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LIGHTING TECHNIQUES THAT CAN BRIGHTEN UP YOUR HOME INTERIORS

Lighting plays a very significant role in your interior decorations. The light you choose can set the mood of your home. It can energize you, soothe you or inspire you. Though it can be affordable, it is an important aspect of your home interior and should not be neglected.

Ideally even before you start doing up your interiors you should have an idea of the kind of lighting you want in your home, based on your personality. This will help you to choose styles and pieces in the overall home interiors that can be complemented by your lighting style. So first, it is important to understand the different kinds of lighting and how you can make them work for your home. You will need to use all of these lightings – just choose the correct placement, proportion, combination and fixtures to create your masterpiece!

AMBIENT LIGHTING

These are the lights that we use regularly on a day-to-day basis. The role of this lighting is to provide more illumination to the overall general area or room. This can be either warm or yellow, depending on how bright you like it. So choose a location that can distribute light around the room equally and well. You can use ceiling-mounted fixtures or wall-mounted fixtures, which come in a variety of finishes and designs to be aesthetically pleasing while also uniformly distributing light across the room.

Photo by Jean-Philippe Delberghe on Unsplash

AMBIENCE LIGHTS

This light is used to set the mood of the room and is not used on a day-to-day basis. Usually, they are concealed and only emit the light you need. You can switch them on when you have a party or want to just wind down in a mellow setting after a hard day’s work. You could have color changing lights for a party mood, a warm yellow or soft white for a festive or romantic evening. Recessed lights or running LED strips are most commonly used to create an ambiance and can be fixed to the floor or ceiling. Here, you cannot see the bulb or the wires. Only the soft glow of the light is visible, which sets the mood.

**Photo by Francesca Tosolini on Unsplash**

FOCUS LIGHTS

These are used when you want to draw attention to a specific object or space. They are sometimes also referred to as Task Lights. You can use them to highlight an accent wall in your home, for your paintings or art. It can be used in the kitchen by fixing it to the bottom of the cabinet so that the countertops are lit, providing you a little extra light when you are cooking and need to see clearly. Pendants lights in different designs like a single bulb or as a set can be hung from the ceiling, above the area you want to focus on. These have elongated wiring from which the bulb and its shade are hung. Pendant lights can be used anywhere – in the kitchen, above the dining table or for that cozy corner you want to highlight.

DECORATIVE LIGHTS

This is what adds that bling quotient to your home. They need not be permanent fixtures but can be put on during festivities and celebrations to add that sparkle. You have many options like fairy lights or curtain lights for a backdrop or your balcony. You can artistically place colored decorative tea light holders or Moroccan lamps. The idea is to have something different for those special days that can add to the celebratory mood.

You could also have permanent fixtures that double up as the focal point in a room. Ceiling fixtures such as chandeliers act as a piece of art and add to the overall décor of the room, while also doubling up as a decorative light for that extra bling. Decorative overhead lamps fixed above the dining table throw that extra light when you want to highlight your well-set table. Wall Scones also add a decorative element to your room. They can focus the light upwards or downwards depending upon the design you want to create for the room. Similarly, a funky looking lamp can be placed on a table or in the corner like a piece of art. It also serves as a focus light for reading.

So the next time you want to renovate your home or are looking for options for a new home, remember to use these different techniques. Create your unique combinations and enjoy a well-light and beautiful home that suits your personality.

DOES YOUR HOME REFLECT THE ONCOMING FESTIVITIES? HERE ARE 5 THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO WHEN DECORATING FOR DIWALI.

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Diwali is celebrated all across India as ‘the festival of lights’ and the victory of light over darkness. So the décor, rituals and traditions of Diwali are all about lights and glitter. It is the time to bring out all the lamps & candles, polish the brass to a shine, cook up delicious sweets and be ready to welcome guests into your home to take part in the festivities. Here are a few things you can do to spruce up your home this Diwali.

Entrance Décor

Make the entrance to your house and the foyer welcoming and festive. There are many ways to decorate it for Diwali.

Create intricate Rangoli patterns if you are good at drawing. You can use colorful chalks or powders to create these patterns. You also get ready-made Kundan Rangolis that come as pieces and can be just placed on the floor. These use a base of plastic sheet on which bright beads & glitter are stuck. They can be reused and you can also make your unique design by combining different sets.

Hang Torans of natural mango leaves & flowers like marigold or jasmine. Along with the festive color, they add a heady fragrance as well – one that is associated with festivities. If you like some glitter, you can choose from many artificial ones that are made of sequins, wood or mirror-work. These also come in many fancy shapes and bright colors.

**Photo credits : a href=’httpswww.freepik.comphotosdiwali’Diwali photo created by freepik –** **www.freepik.coma**

Lighting Ideas

Diwali is all about lights. Be it traditional lamps, terracotta diyas, candles or electric lights – this is the time of the year that you can use ALL of them.

For the exterior lighting like balconies, choose electric lights as the natural flame cannot stay alight in the wind. There are many fairy lights or string lights to choose from. But if you like to go in for candles, choose hurricane lamps or lanterns that offer some protection against the wind. You could use water glass or mason jars too to place tealight candles in.

**Photo by Erin Marie Payne from FreeImages**

For lighting up your home interiors, you can buy some terracotta diyas and paint them with bright colors and stick beads & sequins. Place them around the house – on tables or ledges or even line them as a border along the floor or arrange them in a rangoli pattern. String up fairy lights along the ceiling or the walls. You could place fairy lights that work on battery inside mason jars or old liquor bottles for some quirky lighting options. Use some gold lace or paper to wrap these candle holders and add some bling to the light. Polish the brass & silver lamps to a shine and fill them with fragrant oils to light them up. This truly gives the authentic feel of festivities and is considered auspicious as well. Decorate the lamps with flowers if you would like to add some color.

Fill urn or urlis or large bowls with water and put in flowers and petals in them. Add some floating candles for that touch of Diwali.

Color & Glitter

Looking to redecorate? This is the right time to do it and be ready for Diwali. If you don’t want to spend too much but still want a new look for the festivities, you can get a new festive look for the living room – the main area where you will host your Diwali parties. Buy new curtains in bright colors with gold motifs or made of art silk. Place matching bright cushions across sofas and chairs. This can instantly transform how your living room looks and set the mood for the festivities.

**Photo By Udayaditya Barua on Unsplash**

Binge Without Any Guilt

Apart from the new dresses and decorations, festivals are also a time for some awesome food. Traditionally kitchens would be busy before a month, preparing for Diwali. While this may not be possible now, try your hand at some homemade laddoos and other sweets & savories. It is the right time for the chef in you to experiment. Traditional, elaborate meals are a must during this season. Of course, the presentation of this wonderful food is also important. If you have silverware or copperware, polish them well and use them. Even if it is not an entire set, choose good pieces that can be set as a centerpiece. You can also use some zari lace or kundan rangolis and lamps to decorate the table.

Party Favours

Who doesn’t like gifts? And Diwali is a time for exchanging gifts. You can add a bit of personal touch by making some party favors for your guests to take back home. Buy some terracotta diyas and paint them in gold or bright colors like orange, yellow or blue. You can also create patterns with simple dot painting. Get some glass jars and fill them up with homemade sweets like besan laddoos, chocolates or brownies.Use some brightly colored paper to make a bag, fix some gold string for the handles and create a gift hamper by placing a couple of your hand-painted diyas and a jar of your homemade sweets. Your guests will be thrilled to receive this little personalized gift when they leave. You can also add a little note thanking them and wishing them a Happy Diwali!!

What do you do to make your home special for Diwali? Do let us know….

ESSENTIAL THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND FOR A FUNCTIONAL & MODERN KITCHEN

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There is a saying that “the kitchen is the heart of a home”. This is true for every kind of kitchen, be it modern or traditional or minimalistic. Gone are the days when kitchens were looked at as spaces in one corner of the house, where one toiled in the heat. Today’s kitchens are designed to be functional, inspiring you to experiment and be creative in your cooking. It is now a space where the whole family can hang out, eat or participate in the cooking process. In many instances, the kitchen opens up to the living area which ensures that you can watch television or can continue to have a conversation with your loved ones while cooking up yummy meals. So if you are looking to renovate your kitchen or build a new one, here are some tips to make it a truly functional one that can also reflect your character and style.

Type Of Kitchen

Choose what kind of kitchen you want to build. A Modular Kitchen is the preferred modern way to design your kitchen. It is versatile and as the name suggests, has “modules” that you can choose. These are easy to assemble and uninstall, come in a variety of finishes and can be customized to suit your specific needs. The other option is to go in for a Carpenter Made Kitchen. While these can be pocket friendly, the finishing and precision often depend on the skill of the carpenter. It is also not easy to uninstall as these are mostly “fixed permanently”.

Ergonomic Design

Ensure that your kitchen is built to suit your needs. The most used areas when cooking are the countertops, the hob, the sink & the refrigerator. Make sure these are easily accessible and not far from each other. Usually, these are placed in a triangle for easy access. It is also important to ensure that the countertop and hob are suited to your height so you don’t stoop or stretch when cooking. Similarly, use the cabinets at the top to store things you access daily and the ones below to store things you use once in a while.

Color

If you have an open kitchen, choose colors that go with the rest of the house. Choose colors that are timeless and those that hide food stains and oil spills. You could have some fun and have accent walls with bright colors or even some wall decal stickers with quirky quotes. Warm chocolate or wood colors on the cabinets are a good option and usually go well with other elements of the house too. Similarly an all-white or a monochrome kitchen speaks of subtle elegance.

**Photo by Watermark Designs on Unsplash**

Counter Tops

When choosing the material for your countertop, go with natural stone like granite that is sturdy and will not absorb stains. There are many aesthetic designs available and can be put in as a single slab – so it is easier to clean and maintain. Though a bit expensive, they are long-lasting and don’t break easily with daily wear & tear. Artificial materials like laminates are also used for countertops. While these are less expensive, they can end up looking “cheap” and usually are not very long-lasting.

Modular Cabinets

Kitchen cabinets allow for discreet storage and are a very important component to make your cooking experience a seamless one. Modular kitchens allow for many drawers and even utilization of corner spaces. You can have exclusively created spaces for storing appliances that you don’t use regularly like toasters, mixers, kettles etc. These cabinets also come with good quality stainless steel fittings with soft-close mechanisms that ensure minimal damage during usage, thereby increasing the product life too.

Sink Space Utilization

It is always advisable to have a 2-sink unit in the kitchen as it is more convenient. It is easy to scrub using one and place it in the other for washing at one go, thereby saving water. If you have space, get 2 separate units so that you can keep the utensils for washing in a utility area and have one exclusively for your cooking needs in the kitchen. The most commonly used material for the kitchen sink is stainless steel. It is affordable, durable and suited to all countertop surfaces. Other popular choices are copper sinks or one built-in with stone. The space below the sink can be enclosed with the same finish as your cabinets to have a uniform look and feel. It helps cover the pipes and can also double up as storage for your cleaning supplies. You could also fit in bins on the doors for dry and wet waste so that it is easy to clean and dispose as you go.

Safety First

Your kitchen is the space you use many appliances that can lead to a mishap if not maintained properly. Ensure you check your wiring and sockets regularly to avoid electrical shocks when using appliances. Similarly, if using a gas cylinder keep it in an undisturbed space. While some prefer to keep it under the countertop, it would be better to keep it in a ventilated space like the utility with enclosed wiring to the hob.

You can have decorative and ambiance lighting in the kitchen. Use these for decoration and choose practical, bright lights when cooking/cleaning as this will help you see better and helps avoid accidents.

Ventilation is also very important in the overall safety of a kitchen. It helps air out the strong smell of food & spices and also helps to keep the mold away. Opt for sliding doors or windows that can be easily opened to air out your kitchen. The chimney also helps to air out the fumes when cooking. You could also install an exhaust fan for additional suction.

What are your tips for a great kitchen? Do write to us with your comments.

INTERIOR DÉCOR TIPS FOR A PUJA ROOM AT HOME

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In most homes, however modern or compact, a puja room or mandir oraprayer space is a must. Whatever the religion, all of us want an exclusive space in our homes to create a prayer space to talk to God. Be it an independent/large home or a small apartment space, we always find a prominent niche to create the puja room. Here are some expert interior tips to make this space a calming and transcendent one.

CHOOSING THE LOCATION AS PER VASTU SHASTRA

The first and foremost point is to choose where you want to set up your prayer space. The ideal would be to set it up either facing east or north-east. Vastu Shastra also recommends this. If this is not possible, you could place it in the west too but do avoid the south as this is not considered auspicious.

Ensure that this space is free standing and not placed under anything like a staircase, table, or shelf. Also, avoid keeping anything on top of the pooja unit.

If possible, choose a space that is not noisy as peace encourages introspection and reflection when you pray.

Keep it free of clutter – a neat space brings with it a sense of calmness and harmony, which are essential when you talk to your God.

CREATING A QUAINT SPACE IN A LARGE HOME

If you are building a house, you could design a dedicated room from scratch and customize it to be as elaborate or minimalistic as you wish. If you are moving into a villa or a large home that is already built, you can easily design an exclusive space. In this case, you could use a niche and put up lightweight wooden jaali doors to enclose it as a puja room. If you have a passageway with a wall at one end, you could use that space to set up your prayer space.

If you decide to build a puja room, the most preferred material as per Vastu Shastra is wood. Create one with metal details as that is considered auspicious. If you do not want to build a permanent puja unit or a bulky one, you could always enclose the chosen space using paneled wooden partitions.

CREATE AN EXCLUSIVE SPACE IN A COMPACT HOME

Our modern homes are built compact. And these usually don’t come with a dedicated puja room as the overall space available is very limited. However, this does not mean you cannot design one to suit the décor of the rest of the space. Choose from the many options available to create a puja room –

A wall-mounted unit – if you don’t have enough floor space. This could easily be mounted as a floating shelf above a telephone unit or a chest of drawers, making optimum use of limited space. Here, you could even think out of the box and get a triangle unit to be fit into a corner space, instead of looking for a traditional rectangular one.

Standing Puja Units – If you have the floor space, you could custom build a standing puja unit or choose one from the many ready-made options available. Choose one which has some shelves built in at the base so that you can store and easily access the puja essentials.

A chest of drawers – You could use place your deity on top of the chest of the drawers. However, ensure that the storage has related items – Vastu does not recommend the storage of non-puja related items and suggests that this place should be exclusive.

Partition a corner – Wooden jaali partitions can be used to separate the prayer space from the living room. Not only do these partitions offer some privacy, they can also double up as a décor element. Plus they are lightweight to be moved around during cleaning and don’t cost much. In the case of a fixed partition, you could consider one of glass with etched motifs as well.

SET THE AMBIENCE WITH THE CORRECT DÉCOR & ACCESSORIES

Use wood for the puja units or doors of a separate room as this looks rich. In case of movable partitions, using lightweight wood like MDF ensures that it can be easily dismantled, moved, and cleaned. You could use decorative jaali elements in the wood to enhance its look.

If going for a standing unit, you can also consider a marble one. The white of the marble signifies purity and serenity and is a preferred choice of many. You could also put in marble shelves if you have a permanent puja room.

In modern compact homes, the puja space is usually a part of the living room and as such should go with the rest of the décor. Hence, modern families prefer the use of glass and metal for their puja units.

To create a serene ambiance and highlight the space, you could use murals or a glass backlit panel with etching. Of course, lighting plays an important role – use soft warm lighting that will help in meditation. Use brass lamps, bells, incense burner, or candlesticks to up the décor as these help reflect light. If you have a separate puja room you could consider painting it yellow or orange as both these colors attract positive energy. If you like a soothing effect or want to meditate, you could also paint it a pristine white.

What designs did you like best? Leave us your comments and tips. For customized puja room solutions, reach out to our team – we will be glad to help you!

12 EASY MONSOON CARE TIPS FOR YOUR HOME!

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BRIGHTEN UP A GLOOMY DAY – MAKE YOUR HOME WARM & INVITING!

Monsoon is here and it is a wonderful weather where we all would love to enjoy a hot cup of masala chai with some spicy pakodas! It is the ideal weather to curl up, just be and enjoy the nature is all it’s soaked up green glory!

While most of us love this weather, our homes do not feel the same way and need special care and maintenance in the monsoon season. Here are a few home care tips for the monsoon to prevent moisture damage indoors and to lift your spirits!

ENTRANCE & FOYER DÉCOR TIPS FOR THE MONSOON

Use coir or all-weather doormat at the entrance. This helps absorb rainwater and mud from the shoes even before you enter the house.
Keep an umbrella/raincoat stand near the door. This will come in handy to leave the wet things at the entrance itself instead of getting them indoors and leaving a trail of rainwater. If you have space outside your main door, you could place them there. Else, just place them at the entry foyer. A shoe rack too could be placed here with some silica gel to keep away the musty smell.
Put up a floating wall shelf or an accent table near the entryway. Create a caddy to keep your face masks (which is a MUST HAVE in these times) and hand sanitizers. This way you or your house helps or any visitors can ensure sanitization before you enter the living room area or the rest of the house. Your masks also have a designated place to be stored without getting tossed around the house. This is not just for the monsoon but can be followed as a safety tip all through the year. You could also keep a small bowl or glass jar of potpourri – this not only adds a pop of color but also gives out a pleasant smell and masks any musty odors from the wet umbrellas /coats /shoes.

INTERIOR DÉCOR & CARE FOR THE MONSOON

Monsoon is synonymous with dull gloomy weather. Brighten up your home with a simple change in furnishing. Add brightly colored curtains or cushion covers to brighten up your living room. You could also add some paintings or wall decorations. Bring in some freshness with flowers – use up vases or wine bottles to place some long-stemmed seasonal flowers or place a brass urli, add some water, float some candles & tiny flowers to give the room a new and fresh look.
Sometimes there is a musty smell that lingers because of all the moisture in the air during this season. Make sure you air out your home well with cross ventilation. If you have areas with sunlight streaming in, make use of it, and open up the blinds. Let your home soak in the warmth and light. To mask the smell, you could also use a dehumidifier or a diffuser. Just add a few drops of natural essential oils like Citronella or Lemongrass to the water and it will leave your house smelling fresh! You could even burn camphor in the diffuser if you don’t have essential oils.
Carpets and Rugs are difficult to clean and maintain in the monsoons. Put these away for the season and use ones made of bamboo or coir similar material for an earthy feel. If you can’t put them away, ensure you air them out in indirect sunlight regularly.
Your furniture also needs special attention in the monsoons. If you have wooden furniture, this season could attract termites and pests. Use neem oil / leaves or cloves available at home as natural repellents. Move furniture away from walls and windows, wherever possible. Don’t use a wet cloth to wipe down furniture – instead, oil-clean them regularly and use a dry cloth to dust them every day. Upholstered furniture also needs to be kept away from wet cloth during this time. Use fabric deodorants on your upholstery.
Remember those tiny packets of silica gel that come with your packages? They are your best friends this season. Don’t throw these out – start collecting them in a jar. They can be placed inside open food packets or spice jars to keep them fresh. Put them inside shoes to keep out the smell. Place a few in your cupboard to keep the moisture in the air away from clothes. Put them in your bookshelf to keep them from going bad due to humidity. One tiny packet – multiple uses!
Do electrical sockets & wiring check. If you have not used good quality wiring, this could get affected because of the moisture and may pose safety hazards. Make sure to check your wiring across the house before monsoon sets in.
Monsoon attracts germs. When mopping your floors every day, use a good quality disinfectant. Choose a chemical-free natural one (like citronella based) to get a long-lasting freshnes
Check for leaks and gaps through which rainwater or moisture could seep in. Plug these in advance to avoid damage to both health and interiors.

Did you find these monsoon tips and hacks useful? Do you have any other home remedies that you follow for monsoon care? Do let us know in the comments below. We will be back soon with more monsoon care tips for the kitchen, bathrooms & your garden!