5 Outdoor Living Trends In Northwest Florida For 2016

One of the best reasons to live in Florida is access to the outdoors year round. Our clients often ask us about the latest trends to improve the yards and landscaping for both their primary residences and their vacation homes.

From Panama City Beach to Sandestin and Destin, here are five outdoor living trends in Northwest Florida we’re seeing right now. This is your chance to keep your landscaping on trend.

Outdoor Kitchen And Living Space Upgrades

This is by far the biggest trend, partly because there are so many options for improving a patio living area so that clients can maximize their use of their outdoor space.

Those who don’t have a screened in patio (Florida room) often add an outdoor kitchen and upgraded furniture to spend more quality time outside.

Depending on the size of your space and your budget, you can put in a full kitchen with a built-in BBQ, refrigerator, sink and custom countertop.

Clients often like to build a pergola or some kind of shading system on top, though of course that’s optional. A custom outdoor kitchen is perfect for vacation homes, whether you use the home yourself, or rent it out.

Keep in mind that some communities require approval from an architectural review board before installation, so that should be built into the planning process.

Outdoor Showers

Outdoor showers are extremely popular in Northwest Florida, for any home with a pool or that’s within a mile of the beach.

These are usually installed by the home builder (for newer homes) because they require access to the home’s water pipes, but some clients want to us to add or replace the pavers below the shower. This way they are sure to have a clean surface for their feet when they’re done.

Outdoor Fireplace

Whether or not you have an outdoor kitchen, adding a patio fire place or fire pit is another trend.

Evenings sometimes get chilly, and warming up by the fire (not to mention making s’mores with the kids or grandkids) creates great memories.

At GreenEarth, we usually install outdoor fireplaces and fire pits into newly built homes, or while renovating the landscaping. This way, the gas line can be hard-wired without displacing current hardscaping.

Turning on the fire with the flick of a switch means that you don’t have to struggle with matches and fire starters! The exterior of the fire pit or fire place can also be coordinated with the pavers used for the patio.

Herb Gardens

Using herbs from the yard is a great way to put your landscaping to double use! Some of our clients ask us to plant rosemary, plus other herbs in container gardens or raised beds. These plants look great, and you can trim off what you need during cooking, for a continued supply of fresh ingredients.

Not surprisingly, herb gardens and other forms of edible landscaping are planted more at primary residences, as they require more frequent watering.

Bright Colors

According to Zillow, the most popular outdoor color this year is lime green. But GreenEarth has noticed that all bright colors that pop are trendy right now.

Some of our clients prefer to use a few select items with a bright color, like pillows or even an accent wall, paired with neutral furniture colors. Others have an off-white or beige home color, enjoying the wow factor of brightly colored couch cushions or seat covers.

It’s all a matter of personal preference. And just like you’d use an interior decorator inside your home, many in Northwest Florida are using interior decorators for outside the home.

GreenEarth Can Make Any Outdoor Trends a Reality at Your Home

At GreenEarth, we listen to our clients and we follow what’s happening in the landscaping world. If you have an idea of how you’d like to improve your outdoor living space, let us know. We can work with all budgets and yard sizes, giving professional advice and planning ideas, as well as top notch execution.

Whether you call us about your primary residence or a vacation home, we make sure you get the value and quality you want from a home improvement project.

If you’d like a consultation or want to know what we can do to help you, give us a call at our Panama City Beach office at (850) 236-1959, or call our Santa Rosa Beach office at (850) 267-0010 to set up an appointment. You can also fill out the online form on our website to schedule a consultation.

Images: Outdoor shower, Green wicker, Herb garden