Inside Out

Outdoor living trends that bring your interior favorites outdoors

By Shelley Mehon, Elemental Landscapes | February 15th, 2018

Outdoor Living Trends 2018 Series: Post 1

When talking home interiors, one of my favorite areas in my home (and I’d assume like many others) is my kitchen.  It’s the center hub–a control area so to speak.  The area of reconnection and conversation, of gathering with family and friends, and unfortunately for me and my husband, the prime area of opportunity for our two loving dogs to sneak a forbidden snack off the counter while we aren’t looking.

But what else is it that makes this room so special to me?

After attending a few landscape design seminars and doing some quality online research, the answer became crystal clear…I love my quaint and cozy kitchen because of the emotional experiences I’ve encountered within it.

Now you might be reading this thinking…”What does this have to do with outdoor living trends?”

Well, it’s exactly that: One of the predominant outdoor living trends for 2018 is designing an outdoor living space based around the experience it will create for the family who uses it. So what better space to create out back than an outdoor kitchen?

Gone are the days of designing outdoor spaces focused solely on their intrinsic features.

What’s trending is the emotional experience each outdoor living area will create.  

Seamless transitions indoors to out.  Sections of comfort and relaxation that extend into your yard.  The idea is to make you forget your new favorite area of your home is no longer within the interior, but has in fact extended itself to the great outdoors.

If some of you are now wondering how a landscape designer (Don’t they only work with plants??) can take your favorite interior space or feature…a kitchen, a fireplace, perhaps even a cherished floor tile pattern…and fashion something similar outdoors, you are in luck!  We have built dozens of outdoor kitchens for clients throughout Chicagoland and are currently designed and booking outdoor kitchens installations in Frankfort, Mokena, Orland Park, Manhattan, and surrounding areas for the 2018 season.

We, at Elemental Landscapes, have been creating these exact spaces for years and have the experience & expertise to make what you thought might only be a far-fetched dream a reality. There’s really no limit to what can be designed into your outdoor kitchen: we’ve installed propane and natural gas grills, Big Green Eggs and Grill Dome charcoal grills, sinks, fridges, ice makers, drop-in coolers, and even kegerators. Now combine an outdoor kitchen with seating and you have a space that everyone will flock to. Add a TV or fire feature nearby and they will never leave!

Check out our website, social media and Houzz accounts for completed outdoor living project highlights, including some of the projects above, and be sure to tune in to our next blog series installment as we dive deeper into outdoor kitchens and bars!