There’s so much progress happening at the Heights House as we near the finish line (which means a LOT to catch up on!) and today I wanted to update you on one of my favorite parts of the exterior—the back patio:
Specifically, our custom metal awning that so many of you have asked about in my Instagram stories.
The decision to add an awning came about months ago, after realizing we needed some form of shelter from the rain, especially since this will be the main door we enter the house through (our driveway is detached). The newly installed wood doors were also warping a bit after getting drenched in a few Florida downpours, so we couldn’t waste any time.
My first thought was to go with the cheapest/quickest solution, so I bought this fabric awning on Wayfair for only $236:
The problem was, we measured the width of the doors before the trim was installed, and didn’t think to account for the added width. Our awning ended up just a few inches too short!
We were also limited in height by the roofline on the right side, and came to the conclusion that custom was the way to go. But where to begin?
I started looking around at local places, but most had very limited options (only fabric) or styles that wouldn’t fit the design of our house. Then I spotted this image online and tracked down the source:
It came from Design Your Awning, which is a smaller shop located in Louisiana, specializing in custom metal awnings (aluminum, steel and copper). I fell in love with the Juliet style (shown above) and immediately requested more information on their site. They responded the next day and I sent over the dimensions for a quote:
After receiving the quote, I reached out to a couple other companies (there aren’t many out there who offer Juliet style awnings!) and their quotes were much higher than Design Your Awning. Design Your Awning was also the fastest to respond and most helpful, so it was a done deal. After learning a bit more about the project, the owner (Kenny) offered to step in as a sponsor—so a huge thank you to Kenny and the Design Your Awning team (and to my readers for supporting businesses that make these posts possible!)
After sending Kenny a few photos and confirming final details and measurements, they started production on the awning and a few weeks later, they sent a photo of the completed awning in their warehouse:
Just like my inspiration photo! It was perfect. I approved it and they shipped it right away, emailing a packet with detailed installation instructions so I knew what to expect.
The awning arrived shortly afterwards, securely packaged in a crate.
Everything needed to install it was included in the package (apart from basic tools like a drill and tape measure). I wasn’t sure if Lucas and I would be able to tackle it on our own, but fortunately the awning is surprisingly light and we could easily lift it into place, with Lucas holding it steady by himself.
The awning came with Z clips, which we secured to the wall (using the anchors and screws provided). We just had to measure to determine the height first.
Once our top row of clips were in, we checked to confirm they were level.
Then we lifted the awning onto the clips, centered it in place, and attached the lower clips.
Simple as that!
The final step is to add a bead of silicone where the awning meets the wall, but ours is a bit tricker since we have an expansion joint in the stucco which leaves a gap along the lower portion. We’ll need to add a strip of foam tape to seal it, but so far no sign of leaks or drips underneath the awning after two months.
The awning has a 50-year life with no maintenance, and even though metal is a larger investment up front, I’m so glad we went this route instead of fabric! Here in Florida especially, the constant sun and rain exposure would have meant having to worry about replacing it. And of course, this looks much nicer and complements the European style of the house so well.
Last month we finally got our pavers installed, and landscaping was finished shortly after. I’ll do a separate post all about our landscaping plans soon, but the exterior is so close to being completed…
One of my favorite landscaping features is the half moon bumpouts we added on the back patio to plant white bougainvilleas. Soon we’ll add large trellises against the house—hopefully these babies grow fast!
For now, last major thing to do on the exterior is the window/door trim paint, which means I can finally paint the rest of the window arches black 🙂
Even though the house will soon be officially “finished”—we still have a long way to go in adding our own personal touches, custom details, and filling it with things we love so it truly becomes our home.
We’ve now entered the ‘rain every day season’ which has delayed completion yet again, but ready or not, our baby shower will be held on this patio in a few weeks…
Send all the positive vibes that we can get electricity and move in by June! We could really use some good luck around here 😉
Denise says
Amazing, amazing, amazing!!!!!
Linda Grubbs says
Oh wow…the awning is gorgeous! Perfect.
Loving the details of your new beautiful home!!
Can’t wait til its finished.
Oh, the bougainvillea is a beautiful touch. Love the bump-outs>
Vanessa says
The awning is perfect for the home! I spent some time today scrubbing a very old scalloped awning watching the paint flake off with every scrub. I wonder if I should take it down, clean it and paint it while it’s on the ground. Yours looks like it would come down if it needs to, maybe mine too. Good post.
Julie says
Like everything else in your designs, that awning is PERFECT! I feel like anything else would have looked like an obvious after thought. The awning sets off the whole rear of the house, I love it. I’m sure it wasn’t cheap but you got maximum bang for your bucks I think!
Nadine says
So glad you went with the custom metal awning instead of the fabric. It goes perfect with the style of the house. Sometimes we have to bite the bullet and go for the right item, rather than just settle on something simply because it’s budget friendly. Looks great!
Crystal says
Oh, that awning is amazing, what a great design choice for your home! Have you had previous experience with bougainvillea? Know about the thorns? and it get super big, unless this variety stays small? Might want to relocate it away from the door or expect to be trimming it frequently plus the thorns. :/ Love your new home, it’s absolutely beautiful and a wonderful addition to the neighborhood!
Jenna Sue says
We do know about the thorns and have a full grown bougainvillea bush in the yard 🙂 It shouldn’t get too close to the door but we definitely plan to keep it trimmed down as needed and train it to grow up instead of out!
Marilyn says
Like everything else you do, it’s stunning!!! You are SO talented!! Love your blog and look forward to all the posts. Been following you since the beginning! So happy for you and Lucas!!
Jenna Sue says
Thank you Marilyn, that means a lot! <3
Moriah says
You are amazing! How in the world do you keep track of three deprecate homes, DIY projects and being pregnant? You seem to think of every detail and it’s those simple things that really make a big difference. Love, love, love your home. It’s perfect! Thank you for taking us along on your journey and giving us so many tutorials ?. Take care of you and baby ?
Jenna Sue says
That is so sweet of you to say Moriah! It takes a lot of mental energy and planning to stay on top of everything, but there are so many things that fall through the cracks (especially lately) and I’m always behind on the daily to-do list. How will I get anything done with a baby around?! Hah!
Shauna says
Sending positive thoughts your way. When you look back at this busy time, you may even feel wistful!
You are design wizards, the house is beautiful. Looking forward to your landscaping update, but take your time and try to get some rest in there somewhere!
Jenna Sue says
Thank you Shauna! Hopefully lots of rest on the beach next week 🙂
Patty says
Everything looks gorgeous: the house, awning, patio, and landscaping! What an amazing vision you had. I have a question about the downspout near the backdoor…was it a design choice to have it brown to match the gutters or have you considered painting it to blend in with the wall?
Jenna Sue says
Thanks Patty! Yep, we decided to keep it brown to match. A lot of people use gutters as design features and honestly I think it’d look a bit strange if it was the only one on the house that was painted.
Kristen Eff says
Another wonderful post! Hey I’m currently reading “The Water Will Come” by Jeff Goodell and it’s got some pertinent information about sea level rise in Florida. It’s on my brain so I was thinking of your new build and wondering if this came up in discussion with your contractor. I’m not familiar with the state and don’t know where you live, but just curious.
Jenna Sue says
From what I’ve heard that’s a much bigger issue in Miami—folks aren’t too worried about it here (at least in Tampa). Our house is not in a flood zone either, so I don’t think we’ll have any trouble at least in our lifetime 🙂
Amy says
That awning is amazing!! We are just getting started on a new build and I am filing this info away for when we get to the point of thinking about this. I know our front windows would look amazing with something similar. Good luck over the next few weeks!
Jenna Sue says
Thanks Amy! These awnings weren’t even on my radar until I started searching for them but now I see them everywhere on exteriors — they look so nice over windows!
Caroline says
I LOVE the outside. And you are right, those bumpouts are amazing! I can’t wait to see the wall once everything starts growing. The awning is lovely, too.
Y’all have done such a great job! I can’t wait to see everything finished.
Jenna Sue says
Thank you Caroline! I just want to fast forward a couple years to when everything is filled in! Can’t wait 😀