Ornamental Iron Railings

A sign and symbol of a luxury landscape design, ornamental iron railings instill your landscape design with subtle refinement. During our more than two decades in business, Exterior Worlds has come to believe that they are emblematic of homeowners who envisage and mold their total living environment, both interior and exterior. With the fitting and beautifully rendered ornamental iron railing, they are saying, “Here, everything matters.”

Our clients believe that ornamental iron railings are one of those extra finishing touches that move a landscape into a superlative category. In a similar fashion, it’s the way a fire and water fountain raises the design quotient for custom swimming pools and outdoor water fountains. Likewise how French drains add a design element to a drainage system.

Over the years, we have installed such railings as part of an outdoor kitchen, to partition off the eating area, for example. We have also integrated them into patio designs along a staircase or at the step-down into the yard. Ditto deck designs when the deck is built on several levels.

In general, railings are part of hardscapes, the non-plant material of landscaping. This category includes such structural outdoor elements as wrought iron arbors, outdoor gazebos, wrought iron trellises and garden arches. In the modern landscape, Exterior Worlds has used ornamental iron for the structural: window grilles, banisters, balconies, doors, screens, door panels, copings, pilasters, and column capitals. And for functional ornamentation: landscape lighting fixtures, door knockers, door handles, iron wall planters, gate ornaments, finials and hinges.

Railings are typically an open design so as to let the gaze out and the view in. They, along with ornamental iron fences, ornamental iron gates, wrought iron driveway gates and other iron elements, can be tailor-made to your individual requests. In choosing your design, you have many options to consider—from the classic to the contemporary.

Ornamental iron, also called wrought iron, has provided strength of form and a sense of authenticity since The Middle Ages. While true wrought iron is mainly used today in historic preservation work, this ancient art form still captivates us—even though we don’t use a fire and anvil anymore.

But if the old ways interest you, you can obtain antique ornamental iron pieces. The stair railing from Barcelona or the balcony railing from a French chateau could add an appealing sense of history to your landscape’s overall ambiance. Exterior Worlds can retro-fit these historic and fascinating pieces into your landscape, based on your specific need.

We have also found that commercial landscape design, as well as private residences, benefits from decorative railings and other ornamental iron elements. Whether in an embellished pattern that recalls de Medici’s Italy or a sparse contemporary design worthy of Rothko, ornamental iron railings speak of sustainability and substance. It makes the statement finely, with a delicate touch, with a certainty born of wherewithal.

Ornamental iron railings stand for an understated, but pertinent concept within the lexicon of landscape architecture. A perfect blend of form and function, wrought iron railings make utility look beautiful, give wings to pure function.

Wrought Iron Arbor

A wrought iron arbor communicates strength while functioning as a backdrop for luscious, flowering vines. And it is that mixture of enduring and ephemeral, hard and soft, that Exterior Worlds find so compelling about wrought iron arbors.

Wrought iron has been around for centuries as an art form. It has been used as decoration in fine homes and gardens in the Mediterranean countries, Europe and in the Americas. You can see it in the forms of doors, balconies, gates, fences, window grilles, shutters, hardware and furniture, both new and antique.

Our clients desire wrought iron for its beauty as well as its functionality—providing utility, security and privacy. In addition to arbors, we use it for other outdoor structures and architectural features. Also, for accents, accessories and functional ornamentation. Since it is a strong material, we like to showcase its intrinsic strength, although it can be used to good effect in most any design.

We can custom-make wrought iron works that are rich in detail in such classic styles as Renaissance, Gothic, Louis XV, Art Deco or Art Nouveau. We also offer more contemporary designs using other metals like stainless steel, bronze or copper. Additionally, we can retro-fit wrought iron antiques to fit your design needs.

As for arbors, they have been part of landscape architecture at least since the 1600s. Nowadays, they can also be made of treated wood, galvanized aluminum, and stone combined with wrought iron, wood or aluminum. Your only limitation on design options is what complements your house’s architecture and the other material you’ve chosen for your landscape design.

Arbors belong to the sub-group called garden structures. Generally, they are an open-air composition covered on top by a solid roof or lattice work. We think they are particularly beautiful when serving as the framework on which vines grow. This combination of man-made structure and natural greenery creates a lovely, green shaded area.

Exterior Worlds has used arbors as free-standing structures or to provide a passageway between different elements in your landscape design, such as a covered walkway to a rose garden, an outdoor water fountain or a custom swimming pool. We have also used their height and interest to create a focal point on a deck or patio design.

A wrought iron arbor can also be practical. We have trained fruit-bearing and vegetable vines to grow on them. In places where it is hard or not practical to grow trees or where an open, airy space is preferred, we have built them to provide welcoming relief from the sometimes overbearing sun.

In Mediterranean landscape design and English garden design, a wrought iron arbor is a pleasant addition. It accentuates the landscape style while providing a place to grow a colorful vine such as bougainvillea or a scented one like old-fashioned honeysuckle.

We also recommend wrought iron for other elements within your landscape—fences, a trellis, wrought iron driveway gates, to name a few. A wrought iron garden gate inserted in a privacy fence creates a welcoming counterbalance of openness. An antique wrought iron wall element conveys an appreciation of history.

Call Exterior Worlds at 713-827-2255 to discuss placing wrought iron elements in your landscape.

Antique Wrought Iron

Exterior Worlds often uses antique wrought iron in landscapes to meet the needs of our sophisticated clientele. We believe that antique wrought iron pieces convey an international point of view while revealing a preference for the past.

Antique wrought iron also affords an opportunity to put a one of a kind element in your landscape design. It works perfectly in spaces of all sizes—at the front door, on a private patio, in a large garden, at the entrance of an estate, just to name a few of the places we have used them.

Wrought iron has been around for centuries in just about every country in the world. You can find antique wrought iron pieces from Belgium, for instance, such as a two-foot tall roof top finial. From Egypt, we’ve seen planters, wall sconces, side tables, and chandeliers. The ornate wrought iron balconies in intricate florals from Argentina are remarkable.

English ironwork for the gardens is always a pleasure. Including the hardworking—such as a wrought iron garden arbor from 1940’s England or an antique circular wrought iron tree surround with bench seating, made in the early 1900s. The quirky—an English heavy cast iron door knocker in the form of a fist that holds a laurel wreath, as an example. And the magnificent—fence railing that actually once stood in Regent’s Park

Other historic wrought iron stock includes wrought iron gates, garden furniture, garden arches, transoms, wrought iron panels, iron window grills and wrought iron grates. And this list only begins to tell the story.

We have found that antique iron hardware and artifacts create distinction in any of our landscape designs. It does so in two ways—by adding a structural surprise and heightening the visual pleasure. We have incorporated it into new construction for our clients; also renovation projects, as a finishing touch to outdoor spaces such as outdoor kitchens and deck designs, and as a singular garden structure. Aged wrought iron works well in outdoor and indoor spaces, for residential or commercial landscapes.

If you want a custom piece, we can help you find design firms who can make specialty architectural wrought iron pieces using old iron. When making their custom orders, many of these craftsmen will use hand forging techniques to further buoy the sense of authenticity.

When they can’t find what they’re looking for, some of our clients have bought or ordered reproductions of a classic architectural element. The beauty of this option is that it provides you with the one of a kind element you seek, and yet still gives you the convenience of tailoring it to any restrictions you might have—size, for example.

Over the years, Exterior Worlds has found that aged wrought iron can be used in any landscape design—as a solo focal point, an accoutrement to a hardscape, as a conversational element in an outdoor gazebo, an exclusive accessory in an outdoor room, or a decorative accent on a wrought iron fence, for example. It helps define your open space by filling it with imagination, heart and history.

Ornamental Iron Gates

At Exterior Worlds, we think ornamental iron gates present an opportunity to express your own style. The entrance to your property, yard or garden, ranging from the minimal to the grand, communicates something quite basic about you and your lifestyle.

With gates, you can make a statement. For instance, the openness of ornamental iron gates indicates a certain willingness to share. Conversely, solid gates provide security and privacy while conveying a sense of mystery. A garden gate painted in a bright color says something bold.

The decorative art of ornamental iron, which came into its own in The Middle Ages, requires great skill to arrive at its often amazing embellishments. Over time and in nearly every country of the world, artisans and craftsmen have come up with the many intricate motifs. You can find ornamental iron twisted and shaped into the refined intricacies of the Renaissance, the flamboyancies of the Baroque and Rococo periods, the playful designs of Art Nouveau and the geometries of Art Deco, to name a few. Simply put, there are few limitations imposed upon the design possibilities of wrought iron.

In choosing the gate to greet them upon each and every arrival home, we encourage our clients to consider four of the fundamental design principles: proportion, scale, harmony and emphasis.

• Proportion is the ratio between the size of one part to another. We still use the most pleasing formula developed in ancient Greece which states that the ratio of the smaller section to the larger section should be the same as that of the larger section to the whole.
• Scale is related to proportion. It refers to how the size of one object relates to another object or to the space in which it is placed. With gates, you want it in scale with your fence, for instance, and the entire fencing in proper relationship to your yard and home.
• Harmony occurs when all the elements of your landscape design blend together. When using ornamental iron, you can develop harmony by repeating the same pattern in your gate, your ornamental iron fence and ornamental iron railing, for example.
• Emphasis within landscape design vernacular means creating a focal point. Perhaps you want to use your outdoor fireplace, a custom outdoor water fountain or custom swimming pool as your point of interest. In these cases, a decorative iron gate that opens onto these elements would play a supporting role.

In addition to the aesthetics of an ornamental iron gate, you have some practical considerations as well. For instance, over the years, Exterior Worlds has offered this suggestion for dealing with Houston’s expansive soil—if you have a gate with a knob, the locking mechanism may not line up properly because the ground has shifted. A sturdy arch over the gate can serve as a frame that keeps the gate square and plumb with the knob’s receiving plate.

Ornamental iron gates provide both fluent expressiveness and convenience. The right gates can enhance the overall look of your landscape. They add élan and elegance to your property while securing you, your family and your home.

Antique Ornamental Iron

Landscape designers and landscape architects, builders, interior decorators, collectors and history buffs comb the world for antique ornamental iron pieces to place in a landscape design. At Exterior Worlds, we understand the appeal. These highly prized antique ornamental iron pieces add character and interest to any yard and garden area. They signify gravitas.

Wrought iron gates, antique iron garden furniture, garden architectural elements, wrought iron fencing and antique railings are just a few of the example of antique iron to use in your landscape. Each adds individualistic and unique style to your home or garden area.

We have found that antique ornamental iron, architectural artifacts and other antique hardware work perfectly well in new construction, remodeling projects, or whenever applied as a decorative finishing touch to an outdoor room, outdoor kitchen or courtyard.

Some of our clients have found that they like the design option of building their desired architectural structure (wrought iron wall element, grill for fence insert, chandelier—the list goes on and on) using antique iron elements. Truly, it is a way of ending up with the best of the old and the new.

We have also found that antique ornamental iron can underscore a theme within a garden design. For example, antique iron guard rails might accentuate the area surrounding an outdoor water fountain in a classical landscape design. An English garden design often has a spot for a wrought iron garden arbor or an ornamental gate, as another example.

When buying large pieces like wrought iron garden gates or wrought iron driveway gates, you may find that these architectural antiques require some modification in order to work in their new capacity. If so, we can help arrange the custom fabrication services to remake your purchase to suit your specific design needs.

Over the years, we have seen knowledgeable antique buyers go for the eye-grabbing pieces, such as fencing from Regent’s Park in London or a balcony railing from Buenos Aires. After all, the quality and designs of vintage wrought iron are superior. (Sometimes quirky, too, but always interesting.)

Additionally, we encourage our clients to look at antique iron hardware. Items in this grouping include antique iron latches, antique iron hinges, large door pulls, levers, push plates, letter slots, knobs and door knockers.

So we encourage you—if you are looking for something that is a little off the beaten path, consider architectural antique iron. Just read some of the descriptions of antique iron pieces that are available today and you’ll see why they excite us: A woven wire train station ticket teller cage from the late 1880s with original railway monogram. Antique wrought iron stair railing and newel posts in prairie style. An antique wrought iron railing with acorn finial and post from the Chicago of the 1800s. From a Masonic temple theater, circa 1907, an antique iron ventilation ceiling grate, delicately perforated.

If only these pieces could talk, these sentinels of history—the events they’ve seen, the stories they could tell, the wisdom they carry.

Exterior Worlds, supplying high-end landscape design and services for the greater Houston area. 713-827-2255

Custom Ornamental Iron

Fill your landscape with the artistry of custom ornamental iron. Imagine a custom ornamental iron gate, with an authentic antique look, at the entrance to your property. A stairway with decorative wrought iron railing that leads from an upper story balcony. A custom ornamental wall element hanging in your outdoor kitchen. A refurbished antique garden gate that opens onto your luxury swimming pool.

Exterior Worlds has added distinctive and custom ornamental iron elements to yards, gardens, patio designs and driveways in the Houston area since 1987. We have found that it is a finishing touch that personalizes your landscape and makes the space uniquely yours.

With custom iron works, you can choose from templates or create your own design. Our custom design experts can fabricate a range of styles, from genuine antique renderings to more simplistic patterns. The possibilities are varied and exciting for the look of your finished product and range from the ornate styles of Renaissance, Louis XV, Gothic and classic Victorian to the sleek and innovative looks of Art Nouveau, Art Deco and contemporary designs. Our goal is to match the final product to your personal aesthetic.

We do encourage our clients to consider the architectural style of their home when choosing a pattern. Or they may have a garden that follows a particular theme—a Mediterranean landscape design or an English garden design, for example. If so, your custom iron choices should blend seamlessly with any existing style.

The main thing we offer at Exterior Worlds is a choice of artisans and craftsmen who take personal and professional pride in producing work that is true to its artistic history while paying close attention to your specifications.

We want to point out that modern techniques, such as galvanizing and powder-coating, have enhanced decorative iron’s ability to withstand the outdoor elements. And, in addition to elegance, custom ornamental fences and gates also address the issue of security for your property.

Custom wrought iron applications that we’ve installed in our clients’ landscapes include wrought iron fences, wrought iron driveway gates, pool fencing, ornamental iron railings, wrought iron garden gates, trellises, garden arbors, garden arches and wrought iron wall elements.

Special orders of ornamental iron can even mean antique wrought iron. If you’ve bought an antique architectural element, it can be retro-fitted to your specific design need. You can also commission a custom piece using old iron. You can further customize your look with your metal choice. These options include metals such as aluminum, brass, bronze, stainless steel, wrought iron and quality raw materials.

Tailor-made and hand-crafted ornamental iron adds an enhanced air of quality and distinction to the upscale home. With its authentic detail and construction, it creates both security and value. We have found that it takes your property to a new level of curb appeal by providing enduring beauty. Georgia O’Keeffe once defined art as filling space in interesting ways. At Exterior Worlds, we believe this definition works in landscape design as well. Certainly one interesting way to fill an empty landscape is with custom ornamental iron.

Exterior Worlds provides landscape services, including custom iron works, to discriminating clients in the greater Houston area. Call 713-827-2255 for a consultation.

Ornamental Iron Fencing Houston

With an ornamental iron fence, beauty and purpose meld into one form. It is decorative sophistication at its best, a subtle yet strong mark of distinction. An ornamental iron fence can be a remarkable focal point in your landscape design, something that is especially important when it comes time to sell your property and you want to distinguish it from all the others in your market.

At the same time that it shows wherewithal, an ornamental iron fence also is functional. It provides a feeling of safety and security. By protecting your family, it gives you peace of mind. Additionally, it increases your property value with its durable good looks.

Since 1987, Exterior Worlds has built custom wrought iron fences in fine neighborhoods in the greater Houston area. We have put ornamental iron fences along property lines, around custom swimming pools, lining driveways and as part of patio designs. Our clients find that they love the way these fences open up the view to their beautifully landscaped lawn and gardens.

We can custom fabricate ornamental iron in a variety of shapes, styles colors and finishes. Perhaps you saw a design during your travels that you fell in love with or maybe you have a particular color in mind that will complement your home especially well. Let Exterior Worlds customize a fence just for you.

Over the years, we have run across people who assume ornamental iron is expensive and time-consuming to maintain. While this statement can be said of true wrought iron, most modern landscaping products that we call ornamental iron or wrought iron are actually made of a lighter-weight steel. It does not rust like true wrought iron.

Additionally, we can produce a chemically bonded finish by galvanizing and powder coating the metal to make it competitive with aluminum in the longevity category. In other words, we can build you a wrought iron fence that provides the desired look of iron without the maintenance fuss and bother.

Regardless, we would be happy to provide you with one of our turn-key maintenance contracts that includes the upkeep of the fence and gates. We can set up the contract to cover general upkeep of the fence and gates, including painting. You can also have us tend to electrical or technical problems with motorized wrought iron driveway gates, should they occur. Our busy clients find that it is a good use of their time and resources to let us handle the mundane chores such as these.

If you think a wrought iron fence is right for you, one idea to consider is to use ornamental iron in combination with other materials. We have built beautiful fences in which wrought iron is used with stone, brick and wood. One example is wrought iron pickets with brick pillars or stone columns. Another example is to use a stretch of wrought iron along a wooded back lot and then build a wooden privacy fence on the side of your property with neighbors. Castings, such as picket points, can further formalize the look. With these combination fences, you are limited only by your imagination.

Wrought Iron Garden Gate

Exterior Worlds uses a wrought iron garden gate as more than just a security feature or a design device. That’s because it maintains such a strong pull on our imaginations due to its presence in many childhood stories. Iron gates evoke magical places. They call to mind kings and queens and castles.

Just like many of our earliest stories, wrought iron came into its own as an art form sometime in The Middle Ages (which explains the association with tales of secret gardens and getaways). Ever since, blacksmiths, artisans and craftsmen have been twisting and twirling wrought iron into interesting shapes.

Working with the best landscape architects and landscape designers in the area, Exterior World uses wrought iron gates along with other hardscapes. Decorative iron gates work wonderfully as companions to outdoor water fountains and garden structures—garden arbors and outdoor gazebos, to name a few. From the outside, the visitor gets just a glimpse through the iron pickets of what lies on the other side.

The gate can also open onto a pathway that functionally leads your guests into the space. It also serves to visually give the eye a line to follow. By adding a garden arch over the gate, it then becomes a significant entryway. We often make it even more inviting by planting the arch with a colorful vine and adding landscape lighting. The lighting serves two purposes: when it’s dark, it makes for a safe and secure entry, plus it creates an enchanting exchange of light and shadow.

We also like these decorative gates because they improve air circulation within your landscape design. As professional landscapers working in the Houston climate, we are happy to make good use of that functional feature.

Over the years, we have found that wrought iron garden gates work well for our clients as the only wrought iron element in their yard. If clients prefer slightly more prominent uses of iron, we have paired a decorative iron gate with a single wrought iron trellis along a far fence or picked it up with an interesting wrought iron wall element. We have also matched it to other standard uses of wrought iron, such as wrought iron fences and wrought iron driveway gates.

Due to the expense of production, true wrought iron has been consigned to historic preservation projects and is rarely produced today. Most of the landscape products that we call wrought iron, including wrought iron garden gates, are actually made from a material called mild steel.

However, today’s wrought iron gates continue to be functional as security elements especially when equipped with the appropriate hardware and technology. We encourage our clients to review their many options in this area, including electronic keypads, keyless locks and keyed locks.

Wrought iron garden gates serve all these utilitarian and aesthetic purposes. But, due to their iconic place in the human imagination, they can be more. They are the stuff of legends and fairy tales and bedtime stories. They can also simply convey warmth and hospitality to guests, friends and family.

Wrought Iron Designs

Wrought iron designs signify a dynamic relationship with nature, one that references the four cardinal elements of earth, air, fire and water. It is beauty wrapped in architectural elements. And that is why Exterior Worlds recommends wrought iron to our clients.

In the construction process, possibilities for wrought iron design are based on a linear structure. It starts with building a sturdy and stable framework that is then filled with decorative artistry. By highlighting the technical aspects, the blacksmith stresses the material’s strength and, at the same time, validates the design aesthetic.

Thus, the typical working outline for the blacksmith-artisan includes the functional and aesthetic aspects, any economic considerations, construction methods that provide durability, solidness and rigidity, and the final dimensions.

We use wrought iron within the landscape lexicon to create easy transitions into exterior spaces such as using an ornamental iron railing across a multi-level courtyard. With a wrought iron fence, wrought iron gate or a fence around a luxury swimming pool, we can emphasize flexible living zones. Additionally, we have found that wrought iron can vary the experience as when we use it in an outdoor gazebo or as a wrought iron trellis that divides an outdoor kitchen from a grassy area. Sometimes it can be a simple focal point. A wrought iron wall element hung on a fence is an elegant addition to the landscape. A single antique ornamental iron object d’art is equally effective.

Wrought iron can accentuate your intention within a themed landscape. A Castilian cathedral grille, French gothic door-knockers, or elaborate iron lanterns from England in a formal landscape design, for example. We also encourage our clients to match their choice of wrought iron design to the architecture of their home.

In general, we think you are well served when you choose an ornamental iron design style that is natural to the region—which is perfect for Houston and our semi-tropical climate that so closely resembles the Mediterranean. Wrought iron recalls the ancient cultures that grew up along the Mediterranean—the Phoenicians, Arabs, Romans, Greeks, Moors and Carthaginians.

When the earliest settlers of the New World arrived on these shores, they brought the skill and artistry of wrought iron with them. It continued to flourish in the U.S. With the wrought iron designs of the Art Deco period in the 1920s and 1930s, Americans had their own outlook and muses. Specifically, they drew inspiration from the geometries of Native American art forms—for example, the stark and poetic pottery of the Hopi tribes, the intricate beadwork of the Sioux and the storied blankets of the Navajo.

Other American art deco artists were stimulated by regionalism—Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie style are two of the more well-known examples. Local flora and fauna were also spotlighted. In the Deep South, you can find magnolias and pelicans in art deco designs.

All that is to say—the beauty of wrought iron has captivated us for centuries. It conveys a sense of soul. It connects us to our history.

Since 1987, Exterior Worlds has provided high-end landscape design and services for the greater Houston area.

Ornamental Iron in Houston

Exterior Worlds recommends ornamental iron, also called wrought iron, for our clients who want a timeless beauty in their landscape design. Ornamental iron displays both strength and delicacy in its many and varied uses. Its elegant details—whether in hypnotic geometric shapes, fanciful medieval renditions or scrolling and sensuous movement—convey a sense of history and a timeless beauty, authenticity and strength.

We think iron pieces work in almost any landscape, but because of its historic roots, especially in European history, wrought iron goes particularly well with gardens that have a certain theme, such Mediterranean landscape design, classic landscape design, formal landscape design and English garden design. Ornamental iron emerged as a decorative art about 1,000 years ago and certain iron pieces, styles and forms continue to give a nod to those early roots. Examples include:

• From Italy and Tuscany. Elaborate iron lanterns from Florence. Torch holders in the shape of winged gargoyles in Milan. Tuscan wrought ironwork in rectilinear shapes clearly derives from Mediterranean antecedents while maintaining an air of elegance. Truly, it is the Italian way.
• From Spain. The major regions of Spain each put their own imprint on wrought iron. In Catalan—the balcony railings and distinctive gothic door-knockers. From the Castilian area—window screens and cathedral grilles. The Andalusia region, also called “Europe’s Orient” is fascinating for its contrasts. Moorish and Christian cultures lived side by side there, producing fabulous ornamental iron art.
• From France. In Paris, the wrought iron art nouveau entrances to the Metro are the second most famous wrought iron structure there. You can also find plenty of examples of more functional pieces, such as guardrails, balustrades and grillwork. Plus plenty of samples in the Louis styles—XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI.
• From England. Nearly as famous for its gardens as for its kingdom, England has contributed a wealth of style and charm to the landscaping vernacular. Items include antique tree surrounds, scrolled benches and wrought iron garden arches.

Inspired decorative flourishes, finely detailed artistry, painstaking designs—these phrases well describe the various wrought iron pieces that Exterior Worlds has either integrated into clients’ landscapes or seen used to good effect. Various applications and motifs include:

• Structures and other architectural features: outdoor water fountains, outdoor gazebos, doors, banisters, handrails, screens, door panels, window grilles, balustrades, balconies, running friezes, copings and finials, pilasters, column capitals, balcony supports.
• Functional ornamentation: Gate ornaments, wrought iron garden gates and wrought iron fences, landscape lighting fixtures, door knockers, door handles, hinges, andirons and fireplace tools, curtain rods, wrought iron flower boxes and planters, gratings, benches, partitions, outdoor tables, wrought iron driveway gates.
• Accents and accessories: Antique wrought iron rosettes, gargoyles, clothes hooks, signs, sculptures, mirror-frames.

Today we may use mild steel instead of true wrought iron in our landscape products. We may use electric welding rather than a fire and anvil. But, still. Ornamental iron is wondrous. Heat transforms metal rods into spirals and rosettes, trefoils and quatrefoils, songbirds and dragons. The bar bends and the circle appears.

Exterior Worlds has provided high-end landscape design and services for the greater Houston area since 1987. 713-827-2255. www.exteriorworlds.com.

Wrought Iron Gates

Gates represent an important part of any fence and need to be considered from their functional and aesthetic aspects. At Exterior Worlds, we think a wrought iron gate, outfitted with the proper lock and hardware, serves both purposes well. Sometimes, even stunningly well.

The beauty of wrought iron gates has been known for centuries. Wrought iron entered the decorative arts in The Middle Ages and, with technological improvements, is as popular today as ever. Specific to gates, we think the use of wrought iron does two things for the Houston landscape designer: it gives us an opportunity to improve air circulation—no small thing in our climate—and it allows the passerby an intriguing glimpse of what lies beyond.

For these reasons and more, Exterior Worlds has installed wrought iron gates, wrought iron fences and wrought iron driveway gates in Houston and the surrounding communities for more than two decades.

From a utilitarian perspective, security must be addressed when discussing gates. If your garden gate gives access to your property, you need to consider some kind of lock. You can choose from several options, including keyed locks, electronic keypads or keyless locks, each with its own pros and cons.

Keyed locks are very secure and you have control over the distribution of the key. However, it means carrying another key. It also means that everyone who has a key—and presumably needs ready access to the area—must keep up with their key.

Electronic keypads mean no one has to carry around or keep up with a key. But these high-tech locks do require electricity, so if the power goes out—say, during hurricane season—you need to arrange for back-up power or you have to use another access point.

Keyless locks have several advantages: no key to keep up with, no wiring or battery, no programming. The disadvantage is that everyone who uses the gate has to remember the code sequence. And when the code is changed, you have to remember to make sure everyone has the new one.

Another safety consideration for gates: the ones in the fence around your custom swimming pool. Everyone from the city code department to the American Academy of Pediatrics to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers encourages homeowners to fence off the pool area for the safety of children.

At Exterior Worlds, we think these pool fences and gates can be decorative touches to your landscape design. However, if your visual aesthetic finds that they clutter the landscape, we can weave them into the bushes, hedges and garden beds that surround the pool, thus providing unobtrusive security.

Another structural consideration for gates is the use of in-fills, the panels we use for odd-shaped or over-large openings. When made of the same wrought iron design as the gate, infills create a seamless look.

Both sturdy and elegant, a wrought iron gate gives you a chance to add a motif to your property. In the true sense of combining form and function, it provides secured access—and thus, peace of mind—while acting as an inviting sentry to guests, friends and family.

Wrought Iron Wall Elements

The beauty of wrought iron is always in fashion. It is a strong and long-lasting material that works in any environment, but particularly so in outdoor gardens and patios when it is used as a wrought iron wall element. At Exterior Worlds, we have hung metal rosettes, scrolls, friezes, pediments, valances, squares, rectangles, circles and grilles as wall elements. Also, wrought iron plaques in any number of fantastical and realistic facades. Our clients find that, from a maintenance point of view, they can’t get an easier piece of art to take care of. All they have to do is sit back and enjoy it.

As for placement ideas, we have used such wrought iron wall elements as iron shelf brackets and candle sconces. We’ve placed iron artwork over exterior doors and windows, above an outdoor fireplace or on fences. We have inserted an iron grille into a fence, which is particularly effective because it creates a breezeway and still keeps the fence secured.

If wrought iron is used in other areas of the landscape, such as a wrought iron driveway gate, wrought iron trellis or wrought iron garden gate, we always integrate the motifs. While it isn’t necessary to match completely, neither do you want to create visual clashes.

If you are in the market for a wrought iron wall accent piece in your landscape design, here are some considerations to think about before purchasing and before installing:
• When shopping, look for accent iron pieces that inspire you.
• Correlate the size of the decorative iron piece with the size of the wall. Large iron wall decor puts dimension, depth, and detail into the space while a single, small accent piece may get lost on a large wall.
• If you have a large wall or fence, a single large piece makes a stronger statement than several small ones. It also keeps down the visual clutter and brings the eye sharply to your focal point.
• Alternatively, you may enjoy collecting smaller iron pieces and hanging them in an outdoor space gives you an opportunity to showcase your personal taste. If appropriate, try placing contrasting shapes and textures together.
• Review the material choices already in the design of your space and make sure your intended wall décor works with them.

We have found that wrought iron wall elements accentuate certain themed landscape designs. For instance, they underscore a Mediterranean landscape design, since, typically, that style’s ambiance embraces a rustic feeling. Wrought iron accents key off nicely against the earthy patinas and colors found in the Mediterranean regions such as natural wood, terracotta, and earthy colors, including amber, copper, wine, melon, flaxen and sage.

Wrought iron wall pieces add élan to the formal landscape design, as well. French designs figure prominently in the wrought iron vocabulary and the right pieces will evoke a French chateau’s garden. Wrought iron in Spanish designs is also readily available if your home has a Moorish or Spanish architecture.

By providing architectural detail, wrought iron wall elements can put the finishing touch on your outdoor room, patio design or outdoor kitchen.

Call Exterior Worlds at 713-827-2255 for landscaping expertise, suggestions and service.

Wrought Iron Trellises

Wrought iron trellises can be made into a dizzying variety of styles and shapes. Simple lines, repeating patterns, ornate flourishes, symmetrical grids, trefoils, fleur-de-lis, and realistic elements like leaves or woodland creatures are just some of the wonderful designs you will find. Part of the landscaping vocabulary called garden structures, a sub-group that includes garden arbors, garden arches and outdoor gazebos, Exterior Worlds has installed wrought iron trellises in Houston area landscapes for more than two decades.

A wrought iron trellis gives the eye a focal point—and thus a resting place—when viewing the landscape as a whole. At the same time, it creates an accessory accent in your landscape design. We most often recommend that wrought iron trellises be paired with plants, usually a vine. It gives these plants an attractive and acceptable place to climb to a higher plane. We have also placed them in an open area to provide elevation and relieve any monotony.

When selecting a material type for a trellis in Houston, an important consideration is its durability. Since it is outdoors, it must withstand the rigors of our weather, from the summer’s simmering heat to the occasional freeze. Even if it is placed in a covered area, it still has to be able to take our humidity. Among the fine materials we have used, galvanized and powder coated metal is a good choice for our climate. It may initially be a little more expensive than plain metal, but we think that, over the long term, you’ll be happier with it because it lasts longer and is easier to maintain.

We have used a trellis in many home landscape designs, even themed ones. For example, with its emphasis on lush, hardy vegetation and casual entertainment areas, a Mediterranean landscape design is ready-made for trellises. With the right style, we have found that a trellis even works in a modern landscape design. And an English garden design almost requires one!

Exterior World has found that a trellis is especially effective visually when combined with a wrought iron fence or wrought iron gates in the same motif. It is a way of uniting the landscape. Trellises also pair nicely with outdoor water fountains. Our clients find that the combination of hard iron, soft green, moving water and soothing sound is mesmerizing. We have also added a trellis to good effect in patio designs. Up against a blank wall, it provides just the right softening touch of greenery. We have had similar luck in using them in formal and informal outdoor rooms.

Besides the pleasing aesthetics that a trellis provides, we like them for their practical uses as well. We have made a trellis into an airy and lively room divider to separate different zones in a back yard. In the same way, we have created the illusion of a transition area between an outdoor kitchen and a luxury swimming pool. We have also put them to work as an attractive screen to hide unsightly elements in a yard, such as a utility easement or air-conditioning unit.

Exterior Worlds, your place for custom landscape solutions. 713-827-2255.

Memorial Villages Landscaping

You can make your Memorial Villages landscaping great—and Exterior Worlds can help you do it. Memorial Villages landscaping is ripe with creative opportunity. You can turn your landscape into a haven—or, in popular lingo, turn it into a staycation vacation spot. You might be thinking of upgrading your property in order to do more entertaining. Or maybe you’re simply tired of the same-ole, same-ole and want to perk up your yards.

For more than 20 years, Exterior Worlds has been transforming Memorial Villages landscaping from the mundane to the memorable. We tailor our landscape solutions specifically to your needs and desires. For example:

• Outdoor kitchens. Outdoor kitchens provide a gathering place that people naturally gravitate to, just as they do inside the house. When planning an outdoor kitchen, we can give you advice regarding integrating it with any other existing structures, including easy access to the indoor kitchen. Lots of electrical outlets should be included in plans for the cooking and dining areas. Summer kitchens also need proper lighting for general and task lighting purposes and accent lighting as well, such as mounted in nearby trees or attached to the grill.
• Custom swimming pools. Pools create a natural extension of your indoor living space. Additionally, luxury swimming pools are great for business entertaining, informal family gatherings and as hang-outs for the kids. Add-on options include underwater benches, a spa, waterfalls, negative edges, and a sun shelf (a specially-built feature for sunning). Exterior Worlds works with expert landscape architect or landscape designer who can turn your dreams for a pool into reality.
• Outdoor rooms. Outdoor rooms also extend your living area. They can be designed so that you don’t have to depend on Houston’s mercurial weather in order to enjoy the outdoors. Examples: screened-in porch, mist system, overhead fans. Perhaps you have under-utilized spaces on the side of your home, an area just waiting to be converted to an outdoor room. Or you can play off other structures on your property such as a detached garage or pool cabana. Pergolas and garden arbors help create lovely spaces and provide a venue to show off your green thumb when they are covered with vines.
• Drainage systems. While not as sexy as the above landscape elements, drainage systems can make the difference between enjoying every square foot of your property and being a prisoner in your own home. A well-designed yard drainage system provides proper grading, which creates positive drainage away from your structures while being respectful of your neighbors’ properties and not draining onto them. In recent years, the Memorial Villages have set the standard in drainage requirements and ordinances, something Exterior Worlds has become expert at complying with and navigating through.

Comprehensive landscape services are our specialty, especially Memorial Villages landscaping. We pride ourselves on our commitment to the customer and to excellence. And this pride in craftsmanship includes everything from custom-made outdoor water fountains to doing mulch installation by hand. Our skilled staff is ready to work with you to develop a singular style of landscape that fits the singular style of your life.

Ornamental Gates

Our gates have a bad case of the blahs. What can Exterior Worlds suggest for them?
A pitch-perfect garden entryway can enliven the overall landscape design, especially when it complements the style of your home. Garden gates can be used as focal points, a visual technique that brings the landscape design into focus and gives it definition. By directing the eye and giving it a place to rest, ornamental garden gates can be used to break up an over-sized yard by placing one in the near distance and along the fence line.
Here are some other ideas we’d like to suggest:

• A fresh eye-catching color that demands attention.
• A material that reflects a choice made within the house, such as wrought iron gating that matches the interior’s wrought iron staircase railing.
• Landscape lighting not only provides secure entry, but also makes for an interesting interplay of shadow and light.

What are the best materials to use for gating?
Cedar and redwood are good choices for gating material in Houston’s climate. In particular, cedar is a likely option because it wears well and is resistant to insects—plus, Houston landscape designers like to use it to provide that “Texas” look. Bamboo and rattan are also sturdy enough for this area. Somewhat less expensive than wood, they work really well in a Japanese garden or modern landscape design.

If you like to mix textures, we’d like to offer the idea of using both wood and painted aluminum. Other clients have asked us to custom-build fences around antique garden gates they’ve purchased elsewhere, adding an unexpected element to an ordinary fence. As a security measure, you can always put a one across the driveway. When used in this capacity, they are most often made of iron, aluminum, or wood.

Are there any plants that work particularly well with such decorative entryways?
Plants can make them more inviting. When combined with a garden arbor or other hardscape, the effect can be stunning. Plant suggestions for the Houston area:

• Crossvine is an evergreen that blooms heavily in spring.
• The Mexican flame vine is aptly named with yellow and orange flowers that come out in the fall.
• Butterfly pea puts out blue flowers annually around June.
• Mandevilla and allamanda put out large, fragrant flowers in pink, red, white and yellow.

Are there any design considerations that we should know about?
When we put in fencing and gating, we like to hide them in the landscape as much as possible. You can do it with good landscape design. For example, a fence that cordons off a pool area can be woven among shrubs, making it safe, up to code and aesthetically pleasing.

You also need to take into account Houston’s expansive soil. If your gating comes with a knob, eventually the locking mechanism may not line up properly because the ground has shifted. A garden arch over the gating can serve as a frame that keeps the gating square and plumb with the knob’s receiving plate.