21 Gazebo Design Ideas for a Cozy Backyard Space

Attached Gazebo

This corner gazebo stretches into the side yard to magnify the front porch's utility and bring vintage flair to a newly constructed home. A ceiling fan (complete with a light fixture) keeps the mood chill and surfaces bright. Lush hanging baskets contribute pleasing colors and create a privacy screen of sorts.

Stand-Out Gazebo Design

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. 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.

Open-Sided Gazebo

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.

Lattice Gazebo

With an elegant silhouette and ample proportions, this multisided gazebo arrestingly anchors a formal garden. The gazebo smartly combines curved entries with a lattice roof and walls; a center roof gable, vertical posts, and finial details give the airy construction sophisticated style.

Patio Gazebo

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.

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Do-It-Yourself Gazebo

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.

Farmhouse Gazebo

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.

Bell-Shaped Gazebo Roof

Custom roofing, such as this bell-shaped roof with corbel trim, costs more but adds individual style to a backyard gazebo. Another cost factor for a gazebo is its location. A secluded setting, which provides privacy, may also restrict construction vehicle access and may require some materials to be carried to the building site by hand--which adds to the construction expense.

Poolside Gazebo

A clay-tile roof and rough-brick walls ensure this gazebo takes center stage on a poolside patio. Cued by country French architecture, this spacious gazebo satisfies modern needs. It houses lift-up-bench storage for pool gear and a dining table and chairs that accommodate casual gatherings, cocktail parties, and family game nights no matter the weather.

Garden Gazebo

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.

Connected Gazebo Ideas

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.

Look Into Gazebo Kits

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.

Small Garden Gazebo

Create a designated space to sit and enjoy your spring garden with a small backyard gazebo nestled in between your colorful blooms. This cozy gazebo provides a cozy place to sit, and with the screened-in sides, you won't have to worry about bothersome bugs.

Gazebo Built Around an Existing Tree

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.

Mini Gazebo

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

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.

Gazebo Entertaining Area

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.

Screened-In Gazebo

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.

Natural Knockout

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.

Simple Backyard Gazebo

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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Gazebo with a Deck

This octagon gazebo, with its double cupola, spacious footprint, and screened openings, attractively and purposefully rounded out the design of a large backyard deck. Though the deck and gazebo share the same redwood-stain color, differing architectural details (note the gazebo's turned spindles versus the deck's straight-lined railings) distinguish the two structures.