20 Patio Awning Ideas That Will Shade and Shelter You

Patio awnings are designed to shelter your outdoor space from too much sun or unwanted rain. These handy patio cover accessories are fixed to the side of your home and jut out at an angle without the use of support posts (like a roof or canopy). Made from materials such as vinyl, polyester, or acrylic, patio awnings can be manually operated or motorized for ease of use, or you can install stationary fixed awnings that become part of the architecture.

Check out these patio awning ideas in a range of colors and styles that can be used alone or in addition to window awnings for a coordinated look.

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Classic Striped Awning

Design by Breeze Giannasio Interiors / Photo by Meghan bob Photography

There is nothing more classic or timeless than a striped awning. This patio dining area from Breeze Giannasio Interiors includes a black-and-white fixed awning that sets the tone for the rest of the space, and includes gathered curtains at the ends to help define the space.

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Colorful Retractable Awning

Fantastic Frank

This Spanish island patio from Fantastic Frank has a table and chairs that can be shaded by a large orange-red retractable shade that tucks away when it's not needed, adding a dash of color to the neutral space.

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Navy Stripes

Kate Marker Interiors

Kate Marker Interiors chose navy and white striped awnings to add a coastal twist to this lake cottage exterior.

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Retractable Awning

KangeStudio / Getty Images

A retractable awning adds a contemporary look, modern convenience, and a splash of color while remaining sleek on this luxurious outdoor patio. The convenient style doesn't require planning permission and comes in a range of price points that can work for more modest backyards, too.

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Fixed Awning

Design by Calimia Home / Photo by Jeanne Canto

A fixed awning protects the patio dining area of this Spanish bungalow in Coral Gables, FL, from Calimia Home, and serves as a support for a lightweight woven pendant light.

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Scalloped Awning

Fantastic Frank

When rolled up, a small scalloped edge helps to obscure this patio awning from Fantastic Frank while adding a decorative edge that hides the awning when not in use.

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Multicolored Awning

Dazey Den

Dazey Den added a bold and colorful awning in shades of orange on this Southern California balcony that would work just as well on a small ground-floor patio. The awning provides necessary shade while framing the lush green view, making the wide-open space feel more protected and cozy.

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Canopy Style

A Beautiful Mess

A Beautiful Mess gave this backyard canopy an awning-like appearance by adding a scalloped fabric cover on the slanted wood structure and camouflaging the support poles with curtain-like drapes of fabric.

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Solar Panel Awnings

jhorrocks / Getty Images

Solar panel awnings add shade and functionality to this small outdoor patio deck. The awnings look like a metal roof awning at first glance that complements the modern glass and metal pane windows and contrasts with the wood siding, but is a sleek way to incorporate sustainable design.

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Wooden Awnings

Design by Handsome Salt / Photo by Jenny Siegwart

Pale wood stationary awnings that match the spacious minimalist front patio deck and wide steps leading to this home from Handsome Salt add contrast with the black facade and create a bold modern look that is more sustainable than using fabric.

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Victorian Townhouse Patio Awning

Andreas von Einsiedel / Getty Images

This Victorian townhouse in London has large double awnings on the backside of the spacious outdoor patio that are matched by a smaller model on the patio entrance on the upper floor.

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Make It a Design Feature

Design by Calimia Home / Photo by Jeanne Canto

Striped black-and-white awnings on the windows, doors, top floor balcony, and backyard patio dining area of this Florida house from Calimia Home give the facade a cohesive look, turning them into a design feature in and of themselves that also helps to shade the home and keep air conditioning bills down.

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Bedroom Patio Awning

Michelle Berwick Design

Michelle Berwick Design added a simple white awning outside this waterfront bedroom to shelter the sun when desired that can be rolled up like a roller shade when not in use.

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Portico Awning

Design by Leanne Ford Interiors / Styling by Noel Knostman / Photo by Erin Kelly

For those who want to add some old world cache to an older home, a fixed awning over a side or back patio is a forever home option that will never go out of style. The front of this home renovated by Leanne Ford Interiors doesn't have an attached patio, but a cafe table and chairs located just to the side of the front step, which is shaded by a metal portico that functions like a fixed awning with curved wrought ironwork details that give it a classical look.

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Small Backyard Patio Awning

EuToch / Getty Images

A large retractable yellow shade shelters this small backyard patio from the sun, making it more comfortable to spend time admiring the garden on a sunny day.

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Terracotta Portico Awning

Home Consultant

The front patio of this Spanish-style Los Angeles bungalow from Home Consultant has a slanted terracotta tile portico-like roof that is a permanent part of the home's exterior. This kind of roof is an good option for those who want to find a durable solution to the problem of adding shade to a small area that works with the style of the home.

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Lightweight Awning

Fantastic Frank

This fabric awning from Fantastic Frank is attached to the side of the home outside the French doors of this airy bedroom, but the fabric doesn't have any structural reinforcements to keep it in place, so is tied like a canopy to lightweight wooden posts. This is a budget-friendly way to add a modicum of shading that is somewhere between an awning and a canopy and is minimal enough to work on a range of exteriors.

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Porch and Patio Awning

Kate Marker Interiors

Kate Marker Interiors hung a matching awning above the back door porch that leads to a brick paver patio that helps to create a transition between the two spaces while adding extra shade to the front porch.

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Flip-Up Window Awning

Design by Raili CA Design / Photo by David Tsay

This pool patio from Raili CA Design has a retractable glass and metal bar window that functions like an awning when open.

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Pergola Awning Hybrid

Maite Granda

This Florida patio and outdoor kitchen from interior designer Maite Granda includes a fixed wood slat roof pergola/awning hybrid that is attached to the side of the house like a pergola and also becomes a diving privacy wall for a built-in banquette.