The right pergola can draw the eye upwards towards the beautiful sky and make these outdoor living areas feel more finished and high end. These pergola images are what we came up with and both the homeowners and I are thrilled with how the finished space turned out.

We have been looking through design concepts to upgrade our front yard and have been tossing around a few unique pergola ideas like this to give the space an unexpected twist. I know that pergola designs are usually kept in the backyard, usually to cover a sitting or dining area next to a pool or kitchen. I love the concept of having a long and narrow design to fit over the front walk way of the house, leading the guests up to the front door. This homeowner brought this concept to life, and I think that the white garden pergola covered in beautiful jasmine vines looks (and probably smells) so welcoming. I would love friends and family to enter our home through such a whimsical structure.

I am continually amazed at how versatile pergola ideas are. I have seen pergola cover ideas built in an ultra modern motif, I have seen them constructed out of cement for a more grecian flare, and I have seen tons of these more traditional designs with a slight rustic note to them. The latter are probably my favorite because they make the entertaining areas look most cozy and welcoming. I especially love it when designers enhance the already beautiful pergola plans but covering the roof with flowering vines to enclose the space even more. It brings such elegance and makes you feel like you have stepped into a Tuscan estate.

When it came to choosing pergola ideas for this client's home, we wanted to keep things quite simple with a contemporary edge to blend well with the modern architecture on their beachside home. The primary purpose of looking into backyard pergola ideas for the outdoor entertaining area was to provide shade and structure over the dining area. This large modern pergola design has simple clean lines and is even wired with a beautiful chandelier to provide illumination for evening meals as well as to give the structure a slightly whimsical flare. When paired with the reclaimed wood farm style table and unique woven chairs, I think the entire space now feels complete and very high end.

When it comes to pergola ideas, I definitely prefer simple designs with a contemporary twist. This fun metal structure installed on large concrete paving slabs is a great example of the type of look I am talking about. Pergolas tend to have a traditional or even rustic look -- two styles that really do not blend well with modern architecture at all. This structure, on the other hand, takes the same design concept of those more traditional designs but upgrades it by using more industrial materials. Rather than using wood like most patio pergola ideas, they created the columns out of concrete that matches the deck and the roof is constructed of metal beams.

My wife has been spending all of her free time scoping out pergola ideas with the intention of giving me a project for the summer. To be honest, I am not at all opposed to the idea because I think that building a pergola would be pretty relaxing (and simple) plus it would make our slightly outdated backyard seating area look fantastic. This particular photo is my favorite design that I have seen, but it may be a bit hard for me to pull off by myself. I am confident working with wood materials like what is used in most pergola roof ideas, but the concrete columns present a bit of a challenge. Perhaps I can purchase them prefabricated and then build the wood structure for the roof to attach.