There’s a moment every summer when you realise your outdoor space could be working harder for you. The garden furniture is out, the sun is shining… and then it’s just a little too bright, or a passing shower sends everyone back inside. The right awning solves all of these problems. And when it’s properly chosen for your property, it looks like it was always meant to be there.
At BASE Direct, we manufacture our awnings right here in the UK. Our residential range covers everything from compact balcony shading to statement cassette systems for large patios. But with that breadth of choice comes a big question: which awning is actually right for your home?
Start with your space
Before looking at any particular awning, have a think about your space and what you need from it. A few questions to consider:
- Do you want to shade a patio, a window, a balcony, or something else on your property?
- How much protection do you realistically want? There’s a difference between occasional glare reduction and reliable coverage in changeable British weather.
- Roughly how wide is the area you want to shade?
- How far out from the wall does the shade need to reach? This is called the “projection”.
When it comes to the measuring, don’t worry too much about getting it completely accurate. The professional who installs your awning can do that for you. It just helps to have a rough idea so that you can narrow down your choices.
A few terms worth understanding
If you’ve never had an awning before, there are a handful of terms that come up repeatedly and are worth knowing before you look at specific products.
Cassette refers to the housing that the folded fabric and arms retract into when the awning is closed. A fully cassetted awning hides everything completely out of sight and out of the weather. A semi-cassetted design protects the fabric but leaves the arms partially exposed. For most homes in the UK, fully cassetted is the preferred choice: it keeps the awning looking tidy and extends its lifespan by protecting internal components from rain and UV damage.
Projection is how far the awning extends outward from the wall when fully open. A 1.6m projection covers a modest seating area; 3.1m or more is needed for a large patio.
Folding arm is the most common awning type for patios and open spaces. The arms fold back against the wall when retracted and extend outward to hold the fabric taut when in use. No legs on the ground means no obstruction to your space.
Drop arm works differently: the arms pivot downward rather than extending outward. This makes them ideal for windows and balconies, where you want shade from above without blocking the view or the space in front.
Motorisation means the awning opens and closes electrically. At BASE Direct, we use Somfy motors across our range. They can be operated by remote control, wall switch, or linked into a smart home system, and paired with wind, sun, or rain sensors for hands-free automated control.
BASE Direct Residential Awnings
We offer six residential awnings in total, covering a wide range of sizes, styles, and applications.
BASE Plus – the reliable all-rounder
The BASE Plus is our best-selling awning, and for good reason. It does everything well, installs easily, and suits the widest range of domestic situations.
It’s a fully cassetted folding arm system that mounts on just two brackets (one at each end) which makes installation straightforward. Widths run from under 2m up to 6m, with four projection sizes from 1.6m up to 3.1m. The stainless steel chain-link arms keep the fabric taut and stable in light wind, and the pitch can be adjusted on-site with a single pass-through screw.
Optional LED arm lighting is available for evening use, and the awning is compatible with the full Somfy motorisation and sensor range. The frame comes in three colours: Pure White, Textured Anthracite (grey), and Jet Black.
Best for: Homeowners who want a dependable, well-proven awning for a standard patio or bifold door opening. It comes backed by a 5-year structural guarantee and a 10-year fabric warranty.
BASE Lite – compact coverage for smaller spaces
The BASE Lite is built to the same standard as the BASE Plus but in a smaller footprint. It maxes out at 4m wide and offers three projection sizes up to 2.6m, making it the right choice for shading smaller areas.
Like the Plus, it’s fully cassetted and installs on two end brackets. It’s available in Pure White as standard, which keeps it clean and unobtrusive. Pitch adjustment and the choice of manual or motorised operation are consistent with the rest of the BASE family.
Best for: Smaller patios, compact terraces, and any situation where the BASE Plus would be overkill. If your outdoor space is modest, the Lite is a more proportionate and cost-effective choice.
Epica – the design-led statement awning
Where the BASE models prioritise simplicity and proven performance, the Epica prioritises aesthetics and ambition. It’s a full-cassette awning with a noticeably slimmer cassette profile, which reduces visual bulk on the wall. Its headline feature is integrated LED lighting that runs across the entire cassette box, creating a striking illuminated effect across the outer silhouette in the evening.
The Epica is also notable for its Giant arm option, which allows projection up to 4.1m. That’s exceptional reach for a residential awning and makes it suitable for very deep patios. As a single unit it spans up to 6m, and when joined with a seamless profile it can reach 12m.
It uses side-mounted brackets and features a patented tipping system for a perfect front bar closure at any pitch. The Epica is available in Textured Anthracite as standard.
Best for: Homeowners who want the awning to make a design statement as much as provide practical shade. If the installation is on a contemporary extension or a property where visual detail matters, the Epica delivers in a way other BASE models aren’t designed to. The Giant arm option also makes it the right call for deep patios where other cassette systems run out of reach.
Epica Lite – the Epica’s accessible sibling
The Epica Lite takes the design language of the Epica and delivers it in a more accessible package. It features the same slim cassette profile, the signature Balteus arms, hidden fixings, adjustable brackets, and the patented tipping system for a clean front bar closure.
It’s available up to 6m wide with projections from 1.6m to 4.1m (using Giant arms), and installs on two standard end brackets. Unlike the full Epica, it’s offered in three standard colours: White, Anthracite, and Black. Optional LED arm lighting is available, and it supports both wall and ceiling installation.
Best for: Anyone drawn to the Epica’s aesthetic but working within a more modest footprint or budget, or where a standard end-bracket installation is preferable to side-bracket mounting. It’s a well-rounded mid-range option with design quality above its price point.
Armony Plus – the premium choice for wide or complex spans
The Armony Plus steps up both in scale and engineering. As a fully cassetted system, it uses an innovative multi-bracket fixing system running along the length of the awning. This is what allows it to span up to 7m as a single unit and up to 12m with a seamless profile join on site.
Five projection sizes are available up to 3.6m, and the same three standard frame colours apply. The multi-bracket design makes it the most structurally robust option in the residential range, which is also why it’s BASE Direct’s most popular system for larger domestic applications. LED arm lighting and the full Somfy control ecosystem are available as options.
Best for: Larger homes with expansive patio or terrace areas where a single BASE Plus or Epica wouldn’t span the full width. It’s also the right call when a wall surface is non-standard: uneven sections, complex reveals, or challenging surfaces where multiple bracket points give the installer more to work with. If you’re deciding between the Armony Plus and the Zenith (which is in our commercial range), the Armony Plus is typically the more appropriate choice for a residential context.
Italia Slim – for windows, balconies, and upper storeys
The Italia Slim is a fundamentally different kind of awning. Rather than extending outward over a patio, it uses spring-loaded arms to pivot downward. This makes it the right tool for windows, balconies, and anywhere shade is needed from above without taking up horizontal space.
The arms fold back up into a slim, fully enclosed cassette when retracted, and the sculptured bottom rail seals snugly into the cassette box to form a weatherproof enclosure. The wide adjustable angle, from 0° to 150°, means it can function as a near-horizontal sunshade or a near-vertical privacy screen depending on need.
Widths range from 1.2m to 4m, with arm drop options up to 1.6m. It’s available in Pure White. Manual operation comes as standard, but you can upgrade to motorisation if you wish.
Best for: Upper-floor windows and balconies where a conventional folding arm awning isn’t practical, and ground-floor situations where an outward-projecting awning would obstruct a path or a tight seating area. If you’ve been told an awning “won’t work” on a particular window, the Italia Slim might prove that to be untrue.
Accessories we recommend considering
Motorisation is the upgrade most homeowners wish they’d chosen from the start. The Somfy system integrates with remote controls, wall switches, and smartphones, and can link to weather sensors for fully automated operation.
LED arm lighting is built into the awning arms and provides soft ambient light underneath the canopy in the evening. It’s available across most of the range and dims to 50% brightness.
Infrared heating extends the usable season of your outdoor space considerably. With a heater, you can stay warm and cosy in your garden even in the shoulder seasons of spring and autumn. The Rio Grande weatherproof heater, available in 1.5kW and 2.0kW, mounts on the wall and can be operated through the Somfy control system alongside your awning.
Dickson fabrics are used across the full BASE Direct range. Their acrylic construction and unique coating provide strong UV protection, light rain resistance, and protection against fading, mould, and dirt penetration. A comprehensive selection of plains, stripes, and custom options is available.
Brackets and supports are more important than they might seem. We produce a full range of custom bracket solutions, including pipe brackets for walls with downpipes in the way, gutter brackets for low installation heights, and spreader plates for single-storey extensions. Getting the bracket right from the start means your awning sits correctly and the installation is safe and long-lasting.
Warranty and aftercare
All BASE Direct residential awnings come with a 5-year guarantee on structural components, and a 10-year fabric warranty against rot and fade. We hold some spare parts in stock for next-day delivery, so if anything ever needs attention, you’re not waiting for parts to arrive from overseas.
Feeling more confident about your decision?
The next step is to find a local dealer who can help you talk through your specific situation and install your awning to the highest standard. If you need help locating one, contact us here.