(BPT) - Spending the winter dreaming of upgrading your outdoor space? Use the latest trends in outdoor design as inspiration. With these approaches, you'll be able to transform a so-so space into an outdoor oasis you'll really enjoy.
With help from Belgard®, makers of eye-catching driveways, stunning patios and serene landscapes, you can find an array of products to complement your home, including permeable pavers, interlocking concrete pavers and retaining walls, plus fire features and outdoor ovens.
Check out these top 2026 outdoor trends and re-imagine your ideal space.
1. Optimize smaller socializing spaces
Maximizing your property can be challenging when you don't have a large backyard. With land at a premium and homeowners entertaining more than ever, though, people are getting creative to bring their dreams to life.
Smaller, hybrid spaces are trending. Transform front yards, courtyards or side yards into well-designed spaces to elevate your home with charming entertaining areas. These social spaces also boost curb appeal, which continues to grow in importance as people are buying and selling homes. Ninety-seven percent of National Association of Realtors members believe curb appeal is important for attracting buyers.
Make any area appear more intentional, functional and attractive by delineating smaller spaces using thoughtfully selected modular pavers to create patterns, using geometric design to help differentiate space. Patterns create small details with big impact that goes well beyond simply decorating. Intentional choices guide movement, set mood and define zones. Straight lines delineate calm, while angles add energy. Borders and rug-like layouts can artfully frame patios, emphasize paths and clarify seating areas. Patterns can set a tone that's relaxed and timeless, or bold and contemporary.
2. Make a visual statement
Another trend is combining texture and contrast with pavers and other design elements to transform outdoor spaces into functional artwork. Because modular pavers are designed in equal increments, contractors can easily experiment with geometric shapes and layer various textures, shapes and colors to create truly custom looks and bold visual statements.
One of the biggest choices to make in choosing pavers involves scale: Do you select small, medium or large format pavers? Depending on the size of your patio and how you use them, pavers can make your outdoor space feel cozy or expansive, modern or traditional. For example, smaller pavers create a sense of texture and movement perfect for compact spaces, and the tighter patterns they create add visual interest, making areas feel more intimate. If you have a larger patio or prefer a more modern look, larger slab pavers may be ideal - they open up the design and create a smooth, uncluttered look that feels more spacious. Mid-sized pavers, on the other hand, strike a balance between detail and simplicity - complementing most spaces and surrounding materials beautifully.
Warm tones like deep browns and creams remain popular, now joined by accenting with earth tones. This palette, plus organic-inspired elements like Belgard's Papyrus™ pavers, elevate your home's aesthetic with depth and dimension.
Add striking anchor elements like pergolas or decorative screen panels for shade and privacy, or fire bowls for warmth. These features create strong visual focal points for a unique look that showcases your personal style.
3. Connect indoors and out
The line between interior and exterior home design continues to blur, shaping how homeowners think about their spaces. How does your backyard integrate with your home, and how can these spaces interact? Using outdoor porcelain pavers can help designs flow seamlessly from the indoors out. While similar to indoor porcelain tiles, they're thicker and more durable. You can choose from different stone and wood looks and sizes, like planks and large shapes, to create trendy outdoor spaces with modern style.
In addition, windows and built-in pass-throughs are increasingly in demand, allowing people to maximize space and enjoy indoor-outdoor entertaining. Homeowners are considering these transitional elements when designing dream backyards to maximize overall flow and transform their homes into destinations for entertaining.
Designing a seamless backyard space is essential, including integrated walkways and pathways. There's been a 24% increase in these "journey backyards" from outdoor design customers.
4. Create eco-friendly micro-environments
While biophilic ("nature-loving") design is not new, it's evolving as homeowners seek self-sustaining micro-environments that are both resilient and deeply connected to nature. Homeowners crave more immersive natural experiences that engage all their senses. This idea is explored with elements like edible landscapes, raised garden beds and planters, or water features offering peaceful sounds that distract from noise pollution.
There's an even greater desire for environmentally sustainable options like using permeable pavers, incorporating only native plants and reducing water use, offering long-term health benefits that also help the environment. For example, because permeable pavers are installed with layers of varying-sized stone or aggregate underneath to filter and direct stormwater to underground aquifers, they mimic the way natural land absorbs water, helping reduce soil erosion and potential flooding.
5. Indulge in sanctuary
Time in nature is restorative, helping you de-stress, breathe more deeply and even boost your immune system. Many homeowners are prioritizing wellness-first elements in their outdoor living spaces.
Trending features like saunas, hot tubs, plunge pools, meditation decks and cozy nooks that serve as sanctuaries go a long way toward helping you live a healthier, outdoor-enriched lifestyle. Creating unique pockets of peace around your home's exterior, divided by decorative screen panels or a pergola, raised garden beds or other structures as part of your modular design can transform a smaller unusable area into an oasis that's your favorite corner of the yard.
Ready to design your ultimate outdoor space? Visit Belgard.com for more inspiration.
