You’ve finally committed to buying a pergola. Now you need to plan it with panache.
The first step is to assess the pergola’s primary purpose. Is it to provide shade? Will it be an entertaining space? Are you planning to use it for your morning yoga routine?
Making sure to have your pergola’s purpose clear may sound silly, but it really does help to have this straight in your head. Really breaking down all the ways that you plan to use will allow you to more easily design it to be not only beautiful but functional.
The second step is to examine the style you want. This involves assessing the kind of home you have compared to the place where the pergola will be constructed. For example, is your home a ranch, Tudor, adobe, traditional, Cape Cod, Colonial, contemporary, Victorian or craftsman?
Pergolas can be designed to either match or complement your home. For example, an ivory-colored pergola made of ornamental posts, scrollwork frieze, and a lattice roof would work beautifully behind a Victorian home, but would terribly clash with a craftsman home. For a craftsman home, you would want to use one with solid columns and simpler lines to fit a craftsman home’s design. Similarly, a rustic pergola constructed with logs would not match well with an American Colonial, yet a simple white one with elegant crossbeams would.
The material with which your pergola is constructed is also important. Depending on where you live, you want it to be able to hold up to the climate. Pergolas can be made with different types of material including wood, vinyl, steel, fiberglass, brick or stone. Wood is one of the most common building materials for pergolas as it contains natural oils that make it more resistant to rot and decay, as well as insects.
You also want to decide on a pergola canopy. Do you want it to be covered with just crossbeams and vines, or do you want it to be retractable? Do you want to be able to use it in all kinds of weather or just sunny days?
With so many different style configurations, it is important to look at as many as possible. Your overarching goal, however, should be to pick a perfect pergola for you that accentuates the beauty of your home and its surrounds.
Third, it’s all about location, location, location. Will it be separate from your home or attached to it? Will it be set in the backyard, front yard or side yard? Are there forests nearby, other homes, or are you located in the middle of nowhere? Will it be near a pool?
Determining whether the pergola will be detached or attached to your home is of vital importance. Building one onto the side of a home will often result in needing to add extra siding or stucco once it is placed. Since a detached pergola will be its own structure, this will not be a factor.
Some companies recommend that if a pergola will be attached to your home, you should match its height to the first floor of your home. So if, for example, you have 10- feet ceilings on your first floor, your pergola, should be that height.
You also want to consider where the sun will hit at what times of the day, and what view you will have when you sit in it. Since your pergola will most likely be used for relaxing, you want the best view possible!
The fourth involves thinking about what fancy features you may want it to have. Nowadays, pergolas come with numerous add-ons including outdoor kitchens, hot tubs, uplighting, fireplaces, outdoor entertainment, and misting systems, among many others.
The right lighting is especially important as it will allow you to use it both day and night. Lights also greatly affect your mood. If lights are too bright or too dim, your pergola will not be as functional for you or as relaxing!
As you pick your perfect pergola, get your creative juices flowing by asking yourself questions about the real purpose of the pergola and how you imagine it will be. Doing so will help you better plan your ideal pergola and create a peaceful space you have always dreamed.
