These days, homeowners are transforming their outdoor living spaces into year-round retreats complete with amenities to make each season enjoyable, often bringing the comforts of the interior of the home to the exterior, while blending functionality with pleasing aesthetics.

Whether you're looking to enhance the area around your pool in the summer with lush landscaping and water features, install an outdoor kitchen to entertain family and friends or perhaps adding synthetic grass to work on your golf game, the possibilities to elevate your outdoor space are plentiful.

To find out more about the latest trends, House & Home spoke with some industry experts to get a sense of a few of the ways homeowners are turning their yards into resort-like spaces.

BRINGING THE INSIDE OUT
Nick Erman, co-owner of Evergreen Pros, says many homeowners are creating outdoor living rooms in order to utilize their space throughout the year.

"This can be accomplished by adding projects such as outdoor kitchens, televisions and heaters," he says.

In addition, common outdoor cooking instruments like grills and smokers can be incorporated into an outdoor design creating a cohesive and classy look. The grill no longer needs to sit awkwardly against the side of the house waiting to be used. It can be deconstructed and sit within an outdoor island.

But outdoor food preparation goes beyond specialty items like the pizza oven or grill.

Adding in components like sinks, trash cans or refrigerators can eliminate the need to keep running in and out of the house—leaving you with more time to interact with your guests and decreasing the amount of bugs and heating and air conditioning entering and exiting your home.

"A fully operational outdoor kitchen allows customers to have everything at the tip of their fingers in their outdoor oasis," says Erman. "We want them to have the same features they have inside so that when they're cooking all they have to do is bring their food out."

Having a fully functional outdoor kitchen elevates the backyard experience by allowing the cook to stay present with family and friends. It eliminates the need to leave one or two people inside to prepare the food while everyone else has fun outside.

WATER & FIRE
Those looking for a little more calmness in their lives will undoubtedly benefit from the soothing sounds of added water features in the backyard.

"Any water feature with moving water will absolutely complete any landscape or backyard project. Imagine sitting on your new patio or deck and hearing the sounds of water while you are grilling, relaxing or even entertaining. A water feature will definitely be the focal point of any garden. We like to position them so they can be seen inside and outside as well. These features will be enjoyed all year long. The flowing water in warmer weather will then transform into amazing ice sculptures flowing down the rocks. This is truly stunning, especially with lighting at night," explains George Mihalchick, owner of Ponds By George.

Especially with an intention in mind such as a designated relaxation, amusement or dining area, the finished product enhances the lifestyles of those within the residence. It's another plus if the features incorporated fit their personalities and are interactive.

"Ponds themselves bring so much fun and enjoyment, especially with children. They will always want to feed the fish. Eventually fish will get used to being fed at a certain place and time and will even notice when you come to feed them. They may even let you feed them out of your hand," says Mihalchick.

Fire features alongside water features are also a popular way to add a wow factor with contrasting elements, from a fire pit to sit around after getting out of the pool, to actually combining them in a fire and water bowl where both flow simultaneously.

"We call it living the lifestyle ... even when you're inside and you look outside, you always see a water feature. That's your focal point. That's where people are going to gather. That's where the conversations are going to happen if you have seats by it. And I can tell you that a fire pit will usually be by a water feature, because it's soothing, it's relaxing," adds Mihalchick.

A SHADY SITUATION
When it comes to spending time outdoors, shaded areas are always coveted. One particular area of interest in recent years has been motorized louvered roof systems, which provide pergola like coverage when open, but can quickly be closed to provide a break from the abundant sunshine or inclement weather.

These systems are fully motorized allowing you to rotate the louvers as needed throughout the day via remote control. When fully closed for rain showers, the water runs from the louvers to the gutters attached to the beams and then down through the posts which as act as drain spouts.

And with added customizations, you can personalize the system to your specific needs and desires.

"We've had customers request specific colors and finishes, to wrap with Azek or wood to match the existing home architecture, and even to add pergola tails or specific lighting. It's all possible," says Karen Frederick, owner of The Louvered Roof Company.

Frederick adds that the most popular accessory requests of late are lights and a fan, but many clients also want screens and heaters.

"These turn the system into a three or even four season space. It's a little extra investment but allows for much more use of the space," she says.

Each system is individually designed and made to order. "We start with a consultation to understand how you want to use the space and if it's to cover a deck, patio or if it's part of a new outdoor living space. There are so many ways to customize the design to create a flow from the style of the home through to the outdoor living area. ... It really is about design and functionality," Frederick says.

Additionally, awnings remain a popular way to provide shade to your outdoor living area. With features like adjustable pitch and integrated LED lighting, awnings create a comfortable, stylish space for relaxing or entertaining in any weather.

But beyond shade, awnings also provide some underlying benefits that homeowners may not realize, according to Josh Eberly of Marygrove Awnings.

"Awnings help lower indoor cooling costs by reducing heat through windows. They also protect outdoor furniture and flooring from sun damage," he says.

Advancements in technology have also expanded possibilities, with smart awnings giving homeowners full control from an app on their phone.

"Smart controls offer total convenience and these features elevate comfort and create a more usable, personalized space. [Homeowners] can open or close the awning, adjust lights and receive weather alerts. Wind sensors protect the awning by retracting it in strong winds, which adds convenience and safety, making smart awnings an increasingly popular choice," says Eberly.

KEEP ON THE GRASS
"I haven't mowed my lawn in 23 years," a proud Jason Mitnick says.

Mitnick is the owner of JM Synthetic Grass and says one of the biggest advantages of the products he offers is it eliminates energy and effort necessary to maintain your lawn, no matter if you push the mower yourself or pay a landscaper.

"You don't need a mower, you don't need a weed whacker, you don't have to water, seed and all the stuff that goes along with keeping your lawn in top shape," he affirms.

In addition to freeing up your time to enjoy your outdoor space, synthetic grass is especially attractive to pet owners.

"I go to some backyards and it looks like they were bombed by the government," Mitnick quips. "The dogs are digging their way to China and their tracking the dirt back into the house. .... People aren't going to give up their pet, so they give up their lawn.

"People choose the synthetic grass because there's no more contact between the dog and the dirt. We have grasses that are designed especially for pets and have a high volume of drainage through it, so the urine washes out fast. ... The dog stays clean. The house stays clean. The yard stays clean."

Others who may consider adding synthetic grass to their yard may include golf lovers who opt to put a section in the backyard to work on their short game, or parents looking to add a play area for their children that can take a beating and look no worse for the wear. There are lots of other possibilities as well, like creating a bocce ball court or even a batting cage area if the yard is large enough.

With more than 600 styles of grass to choose from, Mitnick explains that the style of grass a pet owner needs will differ from a lawn grass or a grass designated for a play area.

"There's so many options and styles available, it's about applying the right grass to the right application," he says.

--Peter Proko contributed to this story

RESOURCES
Evergreen Pros
Cologne, N.J.
(609) 214-8552
EvergreenPros.com

JM Synthetic Grass
Toms River, N.J.
(201) 220-2609
JMSyntheticGrass.com

Marygrove Awnings
Multiple locations
(800) AWNINGS
Marygrove.com

Ponds By George
Southampton, Pa.
(215) 396-7500
PondsByGeorge.com

The Louvered Roof Company
Doylestown, Pa.
(267) 293-7028
TheLouveredRoofCompany.com

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 25, Issue 10 (Spring 2026)
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