While most of us crave sunshine more than we do cold, it is important to shade a home sufficiently.
There are a number of ways to shade a home that actually add to its aesthetic value.
Covered terraces: An open terrace provides the perfect spot in which to tan.
A closed terrace allows tenants to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine while remaining covered and cool.
If your terrace is covered it is because you are either living in an apartment building, or because you home has a few terraces all stacked on top of each other.
Terraces that are stacked on top of each other can make a home look very grand.
Moreover, they add a large outdoor component to the building, where it's still part of the building - not the garden, and not the house.
Brise soleil: Glass homes are gorgeous to look at.
However, depending on where they are located in the world or time of year, they can make the inside of a home very hot.
The solution? Covering up some of the glass with brise soleil.
Brise soleil refers to a permanent sun-shading technique, it can be as elaborate as Corbusier's massive wings on the top of the Milwaukee Art Museum or as simple as a fixed set of blinds, that can open when more sun is desired and shut when it is getting too hot.
Trees: Planting trees on the sunny side of your home is an effective and natural way to reduce the amount of heat entering your home.
Greenery and foliage around a home make it quite lush.
You will be building up your garden while making your home feel more comfortable to be in.
Window positioning: Of course, you'll want to have windows all over your home, however if you're going to put in large size windows, you might want to do it on the less sunny side of the house.
That way you'll still get to enjoy wonderful views and the aesthetics that come from having lots of glass in your home.
Big umbrellas: Big umbrellas aren't necessarily built into the architectural structure of a home, but they can be bought and set up around it.
They can shade dining tables, they can come down from the room, or project out of the side of a building.
Umbrellas are good shade structures because they can be taken down, retracted and come in any number of colours, shapes and sizes.
Depending on the style and size of your home there are a vast number of shading options you can have.