2026 Landscape Design Trends

As we move into 2026, certain landscape design trends are commanding the attention of our clients. Our Landscape Design Studio reveals the key approaches shaping gardens and outdoor spaces for the year ahead…

1. Year-Round Outdoor Spaces
Clients are seeking outdoor areas that work throughout the year, with covered dining and lounge spaces designed to complement the home’s architecture. Thoughtfully detailed roofs, integrated lighting and heating extend usability, while material choices and finishes are aligned with the property’s style. Careful attention to orientation, prevailing winds, and durable furnishings ensures these spaces are both comfortable and seamlessly integrated with the overall design.

Swimming pool pavilion
The Bilbury Pool Pavilion is a new build designed to reflect the heritage architecture of the property.

2. Outdoor Pools
Pools are being designed as seamless extensions of the garden rather than standalone features. Infinity edges, minimalist surrounds, and naturalistic planting help integrate water into the landscape, creating a sense of calm and continuity. Technical elements—such as filtration, heating, and safety systems—are carefully concealed, ensuring the pool remains elegant and low-maintenance. Designs are tailored to the property, whether enhancing the proportions of a heritage home or complementing the clean lines of a contemporary new build, so the pool feels fully connected to both house and garden.

Swimming pool deisgn
The Serenity House pool features a seamless, contemporary design.
Lakeside, Swimming Pool
The Lakeside Retreat features an infinity pool with uninterrupted lake views.

3. Grey Paving
A shift toward grey stone reflects client preference for a modern, understated palette that complements both contemporary and heritage contexts. Whilst limestone used to be in vogue, grey stone has a number of useful qualities: grey stone is less porous than limestone, more resilient to weathering, and offers a muted base that allows planting, furniture, and architecture to take visual priority. Careful selection of finish and jointing ensures durability while enhancing the paving’s aesthetic impact.

Contemporary Garden Design
At Clearview Ridge, grey stepping-stone tiles add texture and rhythm.
Outdoor Kitchen, Garden Design
Longridge House features expansive grey tiles with clean, contemporary lines.

4. Outdoor Kitchens
Outdoor kitchens are now highly considered spaces, combining performance, style, and entertainment. Clients are seeking expansive islands—often seating 12–14—that support both dining and social interaction, alongside high-spec features such as wood-fired pizza ovens, professional-grade barbecues, built-in fridges, and integrated wine coolers. Durable, weatherproof joinery and surfaces are paired with thoughtful lighting, ventilation, and drainage to ensure seamless functionality. Designs are tailored to the property, from contemporary minimalism to more material-led, textured schemes, creating outdoor kitchens that feel like a natural extension of the home and a focal point for year-round entertaining.

Outdoor kitchen, garden design
The Longridge House outdoor kitchen features a pizza oven, BBQ, fridge, and 12-seat bar table.

Taken together, these landscape design trends reflect a broader shift in how our clients want to live — with gardens and outdoor spaces that are expressive yet highly functional. In 2026, landscape design is conceived as a cohesive framework, where materiality, comfort, performance and year-round use are seamlessly aligned to support modern outdoor living.

What’s Next?

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Whether you’re looking to design a stunning country estate or a unique urban garden, our Landscape Designers are on hand to create bespoke outdoor spaces that are thoughtfully considered and beautifully crafted, designed to delight and inspire for years to come.

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