Transform Your Backyard with These Cozy Gazebo Design Ideas

White gazebo
PHOTO: BOB STEFKO

Gazebo Made with Old Windows

Wood gazebo made with antique windows
ROBERT BRINSON

A collection of antique windows and doors provide the “walls” for this gazebo, blocking none of the views, but much of the rain and wind. The rustic look continues with the corrugated steel roof and simple post and beam construction.

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Build a Gazebo Kit

double cupola stained wood gazebo
MARTY BALDWIN

Gazebo design ideas don’t have to be from scratch. This built-from-a-kit gazebo nestles nicely into its setting, thanks to its stained wood exterior, lush window boxes, and surrounding perennial beds. A distinctive double cupola, fretwork details, and modified arched openings give the newly constructed gazebo vintage appeal and a pagoda-like appearance. DIY Gazebos do require quite a bit of building know-how, but they can be less expensive than hiring it out.

Gazebo Entertaining Area

gazebo entertaining area with brick patio
STEPHEN CRIDLAND

This gazebo is the architectural anchor of a large backyard entertainment area where guests can enjoy the shade and seclusion provided by the large trees. An adjoining brick patio is a great space for entertaining large groups. Dining tables can be set up, or the patio can serve as a dance floor.

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Patio Gazebo

house-like gazebo with chandelier
MICHAEL GARLAND

House-like in its architecture, this gazebo always draws a crowd. A central entry gable and a noteworthy light fixture draw attention to the gazebo, which connects to an adjacent patio. Cushy upholstered banquettes supply sofa-style seating along the perimeter; a commodious ottoman props up multiple feet.

Garden Gazebo

rustic gazebo with arched entry
LORN MANTHEY

The placement of this rustic gazebo ensures every journey from house to far-off gardens is always pleasurable. A simple gabled roof and an arched entry work hand-in-hand with a ruddy exterior and eye-catching architectural details to make this gazebo a garden focal point. A circular concrete patio that creates a fine and notable foundation that acts as a geometric counterweight to the rectangular gazebo’s shape and airy appearance.

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Gazebo with Cupola Roof

White gazebo
BOB STEFKO

Gazebos are often built for leisure, so you can and should have fun with the design. A vented cupola with cedar shakes tops this screened-in gazebo and enhances its decorative feel.

Classic Gazebo Design

light grey roof gazebo
GINNY WEILER

A bright spot in a shady grove, this gracefully proportioned gazebo advances into view thanks to its light gray roof, white-painted finish, and distinctive railing treatment. Custom roofing, such as this bell-shaped roof with corbel trim, costs more but adds individual style to a backyard gazebo. The hexagon gazebo plays off elements in the landscape. Its white exterior mirrors the color of hydrangea blooms and variegated plantings. The wood floor stays in tune with the darker tones of a brick walkway.

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Victorian-Style Gazebo

Victorian gazebo
ANDRE’ BARANOWSKI

Decorative woodwork and cedar shake roofing give this gazebo a dreamy 19th century look. The space fits a round table in the center, making it the perfect place for shaded outdoor meals.

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Lattice Gazebo

Lattice gazebo
MARK LOHMAN

A dainty lattice structure forms the center of this classical garden. While lattice is mostly used as a privacy screen today, its original use was far more decorative, making it surprisingly ideal for more formal gardens and gazebo designs.

DIY Gazebo Design

stick-built gazebo
FRANCES LITMAN

The owners of this stick-built gazebo come outside to relax in a pair of easy chairs and revel in the sights and sounds of burbling water, chirping birds, and passing-through butterflies. Rising from a two-tiered platform seemingly cantilevered from the adjacent stepped-up patio, the structure sports an open-air design, which optimizes sunlight and breezes that are sometimes blocked by neighboring trees.

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Folly-Style Gazebo

Folly-style gazebo
MATTHEW BENSON

This slender gazebo with an unusual tapered roofline takes after European follies, which were buildings designed mostly for decoration, rather than practical use. Researching historic outbuildings or architecture may give you unique ideas for your gazebo design.

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Gazebo with Privacy Curtains

Gazebo with privacy curtain
JACOB FOX

A gazebo lit with string lights and hanging langerns is even cozier against a curtain backdrop that adds privacy and blocks direct afternoon sun. Shop for curtains in a performance or outdoor fabric to ensure long-lasting quality.

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Guardhouse-Inspired Gazebo

Guardhouse style white gazebo
GORDON BEALL

This small structure at the entrance of the home is modeled after 18th century guardhouses, which stood at the gates of large estates. The modern guardhouse design makes a perfect backyard playhouse or enclosed gazebo.

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Simple Wood Gazebo

Gazebo in flower garden
ALLEN ROKACH

For a natural-looking gazebo that becomes one with the garden, seal the wood of your gazebo, but don’t stain it. The wood will age naturally and will slowly blend into the surroundings. This allows your flowerbeds to be the main focus of your outdoor space.

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Carved Wood Gazebo

Wood carved gazebo
JON JENSEN

Increase the enchantment factor of your gazebo design with decorative details, such as the curvy fascia used here. This version also features a cedar shake roof and a copper finial, proving that more is more when it comes to details.

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Farmhouse Gazebo

farmhouse style screened gazebo
GREG SCHEIDEMANN

The most successful gazebo designs suit the settings and stay in tune with the architecture of the homes they serve. This screened gazebo takes on the form of a tiny farmhouse with its board-and-batten siding and tin roof that mirror elements on the main house. Thanks to the screened windows and door, this enclosed gazebo expands the usage of the patio.

Gazebo with Open Sides

Open-sided gazebo
EMILY J FOLLOWILL

A mostly open-sided gazebo focuses on the enchantment of a steeply pitched roof and reclaimed posts and beams. Low garden benches around the outside support the structure and add extra seating.

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Open-Sided Gazebo

backyard gazebo with eclectic patio furniture
EDMUND BARR

This light and airy gazebo design is open on all four sides, making it feel like a natural part of your outdoor space. The open sides will help you avoid a closed-off feeling, while the full roof shields you from the hot sun or an afternoon rain shower. For added privacy, consider hanging a few panels of curtains that can be tied open or left shut.

Connected Gazebo Ideas

attached gazebo with patio
LYNN KARLIN

Operating much like an open-air screen porch, this attached gazebo works in tandem with a covered patio to entice guests into the landscape and maximize indoor-outdoor gatherings. Shingle siding visually links the home and the gazebo. Arched openings and simple railings lend definition to the structure without blocking sea and sky vistas.

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Gazebo Built Around an Existing Tree

gazebo around tree with shake shingles

If you can’t bear to cut down a backyard tree, build around it. That’s what this homeowner did when adding a backyard gazebo. The simple structure incorporates a tilting tree into its design. A brick-and-mortar base and shake shingles are common materials for traditional gazebos.

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Mini Gazebo

brick patio with cottage gazebo
MICHAEL PARTENIO

Memorable designs result from attention to detail. This fairy-tale cottage gazebo illustrates how to dress for success. Twin gables, a metal roof, skylights, shapely cedar shingles, glass windows, and a glass-pane door combine for a striking, weatherproof structure that brings interest and shelter to a simply planted yard.

Period Style Gazebo

victorian gazebo with yellow seat cushions
JOHN BESSLER

An air of the Victorian emanates from this charming octagonal gazebo, which features spandrel details, wide corbel supports, and a vented cupola. Doubling as a conservatory, this gazebo sports one walled section where a mirror hangs and a potting bench showcases an orchid collection. Built-in benches softened with cushions and pillows invite lingering.

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Screened-In Gazebo

victorian style screened gazebo
GORDON MORIOKA

Supplying at least three seasons worth of entertaining and relaxation space, this gazebo presents a period Victorian profile but performs like a modern screen porch. A finely fashioned breezeway provides protected passage between house and gazebo also contributes extra floor space for setting up tables and chairs when a party is on tap.

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Natural Knockout

garden-folly-style gazebo with lattice walls
ED GOHLICH

This garden-folly-style gazebo boasts a generous supply of panache. The roof’s fetching finial, shapely wood shingles, and broad steeple shape demand attention, as does the interplay of solid and lattice walls forming its base. Note how this gazebo has no man-made floor; the structure sits atop landscaping stone and a mulched foundation for at-one-with-the-environment appeal.

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Simple Backyard Gazebo

wood-shake roof gazebo
EMILY FOLLOWILL

A wood-shake roof and a framework built from reclaimed lumber and beams combine to shape a gazebo that brings rustic charm to a garden corner. Furnished with a table and chairs beneath a candle-equipped chandelier, the gazebo stands ready to host everything from morning coffee and afternoon teas to happy hours and formal dinner parties.

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