Gazebos began as ornately carved outdoor focal points.
Originating in the Victorian period as gazebo, a mock-Latin word meaning "I shall gaze," these open post-and-beam buildings typically have five, six or eight sides and are topped with a peaked roof. Modern-day gazebos may mimic the old-fashioned style with elaborate scroll-work or wrought iron handrails, but homeowners desiring a Spanish flair to landscape need to incorporate Mediterranean elements when planning their gazebo. Does this Spark an idea?
Foundation
Hire a tile expert to install a mosaic tile floor for your gazebo.
Design your Spanish Gazebo from the ground up. Install a cobblestone floor to evoke the feel of the streets in many Spanish towns. Hire a tile expert to install a patterned tile floor in bright yellows, reds, greens and blues to display the colors used in Spanish courtyards. For a more subtle flooring choice, lay terracotta tiles as the base of your patio.
Walls
Stucco transforms your gazebo into a Mediterranean oasis.
A combination of carved or plain stone columns joined by stucco-covered half-walls will bring Spain to mind for your visitors. Stucco-covered square columns joined by wrought iron railings bring a strong Spanish flair to your gazebo. More daring homeowners can use pink stucco to mimic the Mission style of Spanish architecture.
Ceiling and Roof
Hang a wrought iron chandelier in your Spanish-style gazebo.
To give your gazebo ceiling a touch of Spain, hand paint the ceiling in Moroccan- or Tuscan-style shapes or use stencils. Apply a sculptured plaster ceiling plate to your ceiling and suspend a ceiling fan from it to stir the air on hot summer nights. Or hang a wrought iron chandelier for dining after dark. Have the roof of your gazebo covered in thatch or red tile. Or have a pergola or arbor built over your gazebo structure and allow vines to grow over it for more shade.
Furnishings
Wrought iron furniture is the perfect complement to your Spanish gazebo.
Choose a wrought iron dining table and chairs for your Spanish-themed gazebo or for a touch of Mediterranean styling purchase cedar furnishings. Another good option is a mosaic tiled round table and chairs with tiled backrests. The addition of a wrought iron serving cart or a chiminea for cold nights will bring authenticity to your outdoor Spanish- inspired space.
Fabric Treatments
From curtains to pillows, the appropriate fabric treatments will add a touch of Spain to your gazebo. Select material in bright oranges, yellows, reds, blues and greens to bring out the colors of Mexican tile. Flowing curtains in bleached or unbleached cotton will provide shade in the heat of the day and privacy whenever you like. A zesty red table cloth is always a good foundation for dining al fresco.
One Final Touch
Plant brightly hued petunias around your Spanish gazebo.
Add bright floral accents to your Spanish-style gazebo. Hang containers spilling with bougainvillea or geraniums from your posts or from your railings in hanging planters. Plant bright petunias in pink, blue or yellow in beds around your gazebo.
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