7 Hard Landscaping Trends That'll Step Up Your Outdoor Area

Tiered garden with pale stone and glass patio, pale brick steps and pale concrete outdoor kitchen — (Image credit: Ståle Eriksen. Design by Proctor & Shaw and Sara Jane Rothwell)

This year, we're making the most of a (hopefully) warm summer by hosting all of our soirées al fresco. Before the invites get sent out, though, there's the small task of bringing the garden up to scratch — and that's where these hard landscaping trends can help.

Most of us dream of an outdoor space that lets guests mingle freely, but it's not always so easy to achieve. If you're taking on a garden renovation this year, don't be completely distracted by the flowers and furniture; thinking through your hardscaping materials as carefully as you would the fittings and finishes inside your home will have a greater impact on your outdoor area than you might realize.

So, take your cues from these modern garden ideas, which showcase some of the biggest hard-landscaping trends we've spotted coming into this season.

1. Curved Stone Seating

Corner of a garden with built-in curved stone bench, black firepit and terracotta Faye Toogood accent chairs — Curved seating hugs the perimeter of your garden, making it feel bigger in the process.

"In such a compact garden, outdoor seating was essential to the social life of the space, but it needed to feel placed as part of the landscape rather than instead of it," says Tamsin Hanke, founding director of THISS Studio, of this outdoor plot.

"The limestone was chosen for its tactility, so the seating reads more like ground than structure," she adds. "By sweeping the bench in a curved form, we were able to integrate generous planting behind it."

2. Indoor-Outdoor Material Palettes

Charred wood-clad two-story extension leading to patio area with pale stone tiles, mossy grass area and slatted wood path — Continuing a material palette helps blur the lines between indoors and out, making both feel bigger.

Architect Neil Dusheiko worked with landscape designer Sheila Jack to craft a house and garden that speak to each other.

"From the outset, the architecture and landscape were conceived as a single, continuous experience," Neil explains. "The palette of materials — brick, timber, concrete, gravel and planting — was carefully calibrated so that the garden feels like an extension of the house and the house feels anchored in the garden."

3. Areas for Reflection

White stone patio with white stone bench against a full-height window surrounded by greenery — A comfortable (and pretty) spot to sit gives you an excuse to get out into the garden more.

A 1960s modernist house with two doors opening onto the garden called for a patio area that invites a moment of pause before moving into its wilder features.

"The key to this courtyard house is the relationship between the living spaces and the garden," says Ben Ridley, founder of Architecture for London. A stone bench, surrounded by low-level planting, offers space for reflection.

4. Landscaping Close to Home

Close-up of tiered brick planters leading to a sliding window with indoor window seat — We are always looking for ways to bring the feeling of nature inside, and this hard landscaping trend makes it more literal.

This project by architect Oliver Leech provides a solution for both compact gardens and homes that feel too separated from the outdoors.

"The planters sit right against the windows to bring the garden closer to the kitchen," explains Oliver. "In the summer, the doors can be opened up, and the dining area is transformed from a cozy nook to a part of the landscape."

5. Zoning Areas

Long gardens can be tricky to work with, but in this project — a collaboration between architecture practice Proctor & Shaw and Sara Jane Rothwell of the London Garden Designer — zoning was the answer.

"A sequence of open spaces separated via planted thresholds disguises the generous length," explains architect John Proctor.

6. Terrace Gardens

Stone steps leading to brick patio and extended kitchen-diner — Making an architectural feature out of garden steps makes them feel more design-y and not purely practical.

A collaboration between architecture and interior design studio De Rosee Sa and garden designer Ula Maria, this project uses a terrace garden idea to connect house and landscape, addressing the change in level between the two.

"The upper terrace acts as a natural extension of the interior," explains Ula. "Below this, a second terrace offers a generous seating area, slightly elevated above the planting. The lowest terrace is dedicated to outdoor dining, nestled within the garden, creating an intimate space for outdoor meals."

7. Stepped Landscape Planters

Tiered stone planting with steps leading alongside and built-in bench at bottom — Creating planter steps helped soften the appearance of the hardscaping required in this terraced garden.

A project with lower-ground-floor space left architecture studio Cousins & Cousins and landscape designer Climb Ldn with a quandary: how to connect it with the garden?

"Forming a stepped landscape planter opens up the view and removes the sense of enclosure, connecting the different levels and creating a lovely space to socialize and enjoy alfresco dining," says Jelena Cousins, co-founder and creative director of Cousins & Cousins.

Not planning a renovation any time soon? Take a look at how the latest garden furniture trends can completely change how you use your outdoor area.

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Ellen is deputy editor of Livingetc magazine. She works with our fabulous art and production teams to publish the monthly print title, which features the most inspiring homes around the globe, interviews with leading designers, reporting on the hottest trends, and shopping edits of the best new pieces to refresh your space. Before Livingetc she was deputy editor at Real Homes, and has also written for titles including Homes & Gardens and Gardeningetc. Being surrounded by so much inspiration makes it tricky to decide what to do first in her own flat – a pretty nice problem to have, really. In her spare time, Ellen can be found pottering around in her balcony garden, reading her way through her overstacked bookshelf or planning her next holiday.