These 10 Trends Will Define Outdoor Design in 2023
Outdoor spaces are where we come together with friends and family, immerse ourselves in nature, and escape the everyday—so the design of your garden is just as important as your indoor living spaces. This year, design trends for outdoor spaces are taking cues from interiors, with bold graphic elements, Art Deco flair, and maximalism in the spotlight.
To discover more about the trends that will define our outdoor spaces this year, we spoke with the team at Techo-Bloc, a leader in creative pavers and slabs. “The outdoor industry has just exploded in the last few years and once you’ve tasted having an outdoor space that’s enjoyable, it’s really hard to go back,” says Jessica Ciccarello, Director of Branding and Communications at Techo-Bloc. “Outdoor spaces have gained in popularity and importance for homeowners, and it’s become a more important requirement for many home buyers.”
To help you take your garden from ordinary to inspiring, here are 10 of the hottest design trends that will be defining outdoor spaces this year.
Fade-to-Fabulous
Ombre has been a trend in interiors for some time—and now it’s migrating to outdoor spaces. Graduating shades of the same hue create elegant impact and visual interest, whether you choose cooler tones of gray and charcoal, or warmer browns and reds. “We’ve been seeing gradients being used in area rugs for a few years but now we’re seeing it in outdoor pavements,” says Ciccarello.
A subtle ombre effect has been created around the pool using the Techo-Bloc Squadra paver in Chestnut Brown with Merlot scattered throughout. The edge of the pool is graphically defined using the Blu Grande slab in Beige Cream to create a striking and sophisticated composition.
Flower Power
Maximalism is a trend well-suited to the open expanses of outdoor spaces—think intricate patterns, textured floral designs, and graphic layouts that make an impactful statement even in the smallest of gardens. Techo-Bloc’s new Flora tiles bring a touch of contemporary European elegance to the outdoors, with bold floral patterns textured into a durable concrete surface. Add colorful furnishings and lush plants for a tropical vibe, or go tone-on-tone for a more subtle effect.
Flora is a new Techo-Bloc product created with a new manufacturing technique that gives concrete the appearance of European ceramics with the same durability and freeze-thaw attributes of all Techo-Bloc pavers and patio slabs—and it can be laid in over 460 different pattern combinations. “Flora is getting a lot of attention from the landscape design community,” says Ciccarello. “We forecast it to be a very hot product this year.”
Lead With Maximalism
In recent years, pared-back minimalist design has dominated design trends—but maximalism is making a comeback. “If we look at history, maximalist aesthetics and trends have been very much related to periods of celebration,” explains Ciccarello. “Turning the page on the pandemic, people are ready to see new things, to live life to the fullest, to take chances. It’s no surprise that maximalism’s philosophy of indulgence, boldness and somewhat fearlessness are striking a chord with many of us.”
This home is elevated by the dramatic outdoor space, which uses large-scale Techo-Bloc Para tiles as a starting canvas. A scattering of Techo-Bloc Diamond pavers in colors that echo the home’s exterior palette create a dynamic abstract composition that connects the outdoor kitchen to the fire pit and stone bench.
Tone-on-Tone Texture
If you want luxe resort vibes at home, go for a tone-on-tone look that inspires calm and relaxation. A timeless all-beige palette with richly textured surfaces that are reminiscent of the natural world—think rough-hewn stone, waves, ripples, and wood grain—is the key to transforming your garden into an oasis.
The textured stone slabs around this resort-style pool are simple yet elegant. The Travertina Raw 30 x 30 slabs are laid on an angle to create a dynamic play of lines and finished with a cap around the pool in complementary Ivory. Set against an expanse of lush lawn dotted with mature trees, it’s the definition of understated luxury.
Geometric Spaces
Create a variety of functional zones throughout your garden and reshape the outdoors by adding geometric features into your landscape design. Define areas using unexpected shapes, such as circles and triangles, and use smooth paving stones for a sleek and sophisticated finish that doesn’t compete with the bold graphic expression.
Techo-Bloc’s Industria 600 x 100 pavers in Greyed Nickel add a refined rhythm to this circular patio that punctuates a vast expanse of grass on the edge of a lake. The regularity of the gridded tiles and the perfectly formed circle are pleasingly juxtaposed by the rough-hewn stone fire pit.
Bold Basket Weave
In keeping with the new penchant for maximalism, the trend for basket-weave tile and paver layouts play with color, contrast, and texture. This woven effect is created by placing small tiles in a grid with large slabs to spectacular effect. “Maximalism has a tendency of resurfacing as a counter-movement to minimalism, an aesthetic we have seen for many years now,” says Ciccarello.
Techo-Bloc’s Ocean Grande in Beige Cream and the smaller, rough-hewn Valet pavers in Onyx Black have been used to create a visually exciting layout with charcoal grout to emphasize the basket-weave pattern. “Stunning textures are revealed under different angles of the sun,” says Ciccarello.
Art Deco Outdoors
Art Deco style made a comeback last year—and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. Techo-Bloc’s Squadra pavers in contrasting colors are ideal for creating intricate patterns that set the tone for special gatherings and late-night stargazing. Let your imagination run wild and redefine the character of your outdoor space. Or, for a more subtle effect, choose tonal colors.
This glitzy patio doubles as the stage for an outdoor cinema, with small stones in contrasting colors laid down in a sophisticated Art Deco-inspired pattern. The bold pattern has been crafted using Techo-Bloc’s Squadra paver in Shale Grey and Onyx Black. The small 3×3 square cobblestones have an aged finish and are ideal for creating mosaics at ground level.
Street Smarts
Transform your driveway from utilitarian necessity to enviable design feature using tailored grass inserts, a rich palette of textures, or eye-catching mosaics in contrasting colors. In harsh winter climates, consider permeable pavements that help reduce snow build-up, or heated pavements that keep driveways clear of snow and slip-free.
Techo-Bloc’s Aquastorm pavers are designed to allow grass to grow between them, creating a unique play between the softness of grass and the functionality of concrete. They’re also anti-flood and permeable, making them as functional as they are beautiful.
California Dreamin’
Create a stunning backdrop for the beauty of nature using monochromatic pavers with unusual shapes and contrasting textures. Creating a graphic tessellated pattern at ground level adds visual interest to the outdoor space, without overpowering the view. Techo-Bloc has plenty of interesting shapes to choose from, including the Diamond paver, Hexa slab, and Industria Triangle paver.
The sprawling Californian landscape and the wildness of the surrounding vegetation is perfectly offset by the geometric pattern of the tiles in shades of gray. The main patio is tiled using Techo-Bloc Diamond pavers in contrasting Smooth and Granitex textures, with a border of rectilinear Para slab and Raffinato cap around the pool. The Greyed Nickel color visually unites the variety of shapes to create a refined finish—add comfy chairs and a fire pit and you’ve got a dreamy spot to watch the sunset.
Low-Maintenance Luxury
Perfectly manicured lawns might be a thing of the past. Instead, landscapers and designers are turning towards more sustainable, lower maintenance native plants. Create structured garden beds to allow the plants to grow wild without taking over, and use the beds to create various zones throughout the garden. “This way, you can create a clean, organized outdoor design that requires very little maintenance,” explains Ciccarello.
Techo-Bloc’s large-format Para slab is ideal for creating a clean, elegant garden design that complements the wild beauty of native plants. Here, the Para slab in Greyed Nickel has been paired with the Raffinato step in Greyed Nickel to shape an elegant garden set over several levels. Black pebbles highlight the linear design and bring a sense of order to the landscape.
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