Ideas for Blocking the Sun from the Window but Keeping the View

Eaves

• If you are building a new home, design it with wide overhangs at the edges of the roof. These large eaves will block the high summer sun from entering the windows, but will still allow the winter sun, which is much lower in the sky, to enter and warm the house during cold weather. Wide eaves on your roof don't interfere with the view from your windows at all.

Trees

• Trees around the perimeter of a house provide many advantages, including shade, natural beauty and reduction of wind. Large trees with canopies that overhang the house will help to cut out the sun without interfering with the view from the windows. As long as the trees are large enough, you can prune some of the lower branches if they interfere with the view and it won't damage the tree.

Awnings

• Awnings are made in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and styles. They are mounted over the tops of windows to cut out hot sunlight and to reduce the risk of rain leaking into the windows. Some awnings are permanent, while others are retractable or removable. If you are planning to install awnings, observe the progression of the sun's rays over the facade of your house during a summer to tell you what size awning you will need to protect your windows.

Vines

• Growing vines on the exterior of your house can give it a natural look and help it to blend into the landscape. The leaves of the vines help to keep the house cooler by absorbing heat and deflecting sunlight from the walls. You can trim the vines in any way you want around the windows. Letting the vines grow thickly over the tops of the windows and hang down over some of the glass will decrease the amount of sunlight that enters the windows.

Venetian Blinds

• Venetian blinds reflect sunlight back out the windows and prevent it from entering the house. You can close Venetian blinds completely to maximize their sun-blocking qualities, but if you want to maintain your view leave them open partway so you can see out the window between the slats of the blind. Experiment with different slat positions to determine the optimum setting for minimizing heat from the sun while still maintaining a nice view out the window.