Budget vs Investment Pergola Comparison

Are you considering adding a pergola to your outdoor space but unsure whether to opt for a budget-friendly option or invest in higher-quality materials and expert craftsmanship? When it comes to outdoor structures like pergolas, it's important to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of both options. While a budget-friendly option may seem attractive upfront, investing in a high-quality pergola can provide long-term benefits such as increased durability, better resistance to outdoor elements, and a longer lifespan overall. To help you make an informed decision, we've put together a comparison of two different pergola projects: one completed on a budget using lower-quality materials, and one that utilized high-end materials and expert craftsmanship.

Let’s start with the budget pergola.

Several years ago I spotted a modern black pergola at Target. It was metal, and had a really simple silhouette that I loved. I believe it was around $400-500, which at the time was out of my budget (they no longer sell that one, but this one is similar). So one weekend I decided to build one myself that had a similar feel to it, and I did it for around $100. You can see that project here.

It actually ended up being a pretty great dupe of the Target version, and I made it using 4x4, 2x4, and 2x2 lumber, painted black. It was the perfect little pergola for our hops to climb on and I believe we had this pergola for about 3 years before we sold the house.

Pros:
— It was super affordable. I used cheap pine (instead of outdoor treated lumber or cedar), and paint I already had on hand.
— It was the perfect place for our hops to climb, which made perfect shade in the summertime.
— It had the style I was wanting.
— It was easy and quick to build.

Cons:

— After a while it wasn’t very sturdy. I didn’t anchor it to the ground because it was sitting on concrete (and because I didn’t want it permanent), and it didn’t have any angle bracing in the corners. After a couple years we added some angle bracing in the corners to shore it up.
— Because it wasn’t made with outdoor lumber it might not have lasted for many years due to rot (especially because of how wet the winters are here in the pnw).

Despite the cons, I really liked this pergola. It was extremely affordable to build, and brought us tons of enjoyment for the few years we had it. We didn’t have the budget for something more expensive, so rather than not having a pergola at all, we had one that was a little chintzy, quality-wise, but it was all we needed. Had we stayed at this house for longer, I probably would have eventually replaced it or rebuilt it to something more high quality that would last a long time. (Also, it should be noted that this was built prior to the price hikes on lumber in 2020, so it might be over $100 to build at this time).

The investment pergola:

This pergola was part of an entire patio build project, so I knew I wanted something that was high quality, sturdy, and would last. Because the budget pergola was built in front of our garage door, I didn’t want it to be permanent in case we ever needed to drive a car into the garage (we didn’t use it for a car, but just in case). This pergola wasn’t going to be going anywhere that it might need to move, so I felt comfortable installing something super permanent.

This pergola, with all the components we used, totals about $3500. Because I worked with LINX on this project as a sponsored campaign they provided the materials, so I made sure to price things out online so I could know the full cost of this pergola. This number includes all the brackets (the corner brackets, and the base brackets that attach it to the patio), the metal grate on the roof, and the 6x6 timbers. LINX makes their own hollow engineered timbers, which I used in this pergola (they’re nice because they are lighter weight and you can hide any electrical cords inside the hollow core if you’re doing any sort of lighting). These timbers are definitely more expensive than standard 6x6 lumber, so you could also cut costs there as well.

Pros:
— This thing is solid. It’s definitely going to last decades.
— It has the style I want (again— modern), but there are also a ton of different ways to utilize the LINX bracket system to create a totally custom pergola.
— Even though the timbers are engineered, they’re still real wood (unlike something like Trex decking, which isn’t) so I could stain them the color I wanted.
— I designed the custom roof to be the perfect place for hops to climb because I loved how the hops climbed on our old pergola so much (LINX also has shade sails that work perfectly with their brackets, if you’re wanting a shade situation)

Cons:
— Way more expensive than $100 (we built ours with 6x6 lumber/brackets, which are more expensive. LINX also has 4x4 brackets and STIX timbers that cost a bit less).
— Not as easy or quick to build. Because this was made with 6x6 timbers, it was much heavier, and we needed about 4 people to put it up, whereas I was able to build and put up the cheaper pergola entirely by myself.

I love both of these pergolas for different reasons, and I don’t think one is better than the other because each one has their place. Not everything has to always be the highest, best quality. It’s okay to do things in a more affordable way, especially if you go into it knowing that it’s not going to last forever. Our cheap pergola worked amazing for us, and the fancier LINX pergola is perfect in its own way as well. Most importantly, do what works for your life, your space, and your finances.

Now, obviously, there’s a pretty big gap between $100 and $3500 and there are plenty of pergola options out there in between that price range.

10x12ft Pergola — $1422

12x12ft Pergola — $599

10x12 ft Pergola — $2048

10x12 ft Pergola — $1633

10x12ft Pergola — $630

I hope that gives you a few more options within some different budgets for pergolas. I haven’t used any of the ones I linked above so I can’t speak to their quality, but they all have a similar modern look, which is what I was going for with both of my pergolas. I can’t wait to get outside this summer and enjoy our new patio and pergola, and I hope this helps you figure out your pergola patio situation this summer too!

Garage Organization Glow Up!

I'm excited to share with you my recent garage organization glow-up! As someone who loves DIY projects and spends a lot of time in my garage, it was time for me to tackle the clutter and create a functional and organized space. Whether you're someone who loves to tinker with tools or simply looking to get your garage in order, this post will provide you with some practical ideas and inspiration to help you transform your space. So, let's get started and dive into the details of my garage organization project!

It feels like we’re always in a battle against the garage shop becoming total chaos, but we made a huge upgrade in the storage situation with these Wall Control panels!

We originally had some screws and nails in the OSB wall that we hung some tools on haphazardly, it worked sort of all right, but it certainly wasn’t anything to write home about. Adding an entire wall of Wall Control panels and hanging accessories made this space work 1000x better, and we’re able to store all of our smaller tools on the wall, giving us so much more floor space in the garage (which is desperately needed).

We were also able to use the cabinets that we salvaged from our kitchen remodel, and used those as base cabinets. These were originally the wall cabinets in the kitchen, so they’re 12” deep (standard base cabinets are 24” deep), which is really nice because things don’t get lost in the back of them and they take up less floor space.

We still have plenty of plans to make this garage/shop as useful and practical as possible, but for now this glow-up has made it feel so much more usable. Now the only challenge is actually getting myself to put my tools away where they belong instead of leaving them in piles around the house…

Here are all the Wall Control products we used to transform this space!

Black Vertical Panels | Black Horizontal Panels | Hooks | Drill Holder | Shelves | Spray Can Holder | Angle Grinder Holder | Hanging Drawer Cabinet | Screwdriver Holder | Long hooks

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Unique and eclectic sofas under $1000

Couches can be a big expense, and while the quality for sure increases as the price increases, sometimes a several thousand dollar couch just isn’t in the cards yet. Or maybe you do want to save up for a pricer sofa, but in the meantime still want one that matches your design vibe at a lower price point. Here are a few options that are under $1000 that still have a really fun style to them. They’re unique and eclectic, will add to the design of your space, but might not take up your entire furniture budget for the year.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

I think my favorites in this group are the top one, the blue one, and the bottom one. I’d for sure get that top one if it was offered in some more colors. Dirty corgi paws + white couch just isn’t a math equation I want to put in my house. I love the color of the orange one, and the fabric looks interest and unique as well. I don’t think it’s a boucle, but it gives that look, which I like.

6 | 7 | 8 | 9

The orange and yellow ones in this group are slightly over that $1000 cap but I loved them and I think they probably are a slightly higher quality being from Urban Outfitters. I really love the spherical legs on the pink couch though. Such a fun detail that really adds a lot of design interest.

Something fun you can do to customize existing furniture is to replace boring legs with stuff that’s more eclectic. My go-to shop for furniture legs is Pretty Pegs. They make tons of uniquely shaped furniture legs designed for both IKEA furniture and other furniture. They also make drawer/door handles and knobs so you can customize those on your dressers and cabinets as well! It’s a really great resource for DIYers and furniture flippers alike.

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The 2022 DIY Awards Bash

I cannot get over how amazing this night was. So many new and old DIY friends came to celebrate, for the first time ever we were able to present trophies to the winners in person, and it was all around just a super fun night of celebrating the DIY community. This years awards didn’t only have an in-person awards ceremony, but it was also broadcast live online so everyone who wasn’t able to attend IRL was still able to tune in and celebrate as well! We’ve got that broadcast saved so you can go back and watch it and feel like you were right there with us!

Meet your 2022 DIY Awards Winners! Remember, each category has three account size tiers to give DIYers with smaller accounts an opportunity to be recognized alongside those who have larger followings. Just because someone doesn’t have a lot of followers doesn’t mean they aren’t doing incredible work! We had such amazing nominees this year, if you want to see all the folks who were nominated, pop over here to meet (and follow) all the nominees!

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Best DIY Room Transformation:

0-10K Winner

@parisashleyhome's bathroom

10-50k winner:

@nestbyjess' Home Office

50k+ Winner

@thehonesthome_'s Playroom

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Best DIY Paint Transformation

0-10k winner

@reclaiming_lacy's Painted Wallpaper

10-50k winner

@percivalinbloom's Floral Mural

50k+ winner

@banyanbridges' dining room

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Best DIY Outdoor Transformation

0-10k winner

@reclaiming_lacy's greenhouse

10-50k winner

@unclutteredhouse's deck

50k+ winner

@banyanbridges' Exterior Mural

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best budget friendly diyer

0-10k winner

@honeydohoney_home

10-50k Winner

@firstgenhouse

50k+ winner

@desiraeathome

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Best Rental Friendly DIYer

0-10k winner

@aurorabyjacqueline

10-50k winner

@bangonstyle

50k+ winner

@hotpinkpineapples

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Best All Around DIYer

@deardarlenee

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The DIY Awards Bash was a blast! In addition to the awards ceremony, we also had a photobooth, a mini red carpet, a delicious signature cocktail (make it yourself at home!), a (REAL) tattoo booth with DIY themed mini tattoo flash, and a pop up shop from Moorea Seal! As per usual, I made my own DIY dress for the event and there were a bunch of other folks who joined in and DIYed their looks as well! It was so much fun seeing the outfits everyone came up with. Scroll down to get a peek at the festivities.

The DIY Disco Mirror

This is what happens when you buy a mirror off of craigslist to customize, with no real plan, and then go completely off the rails. I had a few different concepts when I was trying to decide what I wanted to do with the mirror and of course landed on the most time consuming and expensive option: melty disco ball frame.

What I used:

Disco Mirrors (I used appx 40,000 mirrors)
GemTac Glue (I used appx 2 4ox bottles)
Spray Foam (I believe I went through five 12oz bottles)
Joint Compound
Cheesecloth

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Liz | DIY HQ (@liz.morrow)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Liz | DIY HQ (@liz.morrow)

I explain the process in the above videos, but basically: the base shapes are made out of spray foam, then joint compound to fill in any gaps and smooth the surface. I sanded to smooth the bumps, then primed, and from there on out it was just a never ending process of sticking mirrors on. I bought 5mm mirrors, which were smaller than I’d anticipated, so if I was doing this over again I’d probably get 10mm mirrors. I do love the density of the 5mm mirrors, but it took forever to put that many mirrors on.

The mirrrors I used had adhesive backing, but I didn’t trust that adhesive to stick well enough, especially with the undulating shapes I was applying them to (they felt strong enough to apply to smooth, flat surfaces), so I used GemTac glue to apply each one. In the larger areas I could apply strips of 4 or 5 mirrors at a time, but in the tighter curves I definitely needed to apply them one by one.