating, firepits, and other outdoor features have also been heavily requested-all to channel a genuinely functional yet cozy outdoor vibe.

A lot of people have also been investing in creating fully equipped outdoor kitchens. Besides patio or deck installations, having an outdoor kitchen has been a top project for many residents. Food should always be present whenever gatherings take place after all.

Personal Oasis

For the more reserved residents who would rather not have people coming over, creating their little green patch has been their priority. Having a quaint plot readily available, it would be a shame to cover it all up. People have been coming up with innovative landscape designs to ensure their piece of land doesn't go to waste.

Edible Gardens

Gardening is a calming and peaceful hobby that people are enjoying, especially now during times of uncertainty. More than that, however, they are also finding more ways to make it just as fulfilling. This is why an interest in edible gardens has been renewed.

More and more people are planting vegetables, herbs, fruits, and other plants for consumption. Not only does this give them some sense of food security, but it also elevates their cooking. Knowing what goes into their ingredients essentially makes it a lot healthier for them.

Verdant Scenery

For other people who want to bring the outdoors closer to their home, they've been growing a lot of native plants. These residential plantings help attract much local wildlife, which makes for a serene escape from indoor woes.

As opposed to invasive plants, native plants are more welcoming to the terrain. They usually require less water and can provide habitat for birds, pollinators, and other animals. It allows people to increase awareness of sustainability, particularly in the time of a climate crisis.

The Great Outdoors

Regardless of which option residents go for, the critical element to take away from this is that people are becoming more appreciative of their outdoor spaces. Before the pandemic, it was usually taken for granted as just another piece of their property.

For some, it was a dumping ground for unnecessary things. For others, it was a neglected part of the home. Now, it's become an entirely separate space, all on its own with limitless possibilities. Generally, the pandemic made people more conscious about how they value their living areas.