The season has changed and heat wave woes have already replaced spring joys. While you are switching your wardrobe to lighter, more summer-friendly clothes, it is important not to miss out on giving your home sweet home a make-over too. When you are not out, braving the summer heat or putting in long hours at the office, its your home that becomes your cool retreat. Bonus relaxation points if you customize it as per the season!

When trying to make your home summer-friendly, your major concern would be to make it feel cooler somehow. While there might not be a lot of ways in which you can make it feel less hot (except installing air conditioners or coolers) in the scorching summer heat, there are many more creative ways to add to its cool appearance. The look of the house plays a major part in making you feel airy and cool.

Let’s explore different ways in which you can ramp up your home to make it an ideal summer retreat.

Change the furnishing

Replace heavy and bulky décor with lighter articles that make space feel less stuffy. Pack away thick drapery and use thin curtains that let the air pass through the open windows easily to make the house well ventilated. These let in the cool night air at the same time help keep the summer heat out. Do away with woolen carpets, cushion covers and throws, and instead use cotton or sheer fabric or rugs to lighten up the textures in your living room. You can also hang khus mats on your windows and spray them with water time and again for a cooler feel.

Paint it cool

The paint on your walls has a major role to play in the vibe that the house gives off. With thousands of colour palettes to choose from today, it is best to pick light pastel colours. They offer a range of options to cool down the look and feel of your home and are a fresh departure from monotonous whites. These soothe the eyes and mind, thus making you feel cooler.

While this is for the interiors of the home, there are sun reflects and dust resistant paints available in the market to paint the exteriors of the house. These actually help keep the temperatures down even on hottest summer days.

Cool exteriors

Whether it is a lawn or a balcony, the exteriors of the house are the most prominent features that determine its look and feel. Watering and mowing the lawn regularly make the exteriors of the house inviting and a perfect place to hang out in the evening, when you are too tired to step out. Take time out to nurture the plants and trees in the lawn, as they can act as a buffer between the sun and your home and help block out the summer heat. If you don’t have a lawn, you can maintain ornamental and air-purifying plants in your balcony. Even if you don’t have a balcony, simply placing small pots of succulents or shade-loving plants within the house can add freshness to your home, making it look and feel cooler.

Try employing these ideas to make your home a cool home and you will have a reason to celebrate summer like never before.

( Minal Srivastava, Vice President, Growth, Strategy & Marketing, Shalimar Paints )