Awnings for Your Garden: How to Choose the Right Style and Size
Upgrade your patio with a garden awning
A good awning can genuinely change how you use your garden. Suddenly a patio that only worked on the sunniest days becomes somewhere you can sit out for lunch, host friends in the evening, or shelter from a light shower without packing everything away and heading indoors. If you’re browsing garden awnings UK wide and feeling a little unsure where to start, here’s how to think about style and size before you buy.
What a garden awning actually does
In its simplest form, an awning extends your home outward. It provides shade on hot days, shelters you from light rain, and turns a patio into somewhere you can actually spend time, rather than a space you only glance at from the kitchen window. Many awnings now come with electric motors and sun or wind sensors, so they retract automatically when the weather changes, giving you peace of mind even when you’re not at home to bring it in yourself.
Choosing the right style
At PeterJohn, we’re trained to advise on and install the full Luxaflex awning range, and there’s a style to suit most gardens and budgets. Our bestselling Base Plus awning offers a sleek, streamlined design with excellent weather protection, while a more compact version suits smaller patios or balconies without losing that same reliable coverage.
For larger spaces, the Armony Plus is our top of the range option, with Italian styling and the ability to cover patios up to 12 metres wide. If you’d prefer something that folds neatly away when not in use, the Zenith retractable awning closes into a discreet wall-mounted box, keeping the look tidy all year round. Canopies and pergolas, available in aluminium or timber, offer a more permanent look if you want your shading to feel like part of the garden’s structure rather than a removable addition. You can browse the full awning range to see what might suit your space.
Getting the size right
Measuring for an awning starts with the width you want to cover along the wall, followed by how far you want it to extend outward over the patio. As a general rule, awnings need to be mounted at least 2.5 metres from the ground to allow safe clearance underneath, so it’s worth checking this against your wall before deciding on a particular model.
It’s also worth thinking about how the awning will look against your home. Matching the frame colour and fabric to your existing exterior, or choosing a deliberate contrast, both work well, but it’s a decision worth making early rather than as an afterthought once the awning has already arrived and you’re left trying to work around it.
Made to measure, fitted by experts
Every awning we supply is measured, advised on and fitted with the same care we bring to our curtains, blinds and shutters. Our own design consultant Sarah, who has been with PeterJohn for 40 years, is always happy to talk through which style and size would suit your garden and home. You can find out more about our interior design service if you’d like some guidance before deciding, whether that’s colour, fabric, or how an awning might work alongside curtains or blinds elsewhere in your home.
As a family run business with over 40 years of experience, and members of the British Blind and Shutter Association since 2021, we’re held to a recognised standard of quality across everything we install, awnings included.
See awnings in-person at our showrooms
The best way to get a feel for scale, fabric and finish is to visit us in person. Pop into our Berkhamsted or Aylesbury showroom, or get in touch to book a free consultation, and we’ll help you find the right awning for your garden.