Considered suitable only in a large park-size garden, often on a mansion ground, a gazebo is arguably the largest single piece of outdoor furniture one can have for his garden.  It’s a house-like structure that many would classify as a pavilion, a kiosk, or pergolas.  They are also known in other countries as belvederes, pagodas, alhambras and follies.

They are often octagonal and are commonly seen in parks and spacious public gardens.  Gazebos are free standing roofed structures with a elevated floor platform often requiring a few steps to enter. They can be as large as a symmetric house with all sides open, providing shelter and shade, ornamental columns and have benches along the octagonal sides inside while others have a table in the center.

Typically constructed with a mix of metal and woodand covered with typical roofing materials like singles. Gazebos are the status symbols in any home garden.  They can be small enough as pictured above or can be large enough to accommodate a symphony orchestra which was often the venue in open-air concerts conducted in the 19th century Europe and is the favored setting of many of Straus’s waltz performances.  In short, just about any garden of reasonable size can have a gazebo for its outdoor furniture.

There are pre-fabricated gazebo structures readily available as a kit any homeowner can construct as a garden furniture. Some of these ready-to-install gazebos come in tent-like styling with poles covered with tensioned synthetic cloth or fabric.  You also have the option to install screens over open spaces to ward off flying insects.

A Short History

It’s interesting to note that the word Gazebo was first used by the British architects John and WilliamHalfpennywhen they released their book Rural Architecture in the Chinese Taste (1750). A picture in the book is described as “a ChineseTower or Gazebo, situated on a Rock, and raised to a considerable Height, and a Gallery round it to render the Prospect more complete”.Thomas Jeffersonalso wrote about gazebos which he called summerhouses or pavilions.

Gazebos have been around for a centuries even as early the Chinese and Roman empires.  But the more recent ones from the 17th century onwards have more direct ascendancy and affinity to modern day gazebo structures.  George Washingtonwas said to enjoy visiting a small octagonal garden structure when inMount Vernon.

Once you’ve purchased your newly constructed dream house or a previously built one, getting your interior decorator to start working inside can be one of the most delightfully challenging role for a homeowner.   Assuming you have the right budget for it, stamping your personal touch in every room in the house is an investment well worth the effort and time. But don’t forget the backyard or the porch.

Quite often, the focus in interior decorating is just what’s inside the house.  And while some effort is done to get the porch, veranda, second floor balcony and the backyard up to speed, it’s almost just an afterthought.  Just throw out the old sala set into the backyard as your outdoor furniture, or get a cheap set of plastic bench and table out into the open.

Admittedly, it does take some degree of passion for a homeowner to indulge on a garden. For many, these areas of the house are often taken for granted, Simply getting dirtied mowing the lawn is enough tedium for a backyard.  Then once you start thinking about inviting some friends or the neighbor for a summer barbeque party, you wonder why you ever overlooked sprucing up your backyard with the right garden furniture.

Every part of the house has its utilitarian value and it makes sense to give each the aesthetic treatment it deserves.  You may not have to worry much about how the attic looks but you still need to make its utilitarian value work its best for you.  That means keeping it clean at the very least.  Same goes for your garage.  It doesn’t need to look its best, but you want it be completely furnished and stacked with the tools that are easily accessible for your car or SUV.

An aesthetically pleasant home that you want to live in is good looking everywhere inside and outside.  It makes a social impression to your visitors how well your treat your home both inside and out. You may have to allocate decorating budget in one room more than others, but be sure to allot some for your backyard.

Getting the hedges and the bushes manicured and the lawn mowed is basic if you have them in your backyard.  But what’s the point if, by not having the right outdoor furniture, you can’t be there to enjoy and savor the beauty of nature on your little patch of exposed piece or real estate?