How to Make Your Home Feel Cool and Calm This Summer (Without Cranking the AC All Day)
Summer is beautiful until your home turns into a greenhouse. The AC helps but running it all day is expensive and the cold dry air it produces isn’t exactly relaxing.
Here’s how to make your home feel genuinely cool and calm all summer, without living in front of a vent.
Block the heat before it gets in
The single most effective thing you can do is stop the sun from heating your rooms in the first place. Blackout curtains on south and west facing windows — the ones that get direct afternoon sun, can reduce room temperature significantly. Keep them closed during the hottest part of the day and open them in the evening when the air cools down.
Add a fan you actually like the look of
A good tower fan placed strategically does more than most people expect. Position it facing a window at night to pull cool air in, or place it across from a window during the day to create a cross breeze. The ones that oscillate quietly are worth the extra spend — you’ll actually leave them on overnight without being driven mad.
Switch to linen everything
Linen bedding, linen throws, linen curtains — linen is naturally breathable and temperature regulating in a way that cotton and polyester simply aren’t. A linen duvet cover in summer makes a bigger difference to your sleep quality than almost anything else. It sounds like a small thing. It isn’t.
Bring in plants
Plants naturally cool and humidify the air around them through a process called transpiration. A few well placed indoor plants— particularly larger leafy ones, make a room feel genuinely cooler and more alive. Snake plants, peace lilies and pothos are all low maintenance and very effective.
Create a cold corner
One spot in your home that’s dedicated to feeling cool. A comfortable chair, a small table fan nearby, a cold drink within reach. Give yourself somewhere to retreat to during the hottest part of the day and summer immediately becomes more manageable.
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