One of the first things we did when we bought our house was put up blinds in every single room. Our house faces south, and with no shade in the front yard, the sun is a killer. It’s amazing how hot it can make one of the upstairs bedrooms! In fact, the blinds weren’t enough for the 2 front rooms. We added room darkening drapes as well, to block the light and heat. We went with the faux wood, white 2 inch slats through the whole house, but there is a huge selection of blinds to be found online - styles and colors you didn’t even imagine. I’m considering putting up a Roman shade over the blings in my laundry room - it would soften the look of the window and block out some of the heat there as well. You can really personalize your house with some of the choices, and make it energy efficient at the same time!