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dakota01

Pergola or arched arbor?

dakota01
10 years ago

I want to enclose my side yard with a semi private vinyl fence. Is there a "design rule" on what type of pergola/arbor goes with particular styles of homes?
I have a new craftsman style small home and I can't decide if a flat top pergola or an arched top arbor should be used with a shorter gate. I am only having the fence be 5 foot high. I do plan on putting privacy panels on the front with the pergola or arbor and the semi private fence along the side.

I want the structure to match the style of my home. Others in my neighborhood have only out up fencing with the standard gates, no one has a pergola or arbor unless its just a stand alone in their backyards.

I've searched on line and I'm thinking a flat top pergola is used more with a craftsman style and the arched arbors are used more for a country or very formal look.

Thanks!

Comments (6)

  • duluthinbloomz4
    10 years ago

    Look at houzz link for ideas.

    Here is a link that might be useful: [houzz[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/craftsman-style-fence-phbr0lbl-bl~l_39928)

  • deviant-deziner
    10 years ago

    Duluth has a great suggestion, see the Houzz.com link. You'll find some great inspirational images .

    Attached is a cut sheet of a small fence / gate project we worked on last year. The landscape has yet to be installed but you can see how the shape of the arbor in the b-4 photo is flat -then- we redesigned and gave the arbor a peaked roof and added a simple craftsman styled fence.

  • dakota01
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I have looked on houzz , but really haven't found my answer, or a similar home and putting the arbor/pergola on the side of a home.
    Deviant - you bring up some good punts for me to explore.
    I'm stuck with only using white vinyl since I am in a neighborhood with restrictions. So, I have to go with the style, material that a local fence mfg. carries.
    I was hoping they could help me make a decision,but they have No Suggestions or opinions. You want a fence, fine, we mfg. vinyl fencing, whAt do you want??? Lol

    Wow Deviant - what a difference with the peak/pitched roof, it goes perfect with the style of roof on your home.

    I was hoping the company that landscaped my front yard could have made some strong suggestions /layout, but they didn't have much to offer.

    I did pay a landscape designer $550.00 to layout my small front and side yard. He had an arbor with the flat top on it, but he showed it with a picket type wood fence. I didn't use him for the install as I got mad after I paid all that money, to find out that he didn't draw/lay it out, hiis employee that left a week later did it. Then he turns around and bad mouths the guys design talent, geez I paid for What? And Who?

    If anyone has more images from the own project, please post for me to see how the look matched up to a white privacy fence.

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    10 years ago

    jeannie01, While it's nice to get something that looks like a perfect fit, since you're not adding directly on to the house, but are making an opening into the garden, you have more latitude of the style you use. Mixing can be as good as matching. Sometimes, it's more interesting. That said, neither do I disagree that copying roof lines of the home is a possibility. More than likely, any of the basic styles would look decent. It would be more important, I think, that you seek high quality construction ... nothing flimsy or too little. Will you grow a vine on it? If yes, then that will cover up so much of the arbor that the details of its structure becomes even less important. I'd also consider that if you grow a vine on it, an arbor that has a min. 5' width x 8' height opening is not too large. The vines eat up space. If you are confined to what a local fence company offers, that should help narrow your options. If you show a picture of the space to be confined with the house in the picture, you might get more specific suggestions.

  • deviant-deziner
    10 years ago

    Have you considered using the fence company to install your HOA approved fence and then hire an individual craftsman to come in and design the gate and arbor ?

    It would take some coordination on your part and you would be paying for a designer to come up with a plan, but the value that it brings could be well worth the investment.

    If you haven't found anything on Houzz you might like looking at Charles Prowells website _ He ships all over the US . I love his work and the quality is superb.
    He happens to live in my neck of the woods so I see a lot of his installations. simply beautiful.

    below is another project we worked on several years ago where we took into consideration the long flat roof line of the house and created a harmonious entry arbor that gave the house some 'pop'.

    http://www.prowellwoodworks.com/