The Modern Pergola Designs and Plans

Landscape design has exploded in popularity as people spend more and more time at home. Time spent enjoying outdoor spaces is treasured, especially with our families or while entertaining guests. Moreover, separating our living and working spaces as we migrate to hybrid or remote work culture is more important than ever. 

It can be a daunting task when considering the overall cost of landscaping your property, especially when adding or remodeling decking, pavement, a pool or hot tub, plants and shrubs, or even large umbrellas to help shade your space. However, considering adding pergola designs to your outdoor space is a popular and easy way to jumpstart your outdoor living project. 

There are many dimensions of pergola and interesting ways to incorporate lighting, entertaining, and even outdoor activities into your backyard and pergola plans.

Whether you are looking into pergola construction or landscaping around a pergola, there are many factors to consider. 

Function and Pergola Construction

The primary function of the pergola in landscape is to provide shade and protection from the elements while extending your living space in a beautiful and multi-functional way, all of which add value to your home. 

Generally, pergola construction consists of rafters held up by posts and beams and can be attached to a home or completely stand-alone. Sometimes, lattices or other types of structured design are added to the pergola construction and its supports for both function and appearance. Many flowers and vines take to these outdoor structures and grow freely, providing an ongoing privacy feature that is low maintenance and beautiful.

When looking into pergola designs, be sure to check with your homeowners’ association or landlord before breaking ground. There are many backyard landscaping ideas with pergola that are temporary, or that could be approved by a landlord if leasing your home. Due to pergola sizes, you should ensure your pergola construction is within your homeowners’ associations’ guidelines and regulations. 

Imagine creating an outdoor work-from-home space with day-to-evening lighting and shade simply from thoughtful pergola designs. You may even be lucky enough to count the space as your home office!

Throwing Shade

Standard pergola dimensions and pergola designs provide the opportunity for shade no matter the angle of harsh sunlight, breezes, and annoying insects. Even if you have a free-standing pergola construction, weather-proof shade options include ceilings and curtains. 

Modern pergola plans can include automatic or smartphone-controlled blinds and retractable ceilings for the tech-loving outdoor entertainer. Many of these trending tech options also provide UV protection for outdoor furniture- preventing fading and slowing the weathering process- essentially extending the life of your patio set!

Defining Design

An essential design tip, especially when dealing with larger outdoor spaces, is to define your space. Define your outdoor spaces with explicit pergola dimensions into living, cooking, entertaining, swimming, hot tubbing, playing, sunning, or gardening. What are the activities you and your family enjoy outside? Do you currently have a hot tub you wish you could enjoy while a soft flurry of snow comes down? Or perhaps you have a grill fanatic who abhors the thought of any moisture touching maestro’s tools? 

Defining your outdoor living space with a strategically placed pergola or even two will add functionality and value to your home. No longer is it too hot out because of the direct sunlight to grill or send the kids outside to play. Pergolas with smartly designed curtains and shrubbery also provide a much more beautiful privacy fence than your standard wooden slats. 

A defined design is the first step to a refined design. Strategically planning your pergola construction and landscaping around pergola in your outdoor spaces will quickly outline, refine, and define your areas more beautifully while functionally decorating them.

Keep in mind your existing or future structural plans. Gazebos, three-season porches, or verandas will all impact the overall structure of your pergola designs. Whether you have these features now or not, it is essential to consider if you’d like them in the future and include space for them when determining the dimensions of a pergola and your overall landscaping plans. 

Size and Dimensions of Pergola

Standard Pergola Dimensions

Many pre-built pergola design kits are affordable and easy to DIY. Standard pergola dimensions can be anything from 8×10 to 100×100. It all depends on your needs, your existing decking and posts, and how much shade you hope to build for your outdoor living space. Custom pergolas are a beautiful, inexpensive addition to your outdoor living space that can provide year-round enjoyment.

What Works For Your Landscape

The key to determining which pergola dimensions to choose depends on what works for your landscape. Consider different angles and all seasons. What does your outdoor space look like in fall versus spring? Do you use one end of your space more or less than the other? Does one get more daytime use and one more nighttime use? 

Have you transitioned into desiring more shade than the sun? For example, many families with backyard pools opt to furnish them with large umbrellas. These are useful but not sustainable and certainly don’t help much when it is a windy day. Pergolas are a fantastic permanent solution to creating a shady area for a section of your landscape that will not change year over year. 

Working a functional pergola in landscape into your plans can be as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Determine the pergola sizes that may fit into your outdoor living space.
2. Consider the options of pergola construction, and pick the one that fits your lifestyle and climate the best.
3. Enjoy exploring backyard landscaping around pergola for years to come as you enhance the beauty and value of your home. 

Pergola Designs For Everyone

Outdoor living spaces come in all shapes and sizes. From a simple 2×4 lean over balcony to a spacious, seemingly never ending spread of lawn towards the horizon, we all want to experience the most of our outdoor space. 

Many landscaping design advice speaks to curb appeal, which is very important. However, there are other ways to add to your home’s value no matter the size or scope of your outdoor living, and don’t feel limited by the standard pergola dimensions you may see online. Many DIY functional and gorgeous pergola plans are out there for smaller spaces and shouldn’t be overlooked. 

The same goes for decks. Many homes built in the late ‘80s – early ’00s have “double decks,” meaning one deck with a sliding glass door off the kitchen on the upper level, with a lower deck underneath that more than likely is paved instead of decked, and it isn’t the best to look at. In fact, most people use the lower area for storage instead of secondary outdoor living space. 

Extending the lower patio area by adding pergola designs to one or both of the decks can double or triple your outdoor living space. The square footage added to your home’s value can often equal an entire level’s addition!

Even those who are in leases will find their landlords are often in agreement with temporary or even permanent pergola construction. Many pergola designs can be built then broken down and moved to another location, saving tons of money and retaining your favorite outdoor structure from home to home.

Backyard Landscaping Ideas With Pergola

Pergola designs are also used in certain climates as greenhouses or simple shaded gardens. It is a very easy and inexpensive solution if your tomatoes are getting too much direct sunlight or if you yourself would prefer an overhead shade instead of a sun hat. 

Pergola Swing Set

Adults and children can both enjoy a nice swinging chair or bench. A pergola swing set is built on existing supports and beams to provide the perfect structure for constructing a custom swing set for your children or yourself. Pergola swing sets made of wood are more sustainable than those made of aluminum and much more pleasing to the eye. It is easy to interchange the materials from chain to rope to leather to fabric or even wrought iron. 

Landscaping Around Pergola 

Landscaping is a part of the outdoor creation that cannot be overlooked when bringing your pergola designs to life. Landscaping around pergola and within the structure is where the true opportunity lies. Your green thumb has no limit when it comes to creative freedom with a sturdy pergola design. Flowers, shrubs, even trees can add to the beautiful landscaping around the pergola that creates your outdoor oasis.