WINTER — Start Now to Glow-Up Your Surroundings
Now, is the best time to start a project, soak up the winter sunshine and glow-up your outdoor surroundings with a well-planned arbor, gazebo, pavilion, pergola, or trellis. December, January, and a bit into February is the quieter season — not as in demand, simply because many people don't realize what they can do to improve their landscape during the colder season.
Early American Style ShadeScape® pergola kit installed in the month of January.
Contemporary Style ShadeScape® pergola kit being installed in the wintertime.
Whether you are into the more rustic look or set on a sleek, modern style landscape pressure-treated timbers will do it well. But first things first —how do you envision utilizing your landscape?
From a smaller project to a massive scaled structure, there are numerous architectural possibilities with massive sized wood that sets together, somewhat like Legos.
For example, this is a large-sized ShadeScape® pergola kit; which by the way was also installed in the wintertime, has a 40-foot beam.
Glulam beams are wood that has been kiln-dried and glued atop one another in layers to create large slabs that can be up to a foot thick. The length is restricted more by transportation than manufacturing. Timbers allow you to build on a massive scale.
However, as you can see with this trellis, it doesn’t take much give your yard a fantastic new look and give you more use out of your outdoor space:
From our years of experience designing and building thousands of DIY ShadeScape® kits —from simple to complex— here are a few of our design ideas to create a more spectacular, glow-up landscape.
Compliment With Surrounding Elements
Pictured above is a Alpine ShadeScape® awning and garden trellis; both reflect the trim of the house. The awning provides protection over the doorway but it also adds luster with the companion garden trellis.
Build Your Own Garden Trellis
Trellises are the perfect garden canvas to add richness and wind protection. A garden trellis can be more than just a foundation for vines and vertical gardening, it can also hide an adjacent building or unattractive view.
Build Your Own Outdoor Movie Theatre
Movie nights outside is a delight. We build a lot of outdoor theater settings for families that have a cabana, pavilion, gazebo or pergola. And yet, an arbor or trellis can be just as equipped to fashion your own personalized outdoor movie theater.
Add Outdoor Power
Western Timber Frame™ has made it incredibly easy for you to light up your outdoors. ShadeScape® shelters can be pre-drilled with a hole down the center of one post to accommodate any and all of your electrical and lighting needs.
For Terraces, Embankments or Dipped Slopes
Trellises are an ideal way to form walls in a single chain or a combination of multiple stepped segments. You can have it turn a corner with L-shaped step trellises or smooth flowing step-style curves. Trellis walls can step up or down adding pleasing composition on the top, sides, or bottom of the shade shelter.
Story Up
We are getting more requests for two-story pergolas, pavilions, and gazebos. As in this BEFORE and AFTER photos of a deck replacement, not only can you beautify the space —you DOUBLE the living space.
This pergola that is a covering for poolside shade, a diving platform, and a waterfall —all combined in one ShadeScape® pergola kit.
Build Your Own Grill or BBQ Island
Grilled food is the best. If you love smoky flavored vegetables or prefer juicer hamburgers, steaks or chicken an outdoor grilling space might just be ideal for you.
From an arbor to a full-blown gazebo or pavilion, it is a great way to enjoy your barbecuing. Other alfresco environments ideas could be a cocktail counter, snack bar or cozy dining area.
Build Your Own Swing
Cradles, rockers, and swings — we have loved them since we were a child! Adding an aesthetically pleasing swing to a backyard is more than ornamental; it has sensory therapeutic benefits turning a garden into a more healing landscape.
The right swing can provide years of relaxation with the warmth and beauty of wood bringing a calming outlook. Best of all, these sturdy timber frame kits are built to last!
Add in a Fireplace
Fires add a warm, welcoming vibrancy to a space with an enticing, illuminating glow. A backyard retreat with a fireplace creates gives you a warm welcoming atmosphere that beckons to sit down, relax and stay awhile.
Install Color
Increase the entice with an illuminating glow with color-changing lights. It has long been understood by architects and artists that color not only generates a certain atmosphere but it also affects emotions and mood. Green and blue are calming and reduces stress. Yellow is a happy color and red increases energy. Whatever colors that brings you delight will create a happier ambiance with your firelight.
Build Your Own Arbor Entry Way "Door"
As stated earlier, arbors are an open invitation, a grand entrance, a gateway, a guide to a destination. Framing an entryway with an arbor brings balance and definition to the panorama. Western Timber Frame™ garden arbors and trellises accentuate an invition.
Attach To The Top of An Existing Structure
#DIYTrellisPlan
#DIYTrellisPlan
A concrete fence, posts, wall or other preexisting (responsible) architectural structure can be topped with a trellis or arbor.
Accent Your Cabana, Pavilion, Pergola, or Gazebo
Arbors and trellises pleasingly accent larger outdoor living shelters. Used in conjunction with a cabana, pavilion, pergola, or gazebo, it will draw the eyes to include more of the surrounding landscape for a larger composition.
Create Walls, Dividers & Boundaries
Consider the border outlines of your property, the real or artificial line that separates your landscape from that of next-door resident or real estate. Boundaries separate, divide or enclosing areas for specific purposes or guides and can be enhanced with the beauty of a timer frame structure.
Beautiful Garden Idea
Create an entrance way to your garden —that says your garden is a scenic place in your yard. A door, gate or trellises easily enhances that statement.
Create Curves
Well-planned curved graceful lines create a melody that accents existing straight lines — and is easy on the eyes.
Trellis Open-Style Boundary
Open-style trellises give the concept of a boundary while keeping a free and open view. Frame an expansive surrounding scene in the distance with the warmth of natural timbers.
Arbors as a Barrier, Border or Boundary
If arbors are set in unison, it does the same as a trellis — formalizing and consigning spaces. Timber frame arbors and trellises give so many opportunities to change the layout of a space. By working with the effects, a cleverly attached arbor or a series of staggered trellises could narrow or widen a side yard — direct the path one would walk — and where one’s eyes fall.
Build Your Own Portal
Wood, flagstone, concrete pavers, grass or the natural earth — there are dozens of inspiring ideas and designs for creating a gorgeous garden pathway. Creating a portal with an arbor gives a sense of order. Garden and landscape portals are timeless — a nostalgic, reminiscence of our Old English and Early American heritage — and a first-class modern architectural showpiece.
Partial or NO Post Cover
Every space is unique. There is no other spot that is exactly the same. This is why every ShadeScape® is built to your specs. With reflective planning you can give yourself the arbor you envision. Even in a small space —where it didn’t seem possible before— another approach might make it possible.
Or as this outdoor kitchen plan —partial posts— in places where full posts would take up too much space.
Round Circular Trellis
Go FULL CIRCLE! As you can see, trellises give you so much artistic license! The elegance of a circle in architecture —this elemental geometric configuration— makes an epic presentation to a landscape.
Circular Arbor
Go Bold With More Colors
Color is fantastic way to make a shelter really stand out. Even on a smaller scale such as an arbor or trellis, a well-designed, smartly positioned, and intently purposed ShadeScape® is center showpiece in the landscape!
Targeted Screening For Privacy
Lattices perfectly embrace the best in outdoor living with both sun and shade. Bench arbors and cozy nooks let you take in the surrounding view in comfort and sequestration.
Trellis walls and screens easily enclose a space and most importantly — conceal as much or as little as needed. Here the arbor is latticed above the fence line giving a pleasing privacy screen.
Attached Trellises
One of the strong attributes of trellises — but often overlooked — is to create outdoor enclosed rooms with curved or straight lines attached to a home or other existing outbuilding. It lets the light in, creating attractive accents but still, it is your own secluded retreat.
Attach Covering
Attach an timber frame shelter to a home, building or another shade shelter. Build dividers, walls, and privacy screens — giving accents and extensiveness to the existing structure.
Additional Shade
Cantilevered roofs expand the shade for all-day protection — and it can be tastefully designed to give extra protection, on any or every side.
Embellish or Establish Corners
Curve or add an L-shape structure to establish or embellish an existing corner. It makes a gorgeous backdrop and shade covering for seating, a fountain, or other feature.
Timber Frame Gate
A gate is an outdoor doorway to your property. A timber frame gate can be free-standing or connected to a fence, trellis or wall.
Similar to the door on the front of your home a gate offers the first impression and hints towards a beautiful retreat. The gate should be warm and inviting as well as blending with or complementing the architectural design of the home. A well-designed timber gate is a beautiful focal point for the front of your home.
ShadeScape® timber frame gate arbors easily tie in with or complement other materials and elements as well. The DIY arbor plan pictured here is for a metal gate on a timber frame arbor.
Sliding Gates & Doors
Typically, a swing gate is sufficient as it will not swing out that far. At times, you will see a slide or rolling gate if it was integrated with a fence or wall and there was some advantage — such as a tight space — for the gate to slide parallel to the fence line. For larger areas, slide gates are often easier to open and close. If it involves an extra expansive opening, the gate could be geared with remote control — for automated back and forth slide.
Gates set within a trellis wall such as seen in this ShadeScape® DIY trellis plan are a fine example of when a rolling gate is a plus. Installing latticed screens on the trellis will still allow the light to get in while giving additional privacy.
Angle for Sun & Shade
Angle, lattice or cover the roof of the arbor or trellis to let in the desired amount of light and shade ratio for the time of day you will most likely be barbecuing. Latticed solitude screens and walls may be included if needed.
Metal TimberClad®
Add visual interest with custom metal cladding tailored to fit your ShadeScape® arbor or trellis posts. TimberClad® accent steel hardware is luxury decorative cladding designed to be both breathtakingly beautiful and easy to install.
Invite Animation & Motion
Hang a punching bag… paint a hopscotch pad…encourage mind and body exercise.
Life is movement. Invite animation and motion. Liveliness could also come from the subtle effect of birdhouses. Provide for the birds and bring some music to a rediscovered patch of earth. The oscillation of a water fountain would help drown out sounds while acting as a natural humidifier.
Interacting not only instills a sense of care and value throughout the property as a whole but it strengthens our vital connection to the earth and childlike love for the outdoors.
Grow A Vine Covering
Natural timber is a fantastic substrate for plants, compared to metal arbors or latticeworks, which can burn and freeze growing plants. A trellis can add a new dimension to unique climbing vines such as roses.
A trellis can add a new dimension to unique climbing vines such as roses. Roses are classic but there are many other choices that complement an arbor or trellis such as: Clematis, Grape Vines, Honeysuckle. Jasmine, Passion Flower, Trumpet Vine, and Wisteria.
Garden Bridge
Install in a dream timber frame ShadeScape® garden bridge to cover a dip, enhance the beauty of a garden or pond.
Wintertime is sometimes referred to as the season of promise. It is also the perfect time to get envisioning and planning for your own timber frame masterpiece.
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