ON TAP FOR SUMMER
Trend is toward bigger and smarter backyard spaces
Outdoor living continues to build an indoor vibe as backyard design trends get bigger, better and smarter.
“Everybody is doing over-thetop extravagant backyards, anything from the outdoor pizza oven to the entire outdoor kitchen all wrapped up off of the back of the house,” says Chris Palmer, owner of Handcrafted by Chris Palmer.
With home and cottage prices continuing to rise, people are choosing to “focus on the upkeep of the house they already have,” says Palmer, and they’re looking for more sustainable, long-lasting options.
What’s trending for 2020 is the rise of affordable, locally sourced composite materials that have come down in price to the point where they are two to four times the cost of the average pressure treated wood.
Companies like Clubhouse Decking and TruNorth Composites Inc. out of Brantford, Ont., are offering innovative materials that come with a fade-and-stain warranty and a low environmental footprint. Aluminum railing systems are also getting easier to install and are engineered to outperform vinyl, composite, wood and steel materials, he says.
According to Palmer, people are rethinking their backyard renovations from a few years ago.
“It’s the ‘I wish I did that the first time around’ kind of thing,” he says, referring to the angst that comes with the need to routinely sand, wash and seal a wooden deck or backyard feature.
“Composites are materials where you give it a wash, give it a sweep and don’t worry about it.”
Outdoor kitchens are trending toward the “extreme” with smokers, open-flame cooking and pizza ovens joining the traditional barbecue. It’s not unusual to see plush seating, sinks, wine refrigerators and ceiling fans, or even wireless TVs and cabinets that rival indoor kitchens. Umbrellas and trellises are being replaced with chunkier, oversized pergola structures that use six by six posts as a minimum and feature beautifully crafted dovetail and mortise and tenon joints.
Spending more time outdoors means homeowners are also getting creative when it comes to adding shade and privacy. Palmer suggests using staggered privacy screens to cast an illusion of seclusion and curb wind gusts. More and more people are also choosing to build retractable awnings off of the rear of their homes to elongate the roof as needed for shade.
No matter how big or small a backyard design project, it seems the environment is top of mind. Whether that means using environmentally friendly materials, zero-scaping with plants that require little or no water, installing smart irrigation systems or planting an edible garden, people are looking to create functional spaces that marry greenery with green choices.
“I’m seeing sustainability as the biggest trend,” says Palmer, pointing to the low environmental impact of new composite materials that are outlasting their predecessors. “In the grand scheme of things, I would buy that composite deck knowing that my dog ’s not going to trash it and my colour’s never going to fade or wear.”
Composites are materials where you give it a wash, give it a sweep and don’t worry about it.