Pergola Kits and Outdoor Living Ideas Pergola Depot Blog

Pergola Installation: Learn How to Install a Pergola

Pergolas are one of the most popular design elements today, with many seeking tips on installation. Avoid mistakes and frustration by getting the answers you need. Sometimes the place to start is to learn the definition of a pergola: an outdoor garden structure with columns and cross beams forming an open roof that can be covered or left open. Although they often don't provide maximum shade on their own, you can choose our Big Kahuna pergola kits that are designed with top slats that provide shade; or you can add a roof element to find the shade you're looking for. Our designs offer different shade options, and you can even add pergola covers and shade sails to create your desired oasis. But what are the mistakes to avoid, and where...

Illuminate Your Pergola: 6 Ways to Incorporate Lighting into Your Outdoor Space

The sky’s the limit when it comes to outdoor pergola lighting. Small, medium, or large pergolas could all benefit from some type of lighting. One of the easiest ways to add an extra touch of style to your pergola is with pergola lighting. Whether you opt for adding lights on pergola posts and rafters, installing a pergola chandelier, or enlisting a contractor to add perimeter lights, you’ll certainly enhance the ambiance of your outdoor space! A great place to begin is defining how much time and effort you’d like to put into your pergola lights. Are you looking for an easy DIY lighting solution or are you considering more elaborate pergola lighting ideas?

DIY Pergola Lighting

Whether it’s the holiday season or outdoor picnic weather, there are plenty of ways to light...

Pergola Designs for Shade

There are few moments more relaxing than sitting on your outdoor patio on a warm summer day sharing stories with your loved ones. The grass is green, the flowers are in bloom, and life is beautiful. Backyard covered pergolas offering some relief from the sun are the perfect complement to these happy afternoons. Pergolas are how we sit outside comfortably in the height of the sun's busy day. So what are the best pergola shade designs to keep the sun from burning up the nicest moments of summer?

Best Pergola Shade Solutions

A lot of consideration goes into adding a pergola to your patio or yard. As the main focus of your overall landscape design, both the look and function of your pergola will alter the way you feel about your yard...

Pergola Depot Contributes to Navy Veteran’s Family Home Remodel

Pergola Depot recently contributed to U.S. Navy veteran's family home remodel by lending a hand with a “Military Makeover”, a TV show hosted by Montel Williams that provides free home remodels to deserving veterans and their families. The company was involved in renovating U.S. Navy veteran Chris Hixon’s family’s home. Follow along with the renovation updates on MilitaryMakeover.tv during the 10-episode series which premiered on the Lifetime network on Friday, February 14 at 0730 EST/PST. Hixon, a 27-year veteran who served in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield, lost his life early in February 2018 while defending the lives of students in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. He was the athletic director and wrestling coach at MSDHS. He received military funeral honors before...

Poolside Pergola Ideas to Beautify Your Pool Deck & Backyard

When you think of a backyard swimming pool pergola, what comes to mind for the perfect design? The most common answer is shade, classic design, and a structure that blends with natural surroundings. Maybe you're looking for a pavilion style patio cover that provides ultimate shade? A roof that lets a breeze float through but shield you from the UV rays? Either one will work for many types of backyard designs. Two important factors to consider when deciding amount of coverage, is what you’ll be using it for and how much space you have on your pool deck. Wood pergola kits are a way to achieve your objective so you're ready for outdoor gatherings quickly. Compare them with other options and choose the best fit for your space and budget.

Comparison...

Beautiful DIY Pergola Decorating Ideas

Whether you are relaxing with family on a warm summer evening or grilling for guests on a fall afternoon, your pergola is the social hub for your backyard paradise. While the soaring wooden beams and posts are beautiful in their own right, we have put together 5 pergola decorating ideas that we hope inspire you to treat yours as a blank canvas ready for your creativity. Ideas range from simple to sophisticated. Let's dive in!

Pergola Decorations 101

There are so many fun and interesting options to consider when dressing up your pergola from hanging lanterns to wooden swings and pergola hammocks that it may be difficult to pick just one. Depending on the size of the pergola and overall design feel free to use a few of these special finishes...

Pergola Plans for Your Outdoor Living Space

Looking for a simple way to make your pergola plans a reality without wading through dimensions and materials to purchase? Accomplish your backyard pergola dreams without getting lost in complicated drawings or wondering if you'll be able to find the right materials. Pre-cut and pre-drilled kits offer the best of both worlds! You can feel a sense of accomplishment that you get with a DIY project without the cutting & drilling! If your goal was to build your own pergola following wood pergola plans, you'll still have plenty of planning and assembling to do with a kit. We'll lay out some options and choices here, and you might just find that your outdoor living space plans can more quickly become a reality! Step 1, as you review your patio pergola plans,...

Pergola vs Gazebo

There are many options when choosing an outdoor shade structure that also adds beauty to your backyard design. Two of the best choices for offering shade include pergolas and gazebos. Which is best for your space? Pergolas and gazebos both serve similar functions on a patio or in a backyard space. When you compare a pergola vs gazebo, you’ll see 3 main contrasts. The biggest difference is in the shape and overall appearance. Other variations for these popular outdoor structures are price and use. Choose which structure is right for your backyard, garden, or community space based on your style preference, budget, and available space.

Top Variations in a Pergola vs Gazebo

Pergolas are outdoor shade structures offered in a wide range of sizes that consist of vertical posts that support an overhead...

Shade Pergola Ideas: Discover Pergola Cover Ideas

The best pergola covers for shade usually have 3 specific qualities. They’re sturdy, they’re stylish, and they blend well with the outdoors. Wood pergolas come in many shapes and sizes, but if you browse through popular magazines and Pinterest pergola photos, you'll find these same qualities that homeowners tag as some of the best pergola shade covers. Other qualities include do-it-yourself, hand-made, and made in the USA. Which of these qualities is important to you as you design your new outdoor living space? 

Qualities of the Most Popular Pergola Covers

Most homeowners are looking for durable pergola covers that will enhance their outdoor space. Quality materials, design elements such as notched wood, and density of rafters and top slats are features that make our pergolas popular. Our easy to install pergola covers...

Several Special Attached Pergola Ideas, Designs & Kits

Longing for a spot you can relax outside and spend time with friends and family? Attach a pergola to your house and you’ll have an instant outdoor room you can use 24x7. Think about how much more you’ll use your patio if it’s covered than left exposed to the elements. Let’s face it, most of us don’t spend enough time in the good ‘ole outdoors and the reason might be accessibility to a comfy spot. Attached pergola kits are actually one of those quick fixes to make the most out of the space you have and get that much-needed breath of fresh air right out your back door! A common misconception about building an outdoor room with a pergola is that you have to have a large space. Truth is,...