Heat wave? With these tips you can keep your house (and head) cool

Fiew, it's hot. Really hot. Looking for shade and drinking a lot is the message, but where do you find cooling when it's also for baking inside? Furnified gives you a few tips for the most important areas in the house to keep the sun and heat out as much as possible. Are you coming?

This way you keep the living room cool

If you leave for the office in the morning - even if it's only one floor up or down due to working from home - keep your curtains in the living room closed during the day. Every bit helps. Curtains in a light color and ditto fabric also do more than you think. Although we cannot expect miracles from white translucent bottom curtains.

Do you have a house with (roller) shutters in front of the window? Take advantage of them and roll them down or close them until you have a strip of light.

Keeping your doors closed can also help. It may seem strange, but during the day you just let the warm air in with open doors. What you can do is open all windows and doors for an hour late at night or early in the morning - when it has cooled down. This creates a draft current that drives the oppressive heat outside. And then: everything closed again!

Finally, choose furniture that 'breathes', based on light, natural materials. Linen for the sofa or jute for the rug are excellent examples. It is better to store decorative pillows and plaids during a heat wave. Or take them outside for an outdoor living experience. Works great with a sunset on your terrace or in the garden. A glass of wine, a dash of music: this is how you turn that heat wave into a pleasant experience.

This way you keep the kitchen cool

You can sweat in the kitchen when you stir the pots and pans in the evening at exotic temperatures. Setting up the extractor hood can help, but trop is too much : as far as we're concerned, you just put that cooking in the fridge during the hottest days and put easy pasta salads, cold dishes or why not a portion of takeaway sushi on the menu instead. Time and perspiration saved!

Are you renovating this space soon? Consider a marble worktop. This natural stone not only looks cool, it also cools down the room in which it is used. Worth considering!

This way you keep the dining room cool

If you can't go outside for a nice meal in good company, then your dining room is of course a great place. No or little possibility of cooling in the room? With these tips, the heat wave hardly stands a chance:

• Choose chairs with a backrest that breathes, such as rattan wickerwork . Sound silly? A chair in velvet or air at the back, we know where we want to sit.
• Pillows and candles are not necessary here either. The less friction or direct heat sources in the room, the better. Even switched-on equipment that you don't need should be unplugged.
• Can't do it the 'natural' way? Then invest in a modern ventilator: a mobile (preferably cordless) device with different settings that does not make too much noise. Or go for real air conditioning. This way you can cool the room in advance and you stay in an almost constant temperature.

Psst, that cold salad fits perfectly here. Whatever you do, enjoy it!

This way you keep your bedroom cool

The last on the list is the bedroom . An important room to keep cool, because temperatures above 18°C ​​have been proven to have a negative impact on your sleep quality. Not handy if you have to work during the day, take care of children or like to be active. With these tips you can also keep the nights bearable.

With small actions you can significantly reduce the chance of tropical atmospheres per room. Do not forget to drink enough water and to seek shade during the hottest hours of the day. You can find the rest at Furnified .

Author: M.AH.L.