9 Shade Structures to Inspire your Patio Setup
Not only do shade structures offer a welcome respite for sunny patios, they also provide the opportunity to make a stylish statement in the landscape. Paired with complementary furnishings, climbing vines and garden accents, these shaded outdoor areas can feel just as inviting — or more — than rooms inside the house.
If you’re looking to invest in a new shade structure or to update your current patio setup, take a look at these nine ideas from around the world showing well-paired shade styles and patio furniture that set the stage for outdoor entertaining.
If you’re looking to invest in a new shade structure or to update your current patio setup, take a look at these nine ideas from around the world showing well-paired shade styles and patio furniture that set the stage for outdoor entertaining.
1. Enclosed in Santa Barbara
A shade structure made of wood boards mounted to a steel frame creates a pleasant cocoon-like feeling for this outdoor living room in Southern California. The design by Neumann Mendro Andrulaitis Architects makes a graphic statement in the side yard.
A shade structure made of wood boards mounted to a steel frame creates a pleasant cocoon-like feeling for this outdoor living room in Southern California. The design by Neumann Mendro Andrulaitis Architects makes a graphic statement in the side yard.
The outdoor furnishings, selected by the homeowner, include low outdoor sectionals, metal-legged coffee tables, planters filled with paddle plant (Kalanchoe sp.) succulents and a trio of air plants. The furnishings complement the shade structure, mimicking the materials, overall style and strong horizontal lines.
2. Color Meets Camo in Madrid
Proving that shade structures don’t have to cost a fortune to look good and serve their purpose, Adam Bresnick Architects used inexpensive camo netting to cast dappled light over a colorful seating area in Madrid. The lightweight material would move in the breeze, changing the shadow patterns below and creating the feeling of being beneath the branches of a shade tree. A brightly striped outdoor rug and stylish Acapulco chairs make the seating area even more enticing.
Proving that shade structures don’t have to cost a fortune to look good and serve their purpose, Adam Bresnick Architects used inexpensive camo netting to cast dappled light over a colorful seating area in Madrid. The lightweight material would move in the breeze, changing the shadow patterns below and creating the feeling of being beneath the branches of a shade tree. A brightly striped outdoor rug and stylish Acapulco chairs make the seating area even more enticing.
3. Beach Club Chic in the Turkish Riviera
White linen, natural wood, black accents and green foliage define the palette for this villa, decorated by SwanfieldLiving, on the southwest coast of Turkey. The ceiling, constructed of white outdoor fabric strung between wood beams, casts shade over white sofas, a rustic wooden coffee table, a raw wood stool and potted plants that look like they’re straight out of a beach club.
White linen, natural wood, black accents and green foliage define the palette for this villa, decorated by SwanfieldLiving, on the southwest coast of Turkey. The ceiling, constructed of white outdoor fabric strung between wood beams, casts shade over white sofas, a rustic wooden coffee table, a raw wood stool and potted plants that look like they’re straight out of a beach club.
4. Roof Terrace in Chicago
An L-shaped outdoor sectional finds a home tucked in the corner of this Chicago roof terrace designed by Chicago Specialty Gardens. The pergola offers partial shade for the seating area, and an outdoor ceiling fan provides a cooling breeze. White latticework backing the seating area makes it feel more intimate and provides a trellis for climbing hydrangea.
An L-shaped outdoor sectional finds a home tucked in the corner of this Chicago roof terrace designed by Chicago Specialty Gardens. The pergola offers partial shade for the seating area, and an outdoor ceiling fan provides a cooling breeze. White latticework backing the seating area makes it feel more intimate and provides a trellis for climbing hydrangea.
hydrangea (Hydrangea petiolaris).
5. Poolside Lounge in Los Angeles
Shade sails maintain an breezy, open feel for this outdoor lounge. Outdoor sofas made of weather-resistant resin wicker with off-white cushions pair well with the color and material of the shade sails. Finishing touches include the twinkle of criss-crossing cafe lights and a tile-printed outdoor rug, which pulls in the blue from the pool.
Shade sails maintain an breezy, open feel for this outdoor lounge. Outdoor sofas made of weather-resistant resin wicker with off-white cushions pair well with the color and material of the shade sails. Finishing touches include the twinkle of criss-crossing cafe lights and a tile-printed outdoor rug, which pulls in the blue from the pool.
6. Naturalistic Rooftop in Paris
A rustic, asymmetrical cover made from wood beams and bamboo screens provides an intimate, shaded seating nook on this Parisian rooftop. Cane furniture and a built-in bench seat topped with cobalt-blue cushions neatly tuck into the shaded area amid potted shrubs, trailing vines and edible fruit trees. Designer Kevin Clare describes the sheltered area as being like an eagle’s nest, perched above the urban landscape.
A rustic, asymmetrical cover made from wood beams and bamboo screens provides an intimate, shaded seating nook on this Parisian rooftop. Cane furniture and a built-in bench seat topped with cobalt-blue cushions neatly tuck into the shaded area amid potted shrubs, trailing vines and edible fruit trees. Designer Kevin Clare describes the sheltered area as being like an eagle’s nest, perched above the urban landscape.
Here, a tangle of wisteria and grape vines frame a view of the rooftops of Montmartre and spires of Sacré-Coeur basilica.
7. Desert Cooling in Arizona
While landscapes rich in sepia and orange tones are popular in the southwestern United States, landscape designer Elizabeth Przygoda-Montgomery of BOXHILL went in a different direction for this backyard in Tucson, Arizona. “Everything is white and gray, with a whisper of turquoise,” she says. “When you walk in, you feel like you’re in desert-beach.”
While landscapes rich in sepia and orange tones are popular in the southwestern United States, landscape designer Elizabeth Przygoda-Montgomery of BOXHILL went in a different direction for this backyard in Tucson, Arizona. “Everything is white and gray, with a whisper of turquoise,” she says. “When you walk in, you feel like you’re in desert-beach.”
The corrugated roof of the pergola slopes upward — a design that maximizes shade based on how the sun tracks across the yard yet allows for open views. Furniture complements the contemporary style, materials and pale-toned color palette of the covered area.
Tour more of this backyard
Tour more of this backyard
8. Lounging in Style in India
This colorful, eclectic patio designed by Dipen Gada and Associates for a home in Gujarat, India, uses a pergola structure for shade, privacy and to mount a hanging chair. The minty-green paint for the wooden pergola and the terra cotta orange accents in the pillows and brickwork set a colorful scene for backyard lounging.
This colorful, eclectic patio designed by Dipen Gada and Associates for a home in Gujarat, India, uses a pergola structure for shade, privacy and to mount a hanging chair. The minty-green paint for the wooden pergola and the terra cotta orange accents in the pillows and brickwork set a colorful scene for backyard lounging.
9. Rural Elegance in Northern California
In this Woodside, California, garden by Bluewagon Landscape & Design, a shade pergola covers a pair of outdoor sofas and a fire feature, inviting one to pause and enjoy the view over the pool. The white fabric of the shade pergola billows like a cloud caught by the structure. Deep, low-backed sofas help emphasize the height of the outdoor ceiling and offer the promise of living room-quality comforts outside.
In this Woodside, California, garden by Bluewagon Landscape & Design, a shade pergola covers a pair of outdoor sofas and a fire feature, inviting one to pause and enjoy the view over the pool. The white fabric of the shade pergola billows like a cloud caught by the structure. Deep, low-backed sofas help emphasize the height of the outdoor ceiling and offer the promise of living room-quality comforts outside.
Your turn: What shade structures and seating combos. have you incorporated into your outdoor spaces? Share in the Comments.
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