If you’re looking for ways to maximise your outdoor space this year, keep on reading! A pergola is one of the most multi functional items that allows you to enjoy your garden right into the evening.
Their versatility alone is enough to love, but they can bring a beautiful aesthetic to your garden whilst perfectly blending in with your existing features.
Whether you want to DIY your own pergola or invest in a steel structure, take inspiration this Spring from these stunning outdoor pergola ideas.
Create A Relaxing Oasis With These Beautiful Outdoor Pergola Ideas
1.Create Perfect Cover With An Awning
If you don’t have the space or floor structure to house a conventional pergola, why not keep things off the floor and get an awning instead?
This motorised standard awning by Hillarys will provide cover and shade whenever you require it, taking you from day to night. When it’s not in use, you won’t even know it’s there.
2. Bring Longevity & Style With A Steel Structure
Wooden pergolas tend to be a little bit transient, whereas a steel structure is solid, offers longevity and withstands high winds too.
We erected this steel structure last year and in an anthracite finish, it adds the most beautiful and modern addition to a garden. You really do need the space for this type of pergola and a solid ground to install it correctly though.
3. Maximise A Corner Space In Your Garden
Corners of gardens often become under utilised, but by positioning a pergola in an area like this, you suddenly create something out of the space that is usable, but also creates a really cosy and separate seating space.
Add a corner sofa to maximise the area, and string fairy lights or solar powered festoon lights to enjoy the light show well into the evening.
4. Add Drama With Black
If you’ve opted for a wooden structure, think about your paint choices and take note from the below. Painted in a black exterior paint, it adds drama to a garden and brings a touch of modernity.
Greenery pops against the black and it works really well in a shaded area or North facing garden in this colour.
5. Half of Structure
If space is a premium, achieve the same pergola look but with half the structure. This unique pergola gives you ample shade and a great place to pull up a chair or two.
This is a great option if you have a small courtyard or perhaps don’t want the aesthetic look of a full pergola.
6. Set A Boundary With An Outdoor Rug
It’s all about the styling under a pergola. A pergola creates an instant boundary in your space, so it’s the perfect excuse to style it to perfection!
Start by laying a large outdoor rug on the floor, it sets its own boundary in the space and will ground it with colour. Add your chosen furniture and finish with decorative items like solar powered lights and planters.
7. Add Natural Shade With Bamboo
Take inspiration from the below pergola which is painted in Off Black by Farrow and Ball. Instead of a traditional awning, create your own DIY shade with bamboo.
The beauty of bamboo sheeting is that it brings a natural colour with it, provides lovely shade yet still allows for light to gently pass through it.
8. Combine Wooden Elements
Don’t feel like you have to stick to the same shade and style of wood in your pergola enclosure. Combining differing wood stains, panels and styles will add to the visual interest of the space in your garden.
9. Setup An Outdoor Cinema
Make your pergola multi-use and carry on its purpose all the way into the evening with an outdoor cinema!
Add your awning in the evening to create a cocooning and cosy space, string solar powered festoon lights and add lanterns to create an ambient feel.
10. Keep The Natural Look
Wood doesn’t have to be painted, and this is proof that the all natural look can look just as good in a garden. If you’re a fan of rustic or boho style then this is a must save look for your next pergola project.
Plus, it requires virtually no maintenance year after year.
11. Use A Pergola To Create An Outdoor Area
A pergola doesn’t have to be used in its traditional sense in a corner of your garden, you can create a usable outdoor area with a larger pergola that can be used as an outdoor kitchen space and beyond.
We adore the neutral, soft tones in this garden!
12. Add A Section For Trailing Planters
Incorporate ladders like the image below into your pergola, it provides ample space to train a trailing planter or attach a whole host of colourful planters.
As the years go by, you’ll have a blossoming pergola that feels cosy and works naturally in the space.
13. Add The Wow Factor With Monochromatic Floor Tiles
Zone your garden the right way by adding floor tiles underneath your pergola. These black and white geometric tiles certainly stand out and look amazing in this garden.
Just be mindful that white gets dirty very easily outside, and pay attention to slip rating as certain types of tiles will become very slippery when they get wet.
14. Paint It Green
Forget the neutrals, lean into the natural world and paint your pergola green. Choose a high quality exterior paint that will last through the season.
We love the addition of the handmade wooden table underneath with the matching colour on the table legs which creates a cohesive feel in this section of the garden.
15. Create An Inside Outside Look
Creating that perfect balance between the inside and outside will maximise your space in the summer, and tie the two spaces together perfectly.
A pergola adds a really versatile addition to a garden, treat it like an indoor space and hang up a mains powered or solar powered ceiling light over the table. It will make those evening BBQs feel even more like a holiday away from home.
16. Train Trailing Plants To Grow For Natural Shade
Instead of adding an awning, invest in natural shade and train trailing plants to grow over the structure. This will take a few years to achieve, but the result is a weathered yet cosy feel that adds a really rustic look to this garden.
17. Create A Boho Inspired Scheme
A bohemian inspired garden space is perhaps one of the most popular types of schemes as it’s one that is easy to replicate.
Paint your pergola black, it’s a key colour in this design scheme and will ground the rest of the space. Mix natural materials such as wood and rattan and add cosiness with solar powered lights and cosy outdoor cushions.
