Simpson Strong-Tie Outdoor Accents: Decorative Hardware Built for Strength and Style

If you're building a pergola, pavilion, or deck, you know that the connectors and fasteners are just as important as the wood itself. Simpson Strong-Tie's Outdoor Accents line combines architectural flair with load-rated performance for outdoor structures, including pergolas, gazebos, decks, and more.

These connectors are designed to be aesthetically pleasing, combining beauty and strength, so that your beams, posts, and joists are held together securely without compromising on appearance.

In other words, Outdoor Accents hardware turns structural joints into design features, making them perfect for contractors and DIY builders who want both safety and style in their outdoor projects. Whether you need basic post bases and joist hangers for a simple deck, or specialized gable plates and rigid ties for complex timber frame construction, the Outdoor Accents line covers everything from foundation connections to peak assemblies.

The complete system includes decorative post bases for secure concrete connections, various strap and bracket configurations for corner reinforcement, specialized connectors for angled joints and peaked structures, heavy-duty rigid ties for primary load-bearing connections, and convenient pre-packaged kits for complete projects. This comprehensive approach means you can maintain consistent aesthetics across your entire structure while ensuring every connection meets structural requirements.

Simpson Strong-Tie Outdoor Accents is a line of decorative structural hardware that includes various metal connectors, plates, screws, and washers, which are all engineered to work together. Unlike ordinary galvanized brackets, these have an attractive black powder-coated finish and stylish design elements, so they enhance the look of exposed wood structures. 

Importantly, they’re not just for looks: every product in the Outdoor Accents line is tested and code-rated for structural loads, including heavy wind and seismic forces.

In other words, you can use them confidently in load-bearing applications, knowing they meet building code requirements for strength.

1. Collections and Styles:  The Outdoor Accents hardware comes in a couple of distinct style collections to match different architectural tastes

2. Avant Collection:  Timeless contemporary design with straight edges and chamfered corners for a clean, modern look. This style blends in well with almost any design, giving a sleek appearance.

3. Mission Collection:  A style with a southwestern flair, featuring an arched profile reminiscent of mission-style architecture. These connectors add a unique decorative touch with their curved silhouettes.

4. Essentials Collection: This isn’t about the shape of the connector, but rather the structural fasteners – specifically the Outdoor Accents structural wood screws and hex-head washers. When paired together, this screw-and-washer combo creates the look of a classic bolted connection while being much easier to install

5. Accessories Collection: Additional decorative accessories that complement the Mission and Avant hardware. These might include items such as decorative nut covers, beam caps, or other accents to finish your project.
   

All these components share the same black galvanized finish and high-quality steel construction, allowing you to mix and match pieces from different collections and still achieve a cohesive look. Whether you prefer the straighter lines of Avant or the curved details of Mission, Simpson Outdoor Accents hardware can match the style of your outdoor space.

Outdoor Accents connectors are not only about looks, as they’re built to withstand the elements and heavy structural demands. Each connector is made from high-strength steel, typically heavy 12-gauge or thicker in many cases. 

Simpson gives them a special dual-layer protection: ZMAX galvanization plus a black powder-coat finish. The ZMAX galvanizing (a zinc-based coating) provides robust corrosion resistance, which is especially important if you’re using pressure-treated lumber or if the structure will be exposed to rain and humidity. The black powder-coat on top adds another layer of corrosion protection and gives the hardware its signature matte black look.

This two-layer finish system is engineered for long-term outdoor exposure, so the hardware can handle year-round weather without rusting or deteriorating.

Because of this, Outdoor Accents hardware is suitable for all climates. From moist coastal environments to dry, sunny locations. Contractors appreciate that the black powder-coat isn’t just decorative; it’s also functional in preventing corrosion. The finish is also UV-resistant, so it won’t peel or flake easily even under harsh sun.

The result is connectors that will hold up over time and keep looking great, even as they bear heavy loads. 

Matching Fasteners: Simpson Strong-Tie specifically designed Outdoor Accents structural wood screws to go with these connectors. These screws feature a decorative black hex head (when used with the patented hex head washer) that mimics the appearance of a bolted connection. They install easily with no pre-drilling required, thanks to their sharp point and unique thread design, which saves builders a lot of time on site.

Using the designated Outdoor Accents screws and washers is important; not only do they maintain the look, but they also ensure the connection meets the structural load ratings. Simpson recommends always using the matching corrosion-resistant fasteners for best results.

In short, don’t pair these beautiful black connectors with ordinary screws that might rust or look out of place; use the Outdoor Accents screws and washers that were made for them to get the full strength and a consistent finished appearance.

One of the great things about the Simpson Outdoor Accents line is the variety of connectors available. Essentially, they’ve made a decorative version of almost every common structural connector a deck or pergola might need. 

Here are some of the key hardware types in this collection and how builders typically use them:

Post base connectors attach the bottom of a vertical post to a concrete footing, slab, or deck surface.

Simpson’s Outdoor Accents post bases (models like APB and APVB) secure your 4x4, 6x6, or even larger posts firmly to concrete while keeping the wood elevated by 1 inch off the ground. This 1″ standoff is crucial – it prevents the end of the post from sitting in water, thereby avoiding rot and extending the life of your post. These post bases have decorative flanges and often include side plates that wrap around the post’s base for a finished look.

In practice, a contractor building a pergola will anchor a post base to each footing (using concrete anchor screws or bolts), then insert the wooden post into the base. The black powder-coated base not only provides a strong connection to the concrete but also looks sharp at the bottom of the post, making it a nice upgrade from a plain galvanized bracket. Simpson’s decorative post bases are load-rated and heavy-duty (made from thick galvanized steel), so they can support the weight of your structure safely.

They are commonly used for pergolas, porch supports, pavilion posts, or anywhere a wood post needs to be firmly anchored while keeping a polished appearance.

You’ve likely used joist hangers in deck or shed construction, they hold horizontal beams or joists to another supporting member. Outdoor Accents decorative joist hangers serve the same purpose with added style. They are used to support joists in floors, decks, ceilings, or roof structures by attaching them to a ledger board or beam. Simpson’s Outdoor Accents joist hangers come in various sizes to fit standard lumber dimensions (like 2x4, 2x6, 2x8, etc.), including both nominal and rough-cut lumber sizes.

This means whether you’re using standard store-bought lumber or rough-sawn timbers, there’s a hanger that fits. These hangers have a black powder-coated finish to match the rest of the Outdoor Accents hardware, so your joist connections blend in with the design.

They often feature decorative details like an embossed pattern or subtle flanges that make them look less utilitarian than typical joist hangers. Despite the refined look, they maintain proper structural performance, carrying the weight of deck boards or roof rafters securely.

For example, in an open-topped pergola, you might use these decorative joist hangers to attach each rafter to the header beam. The result is a solid connection that also complements the overall aesthetic, rather than distracting from it.

Outdoor Accents L-straps and T-straps are flat steel connectors shaped like an “L” or a “T” (hence the name). They reinforce 90-degree joints where two pieces of lumber meet at right angles.

An L-strap connects across the outside of a corner (like an L-shape around a post and beam), while a T-strap connects a horizontal beam into the side of a post or another beam in a “T” configuration. These straps add both strength and visual detail to corners and joints. 

In many timber structures, you’ll see L-straps used on the corners of an open frame (for example, where a porch header meets a post) to lock the joint together and keep it from racking. T-straps might be used where a beam intersects another beam in the middle of a span, or where a pergola rafter lands on top of a post. Simpson’s versions have decorative edges and the same black finish, so using them gives the framework a visually symmetric, professional look.

They are structural as well, far stronger than toe-nailing or wood screws alone, providing critical support at these intersections. When you bolt or screw an L-strap across a joint, you’re effectively bracing that 90° connection against twisting or separation.

Many builders use L and T straps not only for the strength they add, but also because they create a traditional timber-frame appearance on pergolas, trusses, and other exposed structures.

Simpson's Outdoor Accents angle brackets are versatile connectors designed for reinforcing joints where lumber meets at various angles, not just the standard 90-degree connections. These brackets are particularly useful when you're working with sloped rafters, angled braces, or any connection that needs support at a specific angle.

Unlike L-straps that work specifically for right-angle connections, decorative angle brackets can be positioned to match the exact angle of your joint, whether it's 45 degrees, 30 degrees, or any custom angle your structure requires. This makes them invaluable for pergola rafters that connect to ridge beams, or when adding angled knee braces for additional structural support.

The brackets feature the same black powder-coated finish and are made from heavy-gauge steel like the rest of the Outdoor Accents line. They typically have multiple mounting holes to distribute the load across several fasteners, ensuring a strong connection that can handle both compression and tension forces.

Contractors often use these on timber frame pergolas where rafters meet the ridge at the peak, or when installing decorative angled braces that need both strength and visual appeal. The key advantage is that they eliminate the need for complex angle cuts and joints while providing superior holding power compared to traditional wood-to-wood connections.

Deck ties and flat straps serve different structural purposes than the L and T straps covered earlier. Flat straps are primarily tension connectors since they're designed to resist pulling forces rather than just providing corner reinforcement.

Simpson's decorative flat straps are commonly used to tie together parallel beams, prevent beam separation, or provide lateral stability in deck and pergola construction. They're particularly useful when you need to connect two pieces of lumber in a straight line but want the connection to be both strong and visible as a design element.

Deck ties are specialized connectors that secure deck joists to ledger boards or rim joists. They provide crucial lateral stability that prevents joists from rolling or twisting under load. The decorative versions maintain the same structural performance as standard deck ties but add the aesthetic appeal of the black powder-coated finish.

These connectors are essential for any deck or outdoor structure where you want to ensure the framing stays properly aligned over time. The flat profile means they don't add bulk to your connections, while the decorative finish turns what would normally be hidden hardware into an attractive design feature.

For contractors building exposed-beam structures, these flat straps can be used strategically to add visual rhythm along long spans while providing real structural benefit.

Gable plates are specialized connectors designed for peaked roof structures where rafters or beams meet at the ridge. Simpson's decorative gable plates handle the complex loads at these critical connection points while maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the Outdoor Accents line.

These plates are engineered to distribute the downward and outward forces from sloped rafters into the ridge beam effectively. They're particularly important in pergola construction where you want an open peak design but need reliable structural connections. The decorative versions eliminate the need for complex notching or mortise-and-tenon joints while providing superior load capacity.

Gazebo ties are specifically engineered for multi-sided structures like octagonal gazebos or pavilions. These connectors handle the unique geometry where multiple rafters converge at a central point, creating a hub-and-spoke arrangement. Each tie is designed to accept rafters at the specific angles required for standard gazebo construction.

The benefit for contractors is significant time savings. Instead of calculating complex angle cuts and creating custom joints, you can use pre-engineered connectors that ensure a proper fit and load distribution. The decorative finish means these connections become attractive focal points rather than structural necessities that need to be hidden.

Both gable plates and gazebo ties are load-rated for the forces they'll encounter in typical outdoor structures, giving you confidence in both the strength and appearance of your peak connections.

Rigid ties are heavy-duty connectors designed for serious timber connections where maximum strength is required. These aren't your typical light-duty brackets – they're engineered for connecting large beams, posts, and other primary structural members that carry substantial loads.

Simpson's decorative rigid ties feature the signature black powder-coat finish but are built from extra-heavy gauge steel to handle the forces involved in timber frame construction. They're commonly used to connect main beams to posts, tie together heavy timber joints, or provide critical connections in large pergolas and pavilions.

The advantage of using rigid ties is that they can often eliminate the need for traditional timber joinery like mortise-and-tenon connections, which require specialized skills and tools to execute properly. Instead, you get engineered connections that are faster to install while meeting or exceeding the strength of traditional joinery.

Knee braces are diagonal support members that prevent rectangular frames from racking (shifting out of square under lateral loads). Simpson's decorative knee braces combine this crucial structural function with aesthetic appeal, turning necessary bracing into attractive design elements.

These are particularly valuable in pergola and pavilion construction where wind loads can create significant lateral forces. By installing decorative knee braces at key corners, you're not only strengthening the structure but adding visual interest with the traditional timber-frame appearance that many clients prefer.

The knee braces are designed to work with standard lumber sizes and include all the necessary connection hardware to secure them properly to both the vertical and horizontal members they're bracing.

For contractors who want to streamline their purchasing and ensure they have all the necessary hardware for specific projects, Simpson offers pre-packaged Outdoor Accents kits. These kits contain all the connectors, fasteners, and hardware needed for complete structures like pergolas, gazebos, or pavilions.

Each kit is engineered for specific project types and lumber sizes, taking the guesswork out of hardware selection. For example, a pergola kit might include post bases, joist hangers, L-straps, rigid ties, and all the matching Outdoor Accents screws and washers needed for a standard-sized pergola.

The advantage for contractors is significant – instead of ordering individual pieces and potentially missing critical hardware, you get everything in one package with the assurance that all components work together structurally and aesthetically. The kits also include detailed installation instructions and load tables specific to the included hardware.

Different kit options are available for various project sizes and styles, whether you're building a simple 10x10 pergola or a large pavilion. Some kits are designed around specific lumber packages that are commonly available at lumber yards, making the entire project more streamlined from material ordering through completion.

For contractors who build similar outdoor structures regularly, these kits can provide both time savings and cost advantages compared to purchasing individual components. They also ensure consistency across multiple projects, which is valuable for contractors who want to develop a signature look for their outdoor construction work.

The kits maintain the same quality standards as individual Outdoor Accents components, with all hardware featuring the black powder-coated finish and structural load ratings that make the line popular with professional builders.

Simpson Strong-Tie's Outdoor Accents line solves a key problem for contractors building pergolas, pavilions, and exposed timber structures: getting both structural integrity and professional appearance from the same hardware. The comprehensive system combines engineered load ratings with architectural aesthetics, while the dual-layer corrosion protection and heavy-gauge construction prove these aren't just dressed-up standard connectors.

For contractors specializing in outdoor construction, the Outdoor Accents line delivers a competitive advantage by creating projects that look professionally finished rather than cobbled together. While the premium price requires consideration, the combination of structural performance, weather resistance, and consistent aesthetics makes solid sense for projects where visible hardware needs to enhance rather than detract from the overall design.