While many homeowners gravitate toward homey or rustic-styled patios, modern and contemporary styles continue to be a big trend in home design. Often used interchangeably, the two styles do bear many similarities. Essentially, you often expect to see bold shapes and colors, though organic shapes and colors can fit into the aesthetic if the lines are clean.

If you have a contemporary home, you may favor a contemporary-styled patio. Regardless of the style, you'll need some shade to keep your outdoor space comfortable no matter the time of day. An awning can provide that shade. Below are some ideas for patio awnings that will fit within the modern or contemporary aesthetic.

Solid-Colored Fabric

Awning fabric comes in a range of materials with coatings to make the fabric weatherproof. Vinyl is the most common coating, though acrylic and resin are also popular. Regardless of the coating, you'll have a variety of choices in color and pattern. While striped awnings are very popular, they might not be the best fit for your contemporary look. Instead, choose a solid-colored awning.

Awningfabric can come in some bold colors such as full-saturation red, blue, yellow, and green. Any of these colors would be ideal if you want a pop of color on your patio. This approach is common when your décor is primarily black and white. You'll want to repeat the color sparingly in the patio décor itself.

Inthat vein, a black or white awning would also offer a modern touch. Be careful with black, though, if that side of the house gets a lot of sun. The dark color might not be efficient at keeping your patio cool enough in that scenario.

Achic contemporary approach is to utilize a monochromatic palette in your décor. Typically, the single color is in the range of beige or gray. To that end, you'll want to choose the same color for your awning.

Contrasting Frame

As noted, bold shapes are featured in this décor style. This approach relates to the emphasis of form in contemporary design. A patio awning conveniently features a framework that provides the shape of the structure itself. The frame consists of a front bar, mounting bar, and arms. Some immobile structures also feature posts to secure the frame to the ground.

Quite often, the framework is powder-coated white or beige to match light colors or black to match dark colors. This matching is not a rule, though, and you can customize the awning to feature the opposite. For example, let's say you choose a white awning. Choose a black framework. It will provide a contrast against the white background that emphasizes the shape of the awning itself.

Metal Awning

Not all awnings feature fabric. In fact, you can choose a metal awning. Typically from aluminum, the metal awning is fixed in one place. They're durable and cost-effective.

From the design point of view, a metal awning is also ideal for a modern patio. The style favors manufactured materials, which metal is. What's more, metal offers a sharp profile in its shape, which again speaks to the modern style.

What sets metal apart is how you can use it for an ultra-modern patio. Such styles usually deconstruct the area to its base forms, typically with an emphasis on the industrial. This emphasis speaks to the desire for manufactured materials. Metal awnings often feature a corrugated surface, so they always present at least a some what industrial profile.

Metalawnings are typically solid-colored, and you have many of the same color choices as with fabric. A metal awning is a more visually solid structure than fabric. Therefore, you might want to be careful in choosing a bold color. You might better, in this instance, choose a neutral or metallic color and leave the bold hues for other parts of your décor.

Promotethe contemporary or modern aesthetic of your patio with a complementary awning. Lexington Tent & Awning Company has a full range of awnings to fit your design style.