While the season’s first snow may have just blanketed the East Coast, deck designers and savvy homeowners already have summer of 2019 on their minds — and the new outdoor living spaces they’ll be enjoying. Now is the perfect time to explore the outdoor living trends for 2019 that will be making headlines, earning segments on HGTV, and dropping jaws across the country.
The forecast for the hottest outdoor living trends for 2019 includes emerging new materials, more love for outdoor kitchens, new deck shapes, and so much more. Dive into these up-and-coming trends in outdoor living — and learn why NOW is the right time to plan a custom deck if you want to enjoy it next summer.
6 Big Trends in Outdoor Living
Successful deck and porch designs pair elements of the prevailing style with the unique tastes of the client. Every Keystone Custom Deck project is built along these lines, combining the very best of the hot outdoor living trends with how our clients and their families will use the space.
These are the outdoor living trends to look for in 2019 — as highlighted by some of our ahead-of-the-curve decks of the last few years.
1. Deck, Porch, and Patio Combos
Once upon a time, deciding between deck vs. patio was a choice you had to make — you couldn’t have both. Increasingly ambitious designs have cast doubt on that notion, but 2019 is the year it is laid to rest. The new trend in outdoor living space design is to build spaces that combine decks with either porches, patios, or both.
Not only does this create luxury spaces with a fascinating color and material profile, it also gives you multiple ways to enjoy your outdoor space. You can serve a late breakfast on your sundeck only to take cover under the patio and play board games when the rain comes. Outdoor living spaces are only going to become more complex, giving homeowners more ways to enjoy them.
2. Stonework
Keystone Custom Decks has long loved designing decks with stone — and it seems like the trends in outdoor living are catching up. Some of the most prominent places to see stonework used are on columns as mounting for outdoor kitchens. In addition, numerous trendsetting porches have used full stone sections as both visual accents and to house fireplaces.
With the increase in popularity of patio deck combinations, masonry features that match the patios are finding their way into more and more outdoor living space designs.
3. Outdoor Kitchens Making Waves
Another trend for 2019 you can expect is the greater popularity than ever of full outdoor kitchens. Homeowners are falling in love with the idea of using their decks as a place to prepare and serve their meals. As a result, outdoor kitchens have become more complete and more present in outdoor living design than ever before.
Some of the custom outdoor kitchens we’ve built tailored to our clients’ tastes have included:
- Grills
- Side burners
- Griddles
- Fridges
- Hidden trashcans
- Outdoor pantries
- Sinks
- Bar stations to fill with ice
- Pizza ovens
We can’t wait to see the ambitious outdoor kitchens we build for 2019!
4. Design with Curves
Think your deck can only be a rectangle? Think again. One of the big outdoor living trends for both 2018 and 2019 is decks with unique shapes. Standing out among those is the curved deck. These designs contour in and out along a wavy line, rather than keeping a straight one. Curved decks look fantastic in outdoor spaces with multiple stories or as a complement to an in-ground swimming pool.
5. Found Material and Artifacts
Something that no deck blog, magazine, or TV show can tell you is how exactly to personalize your space. We can, however, tell you about one of the most popular trends: found artifacts. Maybe for you it’s memorabilia from a favorite sports team, or maybe it’s an old surfboard you hang from the rafters. We love collaborating with homeowners to include found historical touches like reclaimed barn wood and authentic Jack Daniels barrels. See an amazing example of found material right here:
6. Multi-Level Spaces
A keyword to summarize deck and outdoor living trends for 2019: ambitious. Elevated decks have always been a feature in our portfolio, but they are going to take center stage in 2019. You can expect to see classic two-story outdoor spaces that feature a porch underneath and sundeck above.
In addition, even single story decks will start to feature changes in level, with raised eating areas playing off of lowered sitting spaces. This design touch leads to an increasingly complex feeling, and spaces that are fun to use and that have a gorgeous profile.
Planning your Deck over the Winter
If you dream of hosting a party on your deck to commemorate the first day of summer, the time to start planning and scheduling is over the winter. When you partner with Keystone Custom Decks, you work with your dedicated designer to fine-tune every aspect of your dream outdoor living space. We aren’t just dropping a 15 X 15 deck on your lawn — we’re collaborating with you on a piece of outdoor architecture. Since our design process is extensive, it can take longer — so start now to realize your ideal outdoor space by this coming summer.
In addition, due to the overwhelming popularity of Keystone Custom Decks, we are often booked out half a year in advance. If you want to ensure that you can enjoy your deck during the summer of 2019, we recommend you start the conversation today!
