4 Effective Tips on How to keep your home cool in Dubai summer

Ever wondered what it is like to move to a desert city with hot, dry and humid weather touching 45 degree Celsius? Agreed winters can be a lot cooler in the nights, especially. But think what works best in terms of furnishings and home interiors. A lot of expats moving to a new country for a new job will land with their existing household items and furniture. With enough guidance coming from the internet and people they know, they come prepared with set expectations about the city they are about to reside in. But boy! Isn’t Dubai a lot different than one imagines?

The city itself is built with great infrastructure to accommodate all types of dwellings for expats coming from different ethnic groups. Whether it is an apartment, villa or a townhouse, the buildings are made of concrete, glass and metal and are built in various styles of architecture such as Arab, Contemporary and Mediterranean. Since air-conditioning is prevalent in all homes, the materials used are mostly cost-based or standard luxury materials that are used in the construction industry that fits the theme of the community and price of housing.

Sustainability is still a lesser implemented aspect in building architecture. Although there are many materials that impart both, beauty as well as functionality, the cost-driven facet of the industry loses its focus from time to time in making homes that are environmental friendly. Buildings alone cannot be blamed for lack of eco-friendly choices. Individual home owners are guilty of looking at short-term savings over long-term sensible choice while furnishing or decorating their homes.

Here are four ideas on home interiors to keep your home cooler naturally just by supplementing existing material with the new ones.

Paint: Dubai is a place where dark home colors work only to accentuate a small area in a home. The best colors to paint the walls of interiors and exteriors would be pastels, white or cream. A light shade of pink or mauve got people excited in 2017. Light shade of colors give the sober and neutral look that will never go out of style and is a safe bet for your villa. If you like something bright for the living room or the master bedroom, try teal or cyan to match seaside living at Palm Jumeirah or Umm Suqueim.

Counter tops and flooring: It is a well-known fact that using stones inside the home will lower the temperature and keep the natural air-conditioning going. Granite and marble are popular stone materials used in home interiors for counter tops and flooring. They can be quite expensive particularly for special colors and textures and have to be imported from countries such as India or Italy. But if you have deep pockets, consider investing in gorgeous stone-lined bathroom walls, kitchen counters and bedroom flooring.

Furnishings: Using natural fibres such as cotton and linen is not only good for your skin, it’s also good for your home. Handloom fabrics come in great designs and add glamour to your home. These fabrics breathe without blocking precious fresh air coming in. Naturally dyed fabrics also cause less allergies compared to synthetic materials using artificial coloring and emitting acrid smell. Add to the list, cleaning! It’s so much easier to clean fabric than resin, faux leather or leather. Just spin in the washing machine and then you are done cleaning!

Glass: Using a lot of glass can heat up the space and bring in too much sunlight. Strategically placed windows such as openings in ceiling and views to landscape, skyline, golf course, garden or beach will appear more tasteful and sensible.

While these tips can equip you with basic changes needed to make your home less dependent on air conditioning, there is a whole science to doing this right. If you would like to explore more sustainable solutions for your home, do a little more deep diving into building materials, type of paints, solar panels, managing water and energy efficiency and interiors. You can also read about Sustainable City, Dubai’s exclusive neighborhood focused on community living with a difference. Hope this got you thinking about conserving valuable resources from Mother Earth!