A new Houzz home design trends study is revealing all the inspiration Houstonians need to spruce up their outdoor spaces for their summer gatherings, and the No. 1 priority is transforming backyards into comfortable lounging areas.

The 2026 Outdoor Trends Study surveyed nearly 1,200 U.S. homeowners to learn about their recent or planned outdoor or home exterior projects.

Owners are increasingly interested in making their outdoor spaces more accommodating, instead of being motivated by boosting their home's resale value. That means ditching the curb appeal and focusing on turning their yards into the ultimate relaxation zones and gathering spaces.

The survey determined homeowners' top outdoor renovation goals include improving aesthetics (53 percent), enhancing entertaining spaces (34 percent), and extending the living space of the home (32 percent).

Overall, homeowners are taking on exterior renovations to repair elements, and because they finally have the means.

Outdoor kitchens, structural upgrades, and other features
Several ways that homeowners are elevating their outdoor spaces are through deck installation, adding shade structures for extra hot summer days, updating open and screened-in porches or verandas, and building an outdoor kitchen for gatherings and cookouts, and adding al fresco dining areas.

Nearly all renovating homeowners (95 percent) that are undertaking an outdoor kitchen project are building them from scratch, Houzz found, while infrastructure upgrades are a high priority among existing kitchens.

Building an outdoor kitchen will make your place the summer house party hotspot.Courtesy of HomeTech Construction & Design

Photo by Nick Neuberger / A\ Typical Studio

Homeowners are creating their own private sanctuaries with comfortable furniture, fire pits, and more.

"The share of renovating homeowners installing a plumbing, electrical or heating system [in an outdoor kitchen] has risen by 10 percentage points, to 68 percent, while the share opting to install appliances has risen by 6 percentage points, to 61 percent, compared with 2024," the report said.

Homeowners are also extending their living areas outside by upgrading or adding outdoor furniture like sofas, lounge chairs, coffee tables, a fireplace or fire pit, and upgrading lighting and adding entertainment features. More than half of survey respondents said they are creating dedicated reading areas and choosing comfortable furniture pieces to bring their "quiet retreat" vision to life.

Shockingly, the share of homeowners that are focusing on water features has decreased, suggesting that owners are not interested in the costly upkeep of a swimming pool or hot tub.

"Swimming pool projects have dropped by 3 percentage points to reach 7 percent, while hot tub projects (9 percent) and outdoor
shower projects (3 percent) both have dipped by 1 percentage point compared with 2024," the report said.

Low-maintenance plants top growing greenery upgrades
Drought resistant plants are non-negotiable for Texas households, and Houzz said more homeowners are prioritizing resilient native plants, shrubs, and trees in their yards. Flower beds and borders come in second place on the priority list, followed by upgrading garden paths, stairs, and adding planters or planter boxes.

The Native Plant Society of Texas has a list of 10 drought tolerant native plants that Houston residents can plant in their yards, and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center also has its own guide for choosing the right drought resistant plants for your environment.

Fleas and ticks haven't seen a yard this nice.Courtesy of David Morello Garden Enterprises, Inc.

In another surprising turn of events, Houzz found homeowners are showing less interest in maintaining a natural lawn and are instead choosing "low maintenance and durable alternatives," such as synthetic lawns or hardscaping.

"And while more than a third of homeowners are actively shrinking grassy areas — 18 percent are reducing and 17 percent are removing their lawn — the former share has declined by 5 percentage points, and 23 percent of renovating homeowners are actually expanding the lawn," the report said.

Home exterior projects
When it comes to a facade refresh, stark white exterior house paint is falling off trend, while beige is skyrocketing in popularity. Homeowners tackling repainting as their major exterior renovation project are also showing a greater preference for green, black, brown, and blue exterior wall colors.

To accentuate their newly beige exterior walls, homeowners are choosing black or white paint for their trim, beams, columns, and other exterior accents.

The report also found that 51 percent of all exterior renovation projects include some type of roofing work — namely a full roof replacement, followed by adding new roofing or repairing and patching existing areas. Over half of all renovating homeowners (56 percent) are opting for full window and skylight replacements rather than partial or temporary fixes, and 37 percent of renovating homeowners are adding windows or skylights into their homes.