The past year has inspired us to reimagine how we use every part of our homes—perhaps none so much as our outdoor space. Now, the line between indoor and outdoor living has become very fluid.
“That’s something we are seeing customers value more—this idea of making your outdoor space as comfortable as your interior living room,” Sebastian notes. “You want to be able to create that feeling of easy living, of relaxation.”
Plant expert Maryah Greene agrees that the uptick in time at home “has inspired people to rethink their spaces, and how they foster growth.” She takes a very human approach with her clients. “Right now people are asking, what ways can I create a space that's going to benefit me and also the people who are in my space? How can we revive this and bring something new here?”
Sebastian shares the inspiration behind Crate & Barrel’s latest outdoor collection. “It always starts with a bold creative vision”—and, in this case, a pre-pandemic road trip through the American Southwest from Marfa, TX, to California. He and his design team drew inspiration from the natural textures and sunwashed palette of the desert landscape, as well as the work of Donald Judd and Georgia O’Keeffe. “We are always so inspired by the environment around us. I think you can see that in the material choices,” which he notes have advanced to be more sustainable, durable and comfortable than ever before.
Designer Mark Sikes notes that his clients are craving a new level of quality. “People want to invest in outdoor spaces, and in furniture that’s going to last a long time.”
Landscape designer Brook Klausing is enthusiastic about the increased attention to outdoor spaces: “We want to create your favorite room in your house that you didn’t know you had.”
For more about the future state of outdoor living, including trends, design ideas and details of that trip to Marfa, watch a recording of the full AD PRO event here.
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