When creating magical outdoor spaces, it’s imperative to invest in the right structures. With pergolas, you get a versatile outdoor living solution that can either be whimsical, functional, or elegant, and it all comes down to how you choose to design the space according to your personal style. While pergolas were originally constructed with wooden elements, nowadays pergolas have levelled up not only in style but in durability, too, with high tensile steel and weather-resistant finishes providing long-lasting outdoor spaces suiting a wide range of homes and designs. Stratco pergolas are one of the best examples of high quality pergolas in the market today, offering a variety of options for homeowners to personalise their new pergolas beautifully.
Wondering how you can maximise your new pergola, impress guests and family and reap the benefits of this amazingly versatile outdoor living solution? Below, we’ve got 10 pergola ideas to give you some style inspiration and help you bring to life the outdoor space of your dreams.
Stylish Privacy
Wanting a low cost way to dress up your new pergola? Adding curtains to your new outdoor space adds drama and privacy, and elevates the space, especially when combined with smart outdoor furniture. It’s the perfect way to create a relaxing space while keeping your pergola versatile enough for entertaining, too.
Simple and Sleek
A Stratco pergola exudes contemporary and modern design that is surprisingly easy to work into a more traditional home design. The simple and sleek lines of the steel beams, the versatile polycarbonate roofing and the ever-popular shades available makes it easy to dress up or down, depending on your chosen style. Homeowners have loved juxtaposing the modern lines of their pergolas with homey fire pits and wooden slat tables that provide a welcoming feel.
Expansive Picnic Area
While pergolas can be built attached to the home, they can also be built freestanding. Placed on top of a deck, freestanding pergolas are an ideal space for entertaining and relaxing. If you love to enjoy the outdoors, having impromptu picnics or hosting dinners with friends, dress up your pergola by adding natural look picnic tables and seating, comfortable outdoor couches and breezy curtains. And, because it’s a freestanding pergola, guests will love being able to come and go freely, enjoying the beautiful weather as they please.
From Basic To Whimsical
Want to stun your guests and family? Take inspiration from traditional pergola styles and weave the pergola’s supports and slats with climbing vines to add that extra whimsical yet natural feel, while also adding additional shade. You’ll love the simple addition of greenery and how it transforms a simple space into something more fun and enjoyable.
Romantic and Magical
When constructing your pergola, there are a wide range of colours and styles to choose from. With light coloured beams and rafters, you can dress up your pergola with romantic styles, furnishing with comfortable outdoor sofas and gauzy side curtains that exude a magical vibe as they sway with the breeze.
Poolside Pergola
If you’ve got other elements and structures in your backyard, make sure to design your pergola to complement them. Freestanding steel pergolas look amazing at the poolside, providing a calming and shaded area to rest and relax after doing laps around the pool.
Blooms and Lights
Got a green thumb? Make your pergola even more inviting by placing plants around the perimeter, and plant bright blooms that will flower during the year. For an added touch of greenery, climbing plants are always beautiful with pergolas, especially when woven around the beams and the supports. Add some statement lighting such as a pendant light above the seating area to help you take the outdoor space from sunup to sundown.
Dreamy yet comfortable paradise
Pergolas are not only great for entertaining, but they’re amazing spaces to extend the comfort that the home interior provides. Utilise the open-air feel, and the roofing that lets the light in as you please by adding a comfortable daybed to your pergola space. Use airy curtains for privacy, and take a recharging nap in the outdoors. If you’re wanting to use the space at night, use on-trend LED lights as ambient lighting for dreamy vibes.
Private Yet Classy Trellis
Pergolas can be transformed into a private and classy space for the family to retreat to. The smart roofing solutions of a pergola, when combined with the privacy that a trellis provides, creates a private and comfortable space that transports you to a different world. Utilise trellises with narrow openings, and increase privacy and shade by choosing roofing options that let you open and close the electronic louvres as you please, whether it’s fully open to let you enjoy the sun, or closed to keep the rain out.
Greens and Checkerboards
Create an inviting space for the whole family to enjoy by maximising your use of natural elements when designing your pergola. Take a cue from greenhouse architecture and designs by furnishing the space with comfortable furniture made from natural materials, with pops of bright colours throughout to keep the space interesting and fun. Use white pavers bordered with strips of grass to add a natural pattern to the flooring, and exude a stylish, yet lived-in feel.
So – what’ll it be?
There are a thousand ways to dress up any pergola to create a beautiful outdoor space. What’s important is to make sure to use the best, high-quality materials when building, so that your new pergola lasts for the years to come, come rain or shine. Make sure that you’re using materials, roofing, and shades that have been tested for the Australian climate, so you don’t have to worry about fading from sun damage, or rust resulting from the wet winter months. Pergolas are surprisingly easy and versatile to style, so if you’re wanting to change up the look of your outdoor space, all it takes is a little imagination, and a lot of style to beautify your pergola!
