Decided to try adding curtains around my pergola to get a bit more shade and privacy... turned out pretty nice actually. I just got some outdoor fabric panels (the kind that's water-resistant but still breathable), some curtain rods, and installed them directly onto the wooden beams. Wasn't too tricky—maybe an afternoon's worth of work. But um, now I'm wondering if there's a better way or if anyone has tried something different that works even better?
Your setup sounds great—I did something similar a couple summers ago and it's held up surprisingly well. I used outdoor curtains too, but instead of regular curtain rods, I went with galvanized pipe fittings from the hardware store. It gave it kind of a rustic-industrial look that matched my older home's vibe. Installation was straightforward: just measured out the lengths, screwed in some brackets, and threaded the pipes through the curtain loops. Took maybe half a day, tops.
One thing I learned though—make sure you have some way to secure the curtains when they're open. Mine kept blowing around in the wind at first, so I ended up adding some simple tie-backs made from rope. Easy fix and looks pretty nice too.
Anyway, your method sounds solid already... sometimes simpler really is better. If you're happy with how it turned out, I'd say stick with it.
