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How an Iron Arbor and Gate
Added an Old World Element to a New Swimming Pool and Patio Area
At face value, many might assume that an iron arbor would clash
with vegetation and other natural features. In fact, the
opposite can often be true. A wrought iron arbor can provide a
very elegant compliment to gardens,
walkways,
patios, and
swimming pools. It can fulfill any number of ornamental and
functional needs that add depth and dimension to the landscape,
and it can add a touch of refinement, or even antiquity, to key
areas throughout the property.
This was exactly the type of effect that a local Houston family
by the name of Macalister was seeking when they called us to
their home to install a new swimming pool, and iron arbor, and a
new
stone pathway. They had grown tired of an old, curvilinear
pool that was surrounded by a brick and wooden deck. The curve
pool had no relationship to the rest of the homes architecture,
and the wood in the deck had become worn over the years. There
were also three separate patios rather than a single, general
seating area, which made it inconvenient for the Macalister’s to
comfortably host a large party of guests. What they wanted now
was a more expansive public area where everyone could sit
together, and a swimming pool that looked softer and more
inviting.
We built them a new swimming pool that was straight on both
sides, but was distinguished by rounded ends that extended a
gentle invitation to enter the water. We surrounded it with a
single paver patio made of interlocking concrete blocks that ran
all the way up to the back door of the house. Large parties
could now gather around the pool and all sit together. To
prevent children from entering this area unsupervised, we
erected a 48” iron fence with a 54” arched, locking gate. This
was added partly for landscaping aesthetic, and partly to
satisfy city safety codes that require pool locks to be
constructed at this height.
The addition of the fence had the effect of separating the
portion of the patio nearest to the house from the larger area
surrounding the pool. This smaller patio area in turn provided
an ideal location to construct the arbor the Macalister’s had
always dreamed of having built. They did not want a heavy wooden
structure, but instead preferred an iron arbor that would
ornament the landscape with an Old World touch, and more easily
allow summer breezes to blow though its center. This arbor was
the most unique element in our project, because even though it
was very minimalist in form, it was optimized for comfort with a
ceiling fan, and wired with lights that made it stand out after
sunset.
In order to better unify the iron arbor, fence, and gate with
the natural landscape, we laid down flat stones between the
driveway and the new structure; adding monkey grass between the
stones to create the sense of a living walkway. At the far end
of the pool, we expanded the green border of the property line
into a lush garden, and further ornamented the area with an
arching trellis that balanced the scene and complimented the
arches of the gate and arbor.
An iron arbor such as the one we built for the Macalister’s can
be used in many similar applications to connote elegance,
historicity, and a grounded sense of proportion. Iron combines
strength with flexibility, and can be molded into a number of
traditional and abstract forms that can contribute function,
decoration, and proportion to virtually any outdoor area. One
more benefit that wrought iron arbors and fences offer is
adaptability to almost any type or size of environment. We see
them everywhere from corporate lawns to private suburban homes,
and all the way up to large custom homes surrounded by vast
acreages.
For more the 20 years
Exterior Worlds has specialized in servicing many of Houston's
fine neighborhoods.
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