Making a shop look cool in summer: light color, sound and scenes by the water
On a hot summer day, what a customer first notices on coming in is the temperature of the air and the impression of what they see. Even with the same air-conditioning setting, how cool a room feels can change with how it looks and sounds. This article looks at ways to make a shop look cool in summer, starting from how light and sound work. (Making a shop look warm in winter has its own article.)
Light colors that look cool
Lighting has a measure of color called color temperature, and the higher the number the bluer the white light. For household lighting, white "daylight white" is around 5000 K and the bluer "daylight" is around 6500 K. In summer, making even a part of the lighting whiter gives a fresh impression. However, in a shop at night, all-white light can feel unsettled, so it helps to vary it by time of day.
Five ways to make a shop look cool in summer
- Add a hint of water: the sound of waves, a stream or rain is linked with coolness by many people. Keep the volume low enough for easy conversation.
- Let blue and green be seen: the blue of the sea and sky and the green of leaves look cool. Add them with a scene on a screen or with houseplants.
- Soften the sunlight: strong sun through a window makes a room look hot. Use reed screens, blinds or lace curtains to soften the light.
- Reduce the things: too many things on shelves and walls look oppressive. Remove a few in summer and leave some space.
- Change materials: glass, bamboo, linen and white ceramics, which feel cool to the touch, also look cool.
If you use scenes on a screen
If you show scenery on a screen, summer suits scenes in which you can feel wind and water: the sea in the morning, a forest with shade, a sea of clouds seen from above. On the other hand, a flame can look hot in summer, so you might show it only in winter and change with the season. If a screen stays on all day, watch out for the heat of the equipment as well (a checklist for screens that stay on all day).
keensense, for comparison
keensense is a service run by the people who wrote this article. It shows natural scenery in a web browser. The sound of the surf on the beach uses recorded real waves, matched to the movement of the waves on screen. A stream runs through the forest and sunlight falls through the leaves. The venue chooses the scene, so you can pick water scenes in summer and flames in winter.
- Setup: open a dedicated URL in the browser of a TV, tablet or PC you already have. No account, sign-up, installation or special hardware (an internet connection is required).
- Scenes: campfire, candle, forest (five times of day), beach, park (cherry blossoms in spring, autumn leaves), night sky and a sea of clouds. A venue can choose one, or let the scene change automatically every 15, 30 or 60 minutes.
- Price: $69 per month or $690 per year. One license covers one location, with any number of screens inside that facility. A 7-day money-back guarantee applies if it doesn't work on your equipment or network.