Give your bedroom a cool, calming makeover for summer

Tribune Content Agency No matter

what part of the country you live in, when the heat and humidity of summer comes, you want some cool relief. A quick way to lower the thermostat is to give your bedroom a cooling color makeover. Lowering the contrast of color in your bedroom will bring you some sweet summer relief. In only a weekend, you can create a bedroom designed to help you rest and enjoy the summer in cooling comfort. Cool paint

Starting with paint, give your bedroom a wash of color that is light, but not bright. Work to create a simple color palette that is low on contrast. The idea is to keep the room washed with light but bring down the warmth and add a cooling ambiance.

A good starting point is to blanket the room in hues that hint at blue. Pale grays are also very cooling. Benjamin Moore’s Morning Sky or White Satin are pale blues but won’t leave you feeling too watery. For a richer pale option, look no further than Benjamin Moore’s Ice Mist. Its hint of gray makes this palest taupe feel relaxed and refreshed.

Paint the room and ceiling with a single shade to make the room feel open and airy. Give wooden ceiling beams a light coat to lift the color all the way up. Bedding Lightweight bedding is a given in the summer. A simple matelasse coverlet or lightweight quilt will be all you’ll want. The channels of the Belle Jardin quilt create a cool comfort on hot nights much like the undulations of seersucker fabric. The white and taupe trimmed color combination will keep your bed looking and feeling cool (SoftSurroundings. com). Or choose a white or linen colored coverlet by Peacock Alley to throw on the bed when air conditioning becomes chilly (Wayfair.com). Furnishings

Move out dark-colored furniture and replace with lighter pieces to bring down the heat even further. Add light-colored lamps or clear glass options with white shades to make bedsides feel light and cool. Can’t change your furniture? Then give your headboard a cool disguise with the Riley Headboard Cover in natural linen that can cover a variety of headboard shapes (PotteryBarn. com).

Cover nightstands with large sheets, or have table covers custom made. Inexpensive nightstands can be purchased at Ikea or your local design store and swapped out easily. Look for ones that are glass and metal for a quiet, chic look next to your bed. Try the antique brass Terrace glass nightstand, available at WestElm.com. You’ll have a new look that’s refreshing and budget-friendly. Take down heavy curtains and replace with simple light sheers or flowing linen panels. Avoid floral patterns, which can feel heavy, to keep your bedroom looking cool and light. A natural choice is to select patterns, such as ticking or simple gingham, that echo the feeling of summer. Both options are light and fresh. Look for wide gingham in shades of linen, taupe and ice blue to keep your bedroom décor cool and updated. Make simple swaps of artwork and accessories, replacing heavy images with lightened up versions. Accessories can be a pretty shell, pale ceramics or simple, white framed photos.

For more information, contact Kathryn Weber through her website, RedLotusLetter.com.

© 2016 Kathryn Weber. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.