Berlin – A few years ago, no penthouse planner could have guessed how warm summers in Berlin would one day be. That’s why air conditioning is a rarity here, even in newer luxury apartments. Owners often shy away from retrofitting, because it can take several years to have the facade installation approved at the owners’ meeting. Then there are the high costs. Apart from the offers for the interior, but they often leave a lot to be desired optically. So if you live at the top and want to be admired from the lower floors in summer too, use the following tricks that make life in the living space close to the sky cool again.
1. Ice packs from the drugstore for a good night’s rest
Sabine Roethig
Everyone knows the blue “gel things” that you can get for just one euro in any drugstore and that are intended for cooling sprains or bruises. You buy at least four of them and put them in the freezer next to the Kobe beef. When the resting phase approaches, you take out two and put them in one of the beautiful fabric bags in which high-quality accessories are sold. Luxury fans have a lot of them in their closet because they are too beautiful to throw away. Place the bag with the cooling pads behind your head, on your pulse or on your calves. With selective cooling you fall asleep in no time, even if the bedroom is a sauna. Wake up at night, swap the heated pads with the spare pair from the freezer – and the night’s rest begins for the second time.
2. The quietest and most beautiful pedestal fan in the world
Sabine Roethig
Beautiful and at the same time practical fans are rare. Balmuda’s GreenVan is a masterful blend of puristic design and functional sophistication. The insiders already suspect that something like this can only come from Japan. The device has four levels, at level 1 and 2 you hear nothing at all, only at level 3 does it start to rustle gently. The rotor blades are constructed in such a way that the air is blown through the room in small gusts. As a result, the fan provides cooling at night without causing a stiff neck or colds. It is best not to switch to a higher setting than 2 when you go to sleep. For an optimal night’s sleep, the light on the foot can also be switched off using the remote control. And when the heat subsides, you can disassemble the beautiful wind machine in two easy steps, pack it in a flat box and stow it in the broom closet. A cool dream that comes true from around 360 euros.
3. French iced tea for the frost on the inside
Sabine Roethig
Southern friends and business partners like to constantly lecture you that you should drink lukewarm drinks when it’s hot, because then the body would supposedly cool itself down. But let’s be honest: just the thought of a glass of warm water makes you nauseous, it doesn’t even have to be sweltering hot. So beat the penthouse heat with a crystal glass full of clinking ice cubes in a colorful fun drink. For example, first a calorie-free ice tea before the day drinking starts with Aperol Spritz and other trendy alcoholic beverages. The Kusmi Tea AquaSummer, specially designed for pairing with ice cubes, is ideally suited for classy refreshment. The organic fruit tea from the Normandy brand combines peach, hibiscus and apricot in a dark red summer blend. It is poured with hot water and only has to steep for a few minutes. Then fill a glass with ice cubes to the top and pour the tea over it. After a maximum of one minute, it is cold and ready to drink. A can of 100 grams of AquaSummer costs around 15 euros.
4. Aluminum-free deodorant that delivers what it promises
Sabine Roethig
As a member of the middle or upper class, you are also interested in outstanding quality for everyday goods. This applies not only to food, but also to cosmetic products. So you don’t want aluminum-contaminated cheap deodorant, but a natural product that smells beguiling, looks chic in the marble-paneled bathroom and above all: works. That is not a matter of course with aluminum-free deodorants. Many give up their spirit after just two or three hours. A rare aluminium-free deodorant that meets all the parameters mentioned is that of Le Labo from the Grooming series. Despite all the sweat attacks in the loft, it keeps what it promises all day long with a very slightly masculine scent. The investment of 23 euros is worthwhile for this.
5. A handheld fan for desk work
Sabine Roethig
Even if the sheep are already dry, doing business is a life’s work. So, of course, a lot of work is done in penthouses. In addition to cool drinks, a hand fan is also recommended at the desk. Why? Well, on the one hand it can be used specifically for heat attacks and on the other hand it is fun. Karl Lagerfeld used a fan at the time, you can see that a lot in Paris and Milan. But pocket fans are also on the rise internationally. We recommend the mini fan from Oui Berlin, a company that actually produces excellent wine spritzers in lemonade bottles. New to the range they have a robust three-speed mini fan that is easy to hold and whose battery charges via the computer. The device can also stand on its side and become a table fan. Its reduced design fits into all situations, be it a group of Mont Blanc fountain pens, USM Haller furniture or the Eames Desk. Cost of the Oui Klima Fan: 18 euros.