Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's...

[snousle]

...a trellis.



OK, our house wasn't quite finished. There was a plan for a trellis that sort of fell apart while we were having this house built. The contractor simply declined to build it, for no particular reason. Things were OK without it and it wasn't one of those obviously-incomplete things that were driving me nuts. But still, the porch was WAY too hot in the summer and generally felt kind of exposed. So, we hired Brandon to build it for us. After a whole lot of discussion concerning the design, we ended up with something rather interesting. Still not entirely sure how I feel about it, but it certainly makes a bold statement. Anyway, it's what we've got. I think it will look better once it's weathered a little.



The overall size of it is 16 by 24 feet. The front is supported by a big laminated beam, which is covered in redwood for that old-timey look.



We are planning to sew up fabric shades with rare-earth magnets, which attach to iron screws on the underside of the structure. That part isn't done yet. In the meanwhile, I get a kick out of the 60s-era shadows it casts on the porch.



Also looks interesting in the evening.

Comments

[danthered.livejournal.com]

I like it quite a lot.

[snousle.livejournal.com]

I thought you would get a kick out of it.

[kevynjacobs.livejournal.com]

Very nice! I like your magnet cloth idea.

[bosendorfer-boy.livejournal.com]

I like it too! Haven't seen one like that before.

[bluebear2.livejournal.com]

It's seems almost overbuilt for a trellis (or is it a pergola?) but it works well for the shape of the house.

Hooking up the cloth with magnets seems totally nerdy. I love it! (But anything will work for that really. Hooks and eyelets.)

[furr-a-bruin.livejournal.com]

Magnets have the advantage of ease of removal, and with a bit of care they'll last much longer than a Velcro-type fastener. If they're sewn in just right, they can even help fold the fabric for storage. ;)

[snousle.livejournal.com]

It's a "tregola".

[bluebear2.livejournal.com]

More like trel-perg-tastic!

[danthered.livejournal.com]

The magnet idea's kinda cool and all, but I can't help thinking you ought to do it up with electromagnets inset into the wood, with plated steel buttons on the fabric. That way, when it's time for the fabric to come down for cleaning or changeover (or to apprehend someone skulking about on your covered lanai) you just turn off the current and the fabric flumps down.

[bbearseviltwin.livejournal.com]

cool idea but a bit power intensive

[dhpbear.livejournal.com]

It would also double as a 'bear-trap' should a party get out-of-hand :)

[dhpbear.livejournal.com]

Very groovy! I would define it as a pergola, since it doesn't have vines running though it.

[barbarian-rat.livejournal.com]

Looks good, and the shadows are very cool.

Since is it a trellis, is there a plan to grow a vine or vines on it?

[bluebear2.livejournal.com]

So, what plants are you thinking of to grow on it?

[snousle.livejournal.com]

Most likely grapes, it's pretty much the ideal climate for them. Or possibly nothing, plants are nice but they do shorten the lifetime of the structure.

[growler-south.livejournal.com]

It's super pretty! Though if we put something like that up here it would be a spider resort within weeks.

[h0gwash.livejournal.com]

I like it very much.

The bottoms members look perfectly aligned which gives it a very nice presence.

[p0lecat.livejournal.com]

That really looks nice!