As the world enjoys a refreshed sense of adventure and fun, how do you cement yourself as the host-with-the-most in your neighbourhood? It’s hard to throw yourself into entertaining, especially a fun outdoor living space, with the British grey overcast threatening your plans at every step. Not with an oak framed gazebo, however! Today Monarch Oak will show you why investing in a classic garden entertaining space is all you need to kickstart the excitement and fun.
What is an oak framed gazebo, anyway?
At its simplest, an oak framed gazebo is a semi-open, decorative-yet-functional, roofed space in your garden. It’s pretty common to confuse them with the classic English pergola. In fact, a pergola is a type of gazebo! If you’re a fan of beautiful architectural styles, there’s a couple of other styles of gazebo you could be familiar with:
- The pergola: Designed to showcase beautiful blooms and flowers, a pergola is the perfect form of gazebo to showcase and draw the eye in a gorgeous garden
- The pavilion: A pavilion is an octagonal or rectangular, type of gazebo, often seen in public spaces, but just as versatile in a big garden.
- The Victorian: This is purely a stylistic choice, made to mimic the intricate lace-like carving and scrollwork beloved in the Victorian era. If you’ve always wanted to throw a garden party like the Queen, or you have the best roses in the neighbourhood, this could be a style you’ll love.
- The pagoda: A pagoda is a gazebo designed to mimic the elegant lines of Japanese architecture and fits beautifully into a more minimalist architectural look.
- The rotunda: This is another style of gazebo you’ll recognise from some public spaces. Think soaring roman pillars and a round or oval shape. It’s a bit grandiose for the average garden, but if you love the look, it’s possible to simplify the design to suit a home.
- The folly: This is a fun term from the days of sweeping manor houses, and a bit of a catch-all. If it was built to be ornamental and whimsical, instead of practical, it was a folly. It’s perfectly possible to capture some of that same whimsy in your own garden, if you want your gazebo to express your unique personality.
As you can see, there are plenty of different styles and shapes for your gazebo. Oak framed gazebos are also very adaptable. You can opt for a slate, tile, or concrete floor, or put in a raised wooden deck. You can keep sleek, minimal lines, build a practical half-wall, create lattices to showcase your favourite plants, or emulate your favourite decor style. You can even opt to add a glass sunroof to the structure for added brightness and warmth.
At its heart, a gazebo is an outdoor entertainment space that showcases you, the host. Whatever that means to you!
How does an oak framed gazebo fit into outdoor living?
Is your available entertaining space cramping your social life? Small indoor spaces are a fact of life for us in the United Kingdom. Often, you don’t have much available garden, either, and you may be afraid the weather will cramp any attempt to enjoy outdoor living.
A gazebo offers a seamless way to create a tame, reliable outdoor space without destroying what you love most about your garden. You could, of course, build on an outside room to use as a bar or pub, entertainment area, or games room. In fact, we’ve built many such glorious oak spaces for happy customers! But that is merely extending your home. If you’re keen to enjoy the beauties of your garden, and the pleasant summer days we have had in recent years, it may not appeal.
Your oak framed gazebo will bridge this gap perfectly. Unlike an oak structure, it does not stand apart from a well-crafted garden. It can be explicitly designed to show off the best plants or most colourful summer blooms! Yet it provides many of the same benefits a full room can. It creates an anchor point to act as your entertaining space. Visually, it pulls different aspects of the landscape together. The warm, organic, lustre of the oak blends well with the natural environment, yet pulls the eye and gives guests a place to orientate themselves to and gather naturally. And, because of the shelter and practicality of the space, you can stretch the outdoor dining season well into spring and autumn.
Creating an entertainment space you love
On the practical side, when you install an oak framed gazebo you have the benefit of a roof to stave off the weather. It doesn’t matter if it’s the heat of the summer sun or a sudden shower. Of course, that’s not the only reason to want a little coverage! Having a roofed structure to anchor your outdoor living helps keep things easy and practical.
You don’t have to worry about UV damage on your furnishings, leaving you free to invest in high-quality, comfortable pieces. You can run electrical points to the gazebo to provide lights and plugs without environmental risk. It’s also easier to keep clean and tidy, which in turn means a simpler set-up before you entertain. And if you want to roll to bed and leave the tidying up until tomorrow, that’s just fine too! It will also reduce the small things that rob the joy from outdoor living- annoying bugs, leaves dropping in your food, and so on.
Lastly, but far from least, it creates a pleasant and welcoming way to make sure all your guests enjoy your home, but don’t take liberties. If you’re a little worried that someone’s new partner may go poking through your underwear drawer unannounced, or you want to make sure a guest doesn’t accidentally let your dog or cat out of their room, an outdoor living space allows you to still make sure guests feel wanted and special without giving up any of your privacy, too.
How will you enjoy your oak framed gazebo this year? Why not get in touch with the Monarch Oak team today and start planning your entertaining space today?