We have a lovely deck, but it was too hot to enjoy in the summertime. The sun that came in from the glass patio doors made the house hot, too.
So I was excited when I spotted these big “Dyning” awnings at Ikea.
I picked up two of them for $25 each. They’re made of lightweight water-repellent, UV protectant nylon. They have loops for attaching, and come with springs and ties.
My deck already had a short railing, since it’s on the second story. So I needed to build the railing higher so I’d be able to anchor the canopy to it and the house. (Sorry, I forgot to take a “before” picture, so you get a snowy view!)
With some help from a handy buddy, I screwed large lag bolts into pressure treated lumber to the back of the current posts. I then added the horizontal boards at top, overlapping the new vertical posts and screwing them in with lag bolts.
We added eye hooks to the top for the awning to hook into, and screwed coordinating ones into the house. The two awnings together were a bit longer than the deck, so we overlapped them in the center. The springs attached to the eye hooks at the house, and were then tied to the loops using the ties provided. The springs are really a brilliant addition… we get extreme winds here in the summer, and the springs gave enough to keep my awning from ripping away.
I loved my new awning! But then I thought… wouldn’t it be nice to add sheer curtains along the front to further block the late afternoon sun? And maybe add some privacy for outdoor dining? In the end, the cheapest option was to buy fabric shower curtains. These are made to be mildew resistant, they’re sheer and lightweight, and the holes at top are reinforced with a layer of plastic. Perfect!
I hung curtain rods on the OUTSIDE of the horizontal boards, then used metal rust-proof shower rings to attach three shower curtains I bought for $5 each. And then (because how could I resist?) I put up a strand of solar-powered rope lights.
Kind of romantic, no? At the end of the season, it’s easy to take the canopy and curtains down and throw them in the wash, and store them for next summer. Ah, summer!
