In the increasingly competitive world of business, where a single negative review or less-than-perfect experience can send prospective customers (and their dollars) elsewhere, making a good first impression couldn’t be more important. Influencing the way people decide where to eat, what stores to shop at and what neighborhoods to drive through, first impressions – good or bad – are everything.

Making improvements to your business facade can up your foot traffic, improve your customer reviews, and increase the value of your business without necessarily breaking your budget. And investing in the exterior of your property will result with big returns on (you guessed it) the first impression.

Where to Begin?

Welcome guests with a grand entranceway, create a perimeter of privacy, or add an elegant border with a distinctive perimeter. As versatile as it is durable, a fence crafted from AZEK solid cellular PVC (an environmentally friendly synthetic material) is low maintenance, made to last, and completely customizable. Surrounding lush landscapes and large estates, pools, townhouses, or apartment communities, such fences are frequently used in residential projects. But it’s a good idea to consider an AZEK fence when thinking about ways to define your commercial property. Incorporate a board gate for a fantastic way to enhance curb appeal or the entrance to your building’s outdoor enclosed areas. Whether painted crisp white or in designer colors, custom board gates and fences at your place of business can be the very first things that visitors notice. Tell the story of your brand by giving your property a look that matches the quality of your products or services with a custom fence and board gate.

Classic designs with lasting, low-maintenance components makes Walpole Outdoors fences the first choice for businesses all over the country. With more than 40 different fencing styles, Walpole will collaborate with landscape architects to fully realize the vision for a property's exterior, whether you’re looking for a charming Nantucket-inspired picket fence or the ultimate "green" privacy fence. Many landscape architects, architects, and builders choose Walpole specifically for projects that require distinctive, quality presentations, like this nautical post-and-rope fencing style.

After selecting your fence, all that's left is deciding on the perfect gate. Defining this charming outdoor seating area at an ice cream shop, the owner chose a magnificent custom scalloped-topped double gate with matching Victorian lattice side panels partly housed atop a short brick wall. Walpole offers custom vinyl gates in nearly every shape and size imaginable to create a unique and memorable entry.

Fencing Provides Privacy and Security

A well-designed fence provides more than just privacy to a business—it can supply a sense of security, too. Walpole board fences stand tall at apartment complexes, senior living centers, and universities providing both privacy and security for residents and visitors. Superior quality fencing can help protect outdoor storage areas, offering business owners peace of mind. A distinctive perimeter fence can make for an effective entry deterrent but should be no less attractive than it is substantial. For example, this Chesapeake fence painted in a pewter hue offers privacy and security and is easy on the eyes. Or, this New York City Custom Privacy Lattice Fence stand seven feet tall creates a private oasis in the middle of a busy metropolis. Walpole is adept at incorporating custom vinyl gates seamlessly into a substantial privacy fence. This 6-feet high Chesapeake fence and entranceway secure a business area while allowing easy access. 

Incorporating Outdoor Space in The Work Environment

When thinking about any upgrades or improvements to make at your business this upcoming season, consider ways to use fencing to seamlessly integrate an outdoor space for breaks, meals, and outdoor meetings into the work environment.

Recent studies suggest that spending time in nature can result in improved creativity and problem solving, increased focus, and increased happiness. Each of these can dramatically influence overall employee engagement, retention, and productivity.

In fact, according to a 2018 survey completed by outdoor product retailer L.L. Bean, United States workers between the ages of 22 and 65 spend approximately 95 percent of their time indoors, with 87 percent identifying as outdoor enthusiasts. Outdoor work areas can not only provide open space for your employees, but also allow them to get that much-needed breath of fresh benefitting both cognitive functions and overall well-being.

Creating a terrace – large or small – with a custom AZEK fence allows employees to take calls or host private meetings, get some sun or just enjoy a few meditative moments during the workday. Well planned spaces delineated by an AZEK fence can offer adequate distance between movable seating configurations allowing for different groups to utilize the terrace simultaneously. 

Even if retrofitting your current workspace to include an outdoor terrace, courtyard or deck is not an easy option, you might consider delineating an outdoor common space, simply created with an AZEK fence to enclose a section of sidewalk, alley space, or open ground adjacent to your building. The benefits of spending work hours outdoors include better productivity, improved focus, enhanced creativity, and even improved health and wellbeing for your employees.

Already have a designated outdoor space at your business? Custom lattice fences can enhance your courtyard, patio or deck with a simple yet elegant architectural feature, instantly adding­­­ visual interest and tying together your entire outdoor appearance. Made of metal or AZEK solid cellular vinyl, lattice fences (or simple lattice kits) are generally an inexpensive option to incorporate into your business’ exterior projects. And, with so many styles and colors to choose from, Walpole’s custom lattice fences outfitted with custom vinyl gates can complement your already existing architecture. 

Use lattice fences as dividers between areas in your outdoor space, creating individual seating pods that allow for safe distancing. Throw up some umbrellas to provide ample shade, ensuring that employees stay comfortable during extended periods of outdoor time. Lattice fences will allow air and light filter through, offering an inviting and warm ambiance and, once again, encourage the use of your business’ outdoor area.

If you’re ready to define the perimeter and character of your place of business, Walpole can develop a solution that matches your needs and makes an amazing impression on your employees, customers, and visitors. Discover the difference quality craftsmanship and impeccable design make. Discover Walpole Outdoors today. 

More than ever, restaurateurs need to be creative. With seating limitations, diner wariness, and a big shift to takeout, eat-in establishments never had it so tough. From setting out tables on sidewalks, in parking lots and alleys, and even on streets partially closed to traffic, al fresco dining has become a standard throughout most of the country.

With the welcome arrival of spring, restaurants can see the proverbial light at the end of tunnel. Restaurateurs who have been nimble and innovative in setting up unique outdoor spaces to accommodate their guests have seen increased profits at their bars and restaurants, in spite of the global pandemic. This season, you can position your restaurant or bar with a beautiful outdoor-dining space to capture your diners’ appetites and imaginations and keep them coming back for more.

Sidestep what everyone else is doing (think igloos and picnic tables) with truly standout custom spaces that are both elegant and unforgettable.

If You Build It, They Will Come

Dining outdoors offers the chance to slow down and relax. And while there may not be actual proven scientific evidence to back it up, food and drinks just taste better when enjoyed outside (and your customers know it).

Easily one of the most visually appealing ways to level up your outdoor experience, commercial pergolas can offer shelter from inclement weather, enhance the overall atmosphere of your outdoor dining space, and provide room for additional seating. Plus, there’s nothing like a gorgeous AZEK pergola to draw visual attention to your business.

Imagine your customers stepping outside onto a swoon-worthy outdoor space, complete with a pergola with built-in lighting. Add music and lush greenery to create the perfect atmosphere that draws diners in droves — not only your regulars, but also passers-by who are attracted by the sight of happy customers. This simple addition of a pergola can transform even the most unremarkable patio bar or sidewalk dining area into an unforgettable place to eat and drink. And that diner impression has real value: according to The Simons Advisory Group, a $200,000 investment in your outdoor dining space can result in an overall sales increase by $500,000—possibly more if your restaurant offers year-round outdoor seating.

Think your place isn’t right for a pergola? You may need to think again: Sidewalk café? A gorgeous, attached pergola out front can drive foot traffic. Rooftop Restaurant? A pergola with built-in lighting provides the perfect backdrop for private events. Long-overdue live music? Put the band under your new pergola. Outdoor seating is the best kind of advertisement for your business. Not only do pergolas a premium outdoor lighting create a great environment for snapping shareable pics of your establishment, anyone driving or walking by your outdoor dining space can easily imagine sipping sangria on your perfect pergola-covered patio. That can really add up: outdoor seating lifts revenue by 33% on average.

Attached or freestanding—commercial pergolas undoubtedly offer increased value. Add a pergola outfitted with recessed column lighting to encourage evening socializing. Allow greenery to climb up your pergola with artfully-designed built-in planter boxes. And create a dreamy atmosphere with custom latticework and artfully placed lantern posts throughout your outdoor dining space for the ultimate outside veranda.

A Pergola For All Seasons

Some of the features of premium commercial pergolas can mean that contending with harsh weather elements is no longer deal-breaker. During the warmer months, pergolas provide much-needed shade and a respite from high temperatures. Unlike a simple awning, a pergola diffuses natural light, creating a light and airy space that keeps your diners cool, calm, and comfortable. Even when temps continue to rise in the heat of the season, commercial pergolas can block that intense sunshine that might otherwise limit your outdoor dining offerings.

When the weather does not cooperate, the addition of a retractable pergola canopy or shade can protect your diners from intense sun and light rain and help to keep your patio or rooftop open for business, therefore maximizing your outdoor investment. When accompanied with fencing or latticework, a pergola can also significantly reduce the impact of wind. 

As the months turn colder, commercial pergolas with canopy additions can allow your business to continue to provide an outdoor dining experience by retaining the heat generated by outdoor space heaters. And in the winter season, a pergola is simply magical when outfitted with outdoor lanterns, holiday lights, and evergreens.  

Lure Them with Lighting

When it comes to outdoor dining, you shouldn’t underestimate the importance of lighting. The exterior of your restaurant is the very first thing your potential clientele will see. Utilize outdoor lighting as an opportunity to showcase your restaurant, drive foot traffic and increase your profitability.

Make a statement and install elegant granite lantern posts topped with beautiful outdoor lanterns throughout your outdoor dining space. Walpole Outdoors offers an extensive selection of custom-milled, granite or AZEK lantern posts in traditional, historic, and contemporary styles. With quality detailing that is truly the hallmark of Walpole excellence, our handsome lantern posts can transform your space into something quite exceptional.

Elevate Your Outdoor Dining Space With Walpole Outdoors

Define an entryway, provide privacy and shade, and create an unforgettable outdoor space at your restaurant with our expansive selection of custom AZEK commercial pergolas, lantern posts and outdoor lanterns.  Crafted and installed by Walpole Outdoors, you can choose from any of our stylish design lines or let our artisans match your restaurant’s architecture.

If you’re ready to transform your outdoor space and create the outdoor dining and bar experiences your customers crave, we can develop a solution that matches your needs. Discover the difference quality craftsmanship makes and schedule your free consultation today with Walpole Outdoors. 

Waiting for spring can leave you feeling as antsy as a kid waiting to unwrap their birthday presents. You’ve been counting down the days thinking, will it ever get here? While the ground might be frozen solid and snow very well may be in the forecast, there’s no better time than now to scheme and dream of your garden and the warm days to come.

Ah, your garden. That special little corner of the world to retreat to, to find solitude in, to refresh and to renew. A beautiful enclosed garden is like an extension of your home offering an outdoor living space for family and friends to enjoy both fresh air and each other’s company. Carve out your own outdoor oasis by enclosing your garden with a customized Walpole enclosure and create a space perfect for al fresco entertaining, socializing and gathering, especially when indoor entertaining may not be viable. Wow your guests this spring with beautiful garden enclosures that range from traditional to contemporary to rustic.

Define Your Garden In Style

The fencing you select for your enclosed garden tells your story. What do you want it to say about your style? Think about your garden like any other room in your home, minus the ceiling. How would you design it? Walpole’s expansive line of custom AZEK fences offers limitless possibilities for truly stunning garden enclosures. By enclosing your garden spaces with custom AZEK fences, you not only protect all of the time, energy, and effort you have put into your garden; but you also add some serious aesthetic appeal.

A traditional Walpole board fence is solid, durable, and built to last. Handcrafted in low maintenance AZEK, these premium board fences won’t rot, buckle, or sag, and the board-on-board layout ensures maximum privacy. Custom AZEK fences not only protect all of the time and hard work you put into your garden; they’re also easy on the eyes.

Add on a layer of extra interest to a traditional board fence by topping it with a contrasting panel. Consider dressing up your tried-and-true traditional board fence with an English Lattice Topper.

Feeling uninspired by a traditional white fence? Don't shy away from a more modern board fence design. With 125 colors to choose from, make a statement with bold hues like verde or cobalt that will pair perfectly alongside a lush green lawn. (TIP: Hang decorative garden lights from them to create a twilight entertaining zone.)

Make A Good First Impression

Whether it marks the entry to your home, connects one zone to the next, or puts the finishing touch on your enclosed garden, a custom vinyl gate can be a showstopping garden feature all on its own, like lattice gate with a Chippendale Topper. In other words, if you’re thinking of a garden gate as a matter of function, you’re missing the big picture.

Passing through a garden gate is like walking into a secret, hidden world. The entrance to your garden is the very first thing visitors will notice, sparking curiosity as to what might be around the corner. Garden gates roll out the welcome mat in a way no ordinary pathway can. Often draped with rambling wisteria, colorful clematis or fragrant climbing roses, your garden gate can create a dramatic focal point. And, with your ability to choose a custom vinyl gate that reflects your personal style, you can create a bespoke design to mark the entry of your garden.

Define your backyard garden in style. Designing a cottage garden? A spindle top arbor with a lattice gate brings oh so much charm. Allow roses or vines to climb up your lattice gate for an enchanting and fairy tale like entry.

Or are is your style more traditional? An entry gate flanked by tidy white pickets is as classically American as apple pie. Add in some swoon-worthy swaths of blooms and a charming arbor and you will be beckoning your guests to come in and stay while.

Create An Exceptional Enclosed Garden with Walpole

Whether you need to enclose a backyard, conceal a side yard space, or connect two garden rooms, make your outdoor space unforgettable by adding a custom vinyl gate. Created with both aesthetics and durability in mind, Walpole gates not only secure a property’s perimeter but also enhance its appearance. With an extensive range of gate styles to complement a variety of AZEK fences, from formal to rustic, antique reproduction to contemporary, your Walpole gate, made of beautiful, low-maintenance solid cellular PVC, can be customized to almost any height and width.

At Walpole Outdoors, we’ve been helping families create exceptional outdoor spaces since 1933. Thinking about enclosing your garden with custom fencing, gates, lattices, or other premium products? Walpole Outdoors can help make that dream a reality.

Contact us today to schedule your free professional design consultation and get your garden project underway. 

Every winter, we gaze out the window at our cold, empty yards and bare gardens. Longer days, and warmer weather are coming, we tell ourselves. Soon, we’ll be welcoming company for lunch on the patio. Those empty flowerbeds will be full of lush color, and we’ll be out there with the kids playing kickball or splashing in the pool. Even when we’re not doing anything but quietly relaxing, it will be in the fresh air instead of on the couch.

And this year, you can make all of those outdoor experiences even better. The additions and enhancements to your outdoor home that create the perfect spaces for family, for company, and for you.

It’s not too late, but it’s certainly time to get those creative ideas and project plans in motion. AZEK pergolas or lattice fences with custom vinyl gates don’t just appear like magic, and even something as simple as a planter box or outdoor rocker takes time to select, order, and ship. But with your vision, a little bit of guidance, and the help of capable pros, the 2021 you’ve been hoping for can come to life this spring.

Whatever you’re most looking forward to doing this spring, there’s an outdoor project you should be planning right now!

Entertaining is Everything: Put up a Pergola!

If you can’t wait to welcome company back to your home for the first time in what feels like forever, Spring is your season. The mild weather is perfect for spending entire afternoons outdoors with friends for dining, wine & apps, or just talking without having to check if you’re muted first. AZEK pergolas are an increasingly popular solution that upscale homeowners are using to create outdoor spaces where they can enjoy both the fresh air and the feeling of being in the same room with visitors.

What are AZEK pergolas? Well, you probably know that a pergola is a structure with posts supporting a slatted or open-rafter roof (but it can be much more sophisticated than that – check out these design ideas) that can be free-standing or attached to a home, a pool house, or other building, creating an open-sided, shady, multi-purpose space. These sturdy, low-maintenance structures are made (as the name implies) of AZEK solid cellular PVC. Layers of Polyvinyl chloride are compressed together, giving this synthetic (but environmentally friendly) material the look and grain of real wood, and some vendors will even deliver and install them pre-painted in hundreds of premium colors!

AZEK pergolas can be custom designed for your property, but even predesigned models and kits need to be carefully selected and installed. Now is the right time to explore pergola inspiration galleries, or even to schedule a design consultation.

Still On the Fence About Spring planning?

Good fences make good neighbors. Great fences make your yard amazing! Fencing does far more than merely give your property a functional perimeter; creative uses of picket, board, or lattice fences (augmented with details like designer colors, selected fence caps, or custom vinyl gates) create structure and spaces for all the experiences you’ll share this year in your outdoor home.

Many families are gracing their landscapes with lattice fences, and it’s easy to see why. Many styles of lattice fencing give a feeling of light and airiness, while still being sturdy and elegant. Lattice fences go beautifully around patios, pool areas, and garden enclosures, and they can be paired with custom vinyl gates that complement their style and invite passage from one area of your yard to another, whether as welcome guests or as kids heading out to play in the backyard.

To ensure that the finished product lives up to your expectations, fencing and gate projects require careful measurements, expert design advice, and professional installation. Look for a professional partner that can provide all three. From consultation to concept to completion, you and your property deserve the best.

Come Out and Sit a Spell

If the idea of planning big, involved projects leaves you feeling overwhelmed, take a seat and rest – but not just any seat will do. An easy project (but one you shouldn’t put off for too long) is adding quality, comfortable outdoor furniture to your property for you and your guests to enjoy.

An assortment of comfy chairs, an end table or two, or an outdoor rocker can help make your patio, your deck, or your anywhere in your yard your new favorite sitting room, dining room, or family room. AZEK pergolas and the versatile spaces they create can even be outdoor multipurpose rooms: with a dining table and benches for a late spring cookout or as the perfect shady reading nook for one, with a good book and a comfy outdoor rocker.

Quality is everything when it comes to selecting outdoor furniture, and skimping on cost can all too often mean that you’ll be buying a replacement within a year or two. Look for top-rated brands and don’t hesitate to take advantage of the free consultations some professional outdoor designers offer to find the styles that are right for you and your home.

Where to Start?

Clearly, now’s the time to get planning for your 2021 spring projects. And where you start is at least as important as when. Even if you’ve got a great sense of style or a clear image of the outdoor home you want to enjoy and share, consulting a professional designer before you commit to any purchases or construction is a great investment. And if you choose the right consultants, that investment can be free.

Walpole Outdoors specializes in creating amazing outdoor spaces for the most discerning homeowners. They are the leading designers, fabricators, and installers of the highest quality AZEK pergolas, and they offer a wide array of classical, contemporary, and fully customized design in fencing, gates, and outdoor furniture. Walpole designers are available now to schedule a free measurement and design consultation of your property, so you can start planning right now for your spring projects, and enjoy the wonderful 2021 you’ve been waiting for. 

You never get a second chance to make a first impression, right? 

Actually, when it comes to the façade of your office building, the entryway to your business, or the outside view of any commercial facility, you get chances to make a great first impression all the time. The upgrades and improvements you make to the “face” of your business can be as involved as a complete architectural remodeling, as simple as adding a splash of life and color with a few well-placed vinyl flower boxes outside your entrance, or as versatile as using lattice panels to add texture and visual interest to newly built or existing outdoor structures. 

Some of the most effective steps you can take to give your building façade a livelier, more inviting look are also among the least expensive, with minimal installation time required. If you’re not considering some of the easy, impactful projects discussed below, you’re missing out on an opportunity for your business property to make that all-important first impression.

A Distinctive Touch of Texture: Lattice

Airy but architectural, sophisticated but simple – Lattice panels are a versatile element for beautifying your property. Whether made of metal or solid cellular vinyl, custom lattice panel placement (or even creative use of simple lattice kits) can add visual interest to any surface or area, enhance an entrance as part of a pergola, pagoda, or breezeway, and to tie together your entire outdoor appearance. Best of all, lattices are generally an inexpensive option to incorporate into your exterior projects. 

Lattice panels can be easily and strikingly used as dividers between areas in an outdoor space, as side-sections of an outdoor enclosure or canopied structure, or even as decorative and functional fencing. This let air and light flow through an area, giving it structure and an inviting and warm feeling. Custom lattice panel designs can complement your existing architecture, striking just the right balance between heavy solid panels and the emptiness of having no panels in place. 

Lattice can also be applied over an existing surface, for a variety of effects. A simple lattice panel set on a wall (especially with live or artificial greenery attached) brings a warm, organic look to otherwise stark or dull outdoor surface. Custom lattice panel coverings over windows and archways create privacy and shade without completely blocking the view from inside. Selectively placing the same pattern of lattice at multiple places of a building exterior (such as window or shutter lattice kits, on balcony railings, or along the building foundation) can create a pleasing sense of design unity. Many buildings even achieve a totally new, sophisticated look by covering their entire façade in custom lattice panel structures. 

Check out some of the stylish sample project images in this article for ideas on how to incorporate premade or custom lattice panel components into your building exterior!

Gardens That Go Anywhere: Flower Boxes

The outside of way too many commercial properties looks and feels cold, drab, and impersonal on even the brightest of days. Luckily, the most reliable way to liven up any outdoor space is also one of the easiest: add some live greenery and floral color! 

While some commercial properties may opt for building and maintaining raised flower beds or having expensive, fragile concrete planters placed at their entrance or by an outside dining area, there’s better solution. Solid cellular vinyl flower boxes have the look and feel of real wood, but they are durable and low maintenance, keeping their structure and color for decades. 

Available in a range of premade sizes, these versatile vinyl planters can also be custom-made to complement your building’s architecture and painted to match fencing, signage, or even any beautiful lattice panels you might also be adding. 

Be sure to select plants that will thrive in the amount of sun, wind, and other environmental factors that their placement will give them. If you’re selecting climbing plants or ones that require frequent pruning, make sure to keep them regularly tended. Talk to the landscape architect or other professionals about the best choices for both appearance and practicality.

Looking to think outside the box for the holidays? If nothing else, 2020 has taught us the value of home. Gift your loved ones with something special this year that helps make home the best place to be. From thoughtful gifts to big showstoppers, Walpole has something for everyone.  

For the Gardener

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There’s no shortage of trinkets for the gardener in your life, but to truly gift them something special, consider gifts that offer a new place for their thumbs get a little greener. Planter and window boxes make a great choice for gardeners that like to change their plantings seasonally, and trellises and obelisks offer an eye-catching environment for climbing vines.  

For the Growing Family 

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As anyone with kids knows, shoes are everywhere––all the time. Help them stay tidy and look good while they do it with a stylish boot tray that’s fit for Instagram. 

For the Nature-Lover 

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Nature lovers already enjoy the great outdoors. Help them enhance their experience with a beautiful Walpole birdfeeder and bring nature directly to them. Or, if you want to go bigger, an arbor with a bench makes a perfect private sanctuary for your nature enthusiast to sit and take it all in.  

For the New Homeowner 

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New homeowners rarely focus on the smaller exterior details, yet often they make the most impact. Help them make a quick and beautiful upgrade with a new, classic mailbox, lamp post or personalized house sign—all thoughtful, unexpected gifts that will add beauty and curb appeal for years to come.  

For the Endless-Summer Lover 

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There’s nothing like an outdoor shower after a day at the beach or lake. Likewise, there’s nothing like starting off a summer morning with an outdoor spritz to make a regular workday feel like vacation. For the right person, an outdoor shower kit is an unexpected addition that turns any home into a staycation (and increases home value to boot). 

For the Ultimate Family Retreat 

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This year, the big family surprise isn’t a luxury vacation. Instead, it’s bringing the vacation home with a backyard sanctuary perfect for relaxing and entertaining. Walpole can help your family design the ultimate outdoor room, with everything from dreamy pergolas and privacy fencing to beautiful outdoor furniture and top–of–the–line outdoor kitchens, so your family can spread out and enjoy the great outdoors season after season.  

Still not sure? We can help with that.  

Want to help your loved ones’ upgrade their outdoor space, but still unsure of the right present? Simply reach out to the Walpole location nearest you and our representatives will be happy to create a gift certificate that will help make their outdoor dreams come true. Walpole gift certificates can be used at any location as well as online, making them the perfect choice for any homeowner.  

If you’d like to surprise your friends and family with a gift that’s outside expectations, give us a call. We would be happy to help you select something for everyone on your list.  

SHOP OUR ONLINE CATALOG

Now that the temps have dropped, it’s easy to let your outdoor renovation projects hibernate until things warm up again. It’s a common misconception that patios, fencing, pergolas, and other outdoor structures can’t be installed in the colder months. The truth is that winter can be an optimal time for planning and installing and/or upgrading your outdoor space. In fact, there’s more than one reason why a winter install is a smart idea. Let’s take a look:

1.) Less Damage

Hardscaping and landscaping renovations are simply easier in the winter. Since most trees, plants, and grasses go dormant in the cooler months, workers are less likely to damage existing plantings during the installation process—especially when there is larger installation equipment involved. Contrary to popular belief, it’s possible (even beneficial) to install pavers in the winter. Likewise, lumber used for wood fences, pergolas, or other outdoor structures has had time to dry and cure, minimizing the risk of warping, shrinkage, or cracks. (Of course, this is a non-issue when using AZEK cellular vinyl, which won’t warp, rot, or peel regardless of the weather).

2.) Shorter Wait Times 

Spring and summer are when things start to get busy across the industry, from contractors and landscapers to manufacturers and suppliers, adding major lag time to most outdoor projects. But during the winter slowdown, there’s simply more time and manpower to dedicate to your project. Outdoor structure suppliers are usually well-stocked, work crews have more bandwidth—even checking city codes and procuring permits move at a much quicker pace.

3.) Less Disruptive

Whether your project is commercial or residential, there’s a good chance your client won’t be planning on utilizing the space until the weather turns warmer. This allows your team to get the job done quickly and efficiently and with minimal interruption. You can then move on to the next project faster, ultimately making the most of your offseason.

4.) Drier Weather

For many regions, the spring brings lots of rain (read: mud), while the summer is synonymous with humidity—both of which can make an installation process more difficult for various reasons. Winters, while cold, are typically drier, which makes the entire process—from material handling to groundwork—much easier.

5.) Ready to Go for Spring

Perhaps your client has other big projects lined up for the spring. Or perhaps they just want to be able to start using their outdoor space ASAP (and if they happen to be a restaurant in 2020, we can’t blame them). In either event, a winter install allows them to start getting a return on their investment immediately, whether it’s entertaining friends and family or expanding their business’s footprint.

6.) Or Maybe Even Sooner

For homes and commercial properties that would like to be able to continue safely socializing this year, and an outdoor space that includes a heating element may allow them to do so. 

The winter doesn’t mean you need to hit pause on creating an exceptional outdoor space. In fact, it might be the best time to get started. At Walpole Outdoors, we’ve been creating high-quality outdoor structures since 1933, and we’ve seen a lot of winters. If you’re interested in learning more about how easy it is to get your next outdoor project underway this winter, give us a call. We’re the outdoor experts.

SHOP FOR CUSTOM PERGOLAS

Designers often talk about “bringing the outside in” when it comes to interiors—likely why natural fibers, plants, and window focal points never seem to fall out of vogue. But what about the opposite—bringing the inside out?

A thoughtfully composed outdoor living space doesn’t just add aesthetic appeal. It provides an oasis for family and friends to enjoy the fresh air and each other’s company in comfort and style. And though they’re fast becoming must-haves for many design lovers, outdoor rooms are more than a passing fad. They can significantly improve your quality of life.

Consider this: according to the International Journal of Environmental Health Research, even spending just twenty minutes a day in an outdoor space can result in less stress, less risk of depression, and a general sense of well-being. And we probably don’t need to point out that, in our socially-distant world, outdoor living spaces seem like the last strong-hold for safe entertaining. If you haven’t yet created your own personal sanctuary yet, here’s a few points to ponder:

• Natural light supplies our bodies with vitamin D, which helps prevent several diseases, including diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and depression. Natural light also helps regulate circadian rhythms, helping you to stay more alert during the day and have a more restful nights’ sleep.
• A little time in outside does a lot for your mood, with specific therapeutic benefits for anxiety and depression.
• An outdoor living space lets you stay connected to friends and family. There are many documented benefits to socializing, though in today’s health crises, it’s not that easy. A well-designed outdoor space lets you to safely and comfortably enjoy your loved ones’ company.
• In a world that’s increasingly online, spending time in an outdoor space has shown to have profound effects on attention, creativity, and our ability to relate to others.

Elements of Style: Outdoor Room Essentials

To reap the benefits, you’ll want to create a space that invites lingering. While there isn’t a one-size fits all approach, the best and most useable outdoor living spaces usually incorporate several (or all) of the following:

• Privacy fencing and/or plantings
• A defined patio or deck area
• A shade element such as a pergola
• An aesthetic focal point, such as an arbor or trellis
• Outdoor lighting
• A firepit, outdoor fireplace, or other heat source
• An outdoor kitchen or food preparation area
• Textured plantings and flower gardens

Adding elements like comfortable seating, outdoor textiles and rugs, candles, vases, and planter boxes let express your personal style and create a welcoming space you’ll want to take advantage of again and again.

Meet friluftsliv, the new hygge

With fall in full swing and winter upon us, an outdoor living space may seem like less of priority. But we’d like to take a note from our friends in Northern Europe, who don’t let a little thing like the cold keep them banished inside.

It’s no secret that Scandinavia has long been a trendsetter in terms of design when it comes to form and function—midcentury modern pieces have stuck around for good reason. In 2016, designers (and all of Instagram) obsessed over hygge, the Danish concept of cozy indoor living. Appropriately for 2020, friluftsliv is the latest Scandinavian influence taking hold—and goes hand-in-hand with health and mental well-being. A Norwegian word that translates to “free-air living, ”friluftsliv is about spending time outside, no matter the season.

Since Norway perpetually tops the list of the world’s happiest countries, fritsluftliv is worth welcoming. Creating an outdoor living space you can enjoy year-round lets you fully embrace the benefits of the great outdoors, especially when entertaining inside might not be a viable option.

Time Outdoors is Always Time Well-spent

When enjoying the outdoors is as simple as stepping into your backyard, it becomes that much more satisfying. Your outside room can be extension of your home—and no less comfortable or luxurious. Fortunately, outdoor living options have taken great strides in both form and function, making it possible for you to create a linger-worthy space that remains beautiful year after year. At Walpole Outdoors, we’ve been helping families creating exceptional outdoor spaces since 1933. For those who don’t want to settle for anything less than the best for their home, we’ll help you live outside expectations. Contact us today to get your outdoor room project underway.

There’s nothing like a global pandemic to bring the things that truly matter into sharp focus—be it in life or in business. Thanks to COVID-19, the importance of having an attractive, useable outdoor dining space at your restaurant or on your commercial property has been substantially amplified. If you’re in the restaurant design business, you’re likely familiar with the added benefits of an outdoor dining space—enhanced atmosphere, extra seating, increased revenue, and, if positioned correctly, free advertising to passersby. Likewise, in commercial settings, a thoughtfully designed outdoor dining space is an attractive amenity to office, retail, and luxury high-rise apartment tenants alike.  

But outside dining spaces also have their obvious challenges, with unappealing aesthetics and discouraging weather being top of the list. One of the fastest and most visually appealing ways to address both is with the addition of a pergola. Pergolas consist of beams, rafters, and posts and add function and desirable aesthetics to virtually any outdoor dining space. They can be either attached or freestanding—either of which will enhance your property’s useable space and increase value.  

An Enticing Al Fresco Experience 

It’s no secret that people love to eat outside— it’s festive, casual, and lets people take in the world around them and a pergola greatly enhances that experience. With their distinctive design, pergolas welcome clientele and signal for them to sit and make themselves comfortable. In fact, the simple addition of a pergola can turn an unspectacular building, patio, courtyard, or rooftop into an inviting and memorable space.  

Aside from being aesthetically inviting, a strategically constructed pergola helps direct foot traffic, allowing for customers or clients to move comfortably, and for waitstaff to move efficiently. If needed, a short fence and/or arbor can further help direct flow while adding appealing definition to your outdoor space. Likewise, latticework can block or add dimension to unattractive walls, creating the ultimate outside veranda.  

Year-Round Beauty 

In the warmer seasons, pergolas offer shade and help reduce ambient heat from adjacent concrete surfaces. Unlike awnings, they also offer pleasantly diffused natural light—diners can be kept cooler and more comfortable, yet your outdoor space remains light and airy feeling. They also provide the framework for climbing greenery and hanging plants, further enhancing your outdoor space.  

When the weather is less than ideal, a pergola can assist in keeping your patio or rooftop open for business. The addition of a retractable pergola canopy or shade protects diners from intense sun and light rain, maximizing your outdoor investment. Likewise, combined with fencing or latticework, a pergola can significantly reduce the impact of wind.  

As the months turn colder, a pergola can even help retain heat generated by outdoor space heaters (provided you use them in accordance with the manufacturer). And in the winter season, they can be downright magical when outfitted with holiday lights and evergreens.  

Making the Most of Your Investment 

If you are considering upgrading your outdoor space with a pergola, consider this: quality goes a long way when it comes to enticing returning clientele. People care about aesthetics, whether they realize it or not. Aesthetics inform experience, which in turn leads to recommendations and revisits. Partnering with a vendor that produces high-quality outdoor structures can be the difference of a substantial, architecturally beautiful space, or one that’s simply unremarkable.  

At Walpole Outdoors, we only use superior materials, such as the finest natural woods like Northern White and Red Western Cedar. We are also the nation’s most experienced fabricator of cellular PVC (AZEK), and use the highest standards of aesthetics, symmetry, and balance, resulting in stunning structures that stand the test of time. With everything from easy-to-install pergola kits to custom CAD designs, we support your vision from design to production so your pergola can go up without a hitch. If you’re ready to enhance your outdoor space, we can develop a solution that matches your needs. Discover the difference quality craftsmanship makes. Discover Walpole Outdoors today.  

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