It’s that time of the year again. The end of it and as we head into the future, it’s a great time to realign and redesign. Each year we talk to our design experts and friends and pull together the most comprehensive guide to outdoor design and living you’ll find this side of Google.
In fact, this is our 6th edition of outdoor design and living trends. We’re happy to bring you new, fresh ideas that you can use to improve your outdoor design for 2025.
Some of these outdoor design and living ideas may be outdated now as is common in design and trends so it’s time for a refresh of ideas to go with your refresh of your outdoor furniture. Here they are...
1. Outdoor Furniture
Outdoor Furniture can transform your backyard in a variety of ways. Add comfort with a lounger, enjoy dinner with friends and family with a classy dining setting or create a statement with designer furniture that’s designed to stand out.
2. Drinks Trollies
One of our new favorites, the drinks trolley. You can find some great looking drinks trollies for home. These add a touch of fun and class to any outdoor design. Wheel it out to see the smiles on your guests. You can pack your drinks trolley with your favorite mixers, spirits and garnishes to make any custom cocktails you need all in a stylish, convenient mode of transport.
3. Surprising Sitting Situations
This year look to update your outdoor furniture design with an interesting seating choice. We’re enjoying interesting
combinations of rounded and straight edges in the same furniture piece. This contrast adds interest to furniture and improves the overall aesthetic of your space.
4. Bougie in Burgundy
The colour of the year for 2025? Burgundy. If you want to add a new colour to your outdoor space, look to add throws, pillows or perhaps, even a new market umbrella with a burgundy canopy to make sure you’re on trend for 2025.
5. Put Your feet Up
Opulent ottomans, pompous poofs and fancy footstools are a great way to add comfort and storage to your outdoor space. We suggest if you’re looking for storage to improve your outdoor area, combining that with the style and comfort of an ottoman is the best way for 2025
6. Modular Design
Modularity is essential to any modern outdoor design system. When you’re looking to design a new space, we suggest ideas incorporating modular design principles. Think loungers and outdoor couches that can change their shape and size or furniture with sharp straight lines so they can line up in different configurations.
7. Outdoor Umbrellas
Outdoor umbrellas are a great way to upgrade your space and add a touch of class and elegance to your area. Choose from a range of designs, layouts and colours to enhance your outdoor area. The Shadowspec Serenity is a great addition to any outdoor space, combining ease of use with marine-grade materials.
8. Pizza Ovens
We’re big fans of pizza at Shadowspec and believe any trending outdoor area needs a pizza oven so you can impress your friends, family and neighbours with your Neapolitan skills. A simple dough recipe, some San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil and you’ll be the toast of the town.
9. Sage & Basil
If the above burgundy isn’t quite your style, look to light fresh greens – basil and sage colours are vibrant, fresh and iconic. Bringing a sense of positivity and light air to your space will encourage a relaxing energy to flow over your backyard. These trending colours are a great addition to any space for 2025
10. Technology
Incorporating tech into your outdoor environment is a consistent trend. We suggest looking at how you can create a smart outdoor living space with TVs, speakers and automation to create a trendy location to enjoy with your friends and family.
11. Lighting
LED lighting is synonymous with outdoor design and using a variety of lighting techniques to frame and accentuate your space is essential in 2025. Use large softball lighting to create an ambience, strips of LED lights to frame zones and our favourite new idea, featured lighting sculptures.
12. Coastal Design
Scenic, coastal and rustic designs are taking over in 2025 add soft sand colours and fresh white accessories to lean into the coastal design aesthetic. Look to echo the texture of natural coastlines with timber, stone and glass. You’ll be sure to impress with this trend.
13. Sustainability
Sustainability is essential and taking it into account when designing your outdoor space is essential. The best design elements are sustainable whether it’s high-end furniture and products that last and are made of reusable materials or incorporating clever composting practices to improve your garden.
14. Don’t Be Boring
Nothing says “Trending” like something out of the ordinary. Look for interesting art pieces to use as a focal point in your backyard. This will create a talking point and wow anyone who visits, or peers over your fence. Get creative with your outdoor design and living space.
15. Wall Mounted Umbrellas
If you’ve got an underused or unloved balcony space or a smaller urban backyard, you don’t have to feel left out – A wall mounted umbrella is a great way to turn compact spaces into clever backyard features that you can use to enjoy fresh air and enjoy the company of your friends and family.
16. Outdoor Kitchen
An outdoor kitchen will always be a good idea – keep the grease and flames outdoors to make clean up, and socialising easier. Look to a specialist supplier to help install your grill, a beer and wine fridge and even a sink to keep that cooking clean and delicious.
17. Biophilic Design
We’re big fans of the outdoors, which should come at no surprise, a big trend this year will be incorporating nature into designs. Nature is famous for inspiring design and aesthetics all over the world and by connecting your space to nature with texture and fresh interconnected design elements will enhance your living and style.
18. Textures
We suggest using texturing in a mindful way. By combining various textures across your space you can create a space that’s interesting to look at and interact with. Trending textures are nature-inspired and melt well with soft, smooth features to create juxtaposition across your backyard which is key to backyard design in 2025.
19. Fireplaces
Outdoor fireplaces are a great, on-trend addition to backyard space. They take careful consideration to get right, but the rewards are exceptional. Creating a warm environment where you can relax, have a tipple and if the mood strikes roast some marshmallows. Iconic.
20. Heating
Being pragmatic is a trend for 2025. By looking at how you can improve the heating and inherent warmth of your outdoor space you can increase the usability of your backyard and add another season to your year. The more comfortable you can make your outdoor space the more you can use it.
21. Spa Pools
The humble Jacuzzi is a great way to bring forward the design of your backyard for 2025. Enjoying the space in a relaxing, therapeutic spa is great for your well-being to benefit from your outdoor revamp.
22. Swimming Pools
Swimming pools are the quintessential backyard patio feature. Giving you something to point your furniture at, relax, cool down and have a good time in. Creating lasting memories with friends and family starts with a pool and should be considered in 2025.
23. Wellness Nook
Are you looking for your own space to reconnect, revitalise and re-energise? Create your own pilates or yoga space in a relaxing corner of your backyard. A water feature will enhance this even further, or for the adventurous trendsetters a mini zen garden will help your wellness from home.
24. Woody Meadow
Our designers are deep in the Woody Meadow trend. Create a rustic layered backyard that incorporates different colours, plant textures and visual positioning to enhance the flow and form of your backyard. A long visual display with flowerings will get you well on your way to this year's hottest garden trend.
25. People
Think about people in all your outdoor design decisions. Creating a space where people can gather, enjoy and relax is essential to having a space that you can use. There’s no point in creating a stunning backyard that follows our advice if it's cold and unwelcoming. Design for people.
Thanks for reading: Outdoor Design and Living. We hope you’ve found something useful that will help you enhance your outdoor space this year whilst following the latest trends. If you incorporate any of these ideas in your space tag us on our Instagram so we can see your on-trend backyard.