Awnings Are the Most On-Trend Way to Add Shade and Privacy to Your Garden

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Credit: Tatjana Pitt. Design: Hindley & Co

Spending time in your garden in summer sounds all well and good — until you realize you’re a melting mess on full display to your neighbors. And while upping the privacy measures might immediately make you think of intimidating 10-meter-high fences, designers say there is a way to make it more stylish.

Pergolas and gazebos are both solid garden screening ideas, but this year, it’s all about awnings. “Awnings are really big at the moment; I’m putting in two in the next couple of months,” landscape designer Joanna Archer shares. “It’s a nice, flexible way of creating shade, particularly when attached to your house, extending over the dining space.”

With this summer set to be a scorcher, a retractable awning lets you completely transform your exposed outdoor space into a private, shady sanctuary (sometimes at the touch of a button). “It also creates a sense of enclosure and privacy, so your neighbours can’t see what you’re up to,” adds Joanna.

An awning can be way more than just shade and privacy — it can become a design statement in your outdoor space. | Credit: Anson Smart. Design: Greg Natale.

To make your patio look more expensive, Joanna recommends considering an awning with a ‘cassette’ — when the awning’s casing is attached to the wall. How neatly the fabric folds into this case determines how sleek and luxurious your outdoor space appears.

An open cassette is often cheaper, but the fabric remains partially visible when you retract it; whereas a full cassette offers a cleaner look, with the fabric fully tucked away. And if you’re after something truly luxe, opt for an electric awning that retreats at the command of a remote control.

“The difference lies in how much protection you want for your awning when it’s retracted and whether you prefer manual or motorized operation,” explains Helen…

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