Gazebo Decorating Ideas for a Cozy and Inviting Backyard Retreat

Before you purchase furniture, decide how you will be using the space.

Do you want to entertain there? dine outside? relax and rest? read? work?

I use my gazebo for all of those things so I decided to divide it into 2 sections–a seating area and a dining area.

And then chose my furniture and decor accordingly.

Also assess the size of the gazebo and buy furniture in scale.

The space always seems to look larger when it’s empty than it actually is. And the octagonal shape can be a little awkward to work with.

My gazebo was built as large as possible on the existing 12′ x 14′ deck.

So the size and number of furniture pieces it can comfortably accommodate is limited.

Especially since I wanted the space to feel spacious and open.

To make everything easy to maintain and last longer, get furniture that is weatherproof. Wrought iron, cast aluminum, outdoor wood, wicker or metal all work well.

I leave the upholstered cushions outside all summer and store them in the winter. So outdoor fabrics are also necessary.

Even if your gazebo has a roof, indoor fabrics tend to fade quickly and can get mildew easily.

I think a colorful indoor/outdoor rug is essential.

I wanted to be able to enter the gazebo without removing my dirty gardening shoes. This helped me determine the size, since I didn’t want the rug covered in mud all the time.

I chose this round pretty floral-patterned low-weave rug* which I positioned under the sitting side of the area. Alternatively it could be used under the dining area furniture.

In either case, the rug anchors and defines the use of the space , introduces color and texture, as well as add a soft, tactile element underfoot.

The chairs need to be super comfortable if you want to sit out there to read and relax with your feet up as well as entertain.

If you have space, I highly recommend a chaise.

The wrought iron one in my gazebo (where I relax and contemplate life) is small-scaled in size and has a spring mechanism that rocks slightly. The back portion is adjustable for a choice of relaxing positions with my feet elevated.

It doesn’t take up as much visual space in the room without a cushion, and is still quite comfortable to sit in.

I also bought a coordinating small-scale wrought iron arm chair which is a surprisingly comfortable seat for a guest, or to work on my lap top.

Adding a cushion with the same colors as the rug helps to make the area look cohesive.

But I think the best seat in the house is this large hanging wicker basket chair*.

Its gentle rock and sway lulls me into a state of relaxed peacefulness in no time. It feels like such a luxury.

My basket chair hangs from its own stand but it could be suspended from one of the ceiling beams to conserve space.

The really comfortable wrap around cushion in the basket definitely contributes to the cozy feeling you get when seated there. If your chair doesn’t come with a cushion (mine didn’t), I definitely recommend getting one (like this one*).

I also added a lumbar cushion in the same fabric as the cushion on the chair. I find it makes the hanging chair even more comfortable and makes the space look more cohesive by repeating the colors from the rug.

When I read or relax, I feel the most comfortable when my feet are raised.

Therefore, I also have an upholstered glider stool in front of my favorite seat.

It also provides extra seating in a pinch.

Just like decorating your inside, it is important that every seat have easy access to a table (so you have somewhere to put down your drink or book).

For small areas like a gazebo, I like round shapes because they fit into confined spaces better and are much easier to position where they are most functional.

For an eating space, I chose a 36″ round glass table on steel legs and 2 super comfortable cast aluminum swivel chairs. I can also pull up the arm chair from the seating area if I need another seat at the table.

I positioned it on the opposite side of the gazebo from the seating area so that there is a walkway between them. The walkway connects the gazebo doors and creates separation between the two functional spaces.

Using a table cloth with colors from the rug makes it feel more like a “real” dining room and ties this area in with the seating area.

Large scale lanterns look great outdoors and can hold pillar candles that add ambient lighting in the evening.

I chose to go with wooden ones that really make a statement.

Some of these lanterns are grouped together on the floor.

While others are suspended from the ceiling beams by jute ropes.

I use battery-operated pillar candles that come with a timer so the lights come on automatically every evening.

That way I don’t have to manually turn them all on all the time. And they look pretty from the house, even when I’m not sitting in the gazebo.

If your gazebo has electricity installed, having a ceiling light is handy (and maybe a fan in hot climates).

Since I still wanted the ceiling light to fit with the outdoor garden aesthetic, I went with a rustic wrought iron light fixture that suits the gazebo perfectly.

Controlling it with a dimmer is ideal so you can turn the amount of light down if you want to.

Since I didn’t want to run into the house every time I needed to throw something out, I wanted a small garbage can in the gazebo.

But since the space isn’t very big, I didn’t want a large one that would stand out.

So I used a pretty spherical cloth covered laundry basket for the purpose. Besides its functionality, it adds texture and color, echoes the round shapes of the tables, and doesn’t really look like a garbage can.

Ornamental birds are a theme in my backyard garden. (I have a decorative lattice fence around my yard with various wooden and metal birds ‘perched’ along the top of it).

To bring that theme indoors, I added 2 ceramic birds to a table.

This augments and fosters continuity with the surrounding garden, and helps to make the inside of the gazebo feel like it belongs.

I have learned that it’s very easy to lose track of time when you’re relaxing in the gazebo.

So I decided that having a clock out there is a necessity. And found a large navy blue outdoor metal thermometer and clock set that you can read from a distance.

Since my gazebo doesn’t have very many “walls”, I hung them on the fence outside the gazebo. These are visible through the screens and are functional as well as decorative.

(If you don’t happen to have a fence nearby, you can also hang them from one of the posts inside the gazebo.)

I think a plant and flowers are essential accessories inside the gazebo to make the space welcoming and warm.

I like to hang a spider plant in a pretty blue pot from the ceiling. I chose a spider plant because of its variegated leaves and clean growing habit (it does not drop bits of foliage as it grows).

But other plants like Wandering Jew or Boston fern would also serve this function.

I think there is nothing like the soothing trickle of water over rocks to create a relaxed atmosphere.

So installing a fountain near your gazebo is a good idea.

In my case, it’s a DIY waterfall blue-tiled wall fountain in one of the corners outside the gazebo.

To make the space feel like a real outdoor room, I also like to hang wall art.

In my case, I put up a framed picture made from small colored pebbles on the house which can be seen behind the egg chair.

The art does need to be durable (since it is outside), and can be hung on a gazebo post if you don’t have a wall or fence to put it on.

Because there always seem to be “bits” hanging around (like the garage door opener, remote for the candles, secateurs, etc.), I needed something to contain the clutter.

And a wicker basket is perfect for this purpose.

They look pretty, aren’t very expensive and can survive the outdoor elements quite well. (Mine came from a recent trip to the Amazon so it also holds extra special memories.)

I love my colonial-style decorative wooden screened doors.

They look much more decorative than standard square door frames would.

And frame the view of the garden beyond the gazebo.

Speaking of the view, make sure to plan what you will be looking at from your gazebo.

This includes the direction that your seating will face as well as what you can see outside.

I live in a very urban area and my yard is not very wide. Which means my gazebo is less than 10 feet from the tall, gray brick wall of the house next door.

So I made sure that my seating is facing away from that wall.

I also planted flowers both in the garden and in containers so that I can see their blooms and smell their fragrance all summer long when I am sitting in the gazebo.

I think that it is vital to have vegetation surrounding the gazebo to enhance the “secret garden” feeling, add interest in the shapes and forms of the plants, as well as draw butterflies and birds.

It certainly doesn’t feel like I am living in the middle of a big city!