A large part of my design and building practice involves helping people take their gardens and yards to the next level. I love finding those elements that pull everything together. After figuring out the general layout and scheme of planting, the next priority for many of my clients is picking a gate (or a series of gates) that works functionally and aesthetically. My usual prime directive is finding the most cost-effective way of turning an ordinary fence, gate, or railing into a unique bit of eye-catching design. This has often been a challenge!

Over the years I've learned a few tricks and discovered some products and manufacturers that make my work a whole lot easier-something I hope to pass on to you. Existing fences or hedges often determine the kind of gate we install, but whether we are working with what is already present or starting from scratch, there are a number of design options for creating a unique, beautiful, and functional gate.

Customized Gate Options

When the space and the budget allow, adding a customized gate can really take the beauty of a property up a few notches. I usually gravitate toward one of the following, depending on the design scheme of the site.

Swing Gates. Swing gates might be the most ubiquitous part of the American landscape, and for good reason—they are the go-to gate for fitting into all of those small spaces, like the garden or the narrow path to the backyard. Swing gates can come in sizes between 3 ft. and 10 ft., able to serve both as a small garden gate or as a taller one that is attached to a high security fence.

Arched Gates. When a touch of classical grandeur is called for, an arched gate (a type of swing gate) can be the perfect choice, especially when it serves as the main entry gate of a long driveway. These look perfectly beautiful with straight pickets, but those with added decorative scrollwork are often my favorites, as they can bring a little bit of the old world to the neighborhood. Some companies will go to great lengths to customize the entire gate, adding as much scroll work as a customer desires.

Rolling Gates. Rolling gates, or slide gates, are those systems that move along on wheels, often along a track. They are most useful where a hinged gate is somehow not possible, such as where there is a tree or a boulder that would block the path of the swing gate, or at the base of an extremely steep driveway.

Adding Accessories to Your Gate

One of the simplest, easiest, and most budget-friendly means of sprucing up your gate is by adding a variety of decorative accessories: finials to the tops of pickets, decorative pickets, or elements that are designed to be attached to the pickets.

Ornamental Finials. These are the decorative elements at the top of fence pickets. Some fencing systems have them already welded in place, while other types of finials are simply placed on top of the pickets, and can be spaced or matched as you see appropriate. The benefit of these is that they can be swapped out for a different type of finial after a while if you get tired of one style. I also enjoy alternating spiky-topped finials with round topped finials, and I also appreciate fleur-de-lis finials, which produce a regal effect when used by themselves.

Ornamental Knuckles. Sometimes decorating the top doesn’t go far enough. If you have a gate or a fence with straight, unadorned pickets, they can be given the customized look for a fraction of the cost by attaching two-piece ornamental knuckles that wrap around the straight picket and provide visual interest and the ability to create decorative patterns like diamonds. The installation is straightforward: it involves simply screwing the two halves together so that the knuckle fits snugly around the picket. There are a multitude of designs that can be carried out here: diamond patterns, waves, or a regular accent on every other picket.

With any metal fencing product, especially a decorative centerpiece with moving parts like a gate, it probably goes without saying that we’d rather have it not rust! In this vein, I can’t say enough good things about the customized gates and fencing systems made by Fortress Building Products. They may be the only manufacturer that consistently gives their galvanized steel products a zinc coating, an e-coating, and a powder coating, all of which ensure their ornamental gates and gate accessories stand the test of time. They also have an expanded universe of innovative and durable building materials and products like decking, railing, and decorative hardware, able to give any project that extra something.