Styling a Dubai apartment for summer

Summer in Dubai is spent indoors, so it makes sense to give the rooms you live in a seasonal change, the same way you would swap your wardrobe. None of this needs new furniture. Most of it you can do on a Saturday morning.

1. Swap heavy textiles for linen

Wool throws and velvet cushions look wonderful in January and feel exhausting in July. Fold them away and bring out linen: it breathes, it wrinkles in a relaxed way, and it simply looks cooler. Pale sand, chalk and olive work in almost any room.

2. Clear the floor

Roll up the thick rug and let a flatweave or bare tiles do the work. A clear floor makes a room feel bigger and fresher, and your feet will thank you.

3. Soften the light

Harsh midday light is the enemy. Sheer curtains diffuse it beautifully. In the evening, switch off the ceiling lights and use lamps at different heights instead: a woven pendant over the table, an alabaster lamp on a side table, nothing brighter than you need.

4. Bring something green inside

A large olive tree or a fiddle leaf fig in a terracotta pot makes a room feel alive. Put it where it gets bright, indirect light and water it in the morning.

5. Edit

Put away half of what is on your shelves. Heat makes clutter feel heavier. Keep a few things you love, give them space, and the whole apartment will feel calmer.

Come September, when the first cooler evening arrives, you can bring the wool back out. It will feel like a treat.