27 pergola ideas to add shade, privacy and style to your outside space

Pergola ideas are everywhere, and with good reason too. Whether you DIY your own structure or make a small investment with a kit, a pergola is a simple addition that will turn a standard bit of your backyard, into a divine outdoor living space, complete with shade if you wish. 

Achieving your desired look is all in the decoration. If you love to get creative, putting up a pergola on your patio or decking area will make the perfect weekend project, and it’s the ideal spot to house things like your outdoor furniture, or your grill. Best of all, pergolas don’t usually need planning permission if it meets certain criteria.

Experts at Made.com comment on the wonderful benefits of adding a pergola to your outdoor space: ‘Wooden pergolas provide a stylish, permanent alternative to collapsible gazebos and parasols in the summer. They are perfect at creating an area that lets in a refreshing summer breeze while also providing protection from the harsh direct sunlight. 

‘A pergola, which would be at home in Japanese and Mediterranean-inspired gardens especially, can also be used as the support for climbing plants and flowers, offering additional shade and elevating the appearance of the structure.’ And if you’re ready to go in for the full outdoors living idyll, combine a pergola with a dreamy outdoor kitchen idea for the ultimate indoor-outdoor space.   

BY HOLLY PHILLIPS, HEBE HATTON