Backyard Patio Shade Ideas
With a wide variety of backyard patio shade ideas to choose from, pergolas can be customized to fit a plethora of design aesthetics and functions. From creating a serene sanctuary to covering a grill or bar area, or acting as a way to introduce fans and lighting to a patio, pergolas are the way to go.
Check out these 11 design ideas for inspiration:
Supersize Your Sail Shade For Sun Safety
Go for a big design if you want to ensure your patio furniture space stays completely sheltered from the sun. The design pictured from Wayfair offers 98% UV resistance, so you can stay warm alfresco without having to reapply sunscreen every hour.
Alternatively, if you lack the space for a large sail, a mini version will work just as well if you only have a small patio to shade. Small shade sail ideas are a stylish alternative to garden parasols and are just as perfect for sheltering a bistro set.
Make It Airy With Sail Shade
Sunshade sails in large cuts can cover a wider expanse of your patio. This rectangular sunshade, for example, offers a light and airy feel to your front yard. All you need is a stable pole to hold the corners together. It is effortless sun protection that will not send debris on the surface. You also do not need to worry as it will not pool rainwater during a downpour.
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Make A Privacy Screen
Like curtains, a privacy screen can block out light while adding privacy from nosy neighbors. Use basic home improvement store materials to make this stylish, herringbone-pattern screen. The secret to the design is laying the boards out at a 22-1/2 degree angle.
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Faux And Elegant Pergola Can Upgrade Your Patio
Still undecided about permanent patio shades? The good thing is, you can now buy a freestanding pergola that you can prop easily in your property. Stake it to the ground with bolts and cover your deck with these elegant ensembles. This modern freestanding pergola has angled slats or louvers that open and tilts through a motor. It even has some LED lighting to turn your patio into a cozy place at nighttime.
Growing large trees by your patio is a greener and more effortless way of shading. Maybe not as effortless when it comes to yard cleaning when fall comes, but still. Aside from privacy, they can also beautify your yard and provide a home for birds and other small animals. If you are just starting to grow your natural patio shade, it may take you some years to see the result. We suggest growing evergreen trees that will last you through seasons.
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Use Plants With Different Textures
Make a bold, dramatic statement in your shade garden, even without flowers, by combining plants with different foliage textures and colors. An easy way to create texture combinations is by pairing leaves with opposite characteristics. Here, golden meadow rue is a stunning contrast to anemone, purple-leaf coral bells, and big-leaf umbrella plant.
Pop Up A Gazebo Or Canopy Tent
A pop-up gazebo or canopy tent is a budget-friendly option thats perfect for occasional shade. These structures pack up small and can be easily stashed. Some even come with mesh netting on the sides for further protection from the sun and mosquitos. Find one in a pretty color that complements your backyard design.
They’re easy to set up and can be ready to go in less than 30-60 minutes. But if you need help, you can hire a local handyman or furniture assembly pro to set it up for you.
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Backyard Shade Ideas To Spruce Up Your Space
Are you eager to spend more time outdoors this summer but need some backyard shade ideas to spruce up space and beat the heat?
Creating a comfortable outdoor living space can help for entertaining too.
A lot of our clients are looking for shade solutions we spend a lot of time designing shade solutions, said Allison Messner, CEO and co-founder of Yardzen, an online landscaping platform.
Weve looked at four different backyard shade ideas that can protect you from the sun this summer and make spending time outdoors more fun.
Discover How Cinch Can Protect Your Home Systems And Appliances From Costly Repairs
Cinch Home Services can offer protection for your home. If you love grilling or using appliances outdoors in your outdoor patio area, Cinch is a great option as you make your home improvements.
Cinch covers major appliances and built-in systems, giving you peace of mind when using those crucial home systems. We cover specific things, like water heaters and outdoor sewage lines, so you can breathe easily knowing youre keeping everything in check.
Serving nearly 1 million customers, Cinch has more than 40 years of experience making homeowners feel secure in the products they use on a regular basis. Furthermore, Cinch offers a 180-day workmanship guarantee on all repairs.
If a covered system breaks down, simply contact Cinch, and we will get a vetted service technician there in no time. All covered repair services require a deductible, which goes toward service fees. Reach out today for an instant quote and feel at ease as you prepare to enjoy the full value of your home this season.
Looking to add some shade to your backyard? Check out these fun backyard shade ideas to transform your outdoor space.
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What Is A Gazebo
A gazebo can be described as an outdoor pavilion that consists of a solid roof supported by several columns. You can find traditional gazebos made of ornate wood in public parks. Todays backyard gazebos are often made from non-rusting metal and come in rectangular, square and hexagonal designs. These structures tend to have open sides to let the air pass through, which can be a relaxing feature. People often use gazebos to cover an outdoor dining area, or an area with seating, and these structures can come with curtains for added privacy and wind/mosquito control. These stylish features can be tied back or let loose to hang, adding elegance to your seating area.
Tranquil Colors Enhance A Serene Space
The light sage stucco and bright white shutters of this home go a long way to creating a backyard that is calm and serene. The addition of two white vinyl pergola kits to create multiple shaded areas enhances the feeling of a retreat away from the stress of the day. Designing a space like this gives the homeowner a place to relax and unwind, melting into another world.
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Strategically Place A Movie Screen
We love multipurpose features that play more than one role in your outdoor living areas. When it comes to patio shade ideas, one such feature is a strategically placed movie screen. When positioned correctly, your outdoor screen can provide shade during the day and the perfect spot for an outdoor movie night after the sun goes down.
Prop Offset Umbrellas In Open Spaces
You can almost hear the calming breeze and sound of summer on this awesome patio. You can also make those summer days more memorable if you have a phenomenal view like this in your yard. Set up a temporary patio and prop offset umbrellas to cool the space. Now, you can extend your horizon without the sun stopping the fun with these practical patio shade umbrellas.
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Shade Sails Patio Cover Ideas
Shade sails are easy and versatile patio and backyard shade structures. There are many shade sail colors to choose from. You can also use different shapes such as triangles and rectangles, and overlap them in creative ways. Add string lights to them for magic evenings.
If you want to find out more about how to install shade sails, check out this DIY shade sail patio cover tutorial by House Tweaking.
String Up Outdoor Curtains
For more shade than a pergola alone can provide, consider outdoor curtains to add a little shade to your pergola. Kate, from Centsational Style, shares an easy DIY using canvas tarps for sturdy shades. Simple, affordable, and still attractivejust what everyone wants! Alternatively, you can string up a weatherproof curtain or two like this .
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Incorporate Some Fun Tiki Hut
Complement your outdoor greenery with native tiki huts and give your curbside a tropical feel. Tiki huts are mostly lumber with a thatched roof made of palm fronds. These are literally cool patio shade ideas since thatched roofing is natural insulators. Thus, they can keep the shade underneath it at a lower temperature. You can also build a posh bar table, get some tiki torch, and enjoy lounging by your patio all summer round.
Adobe Garden Features For Arizona
Beyond planting, Arizona gardeners can also find sustainable ways to turn their backyards into extraordinarily relaxing spaces to spend some time.
Using adobe is one nifty way to create an Arizona paradise in your outside space. Adobe is a mix of the earth and straw. It is surprisingly durable and lasts a very long time in dry climates. Some of the oldest buildings in the world got made using this material.
You can add adobe walls around your property. Or a particular area such as a garden bed or seating area. You can make adobe benches or adobe structures like sheds or chicken coops. You can use adobe to make a massive range of garden structures! Consider outdoor fire pits or fireplaces. Or a cool adobe pizza oven.
There are, of course, many other eco-friendly backyard ideas for Arizona gardeners to consider. But these five ideas are some great places to begin when looking for inspiration for your Arizona backyard.
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Use Shapes In Shade Garden Hardscape
Utilize other landscape features to give your yard fun shapes. Here, rectangular pavers set in a geometric pattern contrast with a fringe tree’s oval leaves.
Test Garden Tip: Go a step beyond this in your yard by mixing materials for a path. For example, replace a few of the pavers and use bricks, wood rounds, or other objects as stepping-stones.
Install A Permanent Roof Structure
A permanent, solid roof is one of the more expensive patio shade ideas on this list but, if you have the budget, this is a far sturdier and longer-lasting option than a palapa, canopy or patio umbrella. If have a two-story home, you may be able to cover your patio and expand your outdoor living areas by building a roof structure that is also a balcony for your second floor.
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Unroll A Retractable Awning
Photo via @mmawning
Investing in a retractable awning is great for those who spend a lot of time outdoors. Retractable awnings hang over your backyard patio and can be raised or lowered to change the level of shade, keeping your outdoor living space comfortable at any time of day. This patio shade solution typically ranges in price from $800 to $4,000, depending on factors like material and whether the awnings are manual or motorized. Once installed, you can enjoy the outdoors comfortably at any time of day, whether its having breakfast in the shade with your family or lounging around your unique fire pit in the evening with friends.
Photo via @brookside.brothers
Shade sails come in a variety of colors, sizes, and shapesthough triangular shades are the most common. This makes them a convenient backyard shade solution for almost any outdoor decorating style and budget, with options available from about $30 to $400. Triangle patio shade sails are among the most popular style, and the material blocks heat and excessive sunlight. Made of a canvas sheet that can be rolled back using a pulley, this backyard shade idea is a great semi-permanent solution.
Try Some Color Overhead
Greenbay Rectangle sun shade sail in Terracotta from ManoMano
While the majority of shade sails tend to be white, they do come in a variety of colors, just like you find with patio umbrella ideas and awnings.
If your garden needs a bit of a style boost whilst being kind to your bank balance, colorful shade sail ideas are perfect for creating a cheap garden shelter with a dash of warmth.
This range from ManoMano comes in a choice of eight colorways, from blue and green to orange and this rich terracotta hue.
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Construct A Modern Overhang
This outdoor area with a ceiling feels cozy yet still enveloped in the great outdoors. Designed by South African firm LevEco Architects, the composite polystyrene made IsoPine material functions well outside, provided it doesn’t get direct rain. The timber roof rafters are pocketed into the brickwork of the house, so you don’t see any connections. Thanks to the roof, time spent outside doesn’t need to be cut short by the rain or less than ideal weather.
Plant Shade Trees Bushes Or Hedges
Photo via @materialorderdesk
Another natural backyard shade idea is to simply use tall hedges, bushes, and even fast-growing trees, like cypresses, to block sunlight. Shade-giving landscape ideas like evergreens and hedges also create habitats for birds and other important local wildlife, filter sunlight for shade-seeking plants, and provide a barrier against the elements. Not only is this an eco-friendly backyard shade idea, but its also a useful backyard privacy solution. Shade trees can even increase your property value! Moreover, using trees, bushes, and hedges as a backyard shade solution is extremely cost effective compared to other permanent backyard shade solutions like gazebos or pergolas.
Need somewhere to yard equipment, outdoor decor, and more during your backyard transformation? Extra Space Storage has self storage locations throughout the nation to help. Find a storage facility near you!
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Pop Up A Market Umbrella
Another shade solution for decks and patios is a . Although sometimes theyre called patio umbrellas, those are different.
Large outdoor market umbrellas provide both shade and shelter from light rain. These expansive coverings work well for deck covering ideas that include a sizable seating area. You and your guests can enjoy an outdoor meal whether theres a misty rain or blazing sun.
Use A Cantilever Umbrella
Need portable deck shade ideas? Dont overlook outdoor umbrellas. If the weighted stand is light, theyre easy to move around the yard. You can bring the shade with you as the sun arcs across the sky.
Cantilever umbrellas are supported by an offset, freestanding pole. That means you can suspend them in the air wherever the sun is too intense. The pole isn’t in the center of the umbrella, which gives you extra room. You’ll have plenty of space for tables and chairs under the canopy.
These umbrellas are also adjustable. You can tilt them for maximum shade coverage. Look for cantilever umbrellas in colors that match or complement your deck or patio furniture.
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Add An Arbour For A Charming Touch
In a country-style garden an arbour is ideal for adding a charming area to seek a seat in the shade. The wooden structure adds character to the surrounding garden while providing a much-needed spot for shade. Add outdoor cushions to make the seating experience all the more comfortable.
In this picturesque cottage garden idea the arbour is surrounding by country-style planting and accessories, including a bistro table and chairs set. Garden arbours are suitable for all budgets, they start from £185 at Wickes but you can spend a lot more at other high-end garden retailers.
Easy Diy Fabric Patio Shade Canopy
One of the easiest DIY patio shade ideas is a fabric canopy. Below is the video tutorial on how to use fabric with curtain rods to create a shade canopy.
You can also use an artistic mix of colors and patterns to create colorful backyard shade structures and beautiful patio covers.
Heres a tutorial by Vtwonen on how to create patio shade structures using fabric and PVC pipes. A little idea on improvement: PVC pipes can deteriorate in sunlight, consider using bamboo poles, 2×2 wood, or metal rebar to build similar outdoor shade structures.
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Install A Retractable Awning
Like stationary awnings, retractable awnings offer protection from sun and rain. However, some people prefer this option, which also allows them to retract the awning and expose their outdoor living areas. This means that you can host an afternoon tea party in the shade of your awning, and then retract it before your outdoor dinner party to allow your guests to dine under the stars.
Pick Out A Polished Wood Focal Point
Many good patio cover ideas blend together interior and exterior components. An intricately detailed, polished wood ceiling is the focal point of this outdoor structure designed by Texas Custom Patios. On top of this, interior elements like accent rugs and multiple seating areas make it feel even more elevated.
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