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Redesigning Our Outdoor Spaces for 2021
There is no doubt COVID-19 has touched every aspect of our lives, to include how we spend our time. We spent much of 2020 adjusting to a year of social distancing, working from home and looking for safer ways to destress in a more stressful world. As we spent more time at home and in our yards, we began to shift our focus to improving the quality of our more-at-home lifestyle. It’s no surprise these trending outdoor spaces are expected to gain in popularity for 2021.
The At-Home Outdoor Office
These backyard converted sheds, often lovingly referred to as a “She Shed”, have been trending for a few years now, but we expect their popularity to soar in 2021. With more people working from home than ever before, the need for a quiet at-home office has never been more needed. What better way to work safely from your home, than your own little garden cubical just a few steps from your backdoor.
The Backyard Veggie Garden
The growing interest in vegetable gardening is another steady trend we’ve been watching over the last few years, but we saw a huge increase in 2020 as a result of the pandemic. We expect this trend to boom even bigger in 2021. There many benefits to growing your own food, but it can also decrease how often a trip to the very public grocery store is needed. For more on the top 5 benefits of growing your own food click here.
The Socially Distanced Gathering Space
If there’s one thing we learned in 2020, it’s that it is safer to gather when spread out in open air spaces. Additional hardscaping to allow for more spacious seating is expected to also trend this year, as well as fire pits and fire tables. Our summers are short here in Alberta, so designing spaces to stretch our season is the best way to get more time with our friends and family when indoor gatherings are not an option. Heat sources such as fire pits and fire tables will help extend the season.
The Backyard Retreat
Last but not least, the backyard retreat is something we probably all need. Given how stressful our current world situation is, a safe and private space to disconnect and reconnect with nature is just what the doctor ordered. A well designed retreat will include a comfy space to soak up those vitamin D rays, privacy from prying eyes and surround you with lots of natural elements to decrease those cortisol levels.
