One alternative to blinds that some people are unaware are awnings. The difference being, that awnings are housed outside the property rather than in. This obviously impacts the decoration of the room, but it does have several distinct advantages. Awnings are particular good at controlling the heat and glare caused by the sun and are particular good in rooms with large amounts of glass such as conservatories and sun lounges. These days it is possible to get remote controlled awnings so they can be operated from inside the property even though they are housed outside.
The great advantage awnings have over conventional blinds is that they prevent the sun's rays from ever reaching the window and so hence the effect of the rays is not felt inside the room. So while it doesn't really change things from the point of view of blocking the light, it is very different when it comes to heat control. Once, the heat is inside the room the blinds can do little to stop the effect, so by preventing the heat from reaching the window, the awnings are ideal for controlling temperatures. As you would expect this makes awnings an ideal alternative to conservatory blinds.