Austin Welcomes Back Annual Outdoor Living Tour Showcasing The City’s 8 Best Backyards

On May 4, residents of Austin, Texas, will have a unique opportunity to gain inspiration for their own backyard projects by partaking in the grand Annual Outdoor Living Tour of 2024. Known for its stunning displays of expertly designed outdoor space, the tour is an event admired by landscape enthusiasts and homeowners alike. It certainly rings true with the famous saying, “The best ideas are often borrowed.”

More Than Just A Garden Stroll

While spring is the best season to enjoy the outdoors in Austin before the advent of patio furniture-scorching temperatures and mosquito invasions, the Outdoor Living Tour offers much more than just seasonal decor inspiration. Unlike its sibling event, the Modern Homes Tour, which spans over a full weekend, the Outdoor Living Tour creates a lighter, more summer-fun-filled day, providing the perfect atmosphere for those looking for innovative designs for their gardens.

The tour, organized by the Modern Architecture + Design Society, showcases exemplary works of Austin’s finest landscape architects and designers. With just eight featured backyards, gardens, and outdoor living spaces, the event encourages visitors to enjoy the tour at a leisurely pace, taking the time to appreciate the finesse in each design and possibly envision a future project with an expert at hand.

The Design Geography

The eight locations for the 2024 tour are spread over six neighborhoods, including Travis Heights, Rollingwood, Milwood, Allandale, Highland Park West, and Rosedale—a wide scope of geography proving the diversity in choice of aesthetics, usage of space, and natural elements. From outdoor rooms and expansive backyards to pools, pergolas and meticulously pruned gardens—you name it, this tour has got it!

Landscape architecture firms that participated in the project include Open Envelope Studio, Ecotopes, Maas Verde Landscape Restoration, Colectivo Creative, Seedlings Landscape Design Build, Dick Clark + Associates, ADLA Studio, and Austin Outdoor Design. These select firms provide not only a visual spectacle for guests but also an opportunity to learn and discover more about landscaping and design.

On Your Mark, Get Set, Tour!

Tickets for the Outdoor Living Tour start at an affordable $35 and can be purchased through the Modern Architecture + Design Society website, which also hosts sneak peeks of the 2024 homes. A map with site details is sent out to ticket holders before the event. Preliminary information advises that children attending should be at least ten years old, but infants who will be carried are welcome.

The Annual Outdoor Living Tour promises a day of inspiration and learning, perfect for anyone hoping to spruce up their natural retreats at home. This celebration of outdoor living and coexistence with nature demonstrates that backyards aren’t just idle spaces—they’re a canvas for our creativity, a testament to beautiful design and the heart of a home where cherished memories are formed.

More Home Listings At Affordable Prices Indicate ‘Healthier’ Austin Market

In related real estate news, more homes have hit the market in the Austin area in March, leading to an increase in confidence among home sellers while simultaneously boosting options for first-time homebuyers. Over 4,700 new home listings were placed on the market in Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown metropolitan area in March, marking a year-over-year increase of 10.2% from March 2023. This is the second straight month of this positive trend, with the February report showing over 3,900 new home listings.

The positive trends in the housing market of Central Texas are bringing exciting opportunities for first-time homebuyers and indicate a comeback to a “healthier and robust” real estate market. More inventory means more choices for buyers, permitting more personalization and a wider choice of locations when looking for a new home.

With a lively real estate market and an active celebration of outdoor living, Austin, Texas continues to shine as a vibrant and dynamic city, captivating the outdoorsy at heart.