home design trends

How Houston homeowners are sprucing up their outdoor spaces this summer

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.

Outdoor kitchen, Houzz 2026 Outdoor Trends Study Building an outdoor kitchen will make your place the summer house party hotspot.Courtesy of HomeTech Construction & Design

Outdoor patio, Houzz 2026 Outdoor Trends Study

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.

Native plants and greenery, Houzz 2026 Outdoor Trends Study 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.

home design houzz outdoor decor summer

home design trends

Layering natural materials tops fall 2026 home design trends

Photo by Jacob Hawkins Photography for Artistic Kitchens

In this kitchen, layers of stone, aged materials, and industrial lights create a collected look with lasting depth.

Trends come and go, but a new Houzz report has unveiled all the ways current home design trends are evolving with the seasons rather than fading into obscurity or becoming dated.

Houzz interviewed nearly 50 home design professionals to determine emerging home design ideas for its 2026 U.S. Fall Design Trends Report. One common goal unites every trend this fall: creating rooms that celebrate the personalities of those who live in it.

These are Houzz's top design trends for fall 2026.

Warmth has become the new standard
One thing that's for certain: homeowners have officially done away with stark white and grey interiors. Warm color palettes first emerged as a design trend in late 2023, and now these inviting tones have transcended trendiness to become the "new baseline."

Homeowners and decorators aren't just making simple swaps, either. They're taking a holistic approach by "layering warm wood tones, earthy colors, multiple textures, and natural materials" throughout the home. This gives rooms "more depth and personality" than the previously in-style monotone interiors, Houzz said.

Bringing back personalization
Houzz predicted minimalist spaces would be on the way out in 2025, and they were correct. The golden era of minimalism has come to an end. Homeowners are instead creating true lived-in looks that blend "character, history, and personal storytelling" over spaces that look like they were plucked straight out of a magazine.

Examples include introducing vintage pieces into a modern space and mixing bold colors, patterns, and textures. Even the simplest accent choices can transform a room into something that feels "thoughtfully assembled over time," the report said.

2026 Houzz Fall Design Trends Report, character and personality matter more than perfection Home design enthusiasts are now prioritizing character and personality over perfection.Photo courtesy of Lavish

Photo by Jacob Hawkins Photography for Artistic Kitchens

In this kitchen, layers of stone, aged materials, and industrial lights create a collected look with lasting depth.

Other than vintage items, homeowners can add a sense of authenticity to their homes through "materials and details that carry a sense of history" like handmade tile, natural stone, aged metals, and original architectural elements.

This also means letting go of the idea of a home's "resale value" in favor of a personal sanctuary, according to the report.

"Pros describe clients asking for homes that feel deeply personal, whether it’s the layouts and materials they choose or the objects they display," Houzz said. "That shift is also giving homeowners more confidence to make individual choices, including unusual tile patterns, expressive wallpaper, distinctive furnishings and colors they love."

Embracing natural materials
Wood cabinets or stone countertops might be the first things that spring to mind under this umbrella, but we're diving deeper than that. Stone furniture pieces, like marble end tables, river stone sinks, and travertine coffee tables are rising in popularity, as are wood light fixtures and wood paneling.

"Pros are seeing more appreciation for the variation, texture, and imperfections that make natural materials feel authentic," the report said. "Handmade and high-variation tile, honed and leathered stone, plaster, and warm wood all contribute to a more tactile look."

Preparing for long-term livability
A separate Houzz report found two thirds of homeowners are planning to stay in their homes for more than a decade, if not longer, and less than half say they are currently living in their "forever home." As the cost of homeownership in Houston fluctuates, more residents are choosing to live in their current spaces longer, which means eventually renovating to accommodate for the future.

Besides adapting a home for aging in place, design professionals are seeing an uptick in popularity for other amenities to "make a home comfortable to navigate at any stage of life."

"ADUs and secondary suites are being designed to accommodate multigenerational living, extended guest stays, rental income, and future family needs," the report said. "Meanwhile, dedicated wellness amenities like saunas, cold plunges, and meditation spaces offer new ways for a home to support evolving well-being routines."

home design houzz design trends interior design home decor