Top Summer 2025 Home and Outdoor Fads: A Glimpse into the Future
This summer, home improvement projects are all about personalizing and optimizing living spaces. Yelp's analysis of search trends for 2025 reveals that homeowners are investing in their current properties rather than moving to new ones, focusing on value, functionality, and aesthetics.
Finding Inspiration: Top Home and Outdoor Trends
In a departure from masking a home's unique features, such as painting over marble countertops or blocking historic fireplaces, more homeowners and renters are embracing restoration, according to Yelp. Searches for carpet removal have increased by 29 percent, as homeowners strive to reveal original hardwood floors. Moreover, fireplace services have jumped 35 percent, indicating a shift towards preserving historic charm.
Options for enhancing spaces with charming details are plentiful, with searches for colorful stained glass (up 50 percent), eye-catching mosaic tile (up 52 percent), and statement wallpaper (up 18 percent) on the rise. Tara Lewis, Yelp's trend expert, suggests that even modern homes can incorporate personality-filled touches, such as stick-on stained glass accents, patterned wallpapering, or faux crown molding.
Sleep Sanctuaries
As concerns about sleep hygiene grow, more people are transforming their bedrooms into sleep sanctuaries. Yelp's data shows that searches for mattress stores were up 25 percent, and pillow stores saw a 69 percent increase, as people seek customized solutions to address their specific sleep needs. Additionally, bedroom remodeling project requests have skyrocketed 1,108 percent over the past year.
To further optimize sleep environments, soundproofing services (up 137 percent) and HVAC maintenance (up 46 percent) are becoming increasingly popular. Small upgrades, such as blackout curtains (up 219 percent) and air purifiers (up 325 percent), can significantly enhance sleep quality. Tara Lewis highlights the importance of air quality, suggesting that changing HVAC filters every one to three months, scheduling annual HVAC maintenance with a professional, and having ducts professionally cleaned every three to five years can improve sleep and overall well-being.
At-Home Entertainment
Yelp's data shows that homeowners are converting extra rooms into entertainment hubs, from speakeasies and home theaters to game rooms and art studios. Searches for basement remodels increased by 155 percent, while searches for pool tables increased by 120 percent. Sound system installations rose 89 percent, as people invest in high-quality sound for home theaters, listening rooms, and more. Requests for home theater installation projects soared 562 percent in 2024. Tara Lewis notes that creating an in-home entertainment space doesn't require a large budget, suggesting that all that's needed for a private theater is a projector and blackout curtains, while unconventional spaces like a spare bathroom can be transformed into a vibey speakeasy with a few vintage lamps, dimmable lighting, and shelving to display barware.
Backyard Gardening
As food costs rise and supply chains become unpredictable, homesteading is gaining traction. People are seeking ways to become more self-sufficient by growing their own food through sustainable gardens. Plant nurseries have seen a 58 percent increase in searches as more homeowners fill their backyards with edible plants and herbs. Moreover, searches for live chickens for sale are up 424 percent, signaling a shift toward homegrown food and farm-to-table living. Tara Lewis suggests that even city dwellers can embrace the homesteading trend, starting with indoor herb plants and natural wood accents to create a cohesive, farm-inspired vibe.
Budget-Friendly Upgrades
Rather than spending big on major renovations, homeowners and renters are interested in small, budget-friendly improvements, such as hardware replacement for cabinets and doors (up 91 percent). People are swapping out basic knobs for more character-rich alternatives that transform kitchens and bathrooms at a low cost. Additionally, shoppers are scouring secondhand shops for furniture and other décor, leading to increased searches for salvage yards (up 42 percent), antique markets (up 33 percent), and liquidation stores (up 47 percent). Tara Lewis recommends taking advantage of garage sale season and college move-outs to find affordable, unique treasures that can be easily up-cycled.
Environmental Updates
With extreme weather events becoming more common, storm-proofing and fire-hardening have become priority projects for homeowners. Searches for hurricane shutters are up 63 percent, and fire protection services have risen 49 percent, as residents in wildfire-prone regions install sprinklers due to increased risk. To address rising energy costs during summer heatwaves, Yelp data shows surges in home project requests for EV charging station installations (up 158 percent), water-saving artificial turf (up 875 percent), and home energy auditors (up 91 percent). Additionally, searches for solar installation companies have skyrocketed by 3,534 percent, and zero-waste stores are attracting more eco-conscious shoppers (up 34 percent).
Tara Lewis emphasizes that making sustainability updates is both environmentally and financially smart. Consider installing solar panels, energy-efficient appliances, and smart thermostats to lower energy bills and support a greener lifestyle. If you live in an apartment, try installing cellular shades to reduce energy usage and achieve a greater R-value, which measures a building's insulation performance.
In summary, Yelp's search data reveals a shift in home design priorities for 2025, with affordability, personalization, and comfort playing crucial roles. The predicted trends include affordable, high-impact upgrades, bold, personalized design choices, sleep-focused remodels, restoring character and homesteading, spaces for experiences, and smart home technology integration. With these trends shaping home improvements for the coming year, homeowners and renters have ample opportunities to transform their spaces and enhance their lifestyles.
- Homeowners and renters are focusing on personalizing and optimizing their living spaces this summer as they invest in their current properties rather than moving to new ones.
- More people are embracing restoration, with searches for carpet removal and fireplace services increasing.
- Colored stained glass, mosaic tile, and statement wallpaper are popular options for enhancing spaces with charming details.
- The bedroom is being transformed into a sleep sanctuary as people seek customized solutions to address their specific sleep needs.
- Soundproofing services and HVAC maintenance are becoming increasingly popular to further optimize sleep environments.
- At-home entertainment hubs, such as speakeasies, home theaters, game rooms, and art studios, are being created in extra rooms.
- Backyard gardening is gaining traction as people strive for self-sufficiency by growing their own food through sustainable gardens.
- Budget-friendly upgrades, such as hardware replacement and shopping at secondhand shops, are preferred over major renovations.
- Environmental updates, such as installing hurricane shutters, solar panels, and EV charging stations, are becoming popular as residents aim to reduce energy costs and support sustainability.
- Homesteading and creating a farm-inspired vibe, even for city dwellers, is becoming more popular with the rise in edible plants and live chickens for sale.
- Deals and discounts on products like electrical vehicles, car-maintenance, and home-improvement materials are sought after, as shown by increased searches for these topics.
