I am sixteen, going on seventeen, I know that I’m naïve. 

I need someone older and wiser telling me what to do.

Remember the young Liesl von Trapp from the 1965 musical, The Sound of Music, spending a cosy evening with her boyfriend in the park? Suddenly thunder strikes and the two seek shelter in a closed wooden structure where they spend the rest of the evening dancing and singing. Well, it‘s hard for movie buffs to forget the scene and the song and the closed wooden structure; which incidentally is the topic of our discussion today! The gazebo, that is! 🙂

Gazebo - House exteriors

So, what is a gazebo?

A gazebo is an open structure placed in the garden. They serve as a cosy hideaway for the family. It is usually hexagonal or octagonal in shape, open on the sides and has a protective roof covered with shingles or tiles. It is usually made out of wood. There would be several seating spaces inside the enclosure.

Gazebos are popular across the globe. In England, you can find large gazebos in parks and private properties. It is very common to serve the customary English afternoon tea in a gazebo. In the East, in Japan and China, these tea houses are a spot for meditation and inner reflection.

Benefits of a gazebo

  • For the next gen, who always prefer to be indoors, with their gadgets, the gazebo offers a welcome change, an inviting space to enjoy the fresh air outside.
  • It can be a cosy corner to spend some quality family time; ideal to enjoy nature.
  • On a hot summer day, the canopy the gazebo offers in your backyard is priceless.
  • It adds to the elegance and beauty of your garden.
  • Use it as a barbecue corner or an outside dining area for a small gathering of friends and family
  • A space for solitude and inner reflection; a disturbance free, silent spot for your daily dose of meditation and yoga.

How can you set up a gazebo?

Setting up a gazebo is quite simple. You just need the sufficient space earmarked in your backyard. You can use wood or metal to construct a gazebo. Make sure that the design of the gazebo gels well with the rest of the house and the plot. The materials and colours used for the gazebo should match with that of the rest of the house. For added privacy, you can also create walls with lattice panels on the sides. You can also plant creepers and climbers that grow up and over the gazebo framework.

Get in touch with Viya Constructions, to construct a gazebo alongwith your dream home.

Fun fact:- Hundreds of tourists visit the gazebo in The Sound of Music is each day doing “Sound of Music” tours around Salzburg, Austria. However the scenes in the interior of the gazebo were actually shot in Hollywood.