Shade sails have been around since the age of the Ancient Egyptians, and they’ve proven themselves to be one of the most cost-effective ways to protect your outdoor areas from the sun. Over the years we’ve been involved in many awesome shade projects, so we thought we’d share some of our favourites. 

Shade sails for an early childhood centre, schools and other educational institutions.

We’ve done a lot of shade sail installations for ECEs, including the one pictured above at Cumberland Kindergarten in Hamilton. This is the ideal location for a shade sail: close to the building, but offering a sun shade spanning over two different popular play areas. In keeping with the centre’s branding, the colours are bright and bold.

Shade sails create a safe and shady space for play, providing extremely high UV protection and shelter from the sun. Shade sails create a functional space that not only looks good but offers protection from the weather.

We also have continued to supply sun shelters to a number of schools to protect students from the sun.

The first above is a large, sheltered outdoor space at Taradale High School in Hawke’s Bay where students can relax while they study or eat lunch.

The second is at Tui Glen School in Stokes Valley in Wellington where the shade sails shelter the junior student’s play equipment, picnic areas, and more!   A vibrant and practical cost-effective solution, both of which have great aesthetic appeal and add a contemporary feel to school buildings.

Shade sails for the community

Shade sails are an ideal solution for many types of businesses and organisations. You can find us working on shade sails for restaurants, and we also install shading systems for parks and recreational facilities such as community swimming pools, parks and playgrounds, marae, churches and picnic areas.

A shade sail is an easy-to-install alternative to a traditional pergola roof or solid structure because it requires no heavy machinery or complicated construction methods. The shades are made from lightweight materials that can be installed onto virtually any surface with little more than straps and ratchets. Some types of shade sails may require some additional support or bracketry, but they save time and come with minimal disruption to erect them.

• The images above illustrate how two large installations create totally different shade solutions and cleverly complement their surroundings.
• Our structures are PS1 compliant to ensure they can withstand all the elements.

Here are some of our favourite shade sail installations in New Zealand for private residences.

At Sunshade, we understand that your shade sails are more than just a place to chill out and enjoy the sun. They’re an investment in your home and lifestyle, and therefore deserve to be built to last.

Above are some examples of how we’ve installed shade sails for private residential customers in New Zealand, including an award-winning Auckland installation (shown centre).

Because Sunshade Shade Sails are custom-made to fit the specific needs of each customer, they are extremely popular for private residences. No off-the-shelf here!

Shade sails also add a certain architectural design element to the home, and they come in a variety of colours to match your style.

At Sunshade our shade sails are designed using 3D software, ensuring that they meet your precise specifications. In addition, our system allows for a straightforward process as well as access to our local expert installers from the get-go.

Talk to us about your shade sail project

We hope you enjoyed reading about some of the shading projects that we’ve been involved with. If you’re interested in installing shade sails on your property whether it’s for public or private use, please give us a call or message today!

We’d love to work with you.

Sunshade were stoked to be recognised at this year’s national OFPANZ Awards for Excellence in Nelson, for two separate pieces of work.

Two of our regional licensees were awarded – Mike Atwood in the Waikato took out the top prize in the Residential Shade Sails category, and Mark Hannan in Hawke’s Bay received a Highly Commended in the Commercial Shade Sail section.

The OFPANZ Awards are designed to celebrate design and workmanship, and winners have to show the challenges they had to overcome and that they have created an overall positive and lasting impression.

Sunshade’s 2022 award-winning shade sail installations were:

Highbrook – by Mike Atwood, Sunshade Waikato licensee
WINNER: OPFANZ Awards for Excellence 2022, Residential Shade Sails

From the landscaper’s concept to reality this was a true test of our skills. Experienced Waikato installer Mike Atwood was brought in to finesse a cool-looking shade sail concept, and make it work to adhere to the core principles of shade sail design, detail and robustness. 

The installation features 3 triangle and 2 rectangle sails, fabricated in our Hastings workshop using Z16 architectural shade cloth in Charcoal. Set in Hamilton’s Highbrook subdivision, the sails needed to provide shade and shelter for not just the north-facing deck but also the home’s interior, in an extreme high wind zone.

A stuck concrete truck and a digger that couldn’t reach above the retaining wall all added to the challenge! And all through Covid lockdowns which added layers to the communications and our ability to make things happen on site.

But Mike and the customer came through and we now have a landscape client who has asked for more quotes since, so well done Mike and the team on this impressive effort and show of skill.

Get more ideas specific to Residential homes here:   RESIDENTIAL

Wairoa College – by Mark Hannan, Sunshade Hawke’s Bay licensee
WINNER: OPFANZ Awards for Excellence, Commercial Shade Sails

Wairoa College asked our local Hawke’s Bay licensee Mark to create a large range of shaded spaces across the school grounds, to provide much-needed UV protection for rangatahi. The shades needed to tie in with the existing environment and established trees, be resistant to graffiti, meet the budget and stand up to the high wind zone. 

The main complexity of this job was the scale and sheer number of sails and posts involved (10 sails, 29 posts!).

Another challenge was the location, in a small rural town about 120kms from our business. 

You can learn more about the project here. 

The result is a serious set of shade sails and sun protection for the students, and we’re proud to have created a stylish set of architectural shades that invite rangatahi to hang out in a variety of spaces.

Get more ideas specific to the Education sector here:   EDUCATION

Further kudos

We also wish to acknowledge our Auckland Licensee, Seaton Meredith, who entered the blinds and screens category for this awesome custom PVC screen installation at a rustic rural barn-style property. 

While the project didn’t receive a gong, it is still an impressive piece of work!

Sunshade Group Ltd co-Director Suzanne Hoyt was delighted with the wins.

“In addition to our Sunshade licensees taking out two categories this year, we are also delighted to have two of our workshop apprentices receive accolades in the Apprentice of the Year. One team member was named Tier 1 Apprentice of the Year, and the other received the Highly Commended.”

“Overall this year’s awards offered some great recognition of the hard work our teams put in.”

Looking for your own slice of shade sail paradise?

Browse our shade sails here, or check out our solutions with premium high-grade umbrellas and outdoor blinds here, or simply contact us now and we’ll guide you through.

Today we are very excited to announce that it’s out with the old ‘0800 Sunshade’ name, and in with the new – along with a brand new look and feel.

As you can see, we’ve evolved our name, logo, and tagline which we hope you’ll agree, far better represents who we are today.  We’ve also launched our new website which lifts things up a notch.

Don’t worry, you can definitely still ring us on the 0800 number, it’s just no longer part of our name.

Why the change?

We took a good look at our business and realised that over the years we have built a reputation as being shade + screen specialists – focusing on what we do best to enhance any outdoor space. The old logo simply didn’t represent the quality of the work we were doing by today’s standards.

Our dedicated team throughout the country enjoy the challenge of helping hundreds of clients to make their spaces more liveable and lovable. As individual installers, we are lucky to be uniquely backed up by the team at our Hawke’s Bay design and production facility. You may not realise that our screens and shade sails are, and have always been, centrally fabricated here in NZ. Under our guidance as installers, it is our mission to see that customers are assured a quality, long-lasting result that fits your space. 

When you put it all together, it’s easy to see that our collective expertise, combined with our sharp eye for quality, is our real point of difference. 

Thank you for choosing and trusting the Sunshade brand

Whether you bought a shade sail from us 15 years ago for your home, recently had a screen or shade system installed at your premises, or are currently considering using our services, every customer has helped us reach this point. For that we are grateful, and look forward to continuing to help you and provide expertise in this area when you need it.

No changes to our contact details

From now on you can kiss the super cool sunglasses logo goodbye, drop the ‘0800’ and simply call us ‘Sunshade’ – but everything else about us stays very much in place. You can still call head office on 0800 786 742, or reach out directly to your local installer – we’re here and happy to help.

Many of you know 0800 Sunshade as quality and reliable suppliers of shade sails.  While shade sails are a large and important part of our business it’s not all we do well. We have a huge range of products including outdoor screens, awnings, and umbrellas that offer superior weather protection for all seasons.  They include:

Ziptrak® Clear or Mesh Outdoor Screens

Suitable for all seasons and excellent at ensuring you can use more of your outdoor space, whatever the weather! Ziptrak® screens are an award-winning track-guided blind system that ensure the safe and seamless operation of your clear or mesh screen.

Retractable and Fixed Frame Awnings

Offer New Zealand homes outstanding sun and rain protection over entrances, walkways and verandas. Not to mention providing exceptional ‘stand out’ street appeal in a wide range of bright or subdued colours or when branded.

Shade Structures

Hugely effective for larger areas that require more permanent shade or rain protection. Great for playgrounds, walkways, seating areas and grandstand coverage.

Moveable and Fixed Arm Umbrellas

Perfect for deflecting the sun at any time of the day off your veranda, outdoor furniture, sandpit, pool area etc. Instant shade when and where you need it. Our sun umbrellas range in size from 1.9m to 5m square. We only stock Shade7 Umbrellas, New Zealand’s finest quality outdoor umbrella that is built to last even in New Zealand’s harsh sun and wind.

Sandpit Covers

Early childhood regulations state that all sandpits, bark pits, and similar facilities are covered after the last session each day, or, if covering is impracticable, are raked, before the first session each day and inspected for animal droppings and dangerous objects. Let us make it easy for you. Get a custom made sandpit cover that is easy to remove, store and place.

As an innovator and manufacturer in outdoor fabric and weather protection products we can also custom-design and build to your unique requirements. We are the weather protection solutions people!

About Sunshade

Sunshade have built a reputation as one of the leading providers of weather protection products in New Zealand and to Pacific Islands.

We’ve spent over 20 years making our customers happy, and we’ve used our experience to focus on being the best at what we do.

That’s why we invest time in finding the right combination of materials, designs and structure to meet your weather protection needs. By designing and manufacturing solutions that recognize your environment, we can be sure that our weather protection solutions do the job well and are made to last.

2017 OFPANZ Award for Excellence – Domestic Shade Sail.

Every year the Outdoor Fabric Products Association of New Zealand (OFPANZ) holds a conference where members can enter recent projects into the Awards for Excellence. This year there were more than 80 entries across 16 categories. Sunshade is excited to announce that our Auckland licensee, Seaton Meredith of Custom Shade and Screens, won the National Award for Excellence in the Domestic Shade Sail category.

“Initially the client wanted a small shade sail to provide privacy for their backyard and pool area as well as the second floor living area of their home. After the first shade was installed the client liked the effect so much he called to ask for another shade to cover the patio area of the pool,” Meredith said.

The project was made more complex by the differing requirements of the client of visual privacy from neighbours as well as provision of shade. Access, the pool and placement of poles limited options of location and shape of sails. The well-established garden had to be totally protected from all workings.

For the second sail the client insisted on using the existing poles from our first installation thus having the correct angle for one shade to provide privacy and then create enough space between the first and second shade to avoid any rubbing.

Using CAD system to create the correct shape and present visual options to the client gave us the ability to make sure that the project would meet his very specific requirements.

The shapes and the Mocha Z16 shade fabric blended in well to exceed the customer’s expectations.

About OFPANZ

OFPANZ was established in 1988 with fewer than 20 members. Nowadays, the association has more than 50 members committed to excellence and awarded in New Zealand and abroad for their innovation and ingenuity. The association represents enterprises engaged in anything from canvas fabrication, sailmaking, vehicle trimming and upholstery, to medium and very large structures covered in PVC and similar materials, as well as suppliers of materials and associated components.

OFPANZ, its Executive and its members are dedicated to promoting, developing and protecting the interests of the manufacture, trading and marketing of all outdoor fabric products with exceptional quality and to recognised standards, both nationally and internationally.

The association seeks to provide fabricators and suppliers of outdoor products and materials with a forum for increasing their industry knowledge, developing new skills, legislation and technology, sharing experiences and the association helps provide a platform to network with other like-minded companies worldwide.

Says Mike König of Sunshade “The value of this industry association lies in the establishment of networks and contacts in the industry. Although we all compete fiercely with each other, if a project is outside of our capability or region then we know a trusted company we can refer it to.  And if we need help on a particular issue we know whom to ask.”

Mike Konig accepting award at 2017 OFPANZ Queenstown Conference

OFPANZ is affiliated to the Specialised Textiles Association (STA) of Australia and became a country chapter of the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI), based in the United States, in 2008.

About Sunshade
Sunshade have built a reputation as one of the leading providers of weather protection products in New Zealand and to Pacific Islands.

We’ve spent over 20 years making our customers happy, and we’ve used our experience to focus on being the best at what we do.

That’s why we invest time in finding the right combination of materials, designs and structure to meet your weather protection needs. By designing and manufacturing solutions that recognize your environment, we can be sure that our weather protection solutions do the job well and are made to last.