Keeping your home cool during the summer isn’t just about turning on the air conditioner. The right fabrics, colors and textures can make a house feel airy and light during the hottest days. 

The mind and body respond to certain color shades and materials differently, and sometimes it only takes simple adjustments here and there to make your home feel like a breezy summer bungalow. Try these easy tricks to relax even the most sunburned of your guests this season.

Think Sand, Sun and Water: The beach is the symbol of summer with its burning sun and cool water. When picking out summer colors for your home, let Mother Nature be your guide. Mix bright splashes of sunny colors like orange and yellow with calming pastel blues and greens. Don’t use all primary colors or you risk the “circus” look and a much warmer feel to a room. As famous designer Van Day Truex once advised, “Remember, color is not just color, but mood, temperature and structure.” Offset a vase of vibrant daffodils with a light blue or sage green tablecloth, and your guests will feel the summer breeze, not the heat wave.

Lighten Up: Dark, heavy fabrics like velvet and fleece make a room feel cozy – great for winter, but stifling for summer. When it comes to drapes, try simple sheer panels (chiffon, perhaps) that will let the light in, but soften its presence. Tie curtains back with a string of beads or shells and pack away those heavy tassels until fall. Linen is also a great material for warmer months and can be incorporated easily in bed, sofa and tablecloth fabrics. Lace, too, is another summery fabric that will lighten up your home.

Bring the Outdoors Inside: Don’t worry about shutting out nature with your air conditioner. Simple touches like summer vegetation can make you feel like you’re on the porch of your very own beach or lake house. Small water fountains that fit easily atop an end table give a nice, natural background sound that many people find relaxing. Just hearing or looking at the flowing water can have a cooling effect. If you love your wicker patio furniture, but find it’s too hot to use it until later in the day, consider sprucing up those wicker chairs and using them as extra daytime seating in the living room. The right cushion will coordinate them with your other furniture, and the light wicker will definitely give a bungalow feel to the room.

As with any season, never forget about specific plants and flowers that are in bloom. A big palm leaf or hot pink cactus will add some fresh life to your home and give it that summer vibe. Kathy McCleary of Home and Garden Television writes, “I’m really big on borrowing from our surroundings and seeking inspiration from what’s around us.” Indeed, if you decorate based on what you’re naturally attracted to, your home will be perfect. Not a beach person? Take out the watery light blues and go for some deeper reds and oranges if you have more of a southwestern, desert style. Your home should always be an extension of yourself, but just as we all change, so do the seasons! So get out the lemonade (sunscreen optional) and start creating your very own summer getaway.