Designing the Backyard Pavilion of Your Dreams
Your backyard is an essential part of your home, serving as a place to entertain friends and hang out with your family.
But sometimes, you may feel like you don’t use it as often as you’d like. In perfect weather it’s great, but what about when it’s rainy, muddy, or too bright and hot?
At Fisher’s Backyard, we understand that you’re always looking for simple ways to make your backyard more beautiful, hospitable, and useful without breaking the bank or taking on extra maintenance tasks.
That’s why we’ve created a line of backyard pavilion kits to transform your outdoor space into a place you want to hang out.
Are you ready to learn how easy it is to transform your backyard?
Let’s get started!
Why Should I Put a Pavilion in My Backyard?
Your backyard is your oasis. It should be a place to relax and enjoy the scenery after a long day of work—a place to play football with your children or enjoy drinks with close friends.
To achieve the backyard of your dreams, you should add some texture and visual interest to it. But you should also look for practical solutions to typical backyard problems like rain and mud.
A backyard pavilion helps with all of these issues.
How?
A pavilion has a roof supported by posts, providing shelter from rain or sun, making it an ideal place to host friends or relax outdoors on a hot day.
At the same time, pavilions come in various beautiful styles, and you can find something that fits your taste and elevates your backyard. Also, the height of the pavilion adds visual interest to an otherwise flat backyard, especially if you don’t have many trees.
Let’s look at some of the sizes, styles, and features you should consider as you contemplate the perfect backyard pavilion!
What Size of Pavilion is Best for My Backyard?
Look for a backyard pavilion that's proportional to your space. If you have a huge backyard, it may look silly to have a teeny-tiny pavilion, but a large pavilion will overwhelm a small backyard.
Beyond that, you also want a pavilion that’s the right size for what you hope to do in it!
Let’s look at three common pavilion sizes and how much space they offer.
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10x14 Pavilions
With 140 sq. ft. of space, 10x14 pavilions fit 12-18 people, but if you’re putting in outdoor couches or a table and chairs, it accommodates about eight people. It works well beside a pool or on a patio next to a grill.
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12x12 Pavilions
These pavilions are square, giving a gazebo-like look that works well surrounded by flowerbeds. With 144 sq. ft. of space, they also accommodate 12-18 people or furniture for about eight people.
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12x20 Pavilions
This is a larger, rectangular pavilion with 240 sq. ft. of space. The extra length allows you to have a table and chairs for dining at one end and some outdoor couches and chairs at the other. You can fit 20-30 people into the pavilion or have furniture for about 14.
Overall, the size you choose should reflect how many people you hope to accommodate, the activities you wish to do in your pavilion, and the size of the space you have to work with.
What Style of Pavilion Should I Buy?
The wonderful thing about pavilions is that besides being practical, they also add architectural interest to your backyard.
When looking for a pavilion, ask yourself, what styles am I drawn to? What will match the look and feel of my home?
If you know people who have backyard pavilions, take a moment to look at the style and think about whether you’d like a similar style or something different. Or, another way to get inspiration is to browse some pavilion styles on Pinterest.
To help you out, here are some styles you may consider:
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Traditional Pavilions
Available in wood or vinyl, traditional pavilions have a hip roof supported by four posts with simple braces. They have simple, unassuming designs that fit elegantly into various home and garden styles.
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A-frame Pavilions
These pavilions are distinguished by their gable roofs, drawing the eye upward and giving the structure a cabin-like feel. They are available in wood or vinyl and typically look nicer in a rectangular shape rather than a square.
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Hampton Pavilions
With its round columns and arched headers, a Hampton-style pavilion adds grace and sophistication to any backyard. It comes in white or almond-colored vinyl, evoking the feel of an upper-class beach town.
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Santa Fe Pavilions
These pavilions are made of wood or vinyl and feature a unique skillion roof over rafters. The rafters evoke the look of a pergola, while the roof over them still provides full shade and rain shelter.
Another pavilion style, Timber Frame, is typically used in parks and wedding venues rather than backyards. However, if you’re looking for a sturdier, more majestic look, you can learn more about this pavilion style by reading our blog on Everything You Need To Know About Timber Frame Pavilions.
Overall, aim to buy a style of pavilion that fits the theme of your home and backyard and that you personally find beautiful.
What Custom Features Should I Add to My Backyard Pavilion?
After choosing a size and style of pavilion, you’ll want to consider what unique features you’d like to add. These things make your pavilion stand out as personal to you!
Here are some ideas:
- Cupola: A cupola is a dome-shaped decoration on top of your pavilion that looks similar to an upside-down cup (hence the name). It’s a stylish feature that gives your pavilion a bit of a gazebo-like flair.
- Shades: If you’d like to add more sun or wind-blocking capabilities to your pavilion, consider putting in shades! Add a shade to one wall only, or put them on all four sides and create a private space to use as a pool cabana.
- Electrical package: Add lights, outlets, or even a ceiling fan by installing an electrical package and expanding the possibilities of what you can do with the space!
- Color options: Choose from various stain colors to find one you love, or, if opting for a vinyl pavilion, decide whether you prefer pure white or a more subdued almond shade.
- Roofing options: Like most construction projects, the most common options for pavilion roofs are metal roofing and shingles, which come in various colors. However, you can also opt for a more whimsical option, such as wood shakes.
Bonus: Deciding on your pavilion's size, style, and features may feel overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be! Our handy online design tool allows you to experiment with different options and see what you like before committing to anything!
Building a Backyard Pavilion
If you have construction experience and dream of designing a one-of-a-kind pavilion that defines your backyard and impresses your neighbors, go ahead! You can find plenty of tutorials online about how to construct a DIY pavilion.
However, if you don't have the time, energy, or experience necessary to design and build your own pavilion, you’ll probably be better off with a pavilion kit. A pavilion kit includes everything you need to install your pavilion, from pre-cut and pre-drilled lumber to roofing materials to all the necessary hardware.
Buying a kit is much easier than assembling a pavilion from scratch!
Some pavilion kit manufacturers (such as Fisher’s Backyard) offer installation. Or, if you have a contractor you know and trust, you can always hire them to install it for you.
How Fisher’s Backyard Can Help
Here at Fisher’s Backyard, we have over 25 years of experience helping people create their dream backyard hosting spaces, and we can’t wait to help you!
Working with us is a simple, hassle-free experience:
- Step 1: Design Your Structure. Use our handy online tool to design your dream backyard structure
- Step 2: Receive a Quote. We will send you a quote based on your design.
- Step 3: Schedule Installation. After receiving a down payment, we’ll schedule a time to install your new structure. Or, if you want to handle the installation yourself, we’ll schedule delivery.
- Step 4: Enjoy your new structure. Once installation is complete, enjoy your backyard in a new way by hosting events or relaxing with your family under the shade of your new structure!
Besides pavilions, we offer other shelter options, such as custom pergolas and gazebos! Learn more about these structures by reading our Ultimate Guide to Gazebos and our blog post on Pergolas: An Introduction.
We've also written a helpful post about whether to consider outdoor structures an investment or a luxury.
And if you have any questions, feel free to read our FAQs or contact us today for more information!
We look forward to hearing from you.