If you’ve been looking for ways to make your house feel more comfortable, you probably came across the Danish term Hygge, which promotes the idea of enjoying life’s simple pleasures such as spending time with your loved ones and living gracefully. In Denmark, people face long and cold winters, and they need to embrace the Hygge ritual to enjoy life even when they have to stay huddled indoors. However, you don’t have to live in a Northern country to follow Hygge principles and transform your house into a cozy place that promotes connection.
You can make your house Hygge or cozy even during the summer. For some people, summer means pool dips, beach volleyball, and BBQ. But for you, it may mean spending some relaxing moments at home with your family and friends. Everyone has been there, wanting to turn the house into a freezer and detach from the stress and fuzz of daily life.
This article provides some recommendations on making your house cozier and cooler this summer.
Bring outside in
What do you love most about summer? If you’re like most people, the numerous blooms and flowers that spread a delicious smell everywhere are at the top of your list. Now that there are flowers everywhere, cut some and bring them inside to make the indoors feel more joyful. Fresh flowers are great because they smell amazing, bring a touch of beauty to the room, and add life and colour to the space.
If you don’t have fresh flowers in your garden, stop by your local market and grab a bunch of perennials. They’re the cheapest and last longer than any other species. Another option would be to buy a couple of pot flowers and place them around the house to light up the place.
Plant foliage
If you’re looking for ways to cool down your property and love greenery, you should no longer search for solutions because planting foliage will do the job. However, keep in mind that it takes a few seasons for the vegetation to stop the heat from seeping indoors. So, make sure to plant the greenery during the autumn to grow for the next summer. Check with a local gardener to find out the best plants for building foliage around the house. Plant the greeneries in key areas around the house, under windows and close to doors. The result will also be pretty and make your property look more welcoming and hygge.
Clean the house
Do you love a clean house? We definitely do. During summer, you want your house to be as clean and clutter-free as possible to offer the impression of airy space. Use the changing of the season as an excuse to vacuum, dust, and mop the floors, and remove all the clutter you collected during the winter. If your walls are white, cleaning the house and removing everything you no longer need can make the dwelling feel much more alive and fresh.
Summer is also the perfect time to twitch your home design and replace some of the fabrics and decorations. If you have faux leather furniture items, consider covering them with some cotton fabrics to make them more comfortable to use. Also, the hot season isn’t the ideal time for silk or satin bed sheets because they capture warmth. Switch to crisp cotton bed sheets in a nude or pastel hue. Supposing your couch is upholstered with a fabric that makes it unbearable to use it during the summer, buy some covers and throw them on.
Keep the rooms dark
The easiest way to keep the rooms cold is to block the sun’s rays to warm the house’s inside. If you already planted foliage outdoors to isolate the walls, focus your attention on the inside to search for ways to keep the house cool. One way to get away from the hot summer sun’s glare is to install thick cotton curtains in a dark shade that prevents the light from entering your house. Look for the curtains with the thickest lining to prevent the sunlight from fading them. Black, dark green, dark blue, and brown are the easiest choices. Keep the curtains drawn shut from morning to night to shield your rooms from sunlight during the day and keep your rooms cooler.
Install a ceiling fan
You probably know by now that moving air makes you feel cooler, so consider installing a ceiling fan to create air movement and cool down the room. Installing a ceiling fan is worth the investment because it allows you to save energy by avoiding the cost of dropping the thermostat temperature lower. However, buying ceiling fans for all rooms of the house may turn quite pricey, and your savings may not allow it. You could use reverse mortgages in Canada to pay for home improvements and even fund a summer vacation. If you’re over 62, you can apply for this kind of loan and borrow part of your house’s equity as tax-free income.
Get a programmable thermostat
Installing a programmable thermostat can help you save money in the long run because it allows you to control the room temperature. If you’re away during the day but want to come home to a cool interior, set the thermostat to reduce the temperature a few degrees a house before you come home. When you get back from work or running errands, you’ll find a comfortable interior. A programmable thermostat allows you to save energy and enjoy a cool house.
Apply heat reducing film
We mentioned earlier that you could lower the room temperature by preventing sunlight from entering the house. 30% of the ambient heat comes through windows, so it’s crucial to find a way to block it. You could use reflective heat-reducing window film to prevent the sunlight from warming your house. It’s effective even during the winter because it prevents indoor warm air from escaping.
Staying inside during the day and closing the windows and doors is a great idea during summer days. Resume your outdoor activities in the evening when it gets cooler. You can even open some windows to cool your house naturally.
