With spring arriving, the landscaping and hardscaping season has also begun. If you’re interested in making an aesthetic and functional upgrade to the outdoor spaces on your property this year, we encourage you to take a look at some of the biggest trends in hardscaping we expect to dominate the industry.
Here’s a quick overview of some of the most common hardscaping designs and ideas we’re likely to encounter in Kansas City throughout 2020:
- Outdoor kitchens: We know how much people in Kansas City love their barbecue, and gas and charcoal grills and smokers are a fixture of just about every backyard throughout the area. But why stop there? If you already do a significant amount of outdoor cooking and entertaining and have a little bit of extra usable space, you might consider creating an entire outdoor kitchen. This can give you extra countertop food prep space, cabinetry for storage, an outdoor sink and some built-in appliances like gas grills, pizza ovens, refrigerators and more. These spaces can be designed to be usable all throughout the year!
- Outdoor living rooms: Open patios and decks remain extremely popular for people who like to have cookouts or host casual get-togethers during the summer months, but if you want to take your outdoor entertaining areas to the next level, you can create a covered outdoor room that can be enjoyed all year long. This will give you more options in terms of the kinds of furniture you can purchase, as well as entertainment options, such as entertainment centers with televisions, rec room options (pool tables or table tennis), full wet bars with beer on tap and other such amenities.
- Sustainable initiatives: Sustainability continues to grow in importance in all types of construction, including hardscaping. One big trend you’ll likely come across this year is the use of eco pavers, which help the environment by encouraging rainwater to seep into the ground and reduce the runoff into streets and driveways. Rain collection systems will also become more popular, especially in areas of the country that don’t get as much precipitation. Finally, expect to continue to see more hardscaping projects performed with recycled or reused materials.
- Natural stone: Concrete blocks have been used for years in hardscaping due to their dependability, but they can lack a bit in the aesthetics department. For this reason, lots of homeowners taking on hardscaping projects are focusing on using stone products with at least the appearance of natural stone in its color and texture, even if it’s just a manufactured version of stone products. These types of stone products can be used in outdoor kitchens, around pools, in gardens and as walkways, with the purpose being to create a more natural, welcoming appearance wherever they’re placed.
These are just a few examples of some of the biggest hardscaping trends we expect to influence the market in 2020. For more information about hardscaping your yard in Kansas City and some of the designs you can choose from, contact MSE Hardscape Design and Installation today.