How to Build the Perfect Pergola

Houzz

There is nothing like a pergola to give an outdoor area importance. They are wonderful for creating outdoor rooms for dining or lounging. So it's no surprise that a pergola was number one on the list for Maureen's new landscape.

Houzz

Pergolas can be tricky to build.

It's all about proportion.

For instance, the posts on this pergola could be a little fatter.

Southern Living

A pergola with a "craftsman" feel.

I'm not so sure about the posts here. Wouldn't columns be better?

bhg

I love this one.

The cross braces give it more stability and make up for the posts that could have been beefier.

Houzz

Then there is the question, "to leave it natural, or paint it white."

Proportionally, this pergola is perfect.

The best contractor ever built Maureen's pergola.

Ward is a master craftsman and pays attention to the details like I do.

Such as the special cuts on the ends of the beams.

He's also Maureen's husband!

The view from the kitchen window was important. The height was considered because it served the purpose of blocking the view beyond the fence until the Pitosporum could grow.

Notice the details of the posts. They're notched.

This is a perfectly proportioned pergola!

I understand that it is a difficult decision to paint beautiful cedar, but the pergola needed to be white.

The back fence with the addition of the trellis also needed to be white!

Now that's a pergola!

Yesterday, we "guilded the lily" and added taupe stripe curtains from Ballard Designs.

Ward and I decided to hang the rods upside down as shown. In the winter, the curtains and rods come down, but the brackets remain. Then they can thread tiny outdoor lights around the perimeter.