Cool tips: How to make your home summer ready

With Bengaluru’s temperatures rising up to 33°C this week, Metrolife spoke to interior designers and architects about affordable and simple ways to keep homes cool.

Furnishing details

Managing direct sunlight is key, especially in west- and south-west facing homes. Meena Satish, an interior designer working with an Infantry Road-based firm, recommends layered curtains with a lighter outer layer (in white, off-white, beige, cream or pastels), and a slightly darker inner layer (in browns or tans). “Pair sheer curtains with a thicker inner layer. The thicker layer absorbs the heat and will not let it get into the room,” she says.

Blackout or reflective blinds are effective, says Snehal Patil, founder of an interior design firm in Brookefield. “Sun films applied to window glass will cut down the sunrays entering,” she adds. The best fabric choices are cotton or linen, as these “are breathable materials and absorb less heat”. She advises avoiding velvet and synthetics as “these trap heat.”

Snehal also recommends khus root (dried roots of the Vetiver grass) curtains. “When the breeze passes through these curtains, even if it is warm, it becomes cooler. You could also sprinkle water on these for an extra cooling effect,” she says.

Bamboo blinds are another option, says Gowri Rao, associate director at an architectural firm in Koramangala. “These, along with green plants and creepers around the windows, will keep the indoors cool,” she notes.

Use water

Mopping floors with cool water in the afternoon helps prevent surfaces from warming up, says Meena. “The room temperature will drop by at least one or two degrees. For a stronger cooling effect, add ice cubes to the water,” she adds. 

Snehal suggests placing bowls of ice or cool water near windows and doors. “As the ice melts, evaporation will cool the circulating air,” she explains.

In independent houses or top-floor flats, pouring a bucket of water over the terrace in the evening will cool rooms below, say experts.

Cross ventilation, add plants

While structural changes may not be possible, airflow can still be improved. Meena advises, “If you have two windows, keep both open to facilitate cross ventilation.” Even opening multiple shutters or keeping internal doors ajar can help hot air escape, she adds.

Gowri recommends shutting windows between 11 am and 4 pm and ventilating the house during the early morning or late evening. For homes with limited cross ventilation, she suggests improving air movement. “Strategically placed tower fans can move air in patterns. Place the fans near windows or openings,” she advises, adding that clearing furniture near windows can further improve airflow.

Indoor plants are another affordable way to keep indoors cool. Meena recommends adding snake plants, money plants and indoor palms to one’s home, as “they absorb heat and give out more oxygen.”

Aloe vera and peace lily are other options, Snehal suggests. The plants should be grown in mud pots instead of plastic pots, she adds.