A pergola outside your home can make your property's exterior space more welcoming and inviting, and provide a bit of shade against hot summertime sun. The pergola structure itself can add style to your patio area, but you can also add a few simple touches for even more personality and comfort in this space. Note a few tips on how to do this so you can create a backyard oasis that you and your whole family will love.

Swing

An outdoor swing can be a very good choice for your pergola, as the motion of gently rocking back and forth can be very calming. Installing a swing between pergola beams also opens up the space in the centre of the pergola so you have more room for added chairs, an outdoor grill, and the like. The swing can also obscure the view of the neighbours so that you have more privacy in the pergola space, without needing to add a wall or curtains that might make the structure seem closed-in.

Waterfall

It's not difficult to create a waterfall feature in your home's pergola; if the structure is not sitting by an outdoor pool, a trench can be dug to create a moat or small pool enclosure. A pump will pull water from that area to a trough that runs along the pergola's roof; one section of the trough will be placed over the pool area, and the water will run from that roof section to the pool, creating a waterfall. This feature can add background sound that helps drown out the sound of neighbours and a busy roadway, and can also provide a bit of privacy, as it will obscure the view of the pergola interior. Lights can also be attached to the ceiling beam, to illuminate the waterfall at night.

Wiring

Adding outdoor lighting, an overhead fan, a heating element, and other such electrical features can make your pergola more comfortable, so you might consider adding wiring and outlets to the structure. An electrician or pergola builder can run wiring from the home through the columns and roof beams of the structure so that the wiring is out of sight and you don't need to use cumbersome extension cords. They can also add outlets to the columns or a column base of the pergola so you can plug in a heating element or even your smartphone, allowing it to charge while you're enjoying your outdoor space.

For more information, contact a pergola builder.