The Floor Beneath Your Feet

The Floor Beneath Your Feet

A floor is no longer just the ground you walk on. It has been elevated from its downtrodden place to an exalted position in home decor. It can set the tone of a room and do wonders for the ambience. And the best part is now you can renovate your floor just like your furniture - with minimum mess.

The world is moving to better flooring options and there is no reason why you should be still stuck with your old mosaic floor. A room's purpose and your budget are two things that will help you decide on your kind of flooring. Here are some options you can consider:

Marble

Indian marble, especially the makrana variety, is commonly seen in many homes. It starts at Rs 30 per square feet. Many shiny Indian marbles are of soft quality that develop cracks easily and attract dust. If you have a higher budget, you can go for Italian, Spanish or Greek marble that are known for their sparkling finish. Available at a premium price of Rs 250 per square feet onwards, Italian marble flooring along with a good lighting system can give a swanky appearance to your living room. As these marbles develop crack easily and need regular polishing, they cannot be used in rooms that are frequently used like bathrooms, kitchen or children's rooms.

Granite

This is one flooring material that is known to be very sturdy and easy to maintain. However, granite is rarely used except to make kitchen or bathroom slabs. It is often neglected because of its dull look. But combined with marble, it can give a new definition to your room. It is more expensive than marble.

Tiles

Ceramic tiles have become quite popular of late. This low-maintenance material is perfect for bathroom and kitchens. They are available in a riot of colors and you can use contrast borders to break the monotony. Depending upon the quality,ceramic tiles come at different prices. They start at Rs 6 or Rs 7 per square feetand can even climb up to Rs 500 per square feet. Tiles need to be installed with a lot of care. The floor should be of the same level. Any unevenness can cause the tiles to break. Once broken, ceramic tiles cannot be repaired. Moreover, if the grouts are not sealed properly, they can attract water causing discoloration and visible tile joints.

Vitrified tiles do away with some problems found in ceramic tiles. These are likeceramic tiles but fired under very high temperatures to impart low water absorption. As they are harder they are more abrasion resistant. Moreover, as they have greater dimensional accuracy, vitrified tiles can be butt-joined without grouts. These tiles can be laid on to any room of your choice.

Vitrified tiles also score on convenient installation, as they are pre-polished and ready to be used. You can get decent vitrified tiles for about Rs 50 per square feet.

While buying tiles, remember that most of them will be glazed and slippery. Get the least slippery tiles and for bathroom floors go for an anti-skid variety.

Wooden Laminates

You must have spotted "wooden" flooring in many homes and hotels. Impressed by its rustic elegance, you must have wondered how they are maintained in India's humid climate. Well, that is an easy task if that floor is not actual wood but laminate.

Laminate flooring gives a hardwood look minus the disadvantages of hardwood. It is resistant to stains and scratches. Moreover, installation is easy as it can be laid over existing floors (even and flat). Wooden laminates cost anything between Rs 80 to Rs 400 square feet. Laminates don't last a lifetime but can go on for about 20 years. Wet cloth mopping is the only way to clean these floors, as any excess water/moisture will be absorbed by it.

Hardwood Floors

Nothing can beat the ageless charm of hardwood floors. Crafted from a variety of domestic and exotic woods, this flooring adds a lot of warmth and splendor to a room. The popularity of hardwood has increased because they can now be easily laid out in thin parquet squares. Starting at Rs 150 per square feet, the cost of hardwood floor varies with the quality of timber you use.

Although, it is easy to install, only qualified people should do hardwood flooring. The final appearance of the floor will depend more on craftsmanship (sanding and finishing) than the timber quality. Great care is required to maintain this flooring. Like wood, this floor can attract moisture and termites. Moreover, it tends to wear out in frequently used rooms. It also needs sanding and refinishing every few years. Using a rug or dhurri might be a good idea to maintain this type of flooring.

If you have time and budget restrictions, you can go for linoleum or vinyl flooring. Available in ready-to-paste sheets, their price starts at Rs 10 per square feet. But as they are not very durable, they don't get a nod of approval from home decor experts.

Kota and Jaisalmer stones are also being used in many homes. They are very hardy and can be used in verandahs or staircase to give a unique touch to your home.

So, go ahead and give a new look to your home by just changing the floor under your feet. And if you can't decide on your favorite flooring, just mix-and-match to give a whole new dimension to your humble abode.

Four Poster Beds

Four Poster Beds

Turn your bedroom into a haven of romance with the help of a four-poster bed.

A four-poster bed may sound too grand and out-of-reach, but in reality it is not that impractical. After all, the bed doesn't have to be any bigger - all you really need are four posters on all four corners. Four-poster beds are traditionally found in large bedrooms, but you could consider putting up this bed in a smaller room if you stick to straight lines and avoid a carved piece.

Contemporary


It is a misconception that four-poster beds only look good with traditional decor. You also have great modern and contemporary options.

If you do up your room right, the bed can make the room look incredibly cozy, and can transform it into the perfect sanctuary. Although there's a lot you can do to decorate a large bedroom, when you have a bedroom that's just large enough to fit a double bed and a closet, there's not a whole lot you can do by way of decor to make it look very inviting. A four-poster bed can be just the key.

Medieval


Give your room a wonderfully medieval Arabic flavour by placing a lot of rich cushions in red or earthy tones by the head of your bed. Don't forget to add a few bolsters. Opt for a net in a single shade, and during the day keep the net tied to the posters. Make sure the curtains are the same shade as the net. Avoid prints entirely, since you in any case will have a lot happening in the room without needing prints.

Add Arabic accessories like an antique lantern to further enhance the Middle Eastern look.

Go in for a light coloured bedspread so you don't feel quite as overwhelmed. You could then add a throw every now and again to infuse more colour whenever you feel the need.

Practical

A four-poster bed is also a great option if you have a lot of mosquitoes in your home. The net keeps mosquitoes from biting you through the night, and you are also saved from having to inhale chemical fumes through the net in an attempt to keep mosquitoes at bay. So, not only does the four-poster bed look romantic and cozy, it also has its practical advantages.

Usage

It may be possible to convert your existing bed into a four-poster bed. All you need is to get the carpenter to make a few modifications, and then add on the pillars. If you want to experiment with the four-poster look without actually investing in one or changing an existing bed, try this:

Hang three curtain rods from the ceiling, on the three sides of the bed. You don't need to hang the rods on the side of the bed against the wall. Now all you need to do is purchase readymade curtains from your nearest FabIndia, and you're all set! You could even get away with hanging a single curtain rod above the centre of the bed, and draping the fabric on both sides of the bed.

Modern Dècor

Modern Dècor

Small home? Small budget? Opt for a modern decor.

Are you thinking of redecorating your home? The first aspect you need to consider is what style you want to select for the decor.

Many of us start decorating our homes without any plan in mind. An eclectic style- which is an amalgamation of various themes and styles, can look very nice if done right, or can go horribly wrong. Don't go for an eclectic style unless you know for a fact that you are good at visualization.

Before selecting a style, you need to consider a few things:
Your budget
The size of your house

Generally, more ornate decorations are suitable for those with large budgets. Similarly, certain styles may not be very expensive to incorporate, but you may require a large home. Thai decor for example, makes good use of large pots, urns, floating candles and so on. Although these need not always be expensive, you do need a large house.

One style that fits all budgets and is suitable for a small home, is a modern styleof decor.

Modern decor can work out to be very inexpensive, especially if you are getting all the work done by carpenters at home. Simple straight lines do the trick.

Cupboards

Opt for cupboards with straight lines and no carving. Don't keep a unit between two cupboards - units just eat up space, look old fashioned, and can get messy. Flush all cupboards together, and keep it simple.

Beds

Similarly, for your beds you really just need a straight headboard at the back. Similarly, get straight and simple bedside tables with matching lamps on each table. Always get a little pull out tray on each bedside table. You could keep your water or any books you have been reading on the tray overnight, and clear it up in the morning.

Carpets

As anyone knows, Oriental, Persian or Kashmiri carpets can cost a small fortune. Unless you really love these carpets or if they go with your decor, there is no need in splurging on these carpets. Such carpets will also look out of place in a modern setting. You need something simple and plain - a rug in a single colour generally does the trick. You could opt for a slightly thick or perhaps large square rug under your center table, to really dress up your sitting room.

Curtains

Flimsy, non-patterned curtains complement a modern decor to perfection and don't crowd a small room. Say goodbye to valances, pelmets and the like. Get a straight rod, and hang unicoloured curtains from them.

Decorations

For a more ornate or traditional styled decor, you may be tempted to invest in expensive crystal, cut-glass or other decoration items. However, in a modernstyle all you really need are a few straight vases. Go for drama rather than detail. One large vase or pot with flowers, and perhaps a simple round bowl are all you really need to decorate your center table. Look for straight, simple frames for avant-garde posters and prints.

Centertable

Similarly, your centertable can be just a large, low slab of wood on four legs, with no carving. You could also opt for a straightforward glass centertable.

In a modern decor, less is more. Don't crowd anything. Keep it simple. Think of placing just a single decoration item on each base. You will have to resist impulse buying. Select pieces carefully since you will have so few of them. These few pieces will speak volumes, and will add the perfect finishing touches to your look.

Redecorate Your Home

Redecorate Your Home

You can redecorate your home and give it a new look without breaking the bank or making too many changes. Read on.

Here are some quick redecorating tips to refresh your home. Remember, unless you experiment and keep moving things around, your home will start looking outdated. Change keeps your home, your outlook, and you, refreshed!

Paint

You don't need to paint all the walls to overhaul a look. Even painting a single wall in another colour can transform the place. Painting it a bold colour can make it stand out, but be very careful when selecting what colour you want the wall to be. Ensure that it will not clash with the other walls. A good idea is to paint the wall in a room that is most directly seen as soon as you enter, in a light or bright and sunny shade. Yellow is a great option to add instant cheer. Alternatively, you can also paint it a few shades lighter than the other walls, to give a feeling of space and to make the room look brighter, but not drastically changed.

Accessories

Change the colour scheme of the room. This can be fairly easy if you go about it in an organized manner. Select one colour for a certain room and pick out accessories in that colour. A blue bedspread, blue curtain cords and blue dried flowers, placed strategically in the room, can unite the colour scheme beautifully. White is always a good option, and looks especially pretty in the summer. Pick up a nice white tablecloth, paint a wall white, place a white runner on the coffee table with a few white mats on the side tables, invest in a few white cushions, and you're set! (Don't forget the white flowers.)

Frames

Who says you can only frame paintings or photographs? If you have some lovely fabric, consider framing it and hanging it on a wall. Very often, old saris are almost unwearable. But they do have lovely borders. Get creative, and put the borders to good use. Use them alone or attach them to another fabric, get it framed and hang it on the wall. Delicate white lace fabric looks delicate and lovely on walls. Be careful when selecting a frame and don't scrimp if the fabric is rare, very old or very expensive. Of course, if you're using something run-of-the-mill, which can also look enchating, pair it with an economical frame which you don't mind discarding it after a couple of years when its time to redecorate again. This way, you can match your wall accessories with the others too!

Vases

Pick up a nice tall glass vase or bowl, so you can fill it up to match the room. To add a maroon accent, you could fill up the bowls with red rajma beans, or use moong beans if you want to give a touch of green. Place the bowl on the center table, fill it up with water, and float a few artificial petals in the colours you want. Or, fill up the glassware with coloured water to match the room.

Preparing Your Home for the Monsoon

Preparing Your Home for the Monsoon

With the onslaught of the monsoon, here are some tips to prepare your house and ensure that it is a comfortable place to live in.

"As rain drops keep falling on our heads", it is time to take measures to ensure that our houses are not only weatherproof but are also well equipped and decorated to keep us warm and dry during the monsoon.

Making it more liveable

Colours: On a cold rainy day, it is ideal that your house is decorated in brightcolours to liven up your mood. Reserve blue and green colours for the summer heat. The monsoon calls for lively bright and warm colours such as yellows and oranges to brighten up your rooms. Ideally dark colours should be avoided as the skies are generally overcast and you want whatever light that enters your house to be maximised by light colours and other reflective surfaces. At the same time, avoid very light colours such as white and beige. These are colours which are very difficult to keep clean during a muddy monsoon.

Reduce the amount of greenery inside the house. In fact, with the onslaught of themonsoon, it is the ideal time to keep your plants out in the rain to get watered naturally. Plastic plants such as green ferns can be replaced with colourful ones such as plastic yellow sunflowers or orchids.

Carpet Care: Roll away that expensive Persian carpet for the monsoon. Ensure that once rolled, the carpet is covered in a plastic sheet. This will reduce the chances of moisture or accidental leakages damaging the carpet.

Invest in a bright, multi-coloured machine made acrylic washable carpet. These are light carpets and will dry faster than a Persian carpet if it gets wet. A more water-resistant option is a carpet made out of PET fibres. These are polyethylene and terephthalate fibres, made from recycled plastics. These carpets may not be as plush or soft to the feel as other synthetic fibres but they are very durable, water, static resistant, and offer extremely good value. They are also treated to be moisture and mildew resistant.

A cheaper alternative to this would be a decorative bamboo or coir mat.

Window Drapes: Monsoon season is the time to have translucent window drapes. Invest in lace curtains or curtains without lining to ensure that the daylight passing through will bathe the room in a suffused glow. These curtains will allow sufficient amount of light to enter the room and at the same time provide the privacy that you seek.

Taking Precautions

Storing important documents: Water is a menace for books and important documents. Ideally, keep important documents such as your passport, driving licence, title deeds, etc. in a waterproof, zip-lock case or box. Ensure that you have photocopies of this document similarly protected in another place in the house.

Stocking up: If the rain is pouring down for days and the streets are water-logged, you may not be able to venture out of your house for some time. Remember to stock up with enough food items and other basic necessities in advance to prepare for such circumstances. Another thing to ensure is that you have torch lights, emergency lamps, and extra fuel for generators, or a backup battery for your UPS.

Preparing for the rains: Ensure that your house can withstand the onslaught of the rain. Fill up any minute cracks with plaster of paris or white cement until more professional restoration work can be undertaken. Fill gaps between sliding windows with rubber lining to keep water from seeping through on a windy, rainy day. If you have metal surfaces that you suspect could get rusty, treat them with a waterproofing spray.

Care should be taken to prep the outside of the house as well if you are not living in a flat. Ensure that the drains and culverts around the house are not clogged. Rake leaves regularly and dispose of them to ensure that rain water will not drag them into the drainage system. Cut down branches that you feel are likely to fall in a rain. Ensure that the water drains on your roof are working well; otherwise water may stagnate on the roof and start seeping through the ceiling and walls.

Ensure that you designate an area to dry off wet umbrellas and raincoats. Somewhere close to the front entrance is ideal, as you would have guests coming in with their wet raingear. Remember to keep a good waterproof doormat in front of your house so that people can reduce the amount of mud that they might unintentionally bring in.

Create an Oceanic Bedroom

Create an Oceanic Bedroom

Is your child fascinated by the sea? Here's how to give her bedroom that oceanic touch.

Decorating a child's bedroom can be quite a challenge. As your child grows, she will begin to assert her independence in order to establish her own identity. Also, a child's interests keep changing as she encounters new situations which catch her fancy. In such a scenario, how do you make sure that you decorate your child's room so that it does not have to be changed after a few months?

An undersea theme is a classic option. Almost every child expresses an interest in sea life at one time or the other. This is a timeless theme and is relatively easy to create. The basic steps involved in making your child's room resemble an underwater world are given below.

The Background

The walls will form the backdrop for the undersea realm so they need to be blue. There are a wide variety of shades available. How you make your colour choice is important. You do not want a room that is too dark or it will make the room appear gloomy. At the same time, a room painted with a colour that is too light will not truly bring about the desired ambience.

Ideally, creating an undersea world requires that the background be a deep blue colour. The best way to determine which colour will suit the walls is to first choose a few options from a shade card. Then, buy a sample of each of the selected shades from the paint store. Paint a small area with the selected shades and then decide which shade suits your wall best. Since it is your child's room, ask her for her opinion as well.

Once you have decided on the shade, go ahead and paint the walls in the selected shade. Use white for the door, windows, and their frames. This will provide a nice contrast with the blue coloured walls. In keeping with the theme, you could also use a light green carpet to cover the floor. This will give the appearance of a sea-bed with a layer of grass covering it.

Once the base colours are done, it is time to add some details. The lower part ofthe walls can have green vegetation painted all over it. This will give the walls the appearance of a sea floor. The walls may be further enhanced by painting brightly coloured fishes. The fishes should be painted randomly on the walls without following a definite pattern. For this purpose, use a fish shaped stencil. This will make your job easier, especially if you are not the artistic type.

The Furniture

Furniture is something you can select and customise to suit your child's needs. Opt for a white coloured bed, cupboard, dressing table, etc. These will match thedoor and windows. Paint the furniture with figures of fishes and other sea creatures. You can paint the drawers of a dressing table, the headboard of a bed, as well as the outside of a cupboard.

Replace the plain knobs of drawers and the door with fish shaped knobs. You should be able to purchase these from a home and decor store; though you may have to search a little for them. You can decorate a white wastepaper basket with small cut-outs of fish. The laundry basket for dirty clothes can also be decorated with stickers of fishes, crabs, oysters, etc.

If possible, purchase bed sheets and curtains with sea life motifs on them. This will further enhance the feel of the room. In case these are not available or are too expensive, do not fret. You can purchase linen in the same colour as the wallsinstead. If you have the time, sew some sequins on the curtains, in the form of fish. Alternatively, cut out fish shapes from spare pieces of cloth and sew them onto the bed sheets.

Finally, give the room its final additions. Hang a piece of fishing net where yourchild can keep some of her toys or other belongings. If your child has many small toys, consider investing in a toy chest, which she can use to keep her toys in. With a few embellishments like fake gold coins glued onto it, the toy chest can be made to resemble a treasure chest that has sunk to the bottom of the sea.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure that your child is part of the decision making. It will give her a sense of pride to know that she has played a part in creating her own room.

How to Make Your Home Beautiful

How to Make Your Home Beautiful

Want to make your home beautiful and attractive? Read these tips and suggestions to make your house look amazing. Follow these simple tips and make your house look so appealing that you will love being home. Watch your house transform from boring to awesome with these easy home decor tips.

Home is where the heart is. Every body feels the most comfortable in their own homes. At the end of the day we look forward to going back home where we can be relaxed and ourselves.

When your home is decorated well and looks nice, it gives the people in the home a good feeling. A beautiful home can uplift moods and give a pleasant feeling to those living in the house.

While furnishing or decorating your house, always plan first. Plan and imagine in your mind how you would want the end result to look like.

These are some tips, you can use to beautify and decorate your house.

Choosing a Colour

One of the most important decisions that comes up while decorating or doing up your house is the selection of colour for the walls. The colour of your wall plays an important role and affects your mood and feelings. Do not buy the paint based on how it looks in the shop because it will most certainly look different at home.

While choosing colours for your wall keep in mind the following tips.

You should use a light colour as a basis of the entire room, use a medium colour in moderation and use dark colours as accents to highlight a room.

How to Decorate a Living Room

The living room is the first view that a guest has of your house when he enters. The living room should make a good and lasting impression on the visitor. Living room reflects the personality of the owners. It tells if you are formal and elegant or light-hearted.

If you have your TV in the living room, you should make sure to have seating arrangements around the TV.

For the sofa in your living room, the piece of furniture which you can place next to it is a table. There are many types of tables which you can place here. Be careful and while selecting the table keep in mind the proportion of the room and the size of the sofa.

You can also think of adding an area rug to your living room. An area rug can instantly transform the look of the room and make it attractive. Rather than having rugs in common shapes like square or rectangle, you can have a round rug. A round rug is something unique and gives a stylish look.

Family Photo

Have a photo of your near and dear ones in the room. You can keep a picture of your entire close family and relatives including grandparents on a photo frame. If you have a group of very close friends, you can keep a photo frame which shows everybody together. If you have been on trips or vacations with your family or friends, you can put up these photographs. Every time you see these pictures, fond memories will come back to you and will make you happy. Plus, it also adds up as a room accessory!

Greenery and Flowers

Every house with a dash of greenery looks lively and fresh. Green is a colour which is soothing to the eyes and has a relaxing effect. Keep some green plants around your house and give it a vibrant look!

Artificial flowers also look great! If you do not have real flowers just buy a vase of colourful and artificial flowers to make your house pretty. You should take care to keep it clean without dust!

Candles for Decoration

You can place scented candles in your house for a good fragrance around the house. Scented candles come in a variety of lovely colours. Also when the candles are lit, the light from candles gives a beautiful effect to the room!

Art for the Walls

Hanging a beautiful painting on the wall is a great way to make your house look attractive. A lovely painting of nature is a good idea. An attractive painting often gets admiration and compliments from visitors.

If you are a good artist yourself, you can put up your best painting on the wall! Personal art is unique and exclusive!

Curtains add interest to a Room.

A pair of matching curtains can alter the look of the entire room. A pair of curtains well coordinated with the other colours of the room can enhance its look positively. Curtains are not very expensive and curtains on their own make a huge difference.

Decide on flooring

People often only think about decorating of the walls and room, but forget that the flooring too must not be out of sync! While decorating your home, try to get appropriate flooring too which will match the other colours and designs in the room.

Decorate Ceiling Fan

Do you have a plain ceiling fan in your house? You can transform your plain boring ceiling fan to an attractive one by decorating it. You can do it alone or ask your children to help in decorating the blades. Even putting some good stickers like the ones which glow in the dark will give your fan an interesting look.

Professional Touches

Professional Touches

Decorate your home with care, so it looks as beautiful as if it were done by a professional decorator, and yet, echoes your personality in each room.

When decorating your home, choose every single item you buy, with care. Remember that most of your furniture will last a lifetime. You don't want to buy something on an impulse, and then, a few years later, as your tastes change, throw it away! Sure, you can, and will, throw away some things, but if you don't want to throw away most of what you buy today, you need to be careful.

Trends

Don't follow trends, unless you have enough money to change your decor when what was very trendy this season is completely out the next season, or when you simply get oh so sick those striped walls.

Theme

The first step you need to take is to identify a style or a theme, and stick with it for your entire home. This means that you need to first define how you want todecorate your home before you run around shopping and picking up whatever you think looks good. Of course, even if you gradually build your home by collecting things at random, you still may hit the spot and have a beautiful home, warm and cozy home. But, for a more professional touch, a little planning and foresight will help. So at the outset, decide what theme you are going to go with. Modern? Minimalist? Ethnic? Victorian? Summer? Moroccan? Eclectic, which means, a little bit of everything, on purpose?…. The choice is endless. Once you know where you're headed, you will avoid making expensive mistakes and buying furniture that does not quite 'fit'.

Magazines

Read as many home and decor magazines as you can get your hands on. They really, really do help. When you see something you like in a magazine, don't just randomly try to reproduce it. First, observe the little details, because that is what makes all the difference. You may love the sofas in a room that has a minimalist theme, but if you put the same sofas in your home without paying attention to the other elements, the results will be disastrous. Along with the sofas, also observe the plain brown rectangular carpet, the large square glass vase with a single gerbera in it, the sleek furniture minus any hint of carving….

Colours

What colours do you like? What colours make you feel good, relaxed and lift your mood? Ever notice how sometimes you visit someone, and as soon as you enter their home you feel so relaxed? This has less to do with how beautiful the vase sitting on that table is, and more to do with colour. If the colours of your home are warm and earthy, chances are that they will embark a feeling of warmth and coziness to anyone that visits. Similarly, cool colours relax you, while vibrant colours lift you up and make you want to get up and go. But, more important, identify the colours that make you feel happy, and use these colors to decorate your home.

Once you've decided on the colour and on the theme, only pick up those pieces that go with your chosen theme. So if you've decided to do modern, minimalist, DON'T opt for a carved sideboard!

Lanterns

Lanterns

Lanterns can completely transform your home and can add instant charm, warmth and personality to any room, making it a perfect retreat after a hard day's work.

Here are a few ideas as to how you can decorate your home using lanterns.

Paper lanterns

Liven up any corner of a room by simply hanging a lantern from above. Place a small table below the lantern, a plant behind, and you've got magic! Finish off the look by placing chicks on your windows. Traditional round paper lanterns are available almost anywhere, are very economical, and add a perfect designer touch to the simplest of homes.

Lanterns come in various shapes, sizes and fabrics. Although we've seen a lot of round paper lanterns, there's a lot more available than we realize. Tall, rectangular or cylindrical paper lanterns also look great when placed on the floor in any corner of the home. Such lanterns tend to complement minimalist decor.

Silk Lanterns

You could consider silk lanterns instead of paper lanterns. Silk lanterns look richer, and the best part is that the colour of the fabric really shows through when turned on. Silk lanterns aren't the best source of lighting, but they do wonders for the ambience and help illuminate and put focus on areas of your home that would otherwise be in the background.

If you want to get even more creative, think of hanging a combination of lanterns of different shapes, from the center of the room. Hang them at various distances from the roof, so some are lower and some are higher. This looks especially good if you have a high ceiling or a large home. If your home is not large, too many lanterns hanging from the center may look crowded, and you could consider doing this in the corner of a room, or perhaps in your bedroom. (Guaranteed to turn up the romance quotient!)

Glass lanterns

Glass lanterns are possibly the most common of all in India, and although they look just as beautiful as paper or silk lanterns, they don't stand out as much and are not as effective in themselves. With silk lanterns, the lanterns themselves are a focal point of attention, but you would definitely need complementing decor since these lanterns stand out so much. On the other hand, glass lanterns look great in most homes, and complement most decors. In addition, they could be used indoors or outdoors. They add atmosphere to a home and help it look warm and cozy as well. Larger brass lanterns look great when hung from the ceiling. Consider hanging one brass lantern in a corner, and complement it by using smaller, wall mounted lanterns on the other walls. You could also considerhanging a large wrought iron lantern above your dining table. A cafe in New Delhi has around a hundred colourful glass lanterns hanging from the ceiling and mounted on the walls, giving it an incredibly exotic atmosphere.

So the next time you shop for lighting, remember that few other lighting options can impart as much warmth and coziness as lanterns can, and consider opting for them.

Great Home Ideas

Great Home Ideas

Turn your bedroom into a haven, give your kitchen a new look or add a touch of class to your walls.

Whether you want to turn your bedroom into a haven, give your kitchen a new look or simply add a touch of class to your walls, you've come to the right place. You don't have to completely overhaul your home; taking care of a few details can make a world of difference.

Sunroof

Few things feel as heavenly as lying down on your bed at night and looking up to see the stars in the sky. Many of us have seen sunroofs in living areas or in verandahs in a home, but how many of us have seen a sunroof in a bedroom, over the bed? So if you happen to live on the top floor of a building, or in a bungalow, invest in a sunroof. You will find that as you grow older, few things will provide you with as much pleasure as the sunroof will.

It will provide you will warm sunshine in the winter, and you can always draw the shades to shield out the hot summer sun. Yes, remember that as this particular sunroof is not in the verandah, you will need to provide for shades or blinds, since the last thing you need is the sun pouring on your face the first thing every morning when you just want to sink under the covers and go back to sleep.

As the string of these blinds needs to hang down pretty low, possibly over your bed so you can reach it when sitting on your bed, make sure you have a nice detail worked into the end of the string.

Kitchen

Who wouldn't like to give their kitchen a whole new look without spending thousands of rupees? One quick, easy and inexpensive way to go about this is to simply tile the counter tops. If you don't want to tile the entire length, even tiling a certain portion will make a difference and can brighten up your kitchen. If you are tiling a small portion, it makes sense to use cheerful colours. Consider oranges and yellows. You could also add an elegant tile border around the counters to give your kitchen an affordable, designer touch.

Paintings

Do you have a whole lot of pictures, photographs or paintings that you want to hang on a wall, but are unsure of how to go about it? Instead of hanging the pictures at random, here's what you may want to do:

Place your paintings on the wall so they fall roughly in a square. Take a measuring tape and measure out the square. You will need to measure it from the floor upwards to make sure it is proportionate.

Then, take some cellotape and paste it so as to have a border of your square. It is easier to paste cellotape, which you can simply peel off, than it is to draw a border with your pencil. Erasing it will not be that easy.
Now, place the paintings so they all fall within the borders of the square. The ends of the paintings should sit perfectly on the square border.

Once you have your placement worked out, start working on the nails in the wall. You may want to have two hooks to hold up each painting, even if the painting is small, because smaller paintings tend to rock sideways more often than larger ones do.

Remember, it is more important to focus on the entire effect of the square, than it is to focus on the distance of each painting from each other. It doesn't matter if one painting is five inches away from another and two inches away from a third. What matters is that each painting is perfectly placed within the square.

When this is done, simply peel off the cellotape, and you're all set!

Inexpensive Dècor

Inexpensive Dècor

You don't need to spend a fortune on doing up your home. All you need is an aesthetic eye, a creative mind and planning.

Whether or not you lead a hectic life, your home should be your haven. It should be a place you can enter at the end of the day, and feel immediately relaxed and relieved to be back. It should be your comfort zone, and when you say 'Home, Sweet home' you should really mean it.

Far too many people spend far too less time, money and effort on doing up their home, saving up those pennies for a rainy day. We've said it before, and we're saying it again. You don't need to spend a fortune on doing up your home. All you need is an aesthetic eye, a creative mind and planning. Lots of planning.

The biggest mistake people make when doing up their home is that they have no plan in mind as to what they want their place to look like. So they go to the market and pick up whatever they feel looks good. True, this is one way to go about doing things, and if you have a good eye you may pick up nice things and make everything look good together. But if you have a plan in mind, everything you get will be well coordinated and you will not need to spend a packet on expensive decoration items to make your home prettier.

One way to do up your home inexpensively and yet ensure that it looks like a home out of a magazine, is to do it up in a fun and funky tropical style.

Get your inspiration from colours of the sun, like reds, oranges and yellows. Paint your walls in these colours. You will be surprised as to how cheerful and sunny yellow walls can make your room look.

Once the walls have been painted, choose one wall to be the focal wall of attention. Place a large mirror with an ornate frame on that wall. You can leave the other walls bare. Because the colour of your walls are by themselves so bright, you will not need much decoration, and even if you don't hang paintings on every wall, they will still not look bare.

Go to flea markets and pick up an assortment of lanterns. Many lanterns come for as little as Rs. 100. Larger lanterns will be more expensive. The key to making lanterns look good is the manner in which you hang them. Hang some lanterns low from the ceiling, hang another on a wall, and place yet another on a stand.Stained glass lamps look great too, and are not very expensive.

Plants make for inexpensive and lifelong decoration pieces, and they yield even more plants. Invest in colourful pots, and place smaller plants on stands, on window sills or hang them from the ceiling. Place larger plants in a corner and make the corner come alive. Hang a lantern above the plant and your corner is all set. In fact, hanging brass lamps, lanterns and plants low down from the ceiling in a corner looks very appealing.

Instead of investing in fabrics for drapes, consider using 'chicks' on windows. They give a very tropical feel to the place, look great, and are far more inexpensive than curtains.

Add Charm To Your Home

Add Charm To Your Home

Even the most basic home with purely functional furniture can be turned into a haven of comfort with a little effort, and even less money!

Turning your home into a charming haven of comfort is not very difficult. Here are some tips.

Candles

Start by investing in a wide, but not too deep, earthen bowl. Place this on a stand besides your entrace or in the corner of your room. If you have a glass bowl, you can place this on your centre table. Fill it up with water and place a few floating candles in it, along with flower petals. Although nothing looks as fresh and beautiful as real flowers or rose petals floating in water, fake flowers can also look pretty. Place a couple of floating candles in the water, and you can light these candles whenever you have company. Simran lights a few floating candles in the late evening, after her puja. She leaves these on for an hour or two so the home seems warm and welcoming to her husband when he returns after a hard day's work, and blows them off before dinner. Yukta buys a box of simple, white candles every two months. She places candles plants in her home, to light up nooks and corners.

Collectibles

Although it may seem tempting to go out and pick up a whole lot of decoration items that catch your eye and just place them around the house, resist the temptation to do this. First of all, not all decoration items come cheap - and you don't want to be set back by thousands of rupees in a day, only to realise that you don't like the new look of your home all that much after all. This is why, if you are on a budget, it is best to go slow. In this manner you can too your collection of decorative items gradually, over a period of years, and you will also have a much better collection since you will gain more awareness about what looks good and what doesn't as time goes by. Don't use anything plastic as a decoration item in any room.

Lighting

Avoid using tubelights in the hall or in your bedroom. Save them for the kitchen or your child's study. Light up your hall with the help of lamps. Lampshades are far less expensive than chandeliers, and make your home look cozy, and more inviting. When opting for a lampshade keep a colour scheme in mind so your room looks even more co-ordinated and aesthetic. Remember that your aim is not to have every room brightly lit. The only room you need to be well lit is the room where you will be reading. Every other room can have semi-bright lighting, an effect which is best achieved with lampshades. You can also opt for ceiling lights with dimmers, but its not the best option if your are on a bugdet.

Lanterns

Lanterns look incredibly charming, and don't even come close to costing as much as chandeliers! Invest in a large paper lantern and let it hang low in one corner. This imparts an instant atmosphere to the room. Hang other lanterns from the ceiling, or on walls. Place candles or bulbs in the lanterns, and light them often.

Chimes

Invest in a few chimes and hang them up by the window. Everytime the wind blows, your home will resound with light, tinkling music. Chimes are believed to impart harmonious vibrations - which every home needs.

Decorating Small Balconies

Decorating Small Balconies

Do you have a small outdoor area at your home? It doesn't matter how small it is - you can still turn it into a beautiful haven.

Decorating balconies can be so economical. All you really need are plants and a few lamps - so it never fails to amaze me when I see bare balconies. No matter how small your balcony, you can always to something to make it look simply spectacular.

Door

Have a glass door leading into the balcony. If possible, you could consider having two glass doors, in the center of the wall, leading out. This gives an illusion of space, without you having to actually enclose the balcony. Enclosing smallbalconies do make sense, but often new constructions don't allow you to enclosebalconies or make any changes that affect the facade of the construction. Also, having a small balcony can be very pleasant, if you make the most of it.

Now that you have a glass door that lets you look out into the balcony at all times, it's time to decorate the balcony itself.

Do you have a good view from the balcony? If you do, don't do anything that will obstruct the view, since having a nice view is a rarity in large cities. If you don't have much of a view, for example if your balcony overlooks the backside of your neighbour's house, try this. Hang plants over the entire length of the balcony, from the parapet above, in little round pots, equidistant from each other. Hanging plantswill still lend the illusion of space, while somewhat concealing the bad view. If the view is truly terrible, if you overlook a garbage dump or a car garage for example, do all you can to completely conceal the view with the help of taller plants.

Sculptures

Nothing looks as striking as a shining brass sculpture amidst green plants. If you've decided to fill up your balcony with plants to conceal the bad view, place a slightly large brass statue between the plants. If you have glass doors leading to the balcony, let the statue face indoors. On the other hand, if you have a good view, consider placing a few plants in one corner of the balcony, and place a smaller brass statue amidst the plants.

Lighting

One or two well-placed lamps or lanterns are really all that is needed to give your balcony a designer touch. Hang a large paper lantern from the parapit, or place a tall lamp on the floor. You could also consider nailing two coloured lanterns to the walls in your balcony. Mood lighting is essential, and is far preferable to functional lighting in a small balcony.

Seating

If you would like to spend time seated in your tiny rectangular balcony, here's what you can do. Consider opting for a few hanging plants, and divan-type seating, using the three corners of the balcony as backrest. Simply take an old trunk, cover it with bright phulkari embroidered cloth, throw on a couple of matching cushions, and you have a perfect seating arrangement. Hang a lamp just above the seat, so you can turn it on when you sit out in the evenings and read.

Cost Effective Decoration

Cost Effective Decoration

You don't have to spend a ton of money decorating your home, but everything should be in harmony. Opt for a low-cost theme for your home.

All of us aspire to live in beautiful homes, but most have limited budgets. However, not all decorating needs to be high budget in order to look beautiful. There are various styles you can select from, and do up your home accordingly. Remember, things don't have to be expensive to look good, but they do need to be in harmony with each other.

Paint

Paint can serve as a great decorating tool by itself. Painting certain walls in different, strong colours can make a world of difference to your home. However, this can go horribly wrong if you mismatch the colours. It would be best if either you have a good knowledge of colours and are creative and artistic, or if you go through a few interior books and select a color theme from the book. If you see something that you like in a book, try and follow the entire colour theme, and not just part of it, because then you may end up with something you don't like.

Curios

You don't need to invest in expensive curious. Even simple items, if well selected to match with the rest of the decor can look just as good. If you select a Moroccan decor for example, instead of investing in expensive Lladro sculptures and crystal decorations, you could purchase an Arabic style kettles and hookahs.

Lighting

Anyone who's ever tried shopping for chandeliers know that the price of something very pretty and classic with excellent quality crystal, can run into lakhs of rupees. A smaller crystal chandelier can run into tens of thousands of rupees. To cut costs people often opt for cheaper material that imitate the real deal. Instead of doing this, consider going in for something completely different. White paper lanterns that hang low from the ceiling can look very aesthetic. Similarly, you could opt for brass and glass lanterns, wrought iron lanterns or stained glass ones, depending on the rest of your decor.

Curtains

Chiks are an incredibly cost-effective alternative to curtains, and look great when paired with paper lanters and cane furniture. Other options include flimsy ready-to-hang cotton or organdy curtains. Opt for these curtains in colours to complement the rest of the decor. They make any room look larger, more spacious and airy.

Plants

Plants make for extremely cost effective decor. Just place one plant in a corner, and the corner looks complete. You could invest a little in getting decorative plant holders. In addition, plants make any home look warm, cozy and inviting. Unless you are following a strictly modern or minimalist style of decor, considerdecorating your home generously with plants. Get creative and hang planters in corners from the ceilings.

Cabinets

Glass cabinet cupboards can be expensive. Fill it up with crystal, and you're talking about spending over half a lakh of rupees. Instead, opt for something a little more rustic and simple. Wide shelves with no doors are a good option. You could then decorate the shelves with pretty plates, cups, glasses and a kettle. There doesn't have to be heavy carving on your wood for it to look good. Even something simple can look very charming and cozy. 

Home on a Budget

Home on a Budget

Trying to do up your home on a budget? No problem. You don't need a ton of money to live in a beautiful home. All you need is a few tips!

If you are interested in doing up your home well but don't want to spend too much money, it is worth investing in a few home decoration magazines. If you goshopping when you have something in mind, you will end up buying much less than if you go and just pick out things that you like. There are also less chances of you getting it wrong, or buying something that doesn't look very good.

Avoid buying too many showpieces. When doing up your home, first concentrate on getting the basic furniture right. You can then purchase showpieces gradually, over the years. Also remember that you will receive plenty of showpieces as presents over the years, and you can use these to decorate your home instead of just passing them along to someone else!

Adopt a minimalist look. Minimalist furniture is not very expensive, and if you have a magazine for guidance, you can work according to a look you like so you don't get it wrong.

Stick with one look in one room, and make it a point to match everything. The more coordinated your room, the better it looks. Of course, a colourful room can also look stunning, but then you need to be really very aesthetic and have a very good eye to pull it off. But if you simply match everything perfectly, you are sure to have a room that looks great.

First, decide what colour you want in which room. Then get rods placed above the windows for the curtains, and hang simple curtain sheets. Don't bother with pleats. You only end up using more fabric, and it looks heavy, making a small room appear even smaller.

Opt for non-printed curtains if your place is small. If you feel it is monotonous, you can break the monotony by hanging a plain white sheet or two.

Chiks look beautiful too, and are a much economical option to curtains. They make your place look sunny and tropical. Continue this look by placing chatais interspersed with fabric to match your decor on the floor in lieu of carpets.

You don't need expensive woodwork to decorate corners, all you really require is a large plant. Plants are much cheaper than showpieces, and make your place look better, warmer and cozier. Plants also look great when teamed with chiks on the windows.

Are you looking for a center table? Buy two simple painted earthen pots, place a thick sheet of glass over them and voila, a beautiful center table for quarter the price of a wooden and glass table. Invest in a good quality, thick glass with beveled edges. Use the same concept for your side tables too, by placing square or round sheets of glass over single pots.

Intersperse seating with huge cushions on chatais on the floor, especially if you are a young couple and will not be doing a lot of very formal entertaining. However, if you cannot do this in the living room, then use cushions in lieu of chairs for your child's bedroom.

Decorating Tricks

Decorating Tricks

There's plenty you can do to make your rooms seem larger than they really are. Here are some tips and tricks used by professionals.

With the spiraling costs of real estate, many of us live in apartments that are smaller than we consider ideal. The ceilings are too low, the rooms are too narrow or small, there is not enough light - and so on. However, there's plenty you can do to make your rooms seem larger than they really are, with the help of optical illusions. Here are some tips and tricks.

Tiny rooms

If your rooms are very small and boxy, you could make them appear larger by painting one wall darker than the others. In your bedroom, however, you could achieve this effect by placing wall to wall cupboards along one of the walls. If your room is rectangular, select one of the two narrower walls for your wardrobe. If your cupboard doesn't touch the roof, then paint the wall above the cupboard darker than the other walls.

Low ceilings

In this day and age it is unusual to come across high ceilings, especially in apartments. Although your ceiling may not be very low, if you could give the impression that they are higher than they really are, you will get a greater sense of space in your home.

First, select the colour you are going to paint your ceiling. Generally, white is the best bet. In addition, select a white moulding around your ceiling, or, if you want to cut costs, simply paint six inches of the top of your walls, white. This makes your ceilings appear higher.

Paint the walls a few shades darker than your ceiling, and, ideally, your floor should be a few shades darker than the wall. If you have opted for marble flooring, don't worry about it - that looks great too, but if the colours in your room are graded, with the floor the darkest, the walls, lighter and the ceilings, the lightest, you will definitely be adding height to your room.

Opt for low-lying furniture. Not only will this make your home seem far more spacious, but low-lying furniture can also look aesthetic and appealing. Place a very low table on the floor, and surround it by colourful floor cushions. This is, of course, very informal seating, but if you are a young couple and most of your friends just walk into your home and hang out, you could have this seating arrangement in your living room. If not, then you could replace the cushions with low chairs and sofas, and stick with the very low center table.

Draw attention to the floor by placing a colourful rug on it.

When selecting wall lamps, go in for those that reflect light upwards instead of downwards.

Narrow wall

If one of the walls is very narrow, paint it in a different colour to the rest of the walls and place a large mirror on the adjacent wall. If possible, use a full-length mirror or one that is as large as is feasible. The narrow wall will get reflected, and will appear to be double the size it really is. Mirrors can also be used opposite light sources to brighten up a room considerably.

These are just a few tricks used by interior decorators, to make a space seemlarger than it is. Incorporate these tricks into your homes, and you will be delighted with the difference it makes!

Designing Your Newborn Baby's Room

Designing Your Newborn Baby's Room

Let's see how you can make your baby's room truly special.

Making Your Baby's Room Safe

Safety should be your priority when preparing your baby's room. You should check the safety arrangements before the baby's arrival because you may be too busy after your baby's birth. Make sure that you put the baby's crib in a safe corner where nothing can possibly fall inside. For example, do not place it next to a wardrobe or shelf where it is possible that something may fall into the crib.

Also keep the crib at a distance from the windows, door and air conditioner. This is to avoid direct drafts which may give your baby a cold. Also make sure that you have a soft night light so that you can see properly when you enter your baby's room at night. Do not leave anything inflammable near the crib. Also make surethere are no sharp objects or sharp corners in the room. Make sure you do not leave any stuffed toys in the baby's crib. Also line the insides of the baby's cribwith padding.

You could also considering investing in a wireless baby monitor, so you can continue working around the house and still pay attention to your baby. Some advanced baby monitors also have video cameras which let you see your baby on the receiver.

Choosing Colours for Your Baby's Room

Choosing colours and designs for your baby's nursery can be a lot of fun. It is not necessary to spend a lot of money to make the room really attractive. You could have it done professionally or you could do it yourself. What you must keep in mind is that the room should look aesthetic and pleasing to the eye. It is possible to decorate a baby's room on a budget if you are innovative enough.

Since your baby cannot offer suggestions yet, it may be a good time to let your creative juices flow. You can decorate the room around a theme and choose an appropriate colour. It is better to use mild colours, as some studies indicate that soft colours are better suited for a baby's environment. Using colours like sky blue, pale yellow, light pink, leaf green, etc. for the walls and crib are recommended. You can also use a mix of colours but do pay attention to the contrast between these colours.

Decorating Your Baby's Room

Babies need accessories! Well, maybe not babies themselves, but a good baby room should have a range of playthings, stuffed toys, and little trinkets. You can get some stuffed animals to place in different corners. There are also a lot of hanging toys you can buy for your baby's crib. You can hang planes, animals, stars, etc. to entertain the baby and keep him preoccupied.

As for wall decorations, you could get little ornaments to hang on the walls. You can also go for inexpensive paintings in place of ornaments. Alternatively, you can get down to drawing little cartoon figures yourself. Quite a lot of parents choose to add a personal touch when decorating their baby's room. Baby furniture also adds to the room's charm. When you buy baby furniture, make sure it matches the colour of the walls.

Then there are the necessary supplies like baby clothes, baby shoes, nappies, baby toiletries, baby carrier, stroller etc. that you will need to pick up. You can have a mini-wardrobe in the baby nursery where you can stock all these items.

So go ahead and design a baby room that you can be proud of. It is a very satisfying feeling to a lot of parents and your baby will really enjoy it too.