Story: Structured environment
Structured environments
Structured environmentA little construction does wonders for outdoor settings
09:51 AM CDT on Friday, August 18, 2006By CARLA JORDAN / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
Imagine a ground-level treehouse for grown-ups. Outdoor structures provide the same sanctuary and more, granting a lovely transition from indoors to outside. Visually, they lend architectural shape to the yard and establish design focal points. Practically, they deliver much-needed shade on sunny days. Here are ideas for augmenting your outdoor looks in a variety of styles and budgets.
Carla Jordan is an Irving freelance writer.
Arches, arbors and pergolas
On a budget? Give arches, arbors and pergolas a try. Available in many sizes, these structures, when covered with climbing roses and vines, lend colorful architectural shape to a garden or yard. Arches are illusionary tricks of the trade used to create a doorway entrance. Pergolas and arbors are simple shade structures that filter the sun while letting cool breezes through; they're ideal for lounging areas. Mostly sold as kits, these structures are a DIYer's dream.
Gazebos
Gazebos are free-standing roofed structures, open on all sides. More substantial, longer-lasting and pricier than pergolas and arbors, they provide shade and protection from rain, making them favorites for picnics and other activities.
The newest trend is to house outdoor spas in them. Low-maintenance vinyl gazebos are very popular.
Garden houses
These free-standing little houses mimic their full-size counterparts with solid roofs, walls, floor and custom features like copper roofs and operable divided-light windows. Garden houses are trendy for use as artist studios, garden dining rooms and waterside retreats.
Conservatories
From 19th-century Victorian England came the conservatory, th! e ultima te room with a view. Originally a grand greenhouse, this is a free-standing or attached glass structure supported by a sturdy, elaborate frame. Conservatories are back in vogue, having shaken their stuffy wicker-and-fern image and now often designed as a dining room, family room, home gym or spa with swimming pool.
Traditionally pegged for cooler regions, conservatories are finding their way South, customized for warm climates. Other trends include installing decorative draperies and shades that can be drawn during the heat of the day and extending whole-home heating and air-conditioning systems for year-round climate control.
SHOPPING TIPS
Investment strategy: Whether you start with a simple arch or plunk down the bucks for a magnificent conservatory, experts offer the same tip: Buy for the long term.
Quality counts. "The best materials are durable ones," says Christopher Peeples, president and founder of Vixen Hill, a maker of garden houses, gazebos and other structures. "They include cedar or redwood with brass and/or stainless steel fasteners. Skimping in material quality will eventually come back to haunt you."
Online: Want to shop and compare without burning time or gas? A growing number of these structures are sold online and via catalogs to save manufacturers brick-and-mortar store space. Many are shipped flat for assembly by homeowners or general contractors. Custom conservatories are delivered to the front door by skilled installers who travel nationwide.
Resources: The Western Red Cedar Lumber Association's Web site (www.wrcla.org) has info about outdoor structures, including design ideas for arbors, trellises, pergolas, fences, gates and gazebos. DECO DETAILS: 'Oak Park' steel arch ($329), gate ($99) and trellises ($89-$139) add a bit of art deco to a landscape. Smith & Hawken, Dallas; www.smithandhawken.com. ">DECO DETAILS: 'Oak Park' steel arch ($329), gate ($99) and trellises ($89-$139) add a bit of art deco to a landscape. Smith & Hawken, Dallas; www.smithandhawken.com. // Image1 end --> FOR SWINGERS: 'Plantation' cedar arbor with 6-foot swing ($2,289); Walpole Woodworkers catalog, 1-800-343-6948; www.walpolewoodworkers.com. ">FOR SWINGERS: 'Plantation' cedar arbor with 6-foot swing ($2,289); Walpole Woodworkers catalog, 1-800-343-6948; www.walpolewoodworkers.com. // Image2 end --> MADE FOR THE SHADE: Danove 4-foot traditional cedar arbor ($579) provides fragrant seating; special-order at Water Gardens Galore, Dallas; 214-956-7382. ">MADE FOR THE SHADE: Danove 4-foot traditional cedar arbor ($579) provides fragrant seating; special-order at Water Gardens Galore, Dallas; 214-956-7382. // Image3 end --> SIMPLY DIVINE: This custom-designed conservatory provides a colorful focal point and added living space to a smaller-scale home. Renaissance Conservatories, 1-800-882-4657. ">SIMPLY DIVINE: This custom-designed conservatory provides a colorful focal point and added living space to a smaller-scale home. Renaissance Conservatories, 1-800-882-4657. // Image4 end --> BEST OF BOTH WORLDS: 'Superior' double-roof vinyl gazebo kit ($3,990-$16,225) combines vinyl and wood. Cedar, asphalt or rubber slate roof. www.backyardamerica.com.">BEST OF BOTH WORLDS: 'Superior' double-roof vinyl gazebo kit ($3,990-$16,225) combines vinyl and wood. Cedar, asphalt or rubber slate roof. www.backyardamerica.com. // Image5 end -->