If your under-air-conditioned (or not-at-all-air-conditioned) home has you feeling the heat, there are some small visual changes you can make to help your place at least look cooler. Little things like doing away with fuzzy sheepskin throws and adding blue-based colors can make your home feel fresher—without having to adjust the thermostat.
Pare Down
If there was ever a time to embrace minimalism, it's in the summer. Sparse interiors with white walls can feel downright cold during the winter, but in the summer, they're a welcome relief. Reduce visual clutter in a room by storing unnecessary items out of sight.
Choose Cool Colors
Play up home accents in cool colors, such as blue and blue-based greens and purples. These hues are thought to make a space feel cooler, and looking at them is believed to have a calming effect.
Dial Down the Texture
Put away all of those soft and fuzzy things that keep you warm in the winter. Store extra rugs, blankets, and your IKEA faux sheepskin away for the season. Even if you're not touching them, the visual effect of these plush surfaces is to warm up a room.
Rethink Your Lighting
You'd be surprised how much changing a lightbulb can alter the feeling of a room. When choosing a bulb, look not only at the brightness, but also at the color temperature of the light. Those labeled "Cool White" will give off a bluer light than those marked "Warm White."
Emphasize "Cold" Surfaces
If you've ever walked barefoot on a marble floor, you already know that some surfaces are "colder" than others. These materials, such as stone and metal, are good conductors of heat, so when you touch them, you transfer warmth to them, making you feel cooler. While you probably can't install marble counters for the season, you can highlight the cool surfaces in your home. Remove the rug from your tile floor, or hang out in the room with the most of these refreshing materials (most likely your kitchen, as long as you don't turn on the oven!).