Our New Deck Pergola and Our Backyard Update Project

Our new deck pergola has completely transformed our backyard, turning our plain back deck into a cozy outdoor room.

We’ve been working away at updating our backyard all spring long, and it’s definitely been a labour of love. I’m so glad to report that it’s finally complete just in time for summer and, hopefully, lots of warm, sunny days. Of course, no project is really ever completely finished, and we’ll keep adding landscaping and tweaking the furnishings on the deck over time, but we’ve come such a long way, and this outdoor living space has truly transformed into somewhere that we can’t wait to hang out all summer long. Let me give you a little tour and show you our new back deck pergola and everything else we’ve done back here.

Where We Started

Let’s take a little trip down memory lane and see how this backyard looked when we first moved into our old farmhouse. At that time, the backyard consisted of an older wood deck that was in pretty rough shape, a large ramp to make the deck wheelchair accessible, some dying grass, and lots of weeds.

Chris disassembled the wheelchair ramp and used the lumber to build stairs at the front of the deck shortly after we moved in, and this allowed us to rescue the lawn a little bit and add in flower beds at the back of the house. The deck stayed like that for about ten years, and it was fine, but not very inviting at all.

Last fall, Chris rebuilt the deck and added railings around the perimeter. Early this spring, we got to work painting the railings of the deck in a crisp white, and then we were ready to add our new pergola.

Building The New Deck Pergola

The pergola kit we used was from Vita Home and Garden, and it was an absolute dream to work with. I’ve owned Vita planters for years and have loved the all-weather, no-maintenance material they’re made from. When I found out that they make entire pergolas out of the same material, I jumped at the chance to add one to our backyard.

We measured to ensure proper post placement about 100 different times, but once we were sure we had it correct, things went really smoothly. We used this 12×12 pergola kit, so we had to make sure everything was perfectly square.

Since we were mounting onto a wooden deck surface, we used this mounting bracket kit to secure the posts in place properly with bolts. We have frequent strong winds in our area, so we also added blocking under the deck’s surface to anchor the brackets to the construction of the deck, not just the decking boards with deck screws, just to be extra cautious. Attaching the posts directly to the deck framing instead of the boards or other decking material ensures it will be very sturdy for a long time to come.

If you’re attaching a pergola to a concrete patio or other type of footing rather than an above ground deck, you’ll find the necessary mounting instructions and materials needed on the Vita website.

We attached 4×4 pressure-treated wood posts, the only lumber needed for the pergola, to the brackets, and from there we were able to follow the package instructions to put together the rest of the all-weather pergola. It was kind of like putting together an oversized LEGO kit, and it was so fun to see it take shape. I love all the trim pieces and post caps on this pergola, which add so much detail and give it so much charm.

I shared a video on Instagram with some clips of the building process, and here’s a screenshot of us working on the build, just after sliding the all-weather cover over one of the posts.

The Finished Back Deck

I knew this would be a beautiful addition to our backyard, but I still can’t get over how this new pergola has changed the whole feel of our back deck and added so much elegance to a space that was previously underwhelming, to say the least.

The space is so cozy and welcoming now, and I find myself finding excuses to step outside and water my planters, or deadhead my flowers whenever I can. I love how the pergola frames our view of the creek and the fields beyond and gives the whole backyard such a fresh aesthetic. Whether you have large living spaces outdoors or just a small backyard, there are pergola designs that will be a great fit, and I think they’re always a good idea.

Now that this project is complete, I’m realizing that I just might want to add one more thing to make this remodeling project absolutely perfect. Do you see that empty wall between the window and the porch light? Wouldn’t this trellis look beautiful there? Maybe with some potted climbing plants? It’s made from the same material as the pergola, and I think it would add the perfect amount of detail to that boring wall.

We added two large all-weather planters on either side of the stairs, and I think they really anchor the view looking out from the deck. They work beautifully grouped together with some of the other planters from my collection as well as the basket planter I put together recently.

These are the Windsor long planter boxes, and they’re quite sizeable. They’d be a great solution if you’re looking for something large enough and deep enough to grow veggies on a balcony. The best part is that they’re maintenance-free and will last outdoors year-round for at least 30 years! Their traditional styling means they’ll never go out of style or look outdated.

Would you give your outdoor oasis a makeover with a pergola kit like this?

Materials Used for This Project

Pergola: 12×12 Regency Pergola

Brackets: Bolt Down Bracket System – 4 pack

Post trim: Pergola Short Base Moldings

All-weather planters: Windsor Long Planter Box

Deck railing paint: Behr Marquee Outdoor Ultra Pure White (Just the untinted white that comes in the can off the shelf. It’s perfect.)

Door paint: Benjamin Moore Onyx

Deck stain: Behr Cordovan Brown

We also used 4 x 4 pressure-treated wood posts, the kind you would use for fencing or when building a deck. No further lumber is needed with the pergola kit, and everything else you need for the beams, joists, and fastening accessories is included in the kit. I love that we never have to worry about this pergola warping, discoloring, or rotting. Vita carries a number of other garden structures made from the same material, including shaded pergolas, arbors, and trellises as well.

Thank you so much to Vita for partnering with us on this project!