YOU walk outside of your house with your mobile phone in hand. A few steps and you’ve reached your garden gazebo. You sit down in this shaded spot with a tiered roof, open sides and wooden benches.
Oblivious to the green labyrinths with small trees, colourful flowers and cobblestone pathways, you look at your mobile phone and start texting a friend and checking your WhatsApp messages. Minutes turn to hours, and you are lost in your own time zone.
Now imagine a scene of a different time — a gazebo where a couple sits, holding hands and having long and passionate conversations, followed by a romantic moonlit stroll. Somehow, a gazebo tends to conjure up such memories.
Decorative, functional and often enchanting, gazebos remain a choice outdoor structure for gardens, pools, the sea side, spas and vacation spots. When friends and family gather for a cookout or a relaxing time in the outdoors, there’s nothing quite like sitting together in a garden gazebo. It’s a perfect place to centre them around.
A shady and cosy place, the gazebo is always welcomed during gatherings. And it’s also the perfect spot to have some quality me-time, for you to relax in pure bliss, reading a good book or sitting back and snoozing or simply basking in the soothing ambience of your garden.
Usually designed as a relaxation area, a gazebo is a standalone structure with roof and open framework. It can be located in the centre or at the fringe of your garden or attached to the front or back porch area of your house.
You can buy fully assembled and pre-fabricated gazebos and there are many styles to choose from. Still popular are the traditional styles with ornamentally-carved columns, cupolas and the visually appealing tiered roofs. Other classic gazebo features include the scalloped shingles or decorative roof tiles that lend an air of visual flair.
For a more rustic style, choose gazebos made from retrieved wood, tree branches or old barn wood that catch the eye because of their originality.
If you want to break from the rustic and traditional gazebo styles, go for those with modern features, including clean lines, pointed angles and removable posts.
While all-wood gazebos look naturally fitting in a garden, maintenance-free vinyl types are also popular. These gazebos come with options such as screens, nets, electrical wiring, access to hot tub and little windows.
Screens and nets come in handy if you want to keep insects away especially during late evenings and nights. The screens and nets can be tied or folded back while there are also those which are attached to the gazebo frame to serve as walls complete with openings that function as doors.
Here are some gazebo styles that will draw your family and guests to spend much longer time in the beautiful outdoors:
1. WOODEN GAZEBO WITH WALLS AND A DOOR
It’s a great place to relax in the garden or near a pool. It makes the perfect spot to dry off before returning to the house. You can also hold small, intimate gatherings and serve nice meals in your soothing garden setting.
2. CLOTH TOP GAZEBO WITH CURTAINS
This gazebo has a fabric top with matching curtains to enclose the entire space, giving you an insect-free environment. Place relaxing furniture and make your gazebo a welcoming outdoor space to hang out in.
3. METAL GAZEBO WITH SCREEN CURTAIN
The modern gazebo is made from metal to withstand weather elements. The screen, which comes in the form of a curtain on a rod, can be pulled closed or opened. This offers you the flexibility to use it at any time of the day.
4.THATCHED ROOF GAZEBO
For a more natural look, choose a gazebo with thatched roof, lending the tropical holiday air. You can also fit screens to deter insects. This type looks stylish and traditional at the same time. It’s a popular style for beachside resorts.
5. POOLSIDE GAZEBO WITH SHEER CURTAINS
Sheer curtains in light colour give a nice, breezy feel. When tied back, they exude elegance, and when draped out, they serve as screens to provide privacy, and of course, to keep the insects at bay.
