The famous castaway Robinson Crusoe counted a self-crafted parasol among his desert island possessions, while it was Robert Louis Stevenson who reckoned: "The umbrella has become the acknowledged index of social position... the very foremost badge of modern civilisation." They were on to something. And with credit crunch-induced holidays spent at home becoming increasingly popular, umbrellas are one option to consider for those following the trend to using the free recreational space in our gardens.
"Given the economic uncertainties, we have definitely noticed that people are adding more to their backyards as they plan on staying closer to home," says Bruce Cheng, president of Cedarshed, the outdoor specialists. He predicts that modest holiday plans will translate into more ambitious home improvement projects in 2009. "One trend is for more permanent and natural structures such as gazebos and pergolas; the other trends are to add a pergola but augment it with flowing sails made of canvas or cloth."
The home improvement that is easiest on the budget simply involves a table with a hole in the middle for a parasol; homebodies can close their eyes and make like they are in Marbella before retiring to the cool shade of a fold-up umbrella. For homeowners with more creative ambitions, there are a number of outdoor shading ideas that can redefine a simple garden space into something more appealing.
"The easiest way to create shade if there are no trees would be a parasol with a movable base," says Ian Brown, who works in sales at Global Parasols. "You have many styles to choose from, from traditional wooden parasols to designer parasols such as Tucci's range of marine grade parasols." Angular parasols can create visual interest in an otherwise flat space, in the same manner as the triangular white canvas shapes that line the Abu Dhabi Corniche. A single pointed structure erected over a table and chairs can add a dramatic sense of lift to a space, while choosing to have more than one parasol adds flexibility as the sun moves the shadows around your garden.
The space can also be divided; one for daytime pool lounging, another, covered, for alfresco dining. "Make sure you account for the position of the sun during the day and for the various seasons," says Cheng. "For instance, in our house we have a shade area on both the southern and northern side to best get a shaded area throughout the day." Brown also advises customers to consider the size, heaviness and colour of the parasol, since dramatic is not always the way to go. "Quite often customers order a dark-coloured canopy and then want to replace it with a lighter colour, as the shade was too dark," he says.
Charlotte Anthony, a sales and marketing consultant at Solar Shades Industries in Sharjah, has another bright idea for introducing shade to the UAE's sun-drenched gardens. "The easiest solution might be a sail-shaped design, where wall-mounted base plates and steel wire shackling are used to support the sun shade on the existing walls of the building or compound." Anthony says that sail-shaped designs, which are the most popular in the UAE, are typically chosen by clients for private villas. There they are mainly used to shade building entrances, gardens and swimming pools. "Umbrella designs - rather like those you see shading car parking areas ? have also become popular in domestic settings," she says.
She adds that while many people choose a shade covering for recreational purposes, come the summer months an erectable structure can provide essential shelter for cars, a must for those who need to put children and babies into otherwise oven-like vehicles. She advises those seeking a shady solution to ask themselves how long they want the structure to last and how much light it should let in. "A common mistake is that not enough shade is created. You have to remember that for the majority of the year in the Middle East, temperatures are greater than 35ºC, which reduces the scope for an outdoor lifestyle for both young and old unless adequate shading is provided."
Aside from canvas structures, stay-at-home leisure seekers are installing playhouses, sheds and gazebos. "While the easiest way to add shade is with sun umbrellas or awnings, more permanent solutions would be to add a gazebo made of wood, metal or high-end vinyl," says Cheng, of Cedarshed. "Pergolas and other structures are possible with the addition of some sun-blocking screens, but most structures can be customised to add personal flair. For example, adding side walls to a gazebo. Given that they are made of wood, it is very easy to add to these types of structures."
? For more information, visit: www.cedarshed.com; www.globalparasols.com; Solar Shade Industries: +971 6 535 3594
