Protect yourself and your deck from the blazing sun with umbrellas, cloth, built structures — or nature's perfect shading solution

Cape Cod design — and its dream of a relaxed seaside lifestyle — finds a home across the country

Houzz readers share their views of the season

Let your favorite pooch run wild at one of these specially designed public spaces. Not close by? Learn how to start a dog park yourself

Louvered sunshades filter light when it's hot, let it in when it's not

This vigorous native ground cover welcomes bees with its early-blooming flowers and makes an attractive lawn alternative

Lounge as long as you like without getting baked, with one of these sun-screening structures for your backyard, deck or patio

A Douglas fir and metal pergola offers shelter from the hot sun on this scenic California property

See architecture that creates shade and manages temperatures — and offers some much-needed visual escapism

What to consider if you want to stop relying on public utilities — or just have a more energy-efficient home