If you ask a landscape design/build professional to describe 2024, you’ll likely hear words such as “stable” and “steady.” You’ll also hear more than a few references to consumers waiting on major landscaping projects because of general economic worries and concerns over a particularly contentious election year.
But as the calendar turns to 2025, those same professionals are quick to share their optimism about where the design/build space is headed and their beliefs that consumers are ready to more regularly loosen their purse strings for projects that deliver a total package of outdoor living amenities.
“Customers are asking for complete outdoor living solutions, whether that be a pool, fire pit, shade structure, outdoor kitchen or a combination of all of them,” says Joe Palimeno, owner and principal designer at Ledden Palimeno, a design/build landscape and custom pool company based in Sewell, N.J.
“Timeless landscape design that continues to fit the architecture of a house year after year is something that we continue to see demand for.”
Joe Raboine, vice president of design with Belgard and its parent company, Oldcastle APG, agrees that an uptick in business for both contractors and manufacturers is on the horizon in 2025, with a focus on a total-home concept.
“The consumer will continue to look at outdoor living spaces as an everyday extension of their homes and will look toward ways to add features that promote daily interaction/engagement with their natural surroundings,” Raboine says. “Spaces will continue to get larger and will be laden with convenient features like lighting, kitchens, shade structures and more.”
Coming together
Both Raboine and Palimeno say that increased collaboration between all parties involved in the design/build process will be a key component for success in 2025.
“We see a lot of opportunities for construction firms to collaborate with landscape architects and designers,” Palimeno says. “Landscape build and construction companies that don’t necessarily have an existing arm of their business dedicated to design can increase business by collaboration with design firms and architects. Collaboration within the industry benefits everyone.”
Raboine adds, “Firms that approach projects with a comprehensive approach and either offer the full suite of services or work with a network of subcontractors will continue to thrive.”
For Ledden Palimeno, that collaboration extends to partnerships with manufacturers offering high-tech solutions that allow it to take its projects — pool installations and upgrades, particularly — to the next level.
“We’ve seen continued demand for upgraded swimming pools, incorporating smart home technology into the pools and pool area,” Palimeno says. “This includes things like cabanas, landscape lighting and more.”
Out of sight …
One of those trusted partners is Coastal Source, a maker of high-end outdoor audio and lighting solutions. Kevin Minton is the company’s national sales manager, key accounts, and he says that whether they’re working with design/build firms like Ledden Palimeno or directly with consumers, the message they’re hearing is that less is more in terms of outdoor lighting and audio options.
“Our goal has been to reduce the form factor with our lighting and bring more creativity and art to the actual light,” Minton says, speaking specifically to the company’s new EVO line
of landscape lighting. “It’s all about reducing the footprint and increasing the capability of the light … which is where the industry is going.”
That philosophy also extends to the company’s audio offerings, where consumers are seeking high-performance options that naturally blend into the landscape and provide consistent sound throughout their outdoor space.
“2025 will be all about high performance, high quality and blending all that with the outdoor environment,” Minton says.
