By Marilen Faustino Montenegro
With the torture of hot summer days, keeping our homes cool without necessarily using air conditioners can be a challenge. I must admit that I find myself complaining about the heat. While I would like the children to play outdoors, the summer days just make it impossible. I also dream of lounging or doing work in a cold airconditioned room but that would make my electricity bill sky rocket. There must be a way to beat the heat and make our homes cooler this summer!
I quickly gathered my thoughts and harnessed the interior decorator in me. How can I make my home look and feel cooler? I thought of a few things and decided to share them with you. Hopefully these tips help you beat the summer heat.
1 Invest in screens for your doors and windows to maximize the flow of air. Window screens can be quite expensive but investing in this is a good idea. It not only allows air to circulate around your house, it keeps pesky mosquitoes out too. Windows on the top floor should be kept open to allow hot air to exit.
2 Keep your walls white and light. White walls make things look bigger. When everything is light and bright, you invite a cooler vibe in your home. Accentuating with light colors like pastel and sea blues also make things look breezier.
3 Change bedsheets to match the season. Did you know that there are different bedsheet fabrics for each season? Now that it we are in the “pawis” months, go for fabric like cotton and linen. Save flannel, knits, and microfiber bedsheets for December. Remember that cool colors include blues, light greens, and neutrals so use these colors and prints during the summer.
4 Add sheer curtains from ceiling to floor. The best kind of window treatment for hot summer days are sheer fabric that let the light and air in. Go for muted tones like white, beige, lilac, and cream. Avoid printed, dark, and heavy curtain fabric.
5 Think green and go green. There are several more ways to bring the green into your home. Literally putting plants indoors will improve air quality and make your space cooler. You can also go green by changing those yellow incandescent and halogen bulbs into something more “green” like LED bulbs because they are cooler and emit less heat.
Aside from using air conditioners can you think of more ways to make your home look and feel cooler this summer? How are you coping with the summer heat?
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