Asian Pergola Plans

Looking for a pergola with a difference? Originally designed as a bespoke commission for a client wanting a truly unique feature, these Asian pergola plans bring elegance, balance, and a wonderfully eastern feel to any outdoor space, creating a truly striking focal point.

Also known as a dragon pergola, this plan features signature curved rafters that take a little extra care to shape—but with the right plans, creating your own handcrafted garden sanctuary is well within your grasp. Imagine soaking up the sun and enjoying a wonderfully relaxing time with family and friends under this beauty!

The pergola building plans can be made to fit any length, depth and height you would like, to give a truly unique garden feature that you will be able to enjoy for years to come.

Which Plans Are Right For You?

While the fundamental building techniques for creating a square or rectangular pergola of any size are covered in the free pergola plans, the featured Asian pergola plans do all the heavy lifting for a build that's a little more involved (especially with those beautiful curved rafters).

Normally, I’d say go for the free plans if you feel confident enough to adapt them, but with the complex angles and curved rafters on this particular design, the featured plans take all the guesswork out of it.

For less than the cost of a single rafter, you get complete, easy-to-follow plans that turn what may seem like a complex project into a straightforward build—even for absolute beginners.

Let's take a look at both options.

Where To Position Your Asian Pergola

This wonderful pergola can be used in several different situations:

• In a secluded corner of the garden.
• Between two perpendicular house or garden walls.
• As a stand-alone feature, backed by colourful trees and shrubs.
• Attached to the house, making a stunning lean-to pergola
• As a cover for a hot tub!
• On a patio, grass or decking.

Pergola Climbing Plants and Accessories

Add planters, stunning climbing plants, garden furniture and wonderful oriental style accessories to make your asian pergola a truly unique outdoor space.

Asian-style plants such as camellias, rhododendrons, acers, tiger lilies, crocosmia 'Lucifer', oriental poppies, magnolias, Japanese anemones, bamboo and lemon grass create a stunningly beautiful feature.

Here are some planting ideas:

Japanese maples or Acers, as they are more commonly called, give a really oriental feeling.  Not only is their shape wonderful, with the flat planes of leaves - indicative of that part of the world - but what colours! Deep purples, oranges, reds, yellows, zingy lime greens and variegated. Simply gorgeous. 

Plant in a pot for smaller ones and in the ground for a full grown tree.

The statuesque flowers of the crocosmia look very exotic and are stunningly beautiful.

Crocosmia 'Lucifer' 

A Japanese anemone fits perfectly into the scheme.

A gorgeous deep pink rhododendron gives an oriental feel.

An oriental poppy - delicately beautiful.

The Example Asian Pergola

The example footprint is 8' x 8', but the plans will work whatever the size of your area. The plans show how to extend the pergola. This is fully explained in 'Adapting The Plans'.

The pergola picture at the top of the page is drawn to scale, with a post size of 4", and rafters measuring 6" x 1.5", but again, the Asian pergola plans will show you how to use different sizes of timber to suit your own particular preference.

Here is the footprint with the rafters attached.

Fancy rafter tails with a more decorative effect? Choose a rafter tail end template with curved ends and give a completely different feel to the pergola design, transforming your pergola into a truly unique garden feature.

The Asian Pergola Plans

This pergola is really intended as a corner pergola design, but it can easily be built as a stand-alone garden feature.

The curved rafters give it a truly oriental feel, and that is where the name dragon pergola originates. It is great for a themed garden construction.

The Asian pergola plans show how to build the structure so that everything fits together seamlessly. With the notched rafters, there are no metal fixings showing.

This pergola is sturdy, easy to construct and looks absolutely amazing!

Is It Achievable?

Can I really build this myself? Of course!

Even though the finished pergola looks stunning, it is actually quite straightforward to build once you know what size fixings to use, where to cut the notches and how to create the curved rafters. Just follow the plans and you will have this wonderful pergola installed in no time at all.

The beauty of building a pergola DIY style is that you can modify it so that it exactly suits your taste, style and situation at a fraction of the cost for someone else to come and build it for you. Even if you buy a pergola kit, you will pay more, have less control over the design details, and will have to install it yourself.

So if you feel confident, have a go. It's a great feeling, making a pergola from scratch. And the end result is well worth it!

If you feel that this particular pergola is too much to take on as a DIY project (it is probably the most difficult of them all), it might be worth doing what Jeff and Kathy did.  They had their carpenter build it for them from the plans, and here it is.  Read more...

Will These Plans Be Right For You?

• The Asian pergola plans are intended and written for beginners! If this is the first time you have tried a project like this, or your experience is limited, then they will make everything so much easier.
• They fit beautifully into an Asian, oriental or Japanese themed garden.
• They give step-by-step, detailed instructions on exactly what to do.
• Within the plans are simple, clear diagrams at every stage.
• They include a section on adapting the plans so that the pergola fits your needs and particular situation.
• They will show you how to create the curved rafters.
• All tools and materials have links to the items you need, so that you can take a look to see what they are like, either buying them from an internet store or using your local DIY store.
• Many people have contacted me to say how easy to use, detailed and comprehensive the plans are.
• There are 18 different, ready-to-use, rafter tail templates to make your pergola into a beautiful and unique structure.
• The finished pergola looks fantastic!

Adapting the Plans

There are many ways to adapt the Asian pergola plans to fit your own preferences and needs. The plans still work with any of the modifications.

Here are some ideas:

• Making your pergola longer or wider.
• Positioning the posts to give acceptable pergola beam spans.
• Changing the rafter tail end design.
• Making the rafter tails longer.
• Using different ways to fix your pergola to the ground.
• How to install flush-fitting rafters (sit at the same level as the supporting rafters), raised rafters (sit slightly higher than the supporting rafters) and un-notched rafters (sit fully on top of the supports) to give different decorative effects.

Downloading the Plans

The plans are ready for immediate download, together with the 18 free rafter tail templates.

Click on the 'Add To Cart' button below, follow the simple instructions and your corner Asian pergola plans will be with you straight away.

£15.97

 
 

"I love your website! Your entire site is incredible. I was able to get ideas for my pergola, which looks fantastic."

Wayne

Preparing Your Site

Before installing your structure, it's worth giving some thought to the surface beneath it. Will you choose gravel, which can make moving dining chairs and other outdoor furniture a little tricky, or would traditional decking suit your space better? Perhaps a patio is the perfect choice, providing a solid, stable surface that's ideal for entertaining.

Whichever option you decide on, a firm, level foundation is essential to ensure your beautiful new structure remains safe, stable, and looking its best for many years to come. If a patio is your preferred option, be sure to read our complete guide on how to lay a patio, where you'll discover everything you need to create a durable, long-lasting base.

Feel free to email me using the contact form with further questions you may have.

I hope you have as much fun building your Asian pergola as I've had creating these plans for you. Your new creation will give a whole new dimension to your outdoor living.

Here's to your new Asian-inspired pergola.

Enjoy!

Exploring More Options

Still deciding on the ideal style for your garden? Browse the complete collection of designs on the wood pergola plans page, which shows all of the plans together in one place so you can explore to your heart's content and find the perfect match for your amazing outdoor space.