The Rapid Rise of At-Home Entertainment & Outdoor Living
Monday 27 June 2022, 5:35PM
By Adam Jay
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In a few short decades, our humble homes have seen significant alteration. The time when the kitchen was tucked away in the back of the house is long gone. Cooking has become much more social in today's modern world, with many choosing to entertain and converse with visitors as they prepare a meal. The distinction between a kitchen and a living room is blurred by contemporary home design and open-plan living. Parallel to this architectural change, outdoor living is increasingly becoming more popular in kiwi home designs.
Indoor-outdoor flow has always been a favourite of Kiwis. But often, outside house furnishings have been limited to a few plastic chairs, a flimsy umbrella, and a dated BBQ. The outdoor living market is currently exploding with high-quality, long-lasting products including louvres, acrylic canopies, and privacy screens. The basic deck has now been upgraded to a welcoming second living area.
Over the past two years, Kiwis have spent more time at home than ever before. This allowed folks a lot more time to think about their outdoor spaces and come up with new ideas for entertaining friends and family in their homes.
The sector for outdoor products has experienced a significant boom as a result of this homebound inward gaze and the quick rise in innovations in outdoor living products.
According to Tom Holbutt, Director at Shade Design NZ, "Covid resulted in a lot of people reassessing their outdoor areas."
“We began to perceive and reimagine our homes in new ways”.
“Because of this, more home businesses owners are investing in outdoor shade products like acrylic canopies, awnings, roller shades, and louvres in an effort to extend entertainment spaces.”
Holbutt thinks that by improving the comfort of our outdoor living spaces, people will use them more frequently throughout the year. As a result, having a cosy outdoor living area could start to feel like a new standard for Kiwis.
"We could start seeing more Kiwis adopt the outdoor living room trend as outside spaces in pubs, restaurants, and people's houses become not only inhabitable but comfortable in winter."