I asked designers to share the things that actually transformed their backyard in 2025 – here’s what they said

Discover the high-impact upgrades that reshaped how designers use their outdoor spaces this year – and might just change yours too

A patio with table and chairs laid for a meal outdoors, candles lit, place settings and glasses and dishes of cooked food
(Image credit: Future)

The first half of the year tends to blur together in a haze of outdoor ambition – January sales, spring spruce-ups, the spontaneous chaise lounge you definitely didn’t need in May. But now it’s July. The honeymoon phase is over. And it’s time to ask: what patio ideas actually held up?

I asked a few designers to take stock. Not necessarily on the buzzy, Pinterest-popular patio sets or planters, but on the quiet, everyday hits you might have overlooked.

Ahead, designers share the best outdoor furniture and patio decor buys that actually delivered – from umbrellas with a secret to scene-stealing planters to the one romantic garden plant that changed everything.

Whether you’re in the market for fresh patio furniture ideas or have resigned to the fact that it’s time to replace your outdoor furniture, consider this your shortcut to what worked, what lasted, and, most importantly: what might make the biggest difference in a backyard of your own in 2025 and beyond.

patio area surrounded by green hedges with black metal furniture, white cushions, striped throw pillows, and a white and black scalloped umbrella

(Image credit: Lulu and Georgia)

It's only July, so definitely not too late for a mid-summer spruce up to your outdoor spaces, and you'll often find that there's some great patio deals to be had right now, which are only going to get better as the summer season continues.

Style Editor

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