See Your Pergolas & Patios Design
Looks Before you build

Open Rafter Timber Pergola

The original and still the most common pergola: posts, beams and evenly spaced rafters over a paved patio, sized to cover the dining setting plus 600mm all round. The cheapest way to give a flat backyard vertical structure. It also acts as the first framework a homeowner adds before any planting, lighting or fabric is introduced, so most of the projects on this list are really variations on this single starting point.

Materials & finish

Treated pine, hardwood or cedar with galvanised post anchors set in concrete. Oil every two years for colour, or let it silver naturally. Posts are typically 90mm to 140mm square depending on span, bolted rather than nailed to beams, and rafters are notched over the top plate so the whole frame locks together without relying on fixings alone.

Shade & weather result

Dappled shade only, roughly 40 to 50 percent cover depending on rafter spacing. No rain protection, so it suits a dining area you use in fine weather. Running rafters north to south rather than east to west gives longer shadow lines through the middle of the day, which is worth deciding before the frame goes up rather than after.

Architecture & character

Rhythm. The repeating shadow lines across paving are the whole point, and they make a plain courtyard look designed for very little money. Add a single strand of warm white LED festoon wire along the beam and the same rhythm carries into the evening, turning a daytime shade structure into a night time gathering spot.

Louvred Opening Roof Pergola

Motorised or crank operated blades rotate from fully open to fully closed, so one structure gives sun in winter, shade in summer and cover in rain. The most flexible pergola available and the one people regret not buying. Many owners end up running it from a smartphone app that also links to a weather feed, closing the roof automatically the moment rain is detected while nobody is home.

Materials & finish

Extruded powder coated aluminium blades and frame with concealed gutters, rain sensors and integrated lighting. Effectively maintenance free. Blade pivots use sealed stainless bearings and the drive motor sits inside the beam itself, so there is nothing visible to service beyond an occasional wipe down of the aluminium finish.

Shade & weather result

Anything from full sun to sealed weatherproof cover, adjustable within seconds. Closed blades also stop wind driven rain reaching cushions. Intermediate angles let you dial in exactly the amount of glare and airflow wanted for a particular time of day, something no fixed roof can offer.

Architecture & character

Sharp, modern and architectural. Slim posts and long spans read as an extension of a contemporary house rather than an add on. Strip LEDs recessed into the beam edges wash the underside of the blades at night, so the structure keeps its crisp geometric identity after dark instead of disappearing into shadow.

Attached Insulated Panel Patio

A solid insulated sandwich panel roof attached to the house, with a flat ceiling ready for downlights, fans and speakers. This is the structure that turns an alfresco area into a genuine second living room. Because the ceiling is fully lined, cabling for lighting circuits, ceiling fans and outdoor speakers can be run invisibly during construction rather than surface mounted afterwards.

Materials & finish

Colourbond skinned insulated panel on steel beams, with box gutters plumbed into the house stormwater and a lined ceiling. Panels typically run 50mm to 75mm thick with an EPS or PIR core, clipped together on a concealed fastening system so the finished ceiling shows no visible screws.

Shade & weather result

Complete shade and full rain cover, and the insulation core keeps the space many degrees cooler than plain steel sheeting in summer. The same insulation reduces radiant heat gain in the adjoining rooms of the house, trimming the load on air conditioning during the hottest months.

Architecture & character

Reads as part of the house. Match the roof pitch and fascia and the extension looks original rather than bolted on. Continuing the same gutter profile, downpipe colour and eave lining as the main roof is what convinces the eye the structure was part of the original plans.

Freestanding Hip Roof Gazebo

A roofed garden building set out in the lawn, away from the house, for a lounge setting, a spa or a quiet reading corner. It gives a destination at the end of the garden and a reason to walk there. A stepping stone or gravel path leading to it strengthens that sense of arrival and stops lawn wearing into a bare track.

Materials & finish

Hardwood posts and braces with shingle, tile or Colourbond hip roof, on a raised timber or paved platform. The platform is typically set 150mm to 300mm above surrounding lawn level for drainage and to give the pavilion visual presence rather than sitting flush with the grass.

Shade & weather result

Full shade and rain cover under a solid roof, with open sides for breeze. Add drop blinds on the weather side for winter use. Ceiling fans mounted in the apex keep air moving through the open sides on still summer evenings when there is otherwise no breeze to rely on.

Architecture & character

Classic and romantic. A hip or gable roof and decorative bracing read as a pavilion, and the structure becomes the focal point the garden is designed around. Uplighting the corner posts at night and adding low level path lighting to the approach turns the gazebo into a lit landmark visible from the house.

Tensioned Shade Sail Structure

Overlapping triangular sails on steel posts cover large areas — a play space, a pool deck, a carport — for a fraction of the cost of a roof, and can be dropped in winter to let sun back in. Because the fabric detaches from its turnbuckles in minutes, seasonal changeover is a job for one person with no tools beyond a stepladder.

Materials & finish

UV stabilised knitted HDPE or waterproof PVC on stainless turnbuckles and galvanised posts footed in substantial concrete. Posts are engineered to the specific sail geometry, since tensioned fabric loads corner points far harder than a static roof and undersized footings are the most common cause of failure.

Shade & weather result

Up to 95 percent UV block with knitted fabric while still letting heat escape. Standard sails shed light rain only; PVC sails are waterproof but need more fall. A minimum fall of around fifteen degrees between anchor points is what keeps water moving off a waterproof sail rather than pooling in the middle.

Architecture & character

Sculptural and light. Twisted hypar shapes throw curved shadows and give a resort feel with no visual bulk at all. Choosing two or three sail colours in a graduated palette, rather than a single flat tone, adds depth to the shadow pattern cast on the paving below.

Steel Frame Polycarbonate Pergola

A steel frame with translucent polycarbonate sheeting keeps rain off while letting daylight through, so the rooms behind the patio do not go dark. The practical choice for a south facing or narrow courtyard. It suits infill sites and townhouses where the alfresco area sits hard against a boundary wall and cannot borrow light from a side aspect.

Materials & finish

Powder coated steel or aluminium frame with multiwall or corrugated polycarbonate, sealed with proper profile closures and gutters. Multiwall sheet, typically 10mm to 16mm thick with internal ribs, insulates noticeably better against rain noise than single skin corrugated profiles.

Shade & weather result

Full rain cover with filtered light. Choose a heat reducing tint, because clear sheeting over paving can create a glasshouse effect in summer. Opal or bronze tinted sheet cuts glare significantly while still allowing enough transmitted daylight that downlights are rarely needed before dusk.

Architecture & character

Industrial and bright. Slim black steel with a glowing roof looks contemporary and keeps a small courtyard feeling open rather than roofed in. At night, the sheet itself becomes a soft glowing lantern when perimeter LED strip is run along the fascia, lighting the roof from below rather than the floor from above.

Vine Covered Arbour Walkway

A long run of posts and beams over a path, planted with wisteria, ornamental grape or roses, so you walk through shade rather than sit under it. The oldest garden structure there is and still the most atmospheric. Training the plant over a season or two along horizontal wires rather than letting it climb freely produces a denser, more even canopy overhead.

Materials & finish

Timber posts or rendered piers with light rafters and stainless wire training lines, over gravel, stone or lawn paving. Stainless cable or heavy gauge wire strung between eyebolts gives the climbing plant a permanent skeleton that outlasts any timber lattice nailed directly to the frame.

Shade & weather result

Heavy summer shade from a deciduous canopy that drops in autumn to let winter sun onto the path — the best passive shading strategy in any garden. Pruning back hard each winter keeps the canopy from becoming so dense it shades out underplanting along the path edges.

Architecture & character

Scent, dappled light and perspective. An arbour compresses the view and pulls the eye down the garden, making a small block feel far longer. Low level path lighting fixed to the base of each post, rather than overhead fittings, keeps the canopy visible against the night sky while still lighting footfall safely.

Poolside Cabana Pergola

A freestanding roofed cabana with daybeds and curtains at the deep end of the pool, giving swimmers shade, towel storage and somewhere to lie down that is not baking in the sun. Built in shelving or a slatted timber locker at one end keeps towels, pool toys and sunscreen out of the weather between swims.

Materials & finish

Hardwood or aluminium frame with a solid or slatted roof, outdoor rated curtain track and marine grade cushion fabrics. Curtain track is typically a stainless or aluminium extrusion mounted to the underside of the beam, allowing curtains to glide smoothly even after years of salt and chlorine exposure.

Shade & weather result

Full overhead shade with curtains to cut low afternoon glare, which a roof alone can never fix on a west facing pool. Sheer inner curtains paired with a heavier blockout outer layer give the option of filtered light during the day and full privacy in the evening.

Architecture & character

Pure resort. A cabana signals holiday more strongly than any other single backyard structure and gives the pool a designed focal point. Warm dimmable downlights concealed in the roof lining, controlled from a phone, let the cabana switch from bright daytime shade to a soft lounge setting after the pool lights come on.

Balinese Thatch Tiki Pergola

Heavy timber posts under an alang alang thatch or synthetic thatch roof beside the pool, for a tropical bar, lounge or spa shelter. Best with lush planting that finishes the illusion. Palms, cordylines and strelitzia planted hard against the posts hide the transition between structure and garden and complete the tropical reading.

Materials & finish

Recycled hardwood or merbau posts, exposed rafters and natural or synthetic thatch. Synthetic thatch lasts 20 years; natural needs replacing in eight to ten. Synthetic thatch panels are also fire retardant treated as standard, which matters close to an outdoor kitchen or firepit setting.

Shade & weather result

Deep, cool shade — thatch insulates better than metal — with good air movement through the open sides and light rain protection. The layered thatch also deadens rain noise almost completely, which a metal or polycarbonate roof over the same footprint cannot match.

Architecture & character

Textural and holiday driven. The thick roof edge and rough timber make a suburban pool feel like a Seminyak villa. Rope wrapped posts and woven bamboo screening on one side complete the theme without needing a full rebuild of the surrounding pool deck.

Mediterranean Stone Column Pergola

Rendered or stone clad columns carrying heavy stained beams and grapevines over a courtyard dining table, usually paired with a wood fired oven and a stone bench. The combination of oven, bench and vine canopy recreates the feel of a working village courtyard rather than a purely decorative garden feature.

Materials & finish

Rendered blockwork or stone piers with oversized stained hardwood beams, over terracotta, travertine or cobble paving. Piers are typically built on their own strip footing independent of the paving slab, since the loads carried by stone columns are far higher than a timber post in a stirrup base.

Shade & weather result

Dappled to heavy shade once the vine matures, with winter sun once the leaves drop. Grapes give shade and fruit from the same plant. A mature vine can take two to three growing seasons to fully cover the beams, so early plantings benefit from temporary shade cloth in the first summer.

Architecture & character

Mass and permanence. Wide columns read as architecture, and they make a new house feel like it has always been there. Lantern style wall lights fixed to the piers, rather than downlights in the beams, keep the lighting in character with the heavy masonry rather than looking borrowed from a modern build.

Retractable Canopy Pergola

A motorised fabric canopy that slides along tracks between beams, so a terrace can be open one hour and covered the next. Cheaper than louvres with a softer look. The stacking mechanism folds the fabric into a compact bundle at one end of the frame, so an open terrace loses almost none of its overhead sightline.

Materials & finish

Aluminium frame with solution dyed acrylic or PVC canopy fabric on a motorised carriage, with wind sensors that retract automatically. The motor typically runs on a 24 volt system with a battery backup, so the canopy can still retract safely during a power interruption ahead of a storm.

Shade & weather result

Full shade when extended and full sun when stacked back. Waterproof fabrics with adequate fall handle rain; mesh fabrics do not. A fall of around ten degrees along the track length is generally enough to keep waterproof fabric shedding rain rather than sagging and pooling between the beams.

Architecture & character

Soft and hotel like. The gentle folds of the canopy relieve the hard geometry of a rendered modern house. Controlling it from a smartphone app alongside outdoor lighting and irrigation means the whole terrace can be set to a single evening scene at the tap of a button.

Pergola Over an Outdoor Kitchen

A structure built specifically to shelter a BBQ, benchtop, sink and bar seating, so cooking outdoors works in any weather and appliances are not exposed to rain and sun. Positioning the extraction hood and gas point at the design stage, rather than retrofitting them, avoids unsightly surface conduit later.

Materials & finish

Solid roof over a steel or heavy timber frame, with a lined ceiling, task lighting, an extraction hood over the grill and stone benchtops. Benchtops in porcelain or natural stone with a minimum 20mm thickness resist heat marking from hot pans and grill plates far better than laminate.

Shade & weather result

Full cover is essential — stainless steel, fridges and cabinetry all fail quickly under UV and rain, and cooks need shade at 6pm in summer. Side screens or partial walls on the prevailing wind side also stop a gas burner from being blown out mid service.

Architecture & character

Social gravity. Once the kitchen and bar seating are under cover, the backyard becomes where everyone stands at every gathering. Warm task lighting over the bench paired with dimmable pendant lights over the bar seating lets the same space shift from a working kitchen to a relaxed evening bar.

Curved Arch Pergola

Curved rafters forming a barrel vault over a seating circle or a firepit, used where a flat roof would feel heavy and where the structure needs to feel deliberate and custom. The curve also lifts the sightline at the eaves, so a structure that would otherwise feel low and enclosing reads as tall and generous instead.

Materials & finish

Roll formed aluminium or steel arches with polycarbonate or laminated glass sheeting, and slim tapered columns. Arches are cold formed off site to a fixed radius, which keeps every rib identical and avoids the visible kinks that field bending would introduce.

Shade & weather result

Full rain cover with high light transmission, and the arch shape sheds water fast and resists wind uplift better than a flat plane. The continuous curve also removes the ridge and valley junctions that are the most common source of leaks in a conventional gable roof.

Architecture & character

Elegance through geometry. A curve immediately reads as designed rather than assembled from a kit, and it draws the eye upward. Linear LED strip run along the base of each rib highlights the repeating curve at night and turns the vault into a lit sculpture visible from across the garden.

Rooftop Screened Pergola

A rooftop or podium deck pergola with vertical batten screens and planters, giving shade, wind shelter and privacy from neighbouring buildings all in one structure. On a shared podium it also defines a private zone without needing full height walls that would block views for neighbouring apartments.

Materials & finish

Lightweight aluminium frame with timber look batten screens and self watering planter boxes, ballasted or fixed to structural points. Ballasted footings avoid penetrating the waterproofing membrane on a podium slab, which is critical on any structure sitting above occupied space below.

Shade & weather result

Overhead shade plus critical side screening, since rooftop sun comes in low from the west and wind is the real problem at height. Adjustable louvred battens on the windward side let owners tune airflow through the seasons rather than committing to a fixed level of screening.

Architecture & character

Urban and warm. Vertical battens against a skyline give a hard rooftop the feeling of a room with walls. Warm LED strip recessed behind each batten washes light across the timber look screen at night without spilling glare into neighbouring windows.

Pergola Outdoor Room with Fireplace

A fully roofed structure with a masonry fireplace, sofas, a rug and a ceiling fan — an outdoor living room used year round, which is the highest value structure you can build in a backyard. It is worth designing the flue and hearth clearances alongside the roof structure from day one, since retrofitting a fireplace into an existing pergola is far more disruptive.

Materials & finish

Timber lined ceiling on heavy posts, stone or brick fireplace with a flue above the roofline, and outdoor rated upholstery and rugs. The flue is typically double skinned stainless steel, insulated where it passes through the timber lined ceiling to maintain safe clearances from combustible material.

Shade & weather result

Full weather protection, with the fireplace extending use into winter and drop blinds sealing the cold side on the worst nights. A ceiling fan set to reverse in winter gently pushes rising warm air back down into the seating area rather than letting it collect uselessly at the apex.

Architecture & character

The strongest focal point in a garden. A lit fire under a timber ceiling gives a backyard the atmosphere of a lodge. Dimmable wall sconces either side of the fireplace, set well below the flame's brightness, keep the fire as the visual anchor of the room after dark.

Solar Panel Eco Pergola

A pergola roofed in solar panels or bifacial solar glass, generating power for the pool pump and house while shading the terrace. It makes shade pay for itself. A dedicated inverter and smart meter let the household monitor generation and consumption from a phone app, tracking exactly how much of the pool pump's running cost the structure offsets.

Materials & finish

Black anodised aluminium frame engineered for panel loads, with waterproof panel gutters, inverters and cabling concealed in the posts. Panel gutters are formed with a continuous drip edge and sealed lap joints so water is directed away from cell junctions rather than pooling against them.

Shade & weather result

Deep shade under standard panels, or filtered light with bifacial glass, plus full rain cover when the panel joins are sealed. Bifacial glass panels also reflect a portion of light back up from the paving below, marginally increasing total generation compared with a solid backed panel.

Architecture & character

Precise and technical. The dark grid of panels overhead reads as a deliberate modern statement rather than as equipment. Framing the panel grid with a slim matching aluminium fascia, rather than leaving raw panel edges exposed, is what keeps the roof looking designed rather than utilitarian.

Size and height set everything

Cover the furniture plus 600mm on every side, so a ten seat table needs a structure about 5m x 4m, and a modular lounge about 4m x 4m. Keep a 2.4m clear underside as the minimum and aim for 2.7 to 3m, which feels generous and lets hot air escape rather than trapping it over the table. Post size drives the look as much as the roof: 90mm posts read light and domestic, while 150 to 200mm posts read architectural and substantial. Set posts on 2.4 to 3m centres so beams do not sag, and specify a galvanised base plate bolted to a concrete footing rather than a post buried in the ground, which is what actually causes rot after a decade. Where the structure will carry lighting or a ceiling fan, run conduit up through the post itself during construction so no cable is ever surface mounted, and leave a spare circuit for a future heater or festoon run.

Orientation and roof choice decide comfort

Run rafters or louvres north to south to block high midday sun, then deal with afternoon glare separately with a western screen, blind or curtain, because no overhead roof stops low sun. Open rafters give dappled shade at the lowest cost, louvred roofs give total control, insulated panel and polycarbonate give full rain cover, and shade sails give the most area for the least money. Match the roof to when you use the space, not to a photograph. Motorised louvre systems now pair with a rain sensor and a wind sensor as standard, closing automatically before a storm arrives and retracting once the sky clears, and the same motor is controlled from a phone alongside pool, lighting and irrigation. On a north facing terrace, angling the blades to roughly 135 degrees blocks the midday sun almost entirely while still admitting enough ambient light that the area does not feel enclosed during the day.

Materials, finish and long term upkeep

Hardwood and cedar age beautifully but want oiling every two years to hold their colour, and galvanised post anchors keep the ends out of wet ground. Powder coated steel and aluminium give thinner posts, longer spans and almost no maintenance, which matters on coastal sites. Rendered masonry or stone clad columns cost more but bring mass and permanence, and they are what make a new structure look like it has always belonged to the house. Marine grade 316 stainless fixings are worth the extra cost within a few hundred metres of the coast, since standard galvanised bolts will bleed rust stains down a light coloured timber within a couple of seasons. On coastal or bushfire prone sites, aluminium and powder coated steel also avoid the termite and ember risk that comes with timber, and a light annual wash with fresh water is usually all the upkeep either finish needs.

Planting a pergola for living shade

Deciduous climbers such as wisteria and ornamental grape are the smartest shading strategy in any garden: heavy canopy through summer, bare rafters letting winter sun onto the paving. Evergreen star jasmine gives year round cover and scent where you want privacy instead. Train everything on stainless wires, keep growth off structural joints, and never let a vine into a roof cavity or gutter where it will cause real damage. Tension the training wires on turnbuckles so they can be re-tightened as the vine matures, and space them roughly 300mm apart in a grid across the rafter tops rather than running a single strand, which spreads the eventual weight of a mature wisteria properly across the whole structure. Prune hard in late winter before new growth starts, and check twice a year that no stem has wrapped around a downpipe or crept under roof flashing, since that is where unmanaged growth causes the most expensive repairs.

Character, focal point and approvals

A pergola is usually the tallest built element in a backyard, so treat it as the focal point the rest of the garden is designed around: put it on an axis from the main living room, light the ceiling rather than the ground, and let paving, planting and furniture all point to it. Before building, check approvals — many councils exempt small freestanding pergolas but regulate anything attached to the house, over a set area, or close to a boundary. Uplighting the rafters or the underside of a solid roof from a low, shielded fitting makes the structure the brightest thing in the yard after dark without any glare at eye level, which is far more flattering than lighting the paving beneath it. Where the pergola sits close to a side boundary or attaches to the existing roofline, get written sign-off before pouring footings, since retrofitting a structure to satisfy a setback rule afterward is far more expensive than checking first.