Lennar Resource Center

Has your outdoor decor been languishing from the summer heat? Well, get ready! Fall is just around the corner, and that means a whole new season for lounging on the porch. Cooler weather and changing leaves aren’t the only new arrivals for autumn—fall brings a slew of backyard designs that will make you extra excited for hot cider and nights around the fire pit.

The Rise of the Outdoor Couch

Get ready to kiss those hard benches and plastic chairs goodbye. Patio furniture is finally showing its softer side, and that means sofas and couches complete with plush pillows and cushions that are just perfect for lounging the day away with a good book. Sectionals are ideal, since they can be organized around a firepit or table to make outdoor socializing easier. Teak or concrete pieces with clean lines allow you to focus on the experience, without a ton of flourishes crowding your eyeline.

Kicking the Hose

Perhaps the one positive side effect of California’s water crisis is that it has made many of us more conscious about the amount we drain off the tap. That new water wisdom has instigated some important shifts in gardening: namely, it’s made succulents the plant du jour. Pint-sized succulent gardens pressed into rough-hewn wooden boxes are popular, and really capture the rustic Laurel Canyon flair so in favor at the moment. In warmer areas, they also make great companions to hardscaped walkways and patios. In colder climates, try hardier specimens like yucca, agave, and hens and chicks.

Via The Garden Glove

Pocket Bars

Nothing is more annoying than having to stop short in the middle of an engaging conversation so you can head back into the kitchen to refill your glass. Miniature pocket bars were created to solve this problem—without the space commitment of a full-sized outdoor bar. If you’re especially short on space, a fold-down murphy bar is a perfect solution—and it will keep your liquor collection protected in between cocktail hours.

Via Home Design Etc

Bohemian-Inspired Hammock Chairs

In the same vein as the outdoor couch, hanging hammock chairs have been popping up on porches everywhere this summer, giving outdoor spaces an easy, casual feel with an eccentric, hippie chic twist. In fact, some homeowners have taken this idea to the extreme and are hanging suspended day beds that offer serious comfort—and the potential to spend a night sleeping under the stars.

Via Trendir

Stenciled Flooring

Concrete is a hot material in flooring right now, and for good reason. It’s more sustainable than wood and has a certain industrial flavor that makes it feel super modern. Stencils and stains are the perfect way to personalize concrete floors—in particular, many homeowners are partial to looping floral patterns that give surfaces a cool Eastern feel. Diecast stencil cuts and broadcast color hardener can make the whole process a lot simpler than you’d think, too. In fact, you can even use the same technique on a wooden floor—it’s oh-so shabby-chic.

---

About the writer

Erin Vaughan is a blogger, gardener and aspiring homeowner.  She currently resides in Austin, TX where she writes full time for Modernize.com, with the goal of empowering homeowners with the expert guidance and educational tools they need to take on big home projects with confidence.