With the summer at its peak, it pays to keep your home real cool with these interesting ideas, writes Bindu Gopal Rao.
The sun is shining rather brightly and it is that time of the year when things are bright and white. So why not give your home a special makeover for this season? Wondering how? Read on...
Decor matters
The easiest way to make your home ready for the summer is to start with furnishings. Lighten up your colour palette at home as light shades reflect natural light better than darker colours. Heavy fabrics, like velvets and brocades, can weigh a room down, while lighter fabrics such as linen and cotton lighten a room and evoke a sunny feel.
“Add skylights since they reduce electricity costs in the long run. Install them in rooms that are used most often, such as bathrooms, and in locations that receive the most sunlight,” says Dinesh Jain, Director Marketing & Sales at AXR Properties (P) Ltd. “Surround yourself with objects, colours and textures that make you feel at ease, but don’t clutter the area. Lounging on low-seated chairs with floor cushions and daybeds will inspire your mood,” advices Rajesh Mahajan, Managing Director, Maspar Industries (P) Ltd.
Light and airy fragrances like rosemary and citronella are the ones to rule this summer. “Rosemary is one of the most aromatic fresh herbs and is known for its relaxing qualities. Citronella is one of the most popular choices because of its great scent and its natural insect repelling qualities,” says Divyan Gupta, Founder & CEO, Art and Decors Keshiha Services.
The sticky summer calls for use of floral and natural fragrances in your home. “Take your pick from scented incense sticks or fragrant candles like vanilla, lavender or jasmine to lend freshness. Tall vases or circular vessels of brass filled with water and strewn with flowers creates a royal appeal; whole roses for tall vases and marigold petals for brass vessels,” says Ashish Dhingra, MD, Obsessions. And adding a water element is the best thing you can do. With small yards becoming more common, there is a lot of interest in smaller pools with all the features of a larger one.
“One can consider having a landscape architect help with ideas like a cool seating area created alongside the pool with seasonal plants and greenery as fencing to shield from the heat,” says Vivek Mishra, MD and Technical Head, Premium Pools.
Wall art
Spruce up your walls with joyful wall art and hangings in polystone, synthetic wood and laminated prints. “Line your room with a treasure trove of memories with splendid collage photo frames in subtle shades of brown. Merge these reflections of great moments with the real time by opting for clock photo frames in glass and wood,” advises Suminder Pal Singh, GM, Sales and Sourcing, fashionandyou.com. Textured 3D wall art and products is a great way of instantly altering the sense of monotony in a room.
“Contrasting cabinets in high-gloss and low-gloss are also a perfect way to achieve some much-needed disparity. Pastel hues is also trending as it brings elegance and sophistication to the ambience. Also, gold and silver shades in home decor is in right now as it adds a lurid metallic spark to the room,” says Samir Virani, Founder, Its Our Studio.
Colour can also add texture and interest to your design. “For example, exposed brick would complement a rustic design scheme, embossed paisley-printed wallpaper would add elegance and funk to a chic layout, and glossy slate-painted walls would sync wonderfully in a modern space. Add variety to your walls’ texture by featuring hanging drapes, chenille curtains, mirrors or hand-carved mouldings,” says Suvigya Sharma, Artist & Designer.
Ajith Karimpana, CEO, Founder, Furlenco, says, “Use printed wallpaper on some of the dominating walls of your home. Add sheer bright coloured curtains to add a breezy element to your living room. If your living room feels cluttered, replace your centre table with a nice, large, bold coloured rug.”
Colour me right
Summer is all about feeling fresh and light, at least inside, when it’s scorching outside. The trick is to create the right balance amongst the colours used on the walls. “For instance, an orange accent wall along with the others in white can create a stunning effect in the room.
Another tip can be to use multi coloured furniture to create that striking contrast with neutral or pastel shades. White and beige always rule when it comes to summers, given the very cool and calming effect these colours have on the surroundings,” advices Rajiv Rajgopal, Director, Decorative Paints, AkzoNobel India.
There are several ways to get the effect of bright colours in your rooms while still keeping the space appealing, but not striking. “Analog colours, which are colours adjacent to each other on a colour wheel, can give a very bright effect if the colours are chosen in bright hues. Red, orange and yellow can cheer up any corner. By adding a modest splash of accent colour in your furnishing choice, your room, when done in a neutral tone, becomes lively and inviting,” says Ramachandra Shastry, Director, Ascent Decor Private Limited, brand Rumors.
Bright colours like blue, turquoise, orange and pink are trendy this season as they add a lively and bright feel to the house.
“Add on colours to your home with urlis, floaters and colourful flowers such as marigold and rose petals, also floating candles to light up the spirit in your living space. Use bright, vibrant cushions with an earthy touch by accessorising them with throws, runners, mats, kilns in bright crimsons, vibrant turquoise, burnt sienna and daffodil yellows to jazz up the interior,” says Anju Kumar, artist and pottery designer.
“The colours to watch out for are vibrant pinks, cozy corals, cool shades of aqua, peachy orange, summery yellow amongst others,” says Anuj Jain, Director, Sales & Marketing (Decorative), Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd.
Choose cool and soothing colours such as spring green turquoise, sea green aqua and banana yellow for bed covering and curtains. Set up your dining tables with cool coloured tablecloths or mats,” says Andree Pouliot, Creative Director, Soma Blockprints Pvt Ltd.
Adds Shruti Choudhari, Director, Soul Space Projects Limited, “Tangerine tango is the colour this season. Pair tangy cushions with pillows in white and turquoise for your perfect summer look.”
In vogue
This season, a lot of oversized floral, Asian-inspired dragon and butterfly prints are in. Harlequin patterns, flowers and lace-inspired motifs are also trending. “Fabrics like cotton and linen are summer-friendly and popular. Sheer curtains and blinds add a breezy and summer feel to your home,” says Honey Jolly, Design Head, Home Ettu. For furniture other than the usual wood colour, the classy metallic silver is quite in trend.
“Furniture coated in metallic silver paint not only looks appealing, but also creates a soothing ambience. For other decor accessories, floral pattern lampshades and green-glazed pots are quite in trend,” opines Nomita Kohli, Director, Wisma Atria Interiors. The latest trend is to just pick the things you like and place them in the right way in your home as those times when matching curtains with cushions was priority are gone.
“These days, window dressing is a new trend in home decor. One can decorate windows by using different window accessories and curtains,” says Vandana Khosla, Creative Director, Elvy Lifestyle.
“Lighting is seen as an exotic addition to home decor this season. Hot trends are beautiful designs in lamps to go with your bed or on tables, making a fashion statement for the decor. Use a beautiful poster or painting in French style, or introduce patterned illumination on the walls and ceilings for that dramatic effect,” says a spokesperson from Home Needs Online.
Adds Rahul Jagtiani, Founder and Managing Partner at Plush Plaza, “Many people use candles to accentuate the mood of a room, but the latest entrants in mood enhancement are mini, trendy chandelier designs (about 6 - 8 feet high) that can be aptly placed on a corner or coffee table, or in a niche.”
Green thumb
Indoor plants are a great way to get a cool look in your homes. “You can also decorate the rooms with green coloured lampshades to give a cool touch of green colour to a room. They are any day better than yellow or white light this season. Even flower and nature related paintings give a fresh look to your rooms,” says Aman Gupta, Executive Director, RG Group.
So, this summer, let your home let you stay cool.