If you want to spend more time in your outdoor living space, you need shade and shelter from the elements. Updating your patio with a pergola or gazebo creates an instant focal point that also creates a cozy outdoor room. Here are ideas for ways to include enough shade and shelter in your Troy, MI, landscape design.
Vertical Landscape Features
Covered structures quickly provide the go-to spot in your backyard for relaxing and entertaining. The sun’s damaging effects and precipitation can be minimized to keep your parties and outdoor relaxing going as long as possible. Here’s what you need to know about pergolas, pavilions, gazebos, and covered porches to help you choose which option is best for you.
Pergola: A pergola is a stand-alone open-roofed structure meant to provide shade but allow for air flow. It is constructed using vertical columns and an open structure of rafters and cross beams. A pergola is square or rectangular, and it can be any size, making it a perfect option for many tight spaces. Many outdoor kitchens, dining areas, and lounge areas are sheltered from the sun with a pergola. Most pergolas are permanently attached to a patio, but they can also be stand-alone structures anywhere you need just enough shade to shelter a bench, such as overlooking a view. It can be ideal choice if you are prioritizing sun protection.
Pavilion: A pavilion is a stand-alone outdoor structure with a solid roof, but with completely open sides like a pergola. It’s a great option if you love the classical look of a pergola but need protection from rain. If you add an outdoor fireplace, this structure can be used year-round. Pavilions can be used to cover any part of a patio where you like to spend most of your time: an outdoor kitchen, dining space, or lounge.
Gazebo: A gazebo is a stand-alone round or octagonal structure with a solid roof and either completely or partially open sides. Some have built-in seating, which means a half wall behind the seats, or a waist-high railing. A gazebo can also be screened in for bug protection, and the use of outdoor curtains adds privacy. Gazebos are often artfully placed for ambience, although they can be installed to cover part of a patio. They can be grand or intimate.
Covered porch: This standby feature is just as useful today as its heyday in the early part of the last century. A covered porch becomes a direct extension of the home, as it is attached to the house. It’s convenient, and still allows you to enjoy the great outdoors without having to run across the lawn should the skies open up. Many people who embrace the notion of covered porches design them to be much larger than the wrap-around porch of yesteryear, making this outdoor living area spacious enough for large gatherings. You could have yours feature an outdoor fireplaces and even a big-screen TV. One bonus to a covered porch is that since it is covered and protected at least on one side, it can be more suitable for more delicate furniture that would normally not be suitable for outdoor use. A covered porch can be screened in, letting you enjoy fresh air without annoying mosquitoes.
