Custom Blinds in Reis Magos

South-facing glass over a river is hard to live with by midday: the sun comes in directly and then again as dazzle off the water. On the Reis Magos slope a sunscreen roller deals with both, because it cuts heat and glare and you can still see Panjim and the river mouth through the weave. Fit it inside the window recess, where the breeze cannot get behind it, and ask for a weighted bottom bar or side guides on windows that are kept open. Humidity is high, so stay with coated polyester that wipes clean; wooden venetians and raw bamboo are better saved for a dry inner room. Bedrooms need a blackout layer as well.

• Villa living rooms facing the water: two or three sunscreen rollers side by side, motorised, the joins falling on the frame members.
• Bedrooms on the slope: a blackout roller paired with the sunscreen one, so the room can be darkened despite the long daylight on that side.
• Old riverside houses: roman blinds in a washable synthetic, mounted above frames that have long since gone out of square.