Business Insider asked interior designers and gardeners what features, items, and trends they'd never have in their own outdoor spaces.
Here's what they said.
Synthetic turf isn’t worth it.
You still have to clean turf to maintain it, especially if you have outdoor pets.
doublelee/Shutterstock
Turf may seem appealing for a year-round green lawn. But Lara Hermanson, a licensed landscape contractor and the principal and cofounder of Farmscape, recommends a more sustainable and natural approach to outdoor design.
"Synthetic turf grass might look like real grass but will ultimately end up in the landfill," she told BI.
The expert also said turf can trap heat in your yard and still requires extra maintenance to keep it clean, especially if you have pets.
Over-paving your yard interferes with soil moisture.
Having more concrete than grass can be harmful to the local ecosystem.
Artazum/Shutterstock
Hermanson said she avoids continuous paving in outdoor spaces because it prevents soil from obtaining moisture and causes high heat.
"When we receive precious rain, it's important that the water makes it into our soil for long-term storage," she told BI. "Lots of hard, reflective surfaces heat the local environment, making it virtually uninhabitable during the daytime in summer months."
Plastic flamingos lack natural appeal.
There are better kitschy garden decorations than plastic flamingos.
Reeva/Shutterstock
According to Alice Moszczynski, an interior designer at Planner 5D, plastic flamingos can diminish the natural beauty of your outdoor space.
"Plastic flamingos may have a kitschy charm, but they often lack the elegance and natural appeal desired in outdoor spaces," she told BI.
Invasive plant species cause too much disruption.
Japanese knotweed is an invasive plant.
Tomas Vynikal/Shutterstock
Moszczynski wouldn't introduce invasive plant species — like buckthorn, garlic mustard, or Japanese knotweed — into her outdoor space.
"As a responsible gardener, it's crucial to avoid planting species that can harm the environment and native wildlife," she told BI.
Certain outdoor accessories, like wind chimes, can be annoying.
Wind chimes aren't great if you get a lot of storms where you live.
HannaTor/Shutterstock
When reaching for outdoor accessories, Jessica Holmes Holiday, founder and principal designer of HSH Collective Home and Design, said she always keeps local weather patterns in mind.
"We avoid noisy wind chimes or anything similar that is easy to break or get knocked over by the weather — especially in Florida," she told BI.
Fabrics made for interiors don’t belong outside.
Fluffy blankets, upholstered furniture, and woven rugs don't belong outside.
Ground Picture/Shutterstock
Marisa Bettencourt, founder of North + Fair Interior Design, told BI, "I avoid fabrics primarily meant for indoor use, such as cotton, leather, or velvet."
On the other hand, fabrics like acrylic and polyester, are typically designed to withstand outdoor weather conditions.
The designer recommended using weather-resistant cushions and decorative pillows to keep them clean, mold-free, and undamaged.
Terracotta pots are a tiresome option for plants.
Terracotta planters are usually heavy and hard to move.
Paul Maguire/Shutterstock
Donna Letier, gardening expert and founder and CEO of Gardenuity, said she never uses terracotta pots in her outdoor spaces.
"This might be surprising, but I would never buy anything including terracotta pots or designs with a terracotta color theme," she told BI. "The pots are heavy to move around and not the best containers for plants."
Skip the hammock — it's never as comfortable as you think.
It's never easy to get in and out of a hammock.
stock_studio/Shutterstock
Hammocks might look aesthetically appealing and comfortable, but according to Letier, they aren't worth the hassle.
"I don't find them that comfortable. The minute you get situated in the hammock, you think of something you forgot, and getting in and out can be challenging," she said.
Cushioned furniture isn’t practical.
You don't need a bunch of decorative pillows outside.
Ground Picture/Shutterstock
Laura Redd, interior designer at Laura Redd Interiors, doesn't keep cushioned furniture — chairs, couches, or otherwise — in uncovered outdoor areas.
"I would never put cushioned pieces of furniture out in the open air," the interior designer told BI. "They always seem to mold and mildew and stay wet when needed for seating."
She also recommended having a chest for any removable outdoor cushions to protect them from the elements.
"Personally, I would not have an outdoor space where only one type of crop grows. By doing this, I am limiting the food supply and habitat for wildlife," she told BI. "This can also create pest and disease issues, along with supporting very little biodiversity for soil life."
Apple revealed the 10th-generation iPad will now be available for $349.
The entry-level iPad has a 10.9-inch display, modern bezels, and is offered in four colors.
The lower-cost iPad supports Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard, and offers 4K resolution.
You can now get a whole lot of iPad for not a lot of money.
While Apple CEO Tim Cook took the wraps off of new iPads and accessories during the company's "Let Loose" event in California on Tuesday, it also announced a highly competitive new price for its entry-level iPad.
The iPad 10th generation is now available for $349 — that's about $100 less than what it came out as in 2022.
Cook referred to the new offering as a "more affordable entry-level iPad with an all-screen design."
The iPad features a 10.9-inch liquid retina display and more modern bezels compared to some of the earlier models. It comes in four colors, including white, yellow, red, and blue.
You can use Apple Pencil first generation and earlier Magic Keyboard with the lower-cost iPad. It also offers a landscape 12MP Ultra Wide front camera.
The iPad 10th generation is $250 less than the iPad Air and $650 less than the iPad Pro. So what do the more expensive models have that it doesn't?
In addition to larger screens, the Pro and the Air have antireflective coating and the Pro has antireflective coating as well — in addition to its headline feature, an OLED display, with ProMotion. The 10th generation also has an A14 chip, while the Pro has the new M4 and the Air has the M2. This means the Air and the Pro will have faster processing speeds and improved graphics performance.
The Air and 10th generation both have the same camera but the Pro has ProRes as well, which provides better color depth and allows for greater editing capabilities.
A "soft landing" scenario is unlikely for the US economy, Citi CEO Jane Fraser said.
The bank chief said that wealthier Americans are spending while lower-income income consumers are cutting back.
"We're seeing a much more cautious low-income consumer," Fraser said.
It's going to be tough for the US to stick an economic soft landing, and rampant inflation is hitting lower-income Americans hard, Citi CEO Jane Fraser said.
"It's hard to get a soft landing," Fraser told CNBC on Monday. "We're hopeful, but it is always hard to get one. So far the Fed is trying to navigate a quite complicated system."
At the latest Federal Reserve policy meeting, officials held the interest rates steady and ruled out a rate hike in response to sticky inflation. Markets have seen renewed hope of a soft landing since the April jobs report showed hiring and wage growth slowed, though not to recessionary levels. Yet, Fraser cautioned against declaring a soft landing was a done deal.
"We have to see where wage inflation goes. We have to see what happens to services inflation. And I think we need some more data points," she said. "I think, like everyone here, we're hoping to see the economic conditions that will allow rates to come down sooner rather than later."
The Citi executive also said she's seeing a "K-shaped consumer" pattern, with affluent consumers ramping up their spending while low-income households are struggling with the higher cost of living.
"We're seeing a much more cautious low-income consumer," Fraser said. "They're feeling more of the pressure of the cost of living, which has been high and increased for them. So while there is employment for them, debt servicing levels are higher than they were before."
Wall Street has been feeling fairly upbeat but a number of commentators are still voicing caution over trouble ahead. Gary Shilling and BCA strategist Roukaya Ibrahim this week forecast a recession by late this year or early 2025, potentially causing a 30% plunge in the stock market.
Instacart and Uber Eats are teaming up on restaurant delivery.
Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters
Instacart is now offering restaurant delivery through Uber Eats on its app.
The partnership represents "a threat to DoorDash," Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told Bloomberg.
It's also the latest way that Instacart is expanding its business beyond grocery delivery.
You can now get restaurant takeout through Instacart thanks to a new partnership with Uber Eats.
Instacart customers will be able to order from "hundreds of thousands" of restaurants through a tab on the delivery service's app just for restaurants, the company said Tuesday.
Restaurant orders placed through Instacart will be picked up and delivered by Uber Eats gig workers. Users of Instacart+, the company's paid subscription service, will get free delivery on restaurant orders over $35.
The partnership, which will be rolled out over the next few weeks, allows customers "to conveniently tackle all their food needs from a single app," Instacart CEO Fidji Simo said.
"Whether it's ingredients for a beloved family recipe, a prepared meal from a nearby grocer or takeout from a favorite restaurant – customers can now get the food they want, from the retailers and restaurants they love, all within the Instacart app," Simo said.
"You could say that we're a threat to DoorDash both independently and teaming up as well," Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told Bloomberg about the partnership, adding that the Uber will get access to Instacart's base of mostly suburban consumers through the partnership.
DoorDash controls about two-thirds of the market for food delivery in the US, per Bloomberg Second Measure.
Getting into restaurant delivery is the latest way that Instacart is expanding its business into new areas. The company plans to have thousands of its Caper shopping carts, which allow customers to ring up products as they place them in the cart, in stores by the end of the year.
Instacart is also trying to expand its advertising business, both through its website and app as well as through its Caper carts.
Do you work for DoorDash, Instacart, Uber Eats, or another gig delivery service and have a story idea? Reach out to this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com
A French castle that was owned by royalty is available to buy.
Whisper Auctions
A 12th-century French castle, Château d'Armainvilliers, is being auctioned for around $454 million.
The castle was previously owned by King Hassan II of Morocco.
It could be transformed as part of a new city development outside Paris.
A 12th-century castle that once belonged to a Rothschild is being auctioned for a staggering €425 million, or around $454 million.
Once sold, the castle and its grounds could be transformed into a new city development just outside Paris, a spokesperson for Ignace Meuwissen, a luxury real-estate agent who is handling the sale with his company Whisper Auctions, told Business Insider.
The 17-bedroom castle, known as Château d'Armainvilliers, dates back to the 12th century and is around 30 miles outside Paris, according to Mansion Global. It was once owned by Edmond de Rothschild, who sold it to King Hassan II of Morocco, a spokesperson for Meuwissen told Business Insider.
Meuwissen told Mansion Global that it's one of the most expensive real-estate listings in the world.
But despite its connection to royalty, a spokesperson said the castle "may not hold much historical value" to the future buyer and will likely be favored because of its large size. The castle is 2,500 square meters and has an additional 1,000 hectares of surrounding land.
Château d'Armainvilliers has three floors with 17 bedrooms.
Château d'Armainvilliers.
Whisper Auctions
The castle is 2,500 square meters in size, consisting of three floors with three elevators, 17 bedrooms, five reception rooms, a hairdressing salon, a kitchen, separate housing for staff members, and stables that can hold up to 50 horses, a spokesperson for Ignace Meuwissen told BI.
A developer could transform the castle and its grounds into 'a new city.'
The interior of Château d'Armainvilliers.
Whisper Auctions
The sale is being handled by Whisper Auctions, which represents off-market, luxury properties. The company's listings start at 2.5 million euros, or around $2.6 million, according to its website.
Ignace Meuwissen, the company's cofounder, is "in discussions with developers" who could transform the castle and surrounding area into a city, a spokesperson said.
Meuwissen's vision "entails the possibility of developing a new city near Paris, with the historical significance of the castle being of secondary importance," they said.
They added that the project would involve the creation of apartments, commercial centers, and other amenities. It's unclear if the castle would have to be refurbished or demolished for the development to take place.
Take a look inside one of the castle's five reception rooms, which stands out for its colorful decor.
One of the receiption rooms.
Whisper Auctions
The castle's decor is loud and colorful. This room has bright blue chairs and red throw cushions, while others have extravagant chandeliers, vibrant paintings, and grand pillars.
The castle's 17 bedrooms all have their own unique look.
One of the bedrooms in Château d'Armainvilliers.
Whisper Auctions
One of the bedrooms, photographed above, has a chandelier and a walk-in closet and is decorated with several armchairs, a dressing table, mirrors, and a double bed.
The property was last put on the market in 2008.
The office.
Whisper Auctions
Speaking to Mansion Global, Meuwissen said King Hassan's son inherited the castle following his death in 1999. He sold it in 2008 for 200 million euros, or around $215,500 million, Meuwissen told the outlet.
"The property was purchased by an owner from the Middle East but has never been utilized," Meuwissen said.
The castle has generated interest from around the world.
Meuwissen told Mansion Global that the property has received interest from international buyers, including one person from Eastern Europe and three people from Asia.
On Tuesday, Apple launched the Pencil Pro, pictured above, and a new Magic Keyboard in two colors for its new iPads.
Apple
Apple launched new accessories for its latest lineup of iPads on Tuesday at its "Let Loose" event.
That includes the $129 Pencil Pro and a new Magic Keyboard starting at $299.
You can preorder the add-ons as of today, which will be available next week.
Apple announced fresh accessories for its newest iPad models during its "Let Loose" event on Tuesday.
There's a new, more advanced stylus called the Apple Pencil Pro, which Apple claims is a "game changer for users to express ideas and creativity." Starting at $129, the Pencil Pro includes a new sensor on the barrel roll that users can squeeze to bring up a new tool palette with line weights and colors to make art.
Users can squeeze the Apple Pencil Pro to open up a tool palette on the new iPads for more seamless art creation.
Screenshot from Apple
Artists using the Pencil Pro on the graphic design software Pro Create can press the barrel row to do things like activate shortcuts to brushes, change the image size automatically, and introduce color.
Meanwhile, the Pencil Pro "pairs, charges, and stores" using a magnetic on the side of the iPad Pro. Users can locate the Pencil Pro using the "Find My" location feature.
Apple's new Pencil Pro also pairs with another new attachable iPad Pro accessory: the Magic Keyboard. It's the first iteration of the keyboard since 2020, and Apple says it's been redesigned to be "much thinner and even lighter" than its predecessor.
Apple's new Magic Keyboard for its latest iPad lineup is said to have new features like a bigger trackpad and a function row.
Apple
The new Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro comes in two colors, black and white. It also comes in two separate sizes: one for the 11-inch Pro for $299 and another for the 13-inch Pro model for $349.
Some of the keyboard's new features include a function row for easy access to controls like screen brightness; aluminum palm rests; and a larger trackpad.
The new Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro
Apple
"The entire experience feels just like using a MacBook," Apple said on the call, adding that the new keyboard makes the new iPad Pro "more portable and versatile" than ever.
Apple says the Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard are available for pre-order as of today and will ship starting next week.
A German political party proposed a government cap on doner kebabs.
The price of the popular dish has more than doubled due to inflation, The Guardian reported.
Chancellor Scholz previously dismissed the possibility of price caps.
A German political party is calling for the government to cap the soaring price of doner kebabs, which has more than doubled in the past two years due to inflation.
Around €7 billion, or around $7.5 billion, worth of doner kebabs are sold every year in Germany, according to The Guardian and The Independent.
The Left Party said some kebab businesses had increased prices from €4 (around $4.30) to €10 (around $10.80) in two years, The Guardian reported.
Kathi Gebel, the youth policy spokesperson on the board of the Left Party, told Business Insider that kebabs cost at least €7 ($7.55) across the country.
She said the government "must intervene to prevent food from becoming a luxury item."
The party plans to propose a government price cap of €4.90 (around $5.30) or €2.90 (around $3.10) for young people, The Guardian reported.
It reportedly envisages using billions of euros of state funds to cap the price. It would then use subsidised vouchers to make up the difference for distributors.
In an Instagram post, the German government said in February that prices of the doner kebab are rising because of rising wages and energy costs.
"High rent, energy, and food are the main costs for kebab shops. If those decrease, then kebab prices also decrease," Gebel told BI.
"The kebab price will remain high if the government does not change anything," she said.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke about the issue in the past, saying that he is asked by young people "everywhere I go" if there should be a price reduction for doner kebabs, according to the outlet.
Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz at an EU summit in Brussels on December 15, 2022.
Scholz previously ruled out implementing price caps, instead highlighting the "good work of the European Central Bank" in handling inflation, according to The Guardian.
The Federal Statistical Office said overall consumer prices in Germany rose by 5.9% in 2023. It added that energy prices in the country rose by 5.3% in 2023, compared to a staggering 29.7% increase in 2022.
The organization said the increase in prices could be attributed to the "impact of war and multiple crises."
The German government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Russian Air Force Mil Mi-8 and Kamov Ka-52 "Alligator" attack helicopter
Leonid Faerberg/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Ukraine used exploding drone boats to attack Russian naval assets on Monday.
Footage and imagery from the attack appeared to show drones with an unusual adaptation.
The unmanned systems could be seen armed with what were identified as heat-seeking missiles.
Ukraine appears to be arming its naval drones with heat-seeking missiles to defend against air attacks, an unusual innovation for Kyiv's growing arsenal of explosive unmanned systems.
Russia's defense ministry published footage of a helicopter defending against one of the Ukrainian drones during the attack. In the video, the unmanned boat can be seen evading heavy fire slightly above the waterline while carrying a white object that appears to resemble a missile. Eventually, there's an explosion. Moscow claims it destroyed five drones during the engagement.
/3. Russian Ka-29 helicopter destroys one of Ukrainian naval drones that took part in todays attack on Crimea. Objects which look like air to air missile La can be seen installed on the drone. pic.twitter.com/Ts5TDVdUBE
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 6, 2024
After the attack, various open-source intelligence accounts, Russian military bloggers, and other observers began to point out on social media that the Ukrainian drone boats had been outfitted with R-73 short-range air-to-air missiles.
Photos circulating online showed at least one drone with two launching rails and a single missile, and additional video footage that surfaced online appeared to capture the engagement from inside a Russian helicopter.
Business Insider was unable to immediately verify the footage and images published from the attack, nor could it independently confirm that the Ukrainian drones were outfitted with R-73 missiles.
Called the AA-11 Archer by NATO, the Soviet-era R-73 missile is equipped with infrared homing technology and is typically carried by fighter aircraft like the MiG-29 or Su-35. Equipping the Ukrainian drones with this kind of air-combat munition could help them defend against aerial attacks, war watchers suspect.
Wreckage of aR-73 air-to-air missile on the remains of a destroyed Ukrainian USV. pic.twitter.com/vMZwgNDc0L
"Russian milbloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces had adapted the drones to defend against Russian strikes, particularly from helicopters, with heat-seeking missiles and to break through containment booms," conflict analysts at the Institute for the Study of War think tank wrote in a Monday assessment.
They added that "several prominent Russian milbloggers expressed anger that the Russian military bureaucracy is causing Russian forces to respond too slowly to Ukrainian maritime drone adaptations."
One milblogger affiliated with Russia's Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper noted on Telegram that the Ukrainian missile innovation for sea drones came in response to increased Russian helicopter patrols around the Black Sea.
"From the air they are easier to detect and quickly destroy," they said of the drones, noting that the Ukrainian uncrewed vessel managed to fire a missile at the helicopter but missed. They said these drones might be used to provide cover for other uncrewed vessels.
In the Black Sea, Russian forces spotted a Ukrainian USV armed with a twin rail launcher for R-73 all-aspect IR homing air-to-air missiles.
Based on the footage, some Ukrainian USVs now possess a nascent SAM capability, likely able to target low and slow Russian helicopters. pic.twitter.com/eEsCuuh1Wv
Ukraine doesn't have a proper navy, so it has relied heavily on exploding drone boats and long-range cruise missiles to wreak havoc on Russia's Black Sea Fleet. Kyiv has damaged and destroyed scores of warships and forced Moscow to relocate many of its vulnerable capabilities away from the fleet headquarters in Crimea to positions across the Black Sea to the Russian port city of Novorossiysk.
Monday's naval drone attack marked the latest strike on a Russian naval asset. A Ukrainian Magura V5 drone boat struck a smaller, $3 million Russian combat vessel.
Kyiv's military intelligence agency said after the attack that "since the fear of Ukrainian attacks forces the occupiers to hide large ships of the Black Sea Fleet away from the peninsula, combat work continues against the high-speed maneuverable military vessels of the Russians."
A GM recruiter said the company is looking to hire interns that had their offers rescinded by Tesla.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images and Anna Webber/Variety via Getty Images
General Motors is seeking to recruit students impacted by Tesla's recent internship rescindments.
Tesla has been laying off workers and revoking internships as part of recent cutbacks.
GM has a history of hiring former Tesla employees, including high-ranking executives.
General Motors is ready to capitalize on Tesla layoffs — at least according to one recruiter.
Laura del Amo, a talent sourcing strategist for GM, took to LinkedIn on Monday to call on students who'd been hit by Tesla's recent decision to rescind internship offers to reach out for opportunities at the Detroit-based automaker.
"In light of recent industry news, GM is extending an invite to software students who may have been impacted from the changes in Tesla's upcoming summer internship cohort," the recruiter wrote. "We believe in the strength of our automotive community and are keen to integrate diverse talents into our team. If you are now looking for a new internship opportunity, let's connect."
Del Amo and a spokesperson for GM did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider ahead of publication.
Last week, several students who'd been offered internships at Tesla said the company had canceled their offers just a few weeks before their programs were set to start. The internship program is just one of several areas where Tesla has made cutbacks over the past month. On April 15, Tesla CEO Elon Musk told staff the company planned to eliminate more than 10% of its workforce. Since, it has has continued to layoff workers in waves. On Monday, Tesla workers entered their fourth week of layoff notices.
It's not the first time GM has scooped up a former Tesla employee. In February, the automaker hired Kurt Kelty, a former executive at Tesla, to serve as VP of Battery. And in March GM brought in JP Clausen, the former VP of Tesla's Austin Gigafactory.
Do you work for Tesla or have a tip? Reach out to the reporter via a non-work email and device at gkay@businessinsider.com