Last Updated on June 4, 2025 by PorchLightReading
Decorating your pergola with these 9 accessories and design ideas. Turn your pergola into an extended living room for the best outdoor living space.
Since building our pergola last year, we’ve slowly added to the space making it a complete outdoor retreat! One that our family is using and enjoying even more than our living room.
Movies, dinners, game night, you’ll find us outside day and night enjoying this outdoor living space that has turned into our own little peace of paradise.
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- Table of contents: Decorating your pergola + 9 Accessory and design ideas
- Why decorate your pergola
- Choose a theme for your pergola
- Must have pergola accessories
- Seasonal pergola decor ideas
- DIY pergola decor crafts
- FAQ’s
Decorating Your Pergola
If you’re starting with a clean slate, then decorating your pergola and outdoor space can feel a bit overwhelming. Or perhaps you have a few older pieces you’d like upgrading but it just isn’t in the budget. Whatever the reason for the makeover, I promise even small changes can make a big impact. So take one step at a time and slowly let the pieces come into place.
Why Decorate Your Pergola?
A well decorated pergola can:
- Enhance the aesthetic appeal of your outdoor space
- Provide shade and comfort
- Create a cozy atmosphere for relaxation and entertainment
- Make your home look more expensive
Choosing a Theme for Your Pergola
Before adding accessories, decide on a theme or style that suits your outdoor area and needs.
- Classic Garden Pergola-
- Wooden pergola with climbing plants like wisteria or roses
- Soft outdoor cushions in earthy tones
- Wrought iron or rustic wooden furniture
- Modern Minimalist Pergola-
- Sleek, simple design with neutral colors
- Metal or composite materials
- LED lighting for a contemporary touch
- Bohemian Retreat
- Hanging macrame planters and drapes
- Colorful, patterned textiles
- Floor cushions and cozy seating
- Coastal-Inspired Pergola
- Light blue and white color scheme
- Rope accents and lantern lighting
- Weather-resistant wicker furniture
Must-Have Accessories for Your Pergola
Canopies and shade sails- If you’re lucky enough to have a pergola under natural shade from a tree, then this is accessory is one you can skip. But for the rest of us we are hot! A shade sail is the perfect solution to allow for the open air feel and give added protection from the harsh summer sun.
Lined with grommets along the edges, a shade sail will stay in place using tie downs that are included with most shade sail purchases. When looking for a shade sail or canopy, you need to make sure that the sail is not waterproof. It’s important that its tightly woven but still allows water to penetrate through so that the rain does not pool on the fabric, causing it to rip or stretch.
Movie projector and screen- Turn your backyard into an outdoor movie theater with a movie projector and retractable screen! Both of these ones linked above are lightweight and easy to set up and take down. Family movie night has never been so fun as watching it under the stars.
Grab a few pillows, blankets, popcorn, and candy and you have the ultimate outdoor space entertainment.
Outdoor rugs- Outdoor rugs are a great way to bring spaces together and make it feel more welcoming. When looking for outdoor rugs, look for ones that are water, mildew and mold resistant. It should be able to be hosed off and handle high traffic areas well.
Outdoor curtains- Curtains add privacy and elegance to your outdoor living space while also keeping function in mind. While looking for the right curtains, you’ll want to remember a few things. The first is how you need these curtains to work for you. Since our home is an east/west facing home, we receive full sun in the afternoon hours. These light blocking curtains are not only weather resistant, they also block the light completely keeping us cool under the pergola!
The grommets on the top are perfect for easy opening and closing while the bottom grommets can have a rope thread through to keep them steady even on windy ways. They may be a bit more expensive but this is one of my favorite purchases that is both high quality and has lasted over several years. Just remember to bring them in during the winter season.
Solar lights and lanterns- Solar lights and lanterns add warmth and ambiance to your outdoor living space. Lanterns can be placed on tables or even hung from the pergola beams.
If you want to give your outdoor area an extra wow factor try adding solar lights to your porch steps. They are great for a bit of added safety during those late night movie sessions.
Comfortable seating- Weatherproof sofas, chairs, or hammocks! Outdoor seating brings everyone closer together, so finding furniture that fits your needs is a must. Maybe it’s a simple dinning table, maybe a sofa is more how you’d like to use your space. For us we added a couple of hooks for a hammock! While it may be a little unconventional, I can’t tell you how peaceful it’s been reading under the shade of our pergola on a breezy autumn day. When looking for a hammock make sure that it’s a mesh material for easy drying to prevent mildew.
Climbing plants and hanging planters- Wisteria, ivy, jasmine, grapevines. Every outdoor space needs plants and greenery. With climbing plants and hanging baskets, you can add colorful flowers for added visual interest.
Be sure to pick the plants that are right for you. We love our wisteria! But it takes a lot of trimming an maintaining to make sure this fast growing vine doesn’t take over the area.
Outdoor dinning and cushions- You may be tempted to buy a completely new outdoor dinning set, but before doing that try updating your tired cushions and outdoor pillows. Part of me wanted an entire new dinning set! But after finding some new cushions and pillows that were more suited for the elements, I began to love our outdoor set again.
Water features, string lights, wind chimes- Small fountains add a nice, relaxing ambiance while bird baths attract wildlife right to your backdoor. Choose a water element that complements your pergolas design. And while we’re at it, add a few string lights and wind chimes.
Seasonal Pergola Decor Ideas
- Spring and Summer
- Fresh flower and light fabrics
- Bright, cheerful color palettes
- Mosquito netting or tiki torches
- Fall and Winter
- Warm blankets and soft lighting
- Tabletop fire pit
- Holiday-themed decorations
DIY Pergola Decoration Ideas
For those who enjoy crafting and customizing, an outdoor space is a great place to let your creativity shine with handmade macrame plant hangers, repurposed wooden pallets for shelving, or homemade lanterns or mason jar lights just to name a few things.
FAQ’s About Decorating Your Pergola
Climbing plants like wisteria, honeysuckle, jasmine, and ivy work well and provide both shade and beauty.
String lights, lanterns, LED strip lights, and solar-powered fixtures are excellent options for ambient lighting.
Use weather-resistant materials, apply sealants to wood, and install outdoor curtains or retractable shades for extra protection.
Family game night, dinners, movies, or however you like to enjoy your space it’s important to remember that it’s the people that make the difference. Over time you’ll find a few pieces here and there that just screams you, and perhaps you’ll pick them up. Until then it’s nice to have a clear direction on what you’re looking for. So get creative, find a few thrifted items, and enjoy the dinner and movie with your loved ones.
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