By Express News Service<\/p>\n
With no relief from the rising mercury levels any time soon, interior designers, architects and others, share ways to keep our humble abodes cool this summer<\/p>\n
Declutter: Declutter unnecessary items in your room to make the space airy and free-flowing<\/p>\n
Water elements: Add elements like a small zen fountain in the corner of the room or near a window that would cool down the air blowing in. Consider adding water table centrepieces to add moisture to the air inside<\/p>\n
Block out the sun: Change to light coloured, gauzy curtains that allow air circulation but dont let in too much light. Sun protective films can also be added to glass windows to reduce heat<\/p>\n
Ditch warm lights: Change into cooler-toned lighting instead of warm yellow lights and candles that were cosy for winters<\/p>\n
Cooler tones: Cooler hues for painting the walls like icy mint, pale blues and lilacs would do great in summers<\/p>\n
Window seating: Create a nice seating where the windows are open and the nice breeze comes in<\/p>\n
Merlyn Maladicta, principal architect, Sycamore Design Studio, Secunderabad<\/p>\n
High SRI paint: Those living right under the roof in apartments and independent house can use high SRI (solar reflective index) paint on their roofs to keep their homes cool<\/p>\n
China mosaic tiles: These High SRI tiles ensure the interiors of the topmost floors are kept cool<\/p>\n
Shade: Chajjas or temporary shading devices give you the power to block and allow just enough sunlight into your rooms<\/p>\n
Greenery: Get some houseplants for the interior spaces. The soils help in humidifying the air and tall plants near windows block sunlight and keep the room comfortable<\/p>\n
Water features: Water pots, wetted blinds, etc. help with evaporative cooling that takes advantage of the cool breeze<\/p>\n
Cross ventilation: Keep your windows open, in the evening, use meshes to keep flies and mosquitoes at bay<\/p>\n
Snehitha Sharon, sustainable architect<\/p>\n
Houseplants: Baby aloe vera, baby rubber plant, Boston plant, Chinese evergreen, etc., are great at bringing the temperatures down<\/p>\n
Exhaust: Use exhaust fans in your bathrooms and kitchens to keep hot air out<\/p>\n
Fragrance: Refreshing home fragrances are also a great way to give a cool makeover to your home this summer. Aromas such as Kaffir lime, lemongrass, and eucalyptus are apt for the season Apart from traditional sprays and sacks, there are also a host of products such as diffusers, burners, potpourri, etc to give a constant supply of fresh aroma<\/p>\n
Ridhima Kansal, director, Rosemoore<\/p>\n
Space: Use as minimal furniture as possible. Use multifunctional furniture items to create space inside. Examples can be sofa-cum bed. Opt for small-sized coffee tables to substitute for large tables<\/p>\n
Blinds: Bring in bamboo blinds and don them over your windows. This will help in filtering out the sunlight and keeping your place comparatively cooler<\/p>\n
Raghunandan Saraf,founder-CEO, Saraf Furniture, Cyberhills Colony<\/p>\n
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A cooler home - The New Indian Express<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Express News Service With no relief from the rising mercury levels any time soon, interior designers, architects and others, share ways to keep our humble abodes cool this summer Declutter: Declutter unnecessary items in your room to make the space airy and free-flowing Water elements: Add elements like a small zen fountain in the corner of the room or near a window that would cool down the air blowing in. Consider adding water table centrepieces to add moisture to the air inside Block out the sun: Change to light coloured, gauzy curtains that allow air circulation but dont let in too much light. Continue reading