DIYs How To Add Entertaining Space To the Backyard

Remember when I showed you this space?

I hinted about what was to come.

I explained something special was about to happen right here.

I said that it would be a before and after of epic proportions.

And then?

I asked you what you thought we’d build in this space.

So many of you told me what you thought was going here. Some of you guessed a pool.

And a she-shed.

And a chicken coop.

And a garage.

Nope.

None of the above. Not even close. Not a she-shed or a workshop or a chicken coop or a spa or a sauna or a garage. It’s something SO MUCH BETTER.

Because now?

The backyard looks just like this.

Have you ever seen anything so beautiful in your entire life?

It’s the Pergola X model from the most amazing company called StruXure—the leading pergola company that focuses on innovation and design.

The Pergola X is the modern-day pergola that has the technology to open, close, pivot, and slide depending on your needs.

I can adjust the top and the screens on the side with the click of a button.

And the best part?

This entire pergola was constructed in just two days.

Here’s a video of the entire process of the pergola going up from the beginning to the finished product.

I wanted to give a GIANT shout out to Struxture Houston and the amazing team there. They were so professional with amazing customer service and an incredible work ethic that built this structure from the ground up in two days.

Here’s a little behind the scenes of the process.

And when they were finished?

It looks like this.

To prepare for the project, we had electricity run from the house to this part of the backyard. Now the Pergola X not only has electricity, but it has lights and outlets for entertaining and even a movie.

Let me give you a tour of our new outdoor entertaining space.

The top of the pergola has these state-of-the-art louvers that open and close with the click of a button. The entire structure is such high-quality and built to withstand all different types of weather conditions. I can truly attest to this. Since we had this installed, we’ve had sleet and snow and hail and extremely high winds (yes I live in Texas) and the pergola looks exactly the same as the day it was installed.

Here are a few of my favorite features of the louvers:

When winds reach 60 MPH the wind sensor will automatically open the louvers to allow wind to move freely throughout the system. This minimizes uplift during high wind conditions.
There are snow and freeze sensors that react to prevent the louvers from sticking together.
The sensors will automatically close the pergola as soon as it starts raining.
With the remote, I can set my ‘favorite’ position depending on where the sun is without ever leaving my chair.

Here’s the switch on the side of the pergola that controls the lights inside the structure.

There’s a cover over the switch and an outlet inside the cover as well.

The lights are dimmable depending on the atmosphere you want to create.

Here’s a before and after of the same angle so you can see the shades in action.

They are completely adjustable (and made of an incredible material that’s so strong).

You can lower them or raise them to the exact height that you want.

There are SO MANY benefits of choosing to add a StruXure to your backyard:

I can’t even begin to tell you what a difference this has made with entertaining at our house. We use this all the time and it’s a great place for family and friends to gather and celebrate.
StruXure stands behind their products and this allows them to offer one of the best warranties in the industry. They believe so strongly in their products that they still offer parts for pergolas produced years ago. If a problem does arise, they have the broadest network of dealers in the industry to help.
You can add MyLink™ to integrate with most home automation systems.
The remotes allow you to adjust everything with a click of a button. I can walk outside on the back porch and adjust everything from there.
The customer service and follow-up are incredible. The entire team was so helpful and walked me through the entire design and installation process.

From this.

To this.

It just makes me SO HAPPY every time I walk out into the backyard. I’ve spent so much time snuggled up in the corner of the couch talking or working or just sitting and watching the fire. I wish I could invite everyone over for coffee and conversation.

If you have ANY questions about installing one of these in your home or questions about the process or all the different options that are available?

You can contact the StruXure team here.

Here’s to louvers that are smarter than I am.

Here’s to extending our living and entertaining space in our home.

Here’s to all the spring and summer get-togethers.

My pergola and I are ready for it.

disclosure: this post was sponsored by StruXture.

All opinions are my own.

Please see my disclosure page here.