5 Easy Ways to Make Your Room Look (and Feel) Cooler

Published on July 20, 2025

When it's hot outside, you want your home to feel like an oasis of cool and calm. Luckily, achieving that goal doesn't require a major reno. We've identified five decorating elements that can be added to any room for a space that feels cooler than the other side of the pillow.

1. Light, Cool Paint Colors

It takes a little effort, but painting a room in a cool, pale color will always make it look more refreshing. Photographer Keyanna Bowen went with a blue-gray paint color (Benjamin Moore's Boothbay Gray) for her Maryland dining room. The versatile color looks serene and pulled-together year-round. Other colors with a chilling effect include blues, greens, and purples. Just make sure they have cool, not warm, undertones and choose one of the lightest, palest versions on the paint swatch card. When you're going for a cool look, it's better to paint walls too pale than too intense.

2. Cotton or Linen Throws

Drape your seating in throw blankets that feel cool to the touch and good on the skin. That means cotton or linen fibers in loose, open weaves to maximize airflow and avoid trapping heat. Stay away from fleece and anything heavy. Like being covered with a cotton sheet when you're trying to sleep on a hot night, breathable blankets make sitting on the sofa in sweaty weather feel more comfortable, plus they protect your upholstery. Bonus points if you choose a cool color for your throw.

3. Water-Theme Artwork

Seeing the color blue can trigger a sense of coolness in our brains, according to scientific research. Hanging a large photo of water—whether a wave, a beach, a lake, or a swimming pool—can make both you and your room feel cooler. Photographer Gray Malin, known for his large-format photos of dreamy watery locales, did just that in his California dining room. Follow Malin's lead and make the photo large enough to have some major visual impact. Aim for a piece that's about half the width of the space where you are going to hang it.

4. White or Sheer Curtains

Plain white curtain panels are a decorating mainstay year-round, but they look even more inviting during warm weather. Go for unlined cotton, muslin, or sheers in the simplest style possible. Because lightweight curtains like these are more about adding an expanse of calming white to a room than they are about light control, be sure to pair them with a light-blocking shade.

5. Tabletop Fan

If your fan looks so utilitarian that you want to hide it when it's not in use, it's time to treat yourself to an upgrade. For less than $30, you can get a handsome retro-look tabletop fan that'll both keep you cool and add personality to your room.