A stylish, original, and, at the same time, functional element of landscape design, a pergola will be an excellent choice for exterior decoration. Once upon a time, such buildings served as a support for climbing plants. Today, this unusual arched structure made of various materials is often used as a gazebo, a canopy, a visor over a door, or an interesting decorative element. This architectural object is made of metal, wood, stone, plastic, and various combinations of these materials.
Interesting variations
Wood is particularly popular when making pergolas. The point is that this material is distinguished by its naturalness, availability, and beauty. Wooden structures are combined with various landscape elements, plantings, and structures.
An excellent solution would be to make an interesting pergola from a combination of stone and wood. In this case, the supports are made in the form of stone columns, and wood is used to make the crossbars. Or vice versa – as an overlap, you can use a metal grid, and the supports can be made of wood.
How to choose the best option
When choosing the model and material of the future pergola patio, it is important to answer the following questions:
- will the structure be used as a support for climbing plants;
- will it have a functional role or only a decorative one;
- will the pergola be used to mask technical structures that create an imbalance in the general exterior (barn, poultry house, garage, etc.);
- will the construction become a place for recreation.
Depending on the answers, you can choose the optimal version of this landscape design element and create an interesting external picture.
If the pergola patio will support climbing plants, it must be as open as possible and reliable and stable.
Types of pergolas
Today, there are many different variations of these structures. The most popular are:
- Variants in the form of an awning. They outwardly resemble a canopy, but at the same time, the roof is not continuous but is a series of beams or slats. Such a model protects well from the sun, but you cannot hide under it in rainy weather.
- Screen pergolas create shaded areas and are often used for zoning space in landscape design.
- Models in the form of a corridor. Such structures are used to form an effective green tunnel from climbing plants.
- Canopy pergolas. This type of construction is often added to buildings and creates a shadow near the windows.
- Based on their location, landscape buildings of this type are divided into two large groups: free-standing models and those adjacent to other buildings.
In terms of shape, these products can be rectangular or square, with sloping or arched ceilings. Which option for the pergola patio you choose depends on the style of other exterior details and personal preferences.
Arched structures look original and bright. They add zest to the most inconspicuous exterior and become its central compositional element. However, at the same time, such models are considered the most difficult to implement.
