Located 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, Nantucket feels like its own little world. The 14-mile-long, 3-mile-wide island is small in size but large in stature. Packed with rich history and culture, Nantucket has evolved from a fishing and farming community to an upscale summer vacation home haven.

Cobblestone streets lined with historic homes and warehouse converted museums provide a glimpse of old world Nantucket. The preservation of architectural design amongst the island makes it feel as though you’ve stepped back into the 17^th century. As many of the historic homes are updated or remodelled, there is an emphasis on safeguarding the original build.

Homeowner L. MacLean who recently completed a full make-over of her outdoor living space was looking to improve functionality while maintaining the home’s Cape Cod design. She engaged local contractors Edgewater Landscape Design to create a beautiful patio in her backyard complete with a custom cedar pergola.

Since the plan was to spend most of the summer on the new patio, the need to add a stylish, durable and integrated shade solution became apparent.

“After reviewing several options for a retractable canopy system, we decided to install a ShadeFX retractable roof to get full rain and sun protection for our new pergola area. ShadeFX coordinated directly with Edgewater Landscape Design to ensure the retractable roof and custom pergola would fit together perfectly and the installation was completed on time, professionally. The shade is easy to use and works beautifully!”

ShadeFX installed a 10’x16’ retractable roof with Marine Blue Ferrari fabric as the homeowners wanted to add a pop of colour to the space. With little effort, the MacLean’s have taken advantage of the home automation function, programming the system’s motor to their phones.

“We made our way to Nantucket for first visit of the season and wanted to let you know we are so thrilled with the pergola/shade result! It was sunny yesterday and we already made use of the shade. Today it is cloudy and looks like will rain shortly so we have it opened to prevent our cushions from getting wet. I’ve sent a thank you to Paul as well related to the pergola and that and the shade look to be perfectly integrated. Also very easily got the functionality on my phone working as well! Couldn’t be happier!”

– L. MacLean

The end result of this project is a seamless integration of a modern solution into a traditional design, adding to the increasing presence of retractable roofs along the North-East Coast. The retractable roof offers much-needed flexibility to this already amazing outdoor space, providing protection from those April showers or those May rays!