Backyard Braun

What's Happening

* Turns out the best room of the house isn't even inside. Homeowners are heading to the backyard to enjoy their homestead. The outdoor area is no longer just "nice to have," receiving attention only after kids enter the picture or summer temps hit their stride. It has morphed into an extension of the home for consumers of all geographic locations, income levels and lifestages. And these outdoor enthusiasts are putting their "fresh air funds" to good use, creating backyards on steroids.
* We've told you how open floor plans in the home are cherished for their ability to promote togetherness. The backyard is the ultimate multifunctional space and a catalyst for shared experiences, with no walls to block or separate areas for playing, cooking, eating and relaxing.
* Keeping up with the Joneses (or Hawks) means the backyard should look like grounds for the X Games. Goodbye, boring swing sets and sandboxes; hello, extreme activities. With AquaClimb's pool-mounted climbing wall, thrill-seekers can fall safely to the water below. Companies like Backyard Blizzard and SNOWatHOME provide personal snow machines to enable warm-weather dwellers to zip down ice-capped hills.
* An outdoor oasis can't be a style desert. The desire to spend time outside has raised the bar on fashionable, weather-resistant furnishings. Studio JSPR created indoor/outdoor-friendly Baroque-influenced furniture with colors that pop. Susan Bradley's outdoor wallpaper gives blasé siding a stylish look.
* Consumers' love for al fresco cooking hasn't cooled. They're still setting up satellite kitchens and enjoying meals under the stars. Cocktail hour should never be rained out, so when the weather turns, they can now grab their Alpina Grills mobile wine cart and head inside.
* The backyard is more wired than ever. Hot tubs with media centers, inflatable movie screens, weatherproof LCD TVs and patio-friendly lamps have brought the backyard into the 21st century.
* The outdoors is a place to relax and enjoy, not labor over maintenance. Just as shoppers have found time-saving products and services for inside the home, they're looking for the same convenience outside. The "set it and forget it" mindset kicks into high gear with iRobot's pool-cleaning Verro. For homeowners who feel that green just isn't their thing, "hardscaping" (paving over the home turf) keeps upkeep to a minimum.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS

* Consumers increasingly are asking themselves, "Why can't the outside of the home be as functional and comfortable as the inside?" While this question is a constant across demographics, what does fluctuate are the particular needs. Boomers and Gen Xers might need to carve out their own space for entertaining and an area for their kids to play. Empty nesters might want a highly personalized space to enjoy time together. Young homeowners might be seeking affordable and flexible products that give them the confidence to get started on creating the space they crave.
* Although functionality outside the home is a desire for many consumers, it's a special need for young homeowners and even McMansion owners with small lots who want to use all their available space in smart ways.
* Consumers' desire to spend time in the backyard has raised the bar on what's expected of outdoor products in terms of style and comfort. The outside of the home is expected to be as enjoyable (visually and physically) as the inside.
* As daily life gets more hectic, we're seeing an increase in consumers' desire to connect with nature for its relaxing, calming and balancing effects.

Source: Iconoculture, 9/28/07