House & Garden Design Ideas
Landscape Design

Design guide

See Your Pergolas & Patios Design
Looks Before you build

Shade is what turns an outdoor area from a place you look at into a place you use. A pergola also gives a yard vertical structure — without it, most backyards read as a flat slab and a fence.

Sizing

Get the dimensions right

Footprint

Cover the furniture plus 600mm on every side. A 10 seat table needs a pergola about 5m x 4m.

Height

2.4m clear underside minimum; 2.7–3m feels generous and lets heat escape.

Orientation

Run rafters north–south to block high midday sun; add a western screen or blind for afternoon glare.

Worked examples

Concepts with shade structures

Mediterranean Frontage front yard landscaping concept — Forward LookingConcept 10Forward Looking

Mediterranean

Mediterranean Frontage

Olive trees, lavender drifts and terracotta pots against a rendered wall.

  • Olive trees
  • Lavender drifts
  • Terracotta pots
  • Rendered wall

Typical build range: $9k – $17k

Pergola Dining Room backyard landscaping concept — Forward LookingConcept 22Forward Looking

Entertainer

Pergola Dining Room

A louvred pergola over a ten seat table with an outdoor kitchen bench alongside.

  • Louvred pergola
  • 10 seat table
  • Outdoor kitchen
  • Festoon lighting

Typical build range: $28k – $55k

Gazebo Garden Room backyard landscaping concept — Forward LookingConcept 25Forward Looking

Classic

Gazebo Garden Room

A shingle roofed gazebo set in lawn with a lounge suite and ceiling fan.

  • Timber gazebo
  • Lounge suite
  • Ceiling fan
  • Lawn setting

Typical build range: $25k – $48k

Poolside Pergola Combo backyard landscaping concept — Forward LookingConcept 35Forward Looking

Resort

Poolside Pergola Combo

Pool, pergola lounge and BBQ zone arranged in one continuous entertaining run.

  • Pool
  • Pergola lounge
  • BBQ zone
  • Shared paving

Typical build range: $80k – $160k

Alfresco Extension backyard landscaping concept — Forward LookingConcept 38Forward Looking

Architectural

Alfresco Extension

A roofed alfresco that reads as part of the house, with sliding screens.

  • Roofed alfresco
  • Sliding screens
  • Flush thresholds
  • Feature ceiling

Typical build range: $45k – $95k

Narrow Side Yard Rescue backyard landscaping concept — Forward LookingConcept 39Forward Looking

Small space

Narrow Side Yard Rescue

A forgotten 3 metre strip turned into a lit garden walk with vertical planting.

  • Garden walk
  • Vertical planting
  • Strip lighting
  • Concealed bins

Typical build range: $7k – $14k

Roof options compared

  • Open rafters: cheapest, dappled shade, no rain protection. Best with a climbing vine.
  • Louvred / opening roof: adjustable sun and rain control, the most flexible and most expensive.
  • Polycarbonate or insulated panel: full rain protection, keeps the area usable in winter, can be noisy in storms.
  • Shade sail: lowest cost, fast install, needs strong anchor points and should be removed in high wind.
  • Solid gable or hip gazebo: reads as a garden building; excellent for a lounge or spa in a lawn setting.

Materials and finish

Hardwood and cedar age beautifully but need oiling every two years. Powder coated steel and aluminium give thinner posts, long spans and almost no maintenance. Whatever the material, post size drives the look: 90mm posts read light and domestic, 150–200mm posts read architectural and substantial.

Planting a pergola

  • Deciduous vines such as wisteria and ornamental grape give summer shade and winter sun.
  • Evergreen climbers such as star jasmine give year round cover and scent.
  • Keep vines off structural joints and never let them into roof cavities or gutters.

Check whether your structure needs a building approval — many jurisdictions exempt small freestanding pergolas but regulate anything attached to the house or over a set area.