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About
Us
www.bestawnings.com
bestawnings.com is owned and operated by Kennady Company, Inc. A family-owned enterprise since 1993, Kennady Company specializes in the motorization, automation and integration of interior and exterior window coverings.
We offer our products and services to architects, custom builders, interior designers and residential home owners in the Central Texas area.
As a company built on referrals, Kennady Co., Inc. our success depends upon complete professionalism and the finest products. Our 30 years of combined experience provides solutions to difficult and complex projects. We stay abreast of new developments in the industry through extensive research and education, and we consistently update our offerings of awnings, window coverings, motors and controls. |
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Mission
Statement
It is our mission to offer only the industry's highest engineered, manufactured quality parts and components in our products and unequalled service. |
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Testimonials
Bill and Sharon Q
Horseshoe Bay, Texas |
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 I recently had a motorized awning and plantation shutters installed in my condo in Horseshoe Bay, Texas by the Kennady Co., Inc. I just want to say that I am extremely pleased with the products, price and service that they give.
Both the awning and the shutters are beautiful and are an asset to our home. They both really add character and are very functional in averting the sun. I can fully Retractable Awnings recommend Kennady Co., Inc. because they are true professionals. They show up on time and do excellent installations. I just want to say that every time I push the button and watch the awning moving out I thank Bruce, Vicki and the gang at www.bestawnings.com. |
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Pam R.
Austin, Texas |
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 I was very surprised when my architect and contractor both suggested that I use Kennady Co., Inc. for automatic sunshades on the outside of the house we were building; they had never agreed on anything before!!
Everyone we dealt with at Kennady Co., Inc. was extremely professional and personable. Their prices were so reasonable that we had them order and install many, many different kinds of shades and window coverings. The products were always installed on time and as specified. Bruce and Vickie went out of their way to help us decide what the best application was in each instance. The follow up service has been phenomenal; they have always been here when they were scheduled. We joke that they are often here before I ring off. I have no qualms in recommending them for sales and service. |
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Dave & Cynthia H.
Austin, Texas |
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 We have a living room in our home that is complimented by a beautiful two-story radius that has many windows. The windows face west and we are bombarded by afternoon sun.
Bruce and Vickie Kennady solved our sun problem by suggesting we consider floor to ceiling motorized draperies, on a timer, that can be programmed to open and close with the rising and setting of the sun. It has been a wonderful addition to our home; saving us on cooling and sun damage. |
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Awnings
in History
Did You Know?
The History of the Awning seems to predate archaeological or written records. It is similar to the column in that it is a form that maintained the same basic function over the centuries. But unlike many other ancient or traditional design elements, the awning has received little attention in architectural research-other than brief mention or notes.
Anthony G. White states it well in his annotated bibliography on modern awnings when he writes, "Awnings and canopies are often thought of architecturally as 'frosting on the cake,' after thoughts that may or may not add to the architectural interest to a structure. Awnings may not be striking or intrusive into the consciousness, yet they serve a useful function."
Although awnings have rarely been given the spotlight, as an architectural element they are an example of form following function. This makes the awning worthy of study, attention, and maybe even a little praise.
There is no definitive point at which it can be shown the awning was first formally in use, but presumably, vegetation, animal skins, or other primitive fabrics were used as such when Homo sapiens discovered they were more comfortable in the shade.
Historians do know that the modern concept of an awning predates Western civilization. One of the earliest references to awnings dates to the 19th century B.C. During the Egyptian Dynasties VI through XII, numerous small models of houses were placed in tombs. These scale-model representations were designed to replace the home of the deceased in the afterlife. The model typically consisted of a rectangular structure with a fabric awning or columned portico at the front. Since the models were exact replicas of homes, we can assume such awnings were included on the full scale originals.
Another example from the region can be found in Syria between the 15th and 14th centuries B.C. Evidence of the decorative elements, such as sophisticated facades, columned porticos, window, and awnings, can be found in mural paintings from the period. Archeological evidence from the Syrians also shows that many homes possessed a well and basin beneath an awning or canopy, likely to provide privacy and a cool area for bathing.
During this time the awning was widely used throughout the region, and was already an established and arguably necessary structure. Driven by functionality in a desert climate, awning design was simply a wood pole frame with a cover, used mainly by those without the wealth to hire a stone cutter to make a shade structure. |
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Initial Advances
In 63 B.C., one of the first cotton fabric awnings made its appearance in Rome. By that time, the awning had advanced into a sophisticated structure with woven fabric, engineered hardware, and a means of retracting mechanically. The odeum, a theater or concert hall, of Herodes Aticus at Athens, constructed in 161 A.D., possessed such "tremendous spans effected with cantilever trusses and chains, leaving the central portion to be temporarily covered with an awning."
Known as a velarium, this awning structure in many ways predicts modern tension structure in its complex engineering and execution. Each point where the fabric was anchored over the amphitheater had a stable post with a hooked pulley attached. Rope passed through an eyelet on the fabric and through the hook on the pulley, creating tension in the fabric. Using this technology, the Romans were able to shade hundreds of feet of amphitheater seating when needed, afterward using the rope system to retract the cover.
The Romans also used dye technology: "Sometimes the compluvium awnings were scarlet, enabling the house-owner to bathe the interior of his atrium in rosy light rather than brilliant sunshine."
These citizens of Rome not only found comfort under their awnings, they sought to make an aesthetic statement. The Romans, in effect, had invented the modern concept of the awning, one that provides atmosphere as well as shade.
During the next 1,700 years, the awning industry remained in its infancy. The awning did continue to be used throughout Europe and Asia, but no major advances occurred beyond the Roman velarium system.
The retractable awning, after centuries of dormancy, has advanced into a sophisticated and highly engineered structure that has enjoyed decades of popularity in Europe. Retractable awning companies have been in the United States since the 1970's, but are only now gaining greater attention from architects, designers and homeowners.
Manufacturers and suppliers to the industry continue to change the perception that awnings are old-fashioned accessories. In the future, design and technology will continue to fuse the old and the new, the traditional and the modern. Energy efficiency, greater comfort and aesthetics make awnings the logical choice for home improvement.
If you would like to discuss awnings in more detail, please contact us. |
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