A Freestanding Outdoor Room in Winter Park Pergola, Kitchen, and Screens in One Build
Not every backyard has space for a large-scale buildout. Some of the best outdoor living projects we deliver are compact, intentional, and built to do everything in a contained footprint.
This Winter Park homeowner wanted a covered space that could host and grill — a freestanding structure that stood on its own, independent of the house, with the ability to shut completely or open wide depending on the occasion. What we built is a self-contained outdoor room: a StruXure Pivot 6 motorized louvered pergola with a cladded outdoor kitchen, motorized screens on all sides, and artificial turf underfoot.
What This Yard Looked Like Before
The before is straightforward: a clean, well-maintained yard — turf, pavers, a bench — with nothing covered and no destination. A beautiful property with an outdoor space that had no functional anchor.
The pergola, kitchen, and screens created that anchor. The yard is the same size it was before. The experience of being in it is completely different.
The Structure: StruXure Pivot 6, White Frame, Black Louvers
The anchor of this project is a freestanding StruXure Pivot 6 pergola — 11′ x 13’6″, supported by four posts, finished in a white frame with black louvers. The contrast between the white aluminum structure and the dark motorized louvers is intentional: it reads clean and architectural from the outside, and creates a defined overhead environment when you’re inside it.
Being freestanding matters here. The structure doesn’t attach to or depend on the house — it sits independently in the yard, with its own footings and frame. That gives it a presence as a destination rather than an extension, and it means the homeowners can use it regardless of where they are in the backyard.
The Pivot 6 louvers rotate a full 170°, letting the homeowner move between full open sky and complete overhead coverage at the push of a button. On a clear afternoon, the louvers open and the space breathes. When rain comes in, they close — automatically, if the rain sensor is triggered.
The Kitchen: Built to Grill, Built to Last
The outdoor kitchen runs along one interior wall of the pergola — a cladded base with stucco finish, premium stainless grill, pizza oven, and refrigerator. Everything a homeowner needs to host without going back inside.
The kitchen doesn’t just function well — it finishes the space. The cladded wall gives the pergola a sense of enclosure even when the screens are up, creating a back wall that anchors the seating arrangement and separates the cooking zone from the lounge.
The Screens: Open When You Want, Closed When You Need
Motorized screens enclose all sides of the pergola. When they’re down, the space becomes a fully private outdoor room — insect-free, wind-blocked, and visually separated from the rest of the yard. When they’re up, the pergola opens completely and connects to the surrounding space.
This open/closed flexibility is what makes the build work for every occasion. Casual weeknight dinner with the screens up. Weekend hosting with everything closed and the kitchen running. The homeowner controls both states from a single remote.
The screens are integrated into the StruXure frame — the hardware sits clean inside the
The Finishing Details
Underfoot, artificial turf covers the full pergola footprint — durable, low-maintenance, and a sharp visual contrast to the porcelain pavers of the surrounding pool deck. Lounge seating with white cushions, a round fire table, and a circle chair complete the interior. A ceiling fan runs through the center of the structure for airflow on warmer days, with recessed lighting for evening use.
The full build — freestanding pergola, cladded outdoor kitchen, motorized screens, turf, electrical, footings, permitting, and engineering — represents a meaningful investment in a space that will be used daily, host gatherings for years, and add lasting value to one of Winter Park’s most established neighborhoods.
Why Freestanding Works in Smaller Yards
A common assumption is that a meaningful outdoor living build requires a large footprint. This project is a counterexample.
At 11′ x 13’6″, the StruXure Pivot 6 here is compact by our standards — but it delivers every functional element the homeowners asked for. A place to grill. A place to sit. Weather protection. Insect control. Privacy when they want it. The freestanding format means it works in yards that don’t have a covered patio or a long lanai to work from.
For homeowners in Winter Park and across Central Florida who have a yard but no natural anchor for outdoor entertaining, a freestanding pergola with integrated kitchen and screening is one of the most efficient builds we offer. Everything in one structure, on its own footprint.
Watch the Full Walkthrough
See the complete build — screens up, screens down, kitchen detail, and the before — in our Instagram walkthrough.
Watch the walkthrough on Instagram →
Ready to Design Your Outdoor Space?
If you’re looking at a yard that has potential but no functional anchor, this project is a useful reference point. Our team designs and builds freestanding outdoor living structures engineered for Florida — from compact single-pergola builds to full multi-zone estates.
Come see completed projects and live materials at our Hamlin Design Center, or start the conversation at orlandooutdoorliving.com/get-a-quote.