Shari,
I was reading somewhere that someone had awnings made like you describe by a local awning comany for a reasonable amount. They can do the scalloped edges, and may be able to give you a design that would preclude ropes and stakes. I understand why the door opens the way it does, they wanted to not block the windows, but it does make current awnings a pain.
One other option is to have the awning not cover the door, have it start further back??? I would check with an expert though before ordering a 6 foot Zipdee
