How to complement wooden gates
As with any type of product wooden gates are more suitable for certain types of scenarios than others. That is not to say that there are a lot of scenarios that wooden gates are unsuitable for as wooden gates will look well in most types of gardens. It is just to say that something as elegant as a wooden garden gate can look especially nice in the right surroundings.
The most important feature to enhance the beauty of wooden garden gates is healthy green grass. The effect of a wooden gate is somewhat lost if it is surrounded by concrete or paving stones and so is a lot of the enjoyment of having a garden. A garden can soon become a mere back yard if the majority of it is a hard surface and especially for children this is no fun for playing around in in the summer. It may take a bit more effort looking after a garden but the advantages of a nice lawn by far make up for this.
I could talk for ever on the advantages of a well kept garden but for this article the main advantage is that it brings out the elegance of a wooden gate. A lush green lawn and wooden garden gate is at its best when the garden gate is varnished in a golden shade which really does bring out the beauty.
The fencing or the boundary of the garden that wooden gates give an entrance too can have lots of different styles and still complement the wooden gates pleasantly. A rule of thumb for any wooden fencing that is attached to a wooden gate is make sure you varnish or paint them at the same time so that the shadings are very similar if not exact. If either the gate or fence are already painted or you cannot find the exact colour or do not wish to redo both it may be best to paint one of them in a contrasting colour for a bold effect.
If the boundary to the garden is a hedge or bushes make sure they are neatly pruned as an overgrown surrounding could even disguise the wooden gate from view totally. A plastic fence would not mix well with a wooden garden gate and no matter how expensive or luxury either item was the combination will just look cheap. However a combination of iron fencing and a rich coloured wooden gate can have a lovely effect that may even out class the view of a wooden fence and gate blend.
You cannot really fail with a brick wall bordering a wooden gate but there is a right and a wrong way to go about setting this theme for your garden. The easy way would be to hinge the gate onto pre-existing fittings on the wall which would probably save you some money. Although saving money the style would be totally ruined and I would definitely recommend purchasing the matching gate posts when buying a garden gate for this purpose. It is surprising how many people forget to allow space for the gate posts when measuring the gap for a garden gate so watch out for that little pit fall too!
On reflection I would say that wooden gates look most at home surrounded by a matching wooden fence and enclosing a garden with a well kept lawn. Once you have decided on your ideal setting for your wooden gate do not forget to regularly protect it with some sort of coating so that the look stays fresh and also so the wood is preserved for as long as possible.
