Use psychologically cooling decor to beat the heat

The country has been experiencing a heat wave, with some parts registering temperatures as high as 30 degrees Celsius. With such high temperatures, you need to rethink the decor in your living space. Try to find ways to let your room breathe and psychologically cool you down by doing the following:

Curtains

Toss off heavy, dark gloomy curtains and instead use light unlined curtains or sheers, which will keep the breeze flowing into the room. In this kind of weather, kitchen windows can be half-mast to better view the outdoor gardens as you prepare the meals.

If by any chance you live by the beachfront, then keep curtains fully opened to get a full view of the sea.

Store away throws and woolen cushion covers for the colder season and instead use cotton covers that will cool off the warm weather.

Give your carpet a break and remove or store it away to allow for bare feet to be directly cooled off the floor.

This weather provides the perfect opportunity to wash accumulated dirt and dust off your carpet and the sun will dry it up in no time.

Neon colours

Use bright colours such as lime or fuschia on scatter cushions or window sheers to brighten up the space and bring the sunny mood indoors.

Consider using colours that psychologically cool you down such as the trending hues of green or blue such as aqua, turquoise or poolside greens.

Glassware and silver

Compared to bronze and ceramics, glassware and silverware are an amazing combination for a cooling and calming effect. Use this medium on coffee tables, trays, candle stands, glasses, mirrors around the house and you will find your eye secretly seeking them for solace against the heat and leave you feeling much cooler.

Use see-through vases to place freshly-cut flowers and the sight of the water will be an additional contributor to keeping your cool. Alternatively, create a table centerpiece using floating flowers in a bowl of water for a therapeutic effect.

It is not all gloom and doom with the hot weather. Considering there is someone in another part of the planet longing for the sunshine, you need to maximise the opportunity of fine weather days by sitting outdoor under a canopied verandah or balcony or a large mango tree, which allows you to sit outside but shields you from the hot sun.

Dress up a table in checquered red fabric and serve chilled lemonade to hydrate and cool you off.