As 2019 rapidly approaches, experts are weighing in on what outdoor décor trends hoteliers can expect to see in the new year. According to these forecasts, the line between indoor and outdoor will continue to blur in the year ahead as hotels focus on safer and more luxurious features for exterior spaces and patios. Two hotel décor experts weigh in on this trend: Arthur Lasky, founder of ventless fireplace company HearthCabinet, and Mal Haddad, vice president of teak furniture company Westminster Teak.
1Outdoor Safety.
Lasky: “Just as hotels have made cribs and highchairs available, they will begin to provide toddler-safe and child-friendly rooms, featuring cushioned patio furniture, safety electrical outlets, and child gates between indoors and out. We also predict family-friendly hotels will have outdoor spaces with better play options for children, including play equipment, softer terrace tiles, grass, and play mats in tile or roll-up form. Fire pits have been very popular, but they often present a health or safety risk. Wood smoke is frowned upon by municipalities. And as, while legal, can be difficult or expensive to install. Newer, safer options will be used, like alcohol-based exterior fire features and fireplaces.”
2Environmentally-friendly approach.
Haddad: “Many in the industry are making sustainability a prerequisite for their projects, not only to be eco-friendly, but also LEED compliant. Strong consideration is made for the environmental impacts that are created by the way materials are sourced and how they are processed in manufacturing.”
Lasky: “Newer, recirculating fountains and waterfalls will be placed in terraces, public spaces, and on patios adjacent to rooms, and they will recycle water carefully. They don’t require much space, are simple to install, delight the senses, and help mask urban traffic, street sounds, or the hum of an air-conditioning unit.
3Blurring the line between indoor and outdoor.
Haddad: “The furniture industry will continue to surge in the outdoor segment as consumer expectations continue to change towards a demand for outdoor living spaces. For consumers today, outdoor space is an integral part of design and no longer an afterthought. Having well-curated outdoor spaces, rooms, or retreats has become an essential part of boutique hotels, resorts, and residential homes.”
Lasky: “The barriers between the outdoors and indoors continue to melt away as designers are using plants and lots of glass everywhere. Most of those plantings will be supplemented with herb gardens, which restaurants are using to better serve fresh greens.”
