Create your own private mini retreat.
If your landscaping needs some architectural appeal and charm, consider investing in a backyard gazebo. Not only can the best gazebo ideas create a breathtaking view in practically any outdoor space, but they're also perfect for anyone who's looking for a relatively low-commitment shade solution. After all, a gazebo is basically a tiny house with twice as much airflow—or a back porch with a 360-degree view! These structured gems are designed to make outdoor activities enjoyable while providing protection from the sun and cover from the rain. Some even keep pesky mosquitos out with full-coverage insect netting. Ancient God Bust Statue
Gazebos are a great alternative to a garden pergola. When you're comparing a gazebo versus a pergola, know that pergolas do not have a solid, continuous roof and are usually open on at least one side, whereas a gazebo has a full, solid roof. A pergola is typically a lattice structure, and it's a better option for covering an outdoor dining area, especially if you plan to add shade with climbing vines. A gazebo is more of a landscaping feature for a few people or a small group to enjoy.
Historically, gazebos were as much about creating a point of interest in a garden as they were about serving a function. The neoclassical marble temples strategically placed in the gardens of Marie Antoinette's Trianon Palaces are a particularly grand example. But they're also incredibly practical places to hang out. You can make a gazebo the centerpiece of your outdoor design with lounge furniture, drapery, and more or better yet create a space you'll look forward to leaning back and taking in the sunset after a long day.
You have our full permission to be playful with your gazebo design and lean into creating a space where you can hang out with friends and family and entertain in your backyard escape. Whether you use your gazebo to set up a romantic alfresco meal or read a book with the breeze wafting in your face, it'll encourage you to step outside your house for a different view. Ahead, get inspired by 20 gazebo ideas you can easily re-create in your backyard.
If you want to carve out a stylish post-swim lounge area but don't have the room, budget, or desire to build a full-blown pool house, take note of this gazebo designed by April Powers. The crawling vines, sheer drapes, and camouflaging paint color allow the gazebo to blend right in with the garden environment, while the bench and coffee table ensure comfort and function.
You can create a gazebo that doubles as a sunroom, as Annie Anderson did in this Kansas City home. Built in 1938, the house was rebuilt by Anderson with new electrical wiring and geothermal systems. She also tacked a new wing onto the back; now two walls of windows and four sets of French doors look out over a generous flagstone patio and towering white-blooming redbud. "It looks out to a lovely English garden," says Anderson, "so we don't use window treatments."
Artist Michael Jantzen designed a gazebo you can interact with and that transforms into different rooms. The multiple hinged panels can move and fold to continually turn into a new space for relaxation and contemplation.
This classical-style wooden pergola meets gazebo serves as the backdrop for designer Brian McCarthy's swimming pool in upstate New York. It was inspired by the Greek temple garden folly created by Isabel and Julian Bannerman for Highgrove House, one of Prince Charles's country homes. McCarthy planted all the trees and shrubs on the property, which was once entirely covered by alfalfa fields.
This over-the-top chicken coop, fondly known as the Woody House, is owned by philanthropist Katharine Rayner in the East Hamptons. Architect Pietro Cicognani designed the roof to look as if it were floating in midair from afar.
This place is a lot funkier than your typical South Carolina beach house. Designed by Charleston decorator Angie Hranowsky on Kiawah Island, the poolside gazebo is painted in Benjamin Moore's Superwhite, and the lap pool is just steps away.
The green paint color on the trellised railing of a traditional gazebo designed by Amanda Lindroth makes it feel even more open and airy. Thanks to sweeping views of the landscape, the dining table offers the best seats in the house.
In another gazebo designed by Amanda Lindroth, the overhead shelter provides shade while the open walkways let fresh air flow through. The pagoda motif over the fireplace actually hides a television, so it's stylish and practical.
Continue the fun outdoors with a gazebo bar area for cocktail prep, complete with an outdoor ceiling fan to keep it cool. The overhead shelter provides shade while the open walkways let fresh air circulate. Your summer soirees will continue without a hitch!
Wendy Owen designed this luxe-meets-rustic gazebo in Sonoma, California, to feel like a French villa in a bygone era. Scraggly stone, candlelight, antique salvaged wood tables, and generally romantic ambiance channel Provence.
Flanked by Christopher Farr Cloth curtains for privacy and sun protection, this gazebo is a favorite hiding place for designer Jeffrey Alan Marks's daughter, James. The wallpaper and cushions make it feel extra cozy.
This gazebo belongs to a 1920s house in Atlanta that the designer John Oetgen brightened up with a Floridian feel. "I wanted it to look like it was plucked from Palm Beach," he says. It's a folly with windows cut in the lattice trelliswork. "They give great little portraits to the foliage behind them."
Author Prentis Douthit originally planned to make this gazebo a tool shed and spot to keep an eye on his chickens, but over time the structure evolved to look more like a little cabin. It has a cedar-shake roof, timber rails, and a porch with a hammock.
Surrounded by greenery as far as the eye can see and built with grand stone columns, this gazebo is the main stage for outdoor entertaining. The low seating makes the space feel larger than life and opens up the view. It's the perfect spot for a crowd to gather.
France's Loire Valley is home to Apremont-Sur-Allier, a medieval village you can visit. Its Park Floral is dotted with eclectic gazebo-like structures that resemble everything from classical Greek and Asian temples to desert tents. The Turkish Pavilion, seen here, designed by Alexandre Serebriakoff, is dreamy inspiration for a decorative and distinct gazebo with or without a water feature.
A rustic gazebo is this farm's only real dining room. Wicker chairs surround an antique pine table and allow the quaint landscape to take center stage.
A sculptural iron gazebo adds interest to the backyard of a rustic yet luxurious Atlanta home. The clipped boxwood, magnolia, hydrangea, anise, and holly provide such an effective screen that you'd never know there's a 20-story building just five yards away.
The perfect hideaway for rest and relaxation, this shingled roof gazebo is surrounded by nature and equipped with lounge chairs and a grill. Purple alliums and other meadow-like plantings complete the restful garden setting.
Designer Thomas Hamel mixed styles to create a globally inspired home in Florida. Its classic gazebo pavilion has square columns and a round opening in the roof so you can lie on the daybed and look up at the clouds or stars.
Enjoy poolside seating with a three-sided enclosure like this gazebo. A structure like this gives you the best of both worlds: a little sunshine and shade. For privacy, surround it with a hedge and place potted plants, like these fanned kentia palms, at the entrance to create a natural screen.
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