Decorating with cool colors, such as blue, can help deflect some of the hot Phoenix weather.
Phoenix is notorious for its sweltering hot summers and desert landscape. Decorate your home to keep cool and escape the heat or reflect the local culture. Just because you're living in the desert doesn't mean you can't decorate your home to feel like a cool beach cottage or spring garden. Does this Spark an idea?
Colors
Cool colors, such as blue, turquoise and green, can help give the impression of a cooler home, which can make a huge difference during the hot summer months. Consider using a neutral color palette for the basics, such as the walls and floor, and bring in colorful accessories that can be swapped out during the winter months if you favor warm colors. The walls can be painted in light shades, even a warm beige, ivory or peach, if you want the room to feel cozier or more intimate without heating the room up. Warm colors, such as red and orange, might make the room feel hotter during the summer. Bright colors, such as yellow, can increase the warmth or brighten the room.
Themes
Consider decorating the rooms in your home with a theme to make you feel like you're somewhere other than the Phoenix desert. Use your favorite vacation spot or culture for inspiration. Decorate your home to look and feel like an ocean cottage, cabin in the woods, a French country home or a hut on an exotic island. Bring in accessories and colors to complement your theme. For example, use light blue or white paint, wicker furniture with blue and white cushions, plants and sand and seashell accessories to create a beach feel.
Local Reflection
Decorate your entire house or a couple of rooms to reflect the local culture in Phoenix. Use the professional sports teams that call Phoenix home, if you root for them, as your inspiration. For example, decorate a room with white or gray and use purple and orange accents to honor the Suns if you're a basketball fan. Various shades of red can be combined with black and white to represent the Coyotes (hockey), Cardinals (football) or the Diamondbacks (baseball). Decorate with turquoise or copper, which are both found in Arizona. Use a natural palette of deep reds, browns, oranges and some green to represent the desert landscape. Southwest decor is another option that reflects the local history; it plays off of the Native American culture which has deep roots in Phoenix.
Accessories
Consider hard surface floors, such as tile, vinyl or wood, that won't retain heat during the summer. Accessorize your floors with area rugs to keep warm during the winter or add to your decor. Avoid thick drapes as they can make the room feel heavy and warm. Cool down the room with blackout shades and sheer curtains or curtains made of light fabric. Use LED candles if you want the ambiance without the heat. Decorate your fireplace--if you have one--with candles or a decorative screen during the warmer months. Mirrors will bounce light around the room, making it feel larger, but shouldn't be positioned directly in front of a window or door to avoid directly reflecting the sun's rays. Hang decorative ceiling fans, if possible, to help you keep cool without compromising your decor.
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