A pergola is one of those permanent outdoor structures that are beloved all over the world, with good reason. It can be made to match any decorating style and offer a cool, shady spot to relax even on the hottest days. To ensure your new pergola gets the kind of presence it deserves, consider adding masonry to your project. Here’s how masonry can be used to accentuate a pergola on Long Island, NY.
Related: BUILDING A MODERN RETREAT WITH MASONRY IN BABYLON, NY
Masonry Pillars
Consider having the pergola visually anchored to your patio with the use of masonry pillars. This gives the pergola a more substantial look. It is also an opportunity to tie in the pergola with some of the other nearby vertical elements such as a seat wall, masonry planter, outdoor kitchen, or water feature. The pillars can house electrical outlets and landscape lighting fixtures, and they can be made tall enough and deep enough to provide a comfortable resting place for drinks.
Many people admire the look of wood pergola columns, in which case the masonry pillars would only extend a few feet from the base. Or the masonry pillars can be full-height and simply support the pergola roof.
Pillar-Wall Combinations
While a pergola is meant to be an open structure, you could give a seating-area pergola more of a front-porch feel by enclosing one, two, or three of the sides with a low seat wall. Purists may not love this option (is it even a “pergola” at that point?), yet this approach adds a sense of coziness. A low seat wall won’t block the view or make the pergola feel closed in, but since it offers additional seating, it helps eliminate clutter under the pergola. And when the seat wall isn’t being used by people, it’s a beautiful way to showcase colorful potted plants, backyard sculptures, or seasonal ornaments.
A pergola used to house an outdoor kitchen and dining area can also be partially enclosed by seat walls. The kitchen itself serves as one wall, and adding one or two low seat walls gives guests a chance to participate comfortably in the action while dinner is being prepared.
Outdoor Fireplace
An outdoor fireplace can encourage you to spend more time outdoors as the weather cools down. While the open roof of a pergola won’t hold in the heat, it does offer a sense of shelter and can make the fireside experience that much cozier. You could also add a retractable canopy to the pergola for more weather protection and position the fireplace on the windward side of the pergola to block the wind.
Water Feature
For a tranquil escape, nothing beats the soothing sounds of moving water. Consider adding a water feature to one side of the pergola—perhaps on a side where you’d like to block the view anyway.
An Outdoor Kitchen and Pizza Oven
As every cook knows, food simply tastes better outside. A pergola can provide the ideal shelter for an outdoor kitchen, because the open roof allows grill smoke and heat to easily escape, while blocking out the sun. A stylish masonry veneer on the sides of the kitchen will anchor it to the patio, and add to the sense of a rustic outdoor kitchen.
Perhaps nothing is a bigger draw for young and old than a wood-fired pizza oven. If your pergola already houses an outdoor kitchen, adding a masonry pizza oven—along with a seat wall—can transform the space into “the” gathering space for family and friends.
