Skip to Content

Inspiring Modern Beautiful Pergola Cover Ideas with Images!!

“This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases”

Pergola Cover Ideas That Will Add Style with Shade to Your Patio: In modern construction and interior design concealing the line between indoors and outdoors is the newest trend. Nowadays people love to add a personalized touch to their outdoor spaces alongside their indoors, to truly make it their own. Without any specific criteria, there are a number of ways you can improve the appearance and functionality of your exterior house. One of them is using pergola roof cover ideas as a beautiful addition over the patio. But will your patio be an ideal peaceful recreation spot if it doesn’t have a pergola cover?

Pergola itself is functioned to keep the sun at bay. According to your taste and convenience, you can add different types of pergola covers. The cover for the pergola can be plants, vines, fabric, straw, plastic tiles, wood, metal, bamboo, or any other material that would match with your pergola, at the same time give some shade from the sun.

Though the primary purpose of pergolas is not to completely block the sunlight people in modern times use it the way they need. Its traditional design was built to allow more air circulation and mild sunlight can pass through. If you don’t mind a little sun, and you might think that won’t be needing pergola covers. But when it’s raining, a pergola can help you enjoy the rain sitting idle in your patio.

Pergolas are getting popularity in the western regions day by day because of their practical purposes. There are some pros and cons of pergola covers that you need to know before installing them in your house.

If you are setting up new pergolas or remodeling the old ones, you need to have proper ideas to cover the pergola.  Whichever pergola cover material you use, it will its pros and cons. Some of them are easy to install and maintain, some require professional work. Some are very long-lasting, and others will need to be changed every other season. Considering all the elements, we are providing the best ideas to cover pergola in the most convenient way and cheapest price.

Pros
  • With pergola covers in your outdoor, you will enjoy the added shade from sunlight and protection from the rain.
  • You can grow vine-type flower plants or veggies near the pergola so they grow up and spread over to create a natural cover for the pergola.
  • Due to the detached structure of a pergola, it is easier to relocate to another area.
  • You can choose any type of curtains, drapes, and other such additions to it for decoration, as well as to have protection from most elements.
  • Some pergolas are designed so a ceiling fan and overhead lighting can be installed.
  • Pergolas are easier and safer to use with outdoor fire pits and heaters.
  • You can install ceiling fans in the upper part of the pergola during the summer
Cons
  • Pergolas are harder to heat and cool since all four sides are left open and exposed in the traditional design.
  • Pergola with fabric covers has less flexibility in adding electronic machines like sound systems or TV, due to risks of being exposed to the elements.
  • If you use vines as pergola cover then it requires heavy maintenance to keep them looking good.
  • If you’re using drapes or curtains you must be extra cautious when using fire pits and outdoor heaters

Best Beautiful Pergola Cover Ideas To Try at Home

1. Straw Pergola Cover Ideas:

 

Straw Pergola Cover

If you ever dreamt of a peaceful country living in a cottage with a thatch of straw, you can apply this straw pergola cover idea in your patio. These kinds of covers are the prettiest and simplest covers for pergolas. It’s naturally very lightweight and has a lovely authentic texture. To be very specific weaved straws look wonderful outside a modern house. It brings out the best feature of the pergola and makes your patio like a vacation spot in the countryside.

Though it is quite maintenance-free if you live in a dry area but it might require professional help while installing. This pergola covers also look amazing beside a pool house surrounded by greenery. Some woven furniture or hanging knick-knacks would complement this look a lot.

2. Lovely Creeper Vines Covering:

 

Lovely creeper vines Covering

By using this pergola for shade idea you will have two benefits at a time. You will get the perfect shadow you’re looking for with the added bonus of vibrant greenery all around. The vines will grow faster as the pergola stands will work as a garden trellis and give them airy and sunny support. The spreader creeper will provide shade to the patio in a lush vibrant manner.

The one challenge with this cover is, vines won’t give quite as good at rain protection as some other artificial covering options. But if you plant some wisteria with lots of foliage, it will work better in the rain. To avoid the hassle you can use waterproof tarpaulin over the vines so that the water does not pour.

3. Outdoor Fabric Pergola Covering:

 

Outdoor Fabric Pergola Covering

Fabric pergola covering is something that will always be the showstopper due to its flexibility and convenience. The fabric is really weightless and durable and you can easily install it yourself following DIYs. The greatest thing about fabric covering is it has thousands of variations in colors, materials, and patterns. So if you can change the cover more frequently and enhance the overall view. Using sailcloth will keep the harmful rays of the sun away, and the sunlight will filter in giving you a summer beach vibe.

This pergola covering goes with almost every pergola style, but it would look best on a simple modern pergola. If you have a budget issue and looking for a cost-effective covering then definitely go for fabric pergola covers. If you need you can remove it in the winter and dry wash it if necessary.

4. Decorative Wood Covering:

 

Decorative Wood Covering

People do not look for pergola shade ideas only for outside patios, but sometimes also over a dining area or an entertainment space. In that case, you cannot use natural vines, straws or fabric pergolas as the rain or any seasonal effect may disrupt your day to day activity. So you need a solid covering made of strong materials like steel, wood or vinyl, etc. among all, wood is a rich material and its texture and color add so much aesthetic value to any structure. Also, it can be a very good choice if you’re looking for cost-effective options. But make sure you add a layer of protective coating to avoid damage.

 One significant benefit of wooden furniture is, it always offers a huge variety in the design pattern. You can give your pergola a more interesting look if you use curved shape or geometric patterned style wood covering. Though this kind of cover doesn’t provide total sun and rain protection, It gives your pergola a graceful appearance with no extra effort.

5. Fruit Vines Pergola Cover Ideas:

 

Fruit Vines Cover

The nicest and tastiest ways to filter out the sun will be to use a fruit vine cover as your pergola shade idea. There’s something so sweet and romantic about having Plant coverings on pergolas, and tasty fruit at your fingertips or beside you as you take a walk. Even if you forget about the fruits, there’s the shade and the fragrance of the leaves and the blossoms is so refreshing. Grapevines and berry creepers are the two most popular options for this. If you’re into gardening you would love this covering, though it comes with the added task of constantly taking care of your plant, and cleaning the walkway from the leaves.

Read more about Koi pond ideas

6. Vinyl Covering:

 

Vinyl Covering

The most durable cover for your pergola will be vinyl covering which will efficiently keep the sun out. If you live in an area where the weather is very harsh, then this cover will give you the best support. Also, it comes without the need for almost any maintenance except for cleaning after a month or two. It looks quite modern and comes in several colors and sizes as well.

Conclusion: Pergola Cover Ideas for your Backyard

Except for these, there is also tiled roof covering, drop cloth pergola cover, metal covering, roller shade covering, wire covering, and polycarbonate pergola covering options available. But the above-discussed pergola cover ideas are the most popular and convenient ones. Hopefully, you’ve found some inspiration to install your own pergola cover. Whichever one you like, make sure you take care of it properly and clean it on a regular basis.