This stunning project, a combination hardscape, deck, pergola and fire pit project in the Ballantrae subdivision of Dublin, Ohio, is a work of art. We built the two pergolas with cedar and stained them to match the decking. The pergolas are more decorative than functional. You can see the top of each pergola consists of two long beams topped with a series of shorter rafters. A pergola designed to cast maximum shade would have a third element on top, a series of thinner slats running across the rafters. Here, the larger pergola serves to define the primary dining area, and the smaller one enforces the boundary at the edge of the patio.