Summer is here, and like many, I’ve been struggling to keep cool in my home.
Even with my trusted cooling fans (plural) on full blast, or windows wide open, my living room still felt like a furnace.
But just when I was considering putting my face in an ice bucket, I discovered this quick and easy trick to make my room feel cooler in a heatwave.
Ditch heat-trapping interiors
According to designers, our interior choices could be instant heat-trappers — and the reason for making our rooms feel hotter.
“Rugs are brilliant insulators, which is great for winter but not ideal when you’re trying to cool down,” states Chloe Barrow, interior expert at Laura James.
“Thick pile or large area rugs can trap heat, especially on hardwood or tiled floors that would otherwise stay naturally cooler. In summer, consider rolling up heavier rugs or replacing them with lightweight flatweave styles.”
How I kept my room cool
Now, as an interior obsessive, I’m always sprucing up my home to create a relaxing space.
From plush cushions and pillows to cozy throws and rugs, these are my favorite soft furnishings to brighten up any room. Little did I know that I’d been making my room feel hotter.
With all that said, I decided to store away (reluctantly) my plush, oversized cushions and throws on my sofa, and rolled up the floor rug.
While I didn’t notice a massive difference at first, I did notice that the room gradually felt cooler — especially in the evenings.
By keeping my seating area as minimal as possible, there was better air circulation around the room, without any thick, soft furnishings trapping the heat. Impressive!
Although this is a good hack for making your room feel cooler, there are plenty of simple ways to cool down your living room without AC.
This includes installing thermal blinds and woven window coverings, to creating a cross-breeze with a cooling fan. Essentially, this involves placing one fan facing inward on the side where cooler air is entering, and another facing outward on the opposite side to push warm air out.
Such small changes could do wonders to beating the heat this summer.
