Simplicity in Strength: The Power of Concealed Structural Hardware

Henry Ryals, owner and founder of Ryals Design Build, LLC, used our concealed connectors to construct a pergola, offering his clients an ideal outdoor space. The connectors delivered a traditional look while minimizing exposed fasteners. Explore the use of concealed beam hangers and unravel the details of the project’s successful outcome. 

Continue reading “Simplicity in Strength: The Power of Concealed Structural Hardware”

DIY Covered Daybed Swing with Fletcher Creek Cottage

Lounge away in a covered daybed swing built with our Outdoor Accents® decorative hardware. This project was carried out in partnership with DIYer Dena of Fletcher Creek Cottage. Her new daybed is an ideal spot for reading, napping or simply savoring the pleasant weather. This outdoor structure offers year-round enjoyment and is the perfect addition to her homestead. Learn more about the details behind Dena’s build and the elements that went into bringing it to life, from the lumber and hardware choices to the step-by-step process. 

Continue reading “DIY Covered Daybed Swing with Fletcher Creek Cottage”

From Bar Inspiration to Backyard Elevation: How to DIY a Cantilevered Swing

Kurt Krasavage, owner of Residential Imagineering, LLC, constructed a cantilevered swing in his backyard using Simpson Strong-Tie hardware. Inspired by a bar in Mexico with an attached swing-set, Kurt and lead builder Shawn Bealla created an exceptional outdoor entertainment center that became a popular gathering spot. Learn about his project and get inspired for your own creative backyard DIY. 

Continue reading “From Bar Inspiration to Backyard Elevation: How to DIY a Cantilevered Swing”

Building a Pergola with Southwestern Flair

Popular DIYer Jen Woodhouse of The House of Wood is back again to build another amazing pergola, this time using Outdoor Accents Mission Collection decorative hardware. This collection gives a touch of southwestern flair to your outdoor structure with the arched mission-style profile of post bases, straps and angles. Learn more below about her build and her experience using our hardware. 

Continue reading “Building a Pergola with Southwestern Flair”

Gorgeous and Green Floral Designer Integrates Outdoor Accents® Hardware into Her Eco-Business

As an avowed environmentalist and minimalist,  Simpson Strong-Tie marketing copywriter Sean Krainert was excited to have the opportunity recently to visit in Oakland, California, where he met with owner and lead designer Pilar Zuniga. Built on a foundation of making beautiful things while factoring the health of the environment and community into every decision, her green business has flourished into a beacon for sustainable floral design.

Continue reading “Gorgeous and Green Floral Designer Integrates Outdoor Accents® Hardware into Her Eco-Business”

Expanding Our Outdoor Accents® Decorative Hardware

It started with a simple question: How can we bring our commitment to building safe, strong structures to the our customers’ outdoor spaces? From that idea our Outdoor Accents® decorative hardware solution was born.

Outdoor Accents brings both elegance and structural strength to any project you might dream up for your backyard. We offer two distinct decorative hardware lines to fit the aesthetic of your outdoor living structure. Our Mission Collection® features connectors that add a hint of Southwestern flair, while our Avant Collection™ features connectors with straight edges and chamfered corners for a clean and timeless contemporary design.   Continue reading “Expanding Our Outdoor Accents® Decorative Hardware”

Pergola Planner Helps a Boy Scout Support His Community

Boy Scout Porter Shively shares a pergola he built for his community to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. He built this project using Simpson Strong-Tie® Pergola Planner Software™. 

I’m a junior at William Harrison High School in West Lafayette, Indiana. I’m a wrestler at the school, very active with my Boy Scout Troop, and volunteer in our children’s program at church. In my free time, I enjoy watching movies, playing Minecraft, and hanging out with my friends. After high school, I plan on getting a degree that will allow me to work toward becoming a zoologist.  

Continue reading “Pergola Planner Helps a Boy Scout Support His Community”

Perfect Pergola Planned: Elements of an Achievable Pergola Plan

Lumber prices are continuing to return to Earth, making it possible to start dreaming once again about backyard projects. It’s the perfect time to take our new, easy-to-use Pergola Planner Software™ for a spin. Pergola Planner Software enables contractors or homeowners to design the perfect pergola in just a few minutes. Earlier this year we asked homeowners who might be considering a new backyard pergola to try out the software and send in their pergola designs.

Continue reading “Perfect Pergola Planned: Elements of an Achievable Pergola Plan”

How Pergola Planner Software™ Helped Turn My Parents’ Patio into an Oasis

This past summer, my parents and I were talking about some of the latest home improvement projects that they had going on, and the topic of providing more shade for their backyard patio came up. For the last couple of years, they’d been looking into different ideas of what to do with this space, including sketching out on notebook paper layouts and particulars that would be nice to have. They’d tried portable patio umbrellas and various other ways to shade this area and had come to a decision that it was time to add a permanent structure that would serve as both a backyard shelter and an aesthetic complement to their home.

Continue reading “How Pergola Planner Software™ Helped Turn My Parents’ Patio into an Oasis”

6 Free Pergola Plans (Plus: Pavilions, Patios and Arbors)

Free pergola plans by Simpson Strong-Tie will help beautify your backyard while providing your family and guests with shade to relax in.  

These pergola designs were developed by Simpson Strong-Tie engineers, so you can be confident that not only will they look great but they’ll be safe, strong structures. We’ve set out to create a diverse selection of architectural styles to make it easier for you to find the structure that best enhances your outdoor space. 

Continue reading “6 Free Pergola Plans (Plus: Pavilions, Patios and Arbors)”