We’ve made it through winter, and everyone is finally poking their heads above ground – from crocuses and groundhogs to builders and clients. As integrators engage in outdoor projects this spring, it’s important to be aware of current design trends: Cultivating solutions aligned with the annual crop of outdoor living styles can help grow your business.
Here are four of the strongest outdoor design themes of 2024 and how integrators can lean into them.
Indoor/Outdoor Flow
There’s a growing consumer preference for outdoor designs that extend the design aesthetics and even materials of the indoor living space. That means matching the flooring, furniture, and color palette of the porch or sunroom to the home’s interior design. But isn’t a home’s soundscape just as important to the ambiance?
Integrators can hitch onto this design trend by creating distributed sound systems that extend program audio from architectural speakers in the home into the outdoor living space. A 70V system, rated for outdoor use, is a cost-effective way to bring uniform coverage to open spaces like a porch or yard. With a hybrid amplifier, integrators can extend the same program audio from the indoor 8-ohm system seamlessly into the yard.
Longer Outdoor Entertaining Seasons
From the “ski beaches” of Aspen to climate-controlled sunrooms, there is a firm trend toward extending the outdoor entertaining season into more geographical locations and times of the year. Designers have advanced this trend through heated furniture, smokeless firepits, and cozy, plush materials. AV integrators can also help keep the backyard open for business longer with thoughtful infrastructure and improved lighting design.
Outdoor AV needs to operate in ever-more-challenging weather conditions, so it should of course be IP-rated to withstand moisture and particulate matter. You can decrease system vulnerabilities by keeping audio and video sources indoors and using wireless signal distribution. These days, integrators can count on the ability to transmit even 4K HDMI via a wireless extender, including controlling the source from the display. There’s no need to store sensitive equipment outside.
Integrators can also improve homeowners’ year-round experience by bringing more sophisticated lighting outside. Think beyond overhead lighting or landscape illumination: why shouldn’t outdoor spaces benefit from the same dimmable, programmable task lighting that helps set the mood indoors?
Sensory Pathways
Sensory pathways that provide a way for residents to unwind and recharge were one of the biggest new landscaping trends to emerge last year. These winding walks include elements to engage multiple senses, including smell, sight, touch, and sound.
Windchimes and water features are often part of sensory pathway design, but an outdoor audio system can complement the natural soundscape. Just make sure you have unobtrusive speakers with flexible mounting options: 4” pendant speakers staked into the ground can subtly enhance the sense of tranquility through gentle music.
Organic Design
The trend toward organic outdoor design styles, featuring natural materials, soft shapes, and weathered textures and materials, is expected to continue to prevail in 2024. People want to feel in touch with nature – this preference is reflected through an increase in gravel and natural stone hardscapes; wood rattan and jute finishes, and ornamental plants spilling from the yard onto the patio or porch.
Some of these elements can be to the benefit of outdoor AV systems, absorbing and reflecting sound within the listening area and providing some acoustic warmth. The preference for organic aesthetics, however, does require a subtle touch. Wireless distribution will help integrators align with this trend as well, keeping visible electronics and infrastructure to an absolute minimum. I also strongly recommend considering cloud or app-based control for AV in “organic” outdoor spaces: very few outdoor remotes can fit this aesthetic, while smartphone-based control is both convenient and discrete.
The biggest outdoor design trends of 2024 ask integrators to blend into the natural environment – but that doesn’t mean outdoor AV should fade away. By maintaining awareness of consumer and designer priorities, you can spring into the outdoor entertaining season with a suite of solutions that perfectly enhance their dream experience.
See also: Digital Projection Outdoor LED Videowalls Shine Bright Under All Weather Conditions
