Cool your house without an air conditioner

Small changes can make a big difference in keeping your home and your mind cool this summer

I enter my friend Hema's house to find it find it to be very cool. The sun was scorching but the house really seemed cool and no I am not talking about the AC!

That's when Hema Borkar, who incidentally is also a home designer and decorator explained, "In summers we need you to furnish our homes in such a way so as to keep the heat out as much as possible. Small changes can make a big difference in keeping your home and your mind cool this summer."

"After all, your surroundings play a big role in the way you feel," she remarked. And I could not agree more. Here are tips from Hema to make your home cool this summer.

Unclutter

A cluttered room feels hot! Remove unwanted furniture, pots and vases, newspapers and magazines from the room to make it more airy. "Empty space in summer is cooling," says Hema.

Light and airy

Make your home as light as possible. Throw open the windows. Pack off heavy and synthetic drapes, dark and bold colour linen. Instead, invest in some thin and sheer curtains that look beautiful, provide privacy and keep the room cool. Heavy, synthetic drapes are definitely a no-no in the summer months. Beautiful cotton drapes in bold patterns and bright colors look good.

Put away all your heavy and thick carpets that look and feel hot. Instead, invest in small and thin rugs that look good and feel great.

Cool colours

Just like your wardrobe, even your bed linen needs a summer switch. Be it your drawing room or bedroom Furnish your home in cool and soothing colors. Use bed sheets and pillowcases in colors like white, creme, yellow, blue, orange. Flower and delicate prints are great for summers.

Bring in the nature

As far as possible, leave the balcony, terrace and window door open. You can draw the curtains in the afternoons. Pick some flowers from the garden or small green plants placed strategically in your house have a cooling effect.  

A small plant near the main door also helps in cooling the house. You may need to change the flowers quite frequently from the vases, so you can also use leaves instead. Arrange them strategically in a vase or float them in an attractive bowl.

Water bodies

Keep interesting pots of water around the house. Set one bowl of ice-cold water in front of a moving fan. Add some fresh flowers or colour pebbles. "Putting some ice in water bowl or a frozen water bottle near the window where breeze is blowing gets makes the room cooler," says Hema.

Light it right

Use less electricity. Lights and lamps can heat up the room. Instead go in for dim lights. Switch off electrical appliances if they are not in use as they too heat up the room.

So, turn off your computer and monitor when not in use, refrain from using oven, stove, dishwasher during afternoons as it increase the temperature in the area of the house.

Fan it

Make good use of all types of fans: ceiling fans, table fans and exhaust fans. Even before you switch on the AC, use the fan to cool off the room.