Extending your indoor living space into the outdoors is really simple to do. A patio, fire pit, pool, paver walkways, and a garden are just a few of the ways that your outdoor space can become a more usable and functional part of your home. Being able to enjoy the outdoors gives you more options for entertaining guests, personal leisure time, and it can even promote better health and reduce stress. Pergolas are another great way to dress up your backyard. Not only are they beautifully simple structures, but they’re also surprisingly functional. Their slim profile and open roof have made them a prized stand-out architectural piece for thousands of years. There are many practical uses for backyard pergolas, and this article will cover some of them. If you’re looking for reasons to install a pergola or spruce up the one you currently have, keep reading. 

1. Comfy Seating Area

Adding a 12 x 16 pergola for yard seating can make for a beautiful backyard centerpiece. Creating a shaded area for outdoor seating is perhaps the most popular use for a pergola. They allow for sunlight to penetrate the slatted roof while providing enough shade to make the area more comfortable and cooler in the warmer months. You can use it with your patio or deck or just out in the yard wherever it pleases you most. Pergolas do a lot to tie a space together while adding some visual dimension to a flat space. The seating area you create can include lounge chairs, armchairs, hanging pod seating, outdoor tables, and more. How you arrange your seating and the type of seating is totally up to you. When placing a pergola near a heavily wooded area or a steep drop-off, you may want to consider adding slats to whichever side could lead to potential problems.

2. Pool Accessory

The versatility of a pergola as a pool accessory is hard to beat. They’re beautiful and give your pool an elegant and resort feeling. Whether you choose a stained wood or colored vinyl, pairing your pergola to your in-ground pool decor is going to stand out. It’s nice to have a relaxing area to lounge poolside, entertain guests, and get out of the sun. It will add some vertical texture to the hardscape while being a fully functional piece, providing some much needed shade. What makes pergolas such a great fit for a pool is its ability to blend into the natural surroundings. Adding climbing or hanging plants are a great way to even better integrate your pergola and nature. A pergola is even the perfect place to grill poolside. You can even attach speakers or a television to it to add to teh entertainment factor.

3. Outdoor Kitchen or Bar Covering

Outdoor cooking spaces are always going to be in style for a foodie who enjoys the outdoors. Not only are they useful, but they are also more beautiful when paired with a pergola. Even though food always brings people together, the pergola may be a strong contender for the focal point of the backyard. Whether you opt for a traditional flat roof or a more eye-catching arced roof, they’re destined to change the entire mood of the backyard. In fact, you might even think that you’re in the yard of a brand new home. Depending on the size pergola you choose, it will either be the focal point of your outdoor kitchen or bar, or just provide the framework for the boundaries of your great new cooking space. Either way, your yard is always going to be the preferred gathering place amongst family and friends. 

4. Hot Tub Covering

Hot tubs are great for relaxing after a long day. And when you add a pergola to the ambiance of the hot tub and your backyard, you’re in for an absolute treat. If you’re looking to add a little more privacy to your hot tub with a pergola, simply take advantage of some custom add-ons. You can add a retractable sidewall or two, incorporate a lattice to one of the sides, or add a half wall. Little touches like these or even sheer curtains can dress up your pergola quite nicely to make your hot tub feel like something at a spa. It’s an attractive finishing to a luxurious soak. Other ways to create a different vibe around your pergola and hot tub pairing include string lights, television, or stereo speakers. There’s no limit to how you dress your pergola. Smaller pergolas will frame the hot tub, and larger ones will create a more private space for you and guests. 

5. Privacy Solution

Everyone needs a little privacy, and a pergola is one of the more practuacl solutions to creating a little more privacy in your backyard. And yet, it is one of the least utilized privacy options. It may seem counterintuitive to choose a pergola as a privacy solution because they are typically open, but they do provide some shelter and make it more difficult for prying eyes to get a good look. Adding a privacy wall or two to a pergola or curtains or retractable shades will give you the extra privacy you’re craving. You have the ability to make it as private as you need it to be while also providing some structure to your backyard. A privacy fence is nice, but a stylish and classic pergola is going to do more for your backyard space than any fence will. Alternatively, you can add fast growing shrubs or bushes nearby to further seclude the area.

There’s a lot that can be said about backyard pergolas. They are truly functional pieces of outdoor excellence. You can have one constructed to meet your needs or you can buy a kit. If you go the custom route you’ll be able to pick the material, post design, paint or stain color, and floor type. There are other add-ons that you can include to make your pergola fit your needs however practical or aesthetic they are.