When choosing the design of pedestrian gates, there are two main considerations that the buyer and homeowner must make. The first aspect is the style and fashion of the pedestrian gate, which is determined based on the homeowner’s personal preferences and the house’s aesthetic. The second thing to consider when choosing your pedestrian gates is the actual material that the gates will be forged with. If you’d like to learn more about the materials, styles and trends for pedestrian gates, then read the rest of this article.
Understanding Material Usage For Pedestrian Gates
Certain materials work better with particular styles. For example, steel, metal and aluminium are often used for more modern and contemporary designs while fabrics such as wood and wrought iron are used for more traditional, classical designs. For this reason, homeowners should carefully consider how their choice of material will impact the translation of a certain aesthetic or stylistic vision they might have. Furthermore, homeowners should contemplate how each fabric weathers and what kind of maintenance will be required.
Generally, there are 4 common materials used to create pedestrian gates, each of which is listed below. Each of these materials has specific characteristics and advantages. Read the explanations below if you’d like to learn more about the differences between each of these materials.
Steel
Steel gates are durable and hard-wearing. Regardless of whether you use stainless steel, structural steel, alloy steel or carbon steel, you can rest assured that it will be a resilient barrier between your home and the outside world. It is a corrosion-resistant material that can be galvanised and primed to create a smooth and shiny finish that does not require excessive maintenance besides occasional hinge oiling and cleaning. Finally, it is cost-effective, with a very sustainable lifespan.
Wooden
Compared to other types, wooden gates are generally the most affordable option, making it easier to choose fully enclosed designs that prevent pedestrians from peering into your home. Wooden gates are also more environmentally friendly than steel and metal gates, as they require less manufacturing and resources to produce. While they do require more maintenance than other materials, if they are treated properly and cared for well, they will last for many years and weather beautifully with age, adding character and personality to the organic material.
Wrought Iron
Wrought iron pedestrian gates and driveway gates have historical significance – they were used in ancient Roman times, and they were even seen in Westminster Abbey in the 13th century. Wrought iron is more malleable than steel because it has a lower carbon content, making it easier for these kinds of gates to be embellished with intricate designs and decorative details. While wrought iron is also valued for its durability and rust resistance, many homeowners opt for wrought iron gates because of their stylish appearance.
Aluminium
In recent years, aluminium pedestrian gates have become more affordable, making them more accessible and popular amongst average homeowners. This is a competitive fabric because it is incredibly low maintenance. Aluminium finishes are weather-resistant and can be applied in a massive variety of colours and effects, so these gates can easily be customised to suit your house and colour palette. This fabric has a long life span because aluminium surfaces naturally form a thin layer of oxidisation that seals and protects it.
Common Styles For Residential and Commerical Pedestrian Gates
Your pedestrian gate is one of the first things that your visitors will see when they arrive at your property, so you should pick a gate that adequately represents you and your style. When it comes to picking the style and material, it is useful to look at the most popular styles of the past for inspiration. A pedestrian gate is generally a once-off purchase that will become a longstanding fixture of the property, and it will likely not be replaced, so the buyer should do their research before deciding on the final product.
Buyers should look for helpful stylistic references and reviews before choosing their preferred gate. They should also consider how the style of the gate will work together with the interiors of the building, as there should be a correlation between the inside and the outside of the property. Below is a list of common styles that buyers can choose from.
Gothic
Gothic architecture was prevalent between the 12th and 18th centuries in Europe, during the Middle Ages. One of the defining features of gothic architecture is the pointed archway, which is often accompanied by other features such as stained glass windows, flying buttresses and elaborate tracery in classic gothic buildings such as cathedrals, churches, Christian ecclesiastical buildings and old English universities. Gothic revivalism is still popular in 20th-century homes today, as people incorporate labyrinthine detailing, flamboyant archways, palatial doorways, large windows, ribbed ceilings and ornamental designs into their homes.
Gothic pedestrian gates evoke grandeur as they are elegant yet opulent, offering a unique and nostalgic nod to the past. Most of these kinds of gates have an archway where two curved sides meet at a sharp angle at the top of the arch. These arches are known as ogival arches, and they are commonly recreated with wrought iron, which is easier to mould into these intricate shapes. Furthermore, gothic gates often include tracery, which is a gothic architectural feature where screens and panels are cross-sectioned off to resemble lace or other geometric patterns.
Beach House
Beach house interiors and exteriors have been incredibly popular during the 2000s and 2010s, and understandably so. Everybody wants to feel as though they’re on vacation at the seaside, and this is easily made possible when you incorporate coastal elements into your home. For example, most beach houses favour textural elements such as woven baskets, weathered wood, shabby whitewashed walls and neutral, pale base tones such as white and grey mixed with blue accents.
White wood is often associated with the beachside, as it is a neutrally-coloured, organic material that does not impose harshly on its environment. Instead, it simply blends into its surroundings and offers clean, serene energy to the front of your house. Many homeowners opt for these kinds of gates when they want to draw attention to their luscious gardens, as the bright green hues pop against the understated white tones.
Cottage Core
Cottage core is an aesthetic that has become particularly popular among adolescents and young professionals in the 2010s. It is based on a romantic idealism of pastoral, rural life in the countryside. Its characteristics are loosely associated with farm life in England and France, which prioritised sustainability, harmony with nature and deep respect for simple life.
When translating these ideals to pedestrian gates, many homeowners choose to commission simplistic, rustic farm gates. These are often made from wooden slabs, and they are quite bulky in their design. Alternatively, some choose to mimic the agricultural aesthetic completely by opting for a simple, thinly-wired metal gate that prioritises practicality over flash.
Tuscan
Tuscan style is recognisable by its rustic energy, textured finishes and weathered materials. Homes designed in the Tuscan style usually feature terra-cotta tiles, earthy colour palettes with burnt orange or deep brown hues, sturdy but simple furnishings, exposed stones, murals and mosaics. Common decorative elements in these homes include ceramics, candle sconces and large, bare windows for ample natural light.
Tuscan architecture is romantic in nature, transporting residents and visitors to central Italy at a time of Renaissance art and rugged architecture. When it comes to Tuscan pedestrian gates, it is not uncommon to see combinations of richly-coloured wood and black, galvanised wrought iron. Curved edges and rosettes are incorporated into gates that stand alongside stone posts and pillars, bringing a charming Italian feel to your curbside.
Mesh Gates and Asian-Inspired Pergolas
A pergola is a structure comprised of columns, topped by beams and rafters that create a roof. Some pergolas are free-standing, while others are attached to houses or entranceways. They can be fully covered to provide maximum shade and protection, or they can have open slots to allow the light to sink in and the plants to creep through them. Most pergolas are culturally influenced by Japan, as the Japanese use these structures to mark the transition from one area to another, to provide shade, and to support climbing plants.
Adding a pergola above your pedestrian gate is a great way to provide shade and shelter from the sun. It also offers a unique point of interest from regular, linear entranceways. Pergolas are often added to entranceways where the gates are sleek, with black mesh panels and screens. The sleek modernity of a mesh gate pairs well with the more traditional pergola.
Art Deco
Art Deco is a distinct style from the 1920s and the 1930s. It is characterised by its bold use of geometric shapes and bright, vibrant colours. The style is sometimes referred to as Zigzag Modern because of its angular patterns and elaborate delineated shapes. Most people tend to associate art deco with the cinematic version of Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’, which showed the opulent design movement at the time of the great depression and the prohibition.
Art deco gates are similarly elaborate in their designs, using bold, angular designs to reflect the move towards modernity. These kinds of gates are often colourful in nature, as homeowners request steel or aluminium to be brushed with golds, pinks or greens. These entranceway gates use unusual patterns such as diamonds, trapezoids, chevrons, sunburst motifs, triangles and other stepped forms.
Market Analyses and Trends
Pedestrian gates are used to control and monitor who has access to a building. Whether it is placed in front of a business, public facility, residence or factory, it is a tool to optimise traffic flow and maintain security. In the past, simple latch gates were common. However as urbanisation increased, cities became more densely populated, and criminality rates rose, it became necessary to tighten security controls.
Hence, it is more and more common for these entranceways to be used in communion with various high-tech entrance control systems, such as biometrics, turnstiles, speed gates and more. The Pedestrian Gates Market Insights 2022 shows that the global demand is expected to rise considerably between 2022 and 2027. In 2021, the market grew at a steady rate, but it is projected to rise substantially in the coming years.
Buy From Glow Innovations Today
If you’d like to commission a custom pedestrian gate, then you can get a quote from Glow Innovations with ease today. Whether it’s a gothic gate or an art deco gate, the qualified professionals at Glow Innovations can provide you with the resources and advice you need to make your curbside vision a reality. Glow Innovation pedestrian gates will be a source of security and style for your home, so pick a style and enquire about installation with ease.