4 Gardens With Spectacular Pergolas and Shade Structures
Cool down your patio and define a room outdoors with an architecturally inspired pergola, awning or shade sail
Lauren Dunec Hoang
June 7, 2020
Houzz Editor; landscape designer and former garden editor for Sunset Magazine and in-house designer for Sunset's Editorial Test Garden. Her garden designs have been featured in the Sunset Western Garden Book of Landscaping, Sunset Western Garden Book of Easy-Care Plantings (cover), Inhabitat, and POPSUGAR.
Houzz Editor; landscape designer and former garden editor for Sunset Magazine and... More
A source of shade in your garden can transform a patio from feeling “too hot” to “just right.” In addition to offering shade in outdoor living spaces, the following gardens go a step further and feature shade structures as standout architectural features in the landscape. These pergolas and shade systems frame views, define outdoor rooms and add a sculptural quality to the yards.
1. Pergola Inspired by Lobster Traps in Naples, Florida
Designers: Edward Westwood of GardenBleu Landscape Architecture and Jonathan Kukk of Kukk Architecture & Design (architecture)
Location: Naples, Florida
Size: 1,200-square-foot (111-square-meter) wood deck surrounding the pool; plus a 475-square-foot (44-square-meter) ceramic tile dining patio
This stylish pergola over a dining table sits outside a waterside home on an inland lagoon in southwest Florida. The architect drew inspiration for the design from the lathwork of traditional wooden lobster traps, translating the look into skinny, wood slats for the sides of the pergola and larger wood beams for the ceiling.
Designers: Edward Westwood of GardenBleu Landscape Architecture and Jonathan Kukk of Kukk Architecture & Design (architecture)
Location: Naples, Florida
Size: 1,200-square-foot (111-square-meter) wood deck surrounding the pool; plus a 475-square-foot (44-square-meter) ceramic tile dining patio
This stylish pergola over a dining table sits outside a waterside home on an inland lagoon in southwest Florida. The architect drew inspiration for the design from the lathwork of traditional wooden lobster traps, translating the look into skinny, wood slats for the sides of the pergola and larger wood beams for the ceiling.
Measuring roughly 14 feet tall and wide, the pergola provides light shade and a pleasant feeling of enclosure for the dining table. (For deeper shade on hot Florida afternoons, the homeowner can retreat to a covered outdoor seating area closer to the house.)
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From this shot, one can see how the pergola frames the view of the fire pit and lagoon beyond it from inside the house, creating an intentional view.
Read more about this waterfront design
Read more about this waterfront design
2. Vaulted Pergola in Dallas
Contractor: Stephan Sardone of Sardone Construction
Location: Dallas
Size: About 500 square feet (47 square meters)
This Dallas backyard designed for entertaining features a handsome cedar pergola covering an ipe wood deck. The pergola doesn’t provide much shade — the backyard already had plenty of it with mature trees — but rather acts as a defining structural feature for the backyard.
Contractor: Stephan Sardone of Sardone Construction
Location: Dallas
Size: About 500 square feet (47 square meters)
This Dallas backyard designed for entertaining features a handsome cedar pergola covering an ipe wood deck. The pergola doesn’t provide much shade — the backyard already had plenty of it with mature trees — but rather acts as a defining structural feature for the backyard.
A vaulted ceiling and structural metal features give the pergola an elegant shape that defines a partially enclosed outdoor room. This sets the dining and seating areas beneath it apart from the rest of the backyard.
Although the intention was for an open structure, the contractor says the homeowners could add a ceiling later on if they decide they’d like more coverage from sun or rain.
Although the intention was for an open structure, the contractor says the homeowners could add a ceiling later on if they decide they’d like more coverage from sun or rain.
The lofty pergola ceiling leaves room for outdoor-grade fans, which create a soft breeze for the dining table and sectional lounge.
See more of this backyard
See more of this backyard
3. Retractable Shade Cover in Los Angeles
Designer: Kurt Krueger Architect
Location: Los Angeles
Size: 558-square-foot (51.8-square-meter) patio
This clever shade structure offers the option of shade for a sunny, west-facing front yard patio and provides privacy from the busy street outside the fence. If the homeowners want more sunshine or shade over one seating area but not the other, they can use a draw stick to “open” or “close” sections of the shade cover as desired.
Designer: Kurt Krueger Architect
Location: Los Angeles
Size: 558-square-foot (51.8-square-meter) patio
This clever shade structure offers the option of shade for a sunny, west-facing front yard patio and provides privacy from the busy street outside the fence. If the homeowners want more sunshine or shade over one seating area but not the other, they can use a draw stick to “open” or “close” sections of the shade cover as desired.
The architect behind the shade structure used a combination of a steel frame (mounted to the fence) with a system of steel cables to form the structure from which four sections of outdoor-grade fabric can hang. All components were custom-made for the space.
From the street, you can appreciate the added privacy provided by the shade cover to this front yard hangout spot. Plus, when extended, the wave-like dips of the shade cloth uplit at night makes for an interesting visual feature in its own right.
See more of this front yard
See more of this front yard
4. An Extra-Large Entertaining Pergola in Illinois
Designers: John Algozzini and Kevin Manning of K&D Landscape Management
Location: Naperville, Illinois
Size: Dining space: 224 square feet (21 square meters); social space: 336 square feet (31 square meters)
For this predominantly shaded backyard in Naperville, Illinois, the pergola functions as a structural feature of the landscape, where it defines two side-by-side seating areas. A rustic ring-style chandelier hangs from the rafters over one of the lounge areas, casting an inviting evening glow.
Designers: John Algozzini and Kevin Manning of K&D Landscape Management
Location: Naperville, Illinois
Size: Dining space: 224 square feet (21 square meters); social space: 336 square feet (31 square meters)
For this predominantly shaded backyard in Naperville, Illinois, the pergola functions as a structural feature of the landscape, where it defines two side-by-side seating areas. A rustic ring-style chandelier hangs from the rafters over one of the lounge areas, casting an inviting evening glow.
From the side view, one can appreciate the double width of the wooden pergola. The pergola section with the pendant light is slightly taller than the section over the second seating area. This detail helps break up what would otherwise be a large expanse of one line of pergola roof. Mounting the wood posts on stone bases (a stone type used in other areas of the backyard) helps visually tie in the pergola area with the larger landscape.
Did you spot this pergola’s bonus feature? On the far right side, the sturdy structure provides support for two swing chairs, which were intended for the client’s children but are strong enough for adults to enjoy too.
See more of this backyard
See more of this backyard
Tip: Not all shade structures offer equal sun protection. Pergolas featuring widely spaced wood boards only provide partial sun cover, which may be enough shade if there are large shade trees nearby or if you plan on using the patio after midday.
In hot climates you may want to choose a shade structure that provides more shade protection or combine a wooden pergola with panels of outdoor fabric for more complete coverage.
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In hot climates you may want to choose a shade structure that provides more shade protection or combine a wooden pergola with panels of outdoor fabric for more complete coverage.
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In Lake Havasu City shade is king. We have covered patios on the south and west side of our retirement home. The pergolas extend from the south side to cover the hot tub eventual outdoor kitchen. We had the shade sail installed over our air conditioning units the help them out too. We have drop down screens on the west side of the covers patio.
Picture in Lake Havasu
Home! I grew up in LHC.