With summer comes the irresistible urge to spend every spare minute outdoors. It’s the time of the year when gardens, balcony and patios become an extension of the home, dressed with outdoor furniture, rugs, lanterns and cushions to create to a space that’s every bit as inviting as the living room during the cold season.
Yet outdoor spaces lack two things interiors naturally provide: shelter from the sun and a sense of privacy. While trusty parasols can help with the former (although to a limiting extent), they do little to screen neighbouring windows or passing eyes. Adding to that, they’re often difficult to manoeuvre and store.
With privacy becoming increasingly prized – a recent report by garden building manufacturer Dunster House put the number of UK homeowners seeking complete separation from their neighbours at 36% – many are looking beyond the traditional garden umbrella.
Awnings are one solution, providing generous shade across a terrace or patio and the flexibility to extend or retract them as needed. Outdoor curtains can also lend a smart, resort-like feel. Both, however, come with time-consuming and labour-intensive installation.
Enter the shade sail.
Lightweight, space-saving and versatile, shade sails can cover large areas while providing protection from both harsh sunlight and curious glances. Sleek and stylish, they’re fast replacing bulky parasols in the garden.
Susan Vineyard – Getty Images
“Shade sails give you a larger, more usable shaded area than parasols because there’s no central pole or ribs getting in the way, so furniture and play areas can sit freely underneath,” says Josh Eberly, design lead at Marygrove Awnings.
The large canopy is one of their biggest draws, but they’re also surprisingly sturdy. “When properly tensioned, they also tend to feel more stable in breezy conditions, while parasols often wobble or need constant adjusting. Shade sails usually offer strong UV protection, often around 90 to 98%, making outdoor spaces more comfortable in strong sun,” he adds.
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Crucially, shade sails strike the balance between flexibility and permanence. They’re more substantial than a parasol but require far less commitment than an awning, as they can be installed seasonally and taken down when no longer needed.
The result is what Josh describes as a “clean, architectural outdoor-room effect” – the look many homeowners are hoping to achieve.
And with many shade sails costing little more than a quality parasol, it’s easy to see why they’re emerging as one of this summer’s most sought-after garden upgrades.
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