It's all bio!

(picture courtesy inhabitat.com)

This is one home you’re not likely to forget in a hurry. The Villa Bio in Figueres, Spain designed by Cloud9, Barcelona is as eye-catching a home as it is Green. This home has a gorgeous living roof, floor to ceiling glass windows that cap the ends and even an underground parking. 

The entire structure of the house seems to be composed of one ribbon of concrete, slit across the middle and pulled up to make it seem like a split-level. There are also no beams in the house to support the structure, even with the living roof which adds a considerable amount of weight. The living roof at Villa Bio is also designed to support the weight of people lounging in the garden as well as gardening on it. The garden however is a Hydroponic garden which means the garden is planted without the use of soil. 

However, there is the fact that concrete has a rather high carbon footprint. But on the upside it has a remarkably long life and can be recycled. 

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Just hanging around!

So you fancy yourself a camping enthusiast? Or do you dream of weekends spent outside of four walls and far from the madding crowd?

Well, whatever be your reason for heading out of the city or even your own house, we're sure these tree-hung tents called Tentsile Treehouse Tents would make you very happy!

The tents are meant to be anchored off the ground and mostly, as the name suggests, to be hung between trees when you're living in the wild, much like a hammock. And if there are no trees handy or you just feel the desire or well, the necessity, to sleep out of doors in your backyard, these Tentsile Treehouse Tents also come equipped with three poles you can use to anchor your tent. So, yes, it's a lot like a portable tree house and claims that it'll keep you safe from, well, everything that crawls on the ground, including ground water. For things that can fall off trees ... well, we wish you luck.

The other interesting feature of the tent is that it has compartments and claims to have sleeping room for three people! Well!

Now, as is obvious while the tent is perfect for some situations and you're OK wit jumping out of bed, literally, every morning, we're not sure it's the most ideal thing for every situation.For instance, if your camping trip is an extended one, not having any sort of solid ground under you for such a long time could cause you some back problems. Also, when it rains, only water on the ground would not be your problem. Water could also pool on the tent making things rather uncomfortable.

However, if its camping in the backyard you're looking at, the Tentsile Treehouse Tents sound like a great proposition. 

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10 tips to get you started on your Japanese style home

Do you sometimes feel like there’s too much clutter in our day to day lives? There are too many demands, commitments, lists, desires, necessities ... just too much! Do you wish your home would be a haven from these constant demands of the outside world; a place where there’s more space to do, think or just be, and less clutter? Well, you’re not the first. The first person or people who had this idea are probably credited with the creation of the modern style of furnishing.

However, if you’re not one for steel and chrome but still love the clean lines of the modern style then you might want to try going Oriental with your home decorating style. Now, adopting this style in practicality may take a little more research but the basics that you need to get yourself set for a Japanese style home are the following:

1.     As a general rule, stick to neutral colours and soft, natural colours in neutral tones.

2.     Even if you would like to pick one accent colour for your interiors, make sure it’s not an unnaturally bright one. Pick deep brown, turquoise, sort pink or mauve, or even red.

3.     Resist the temptation to turn your walls into collages of every picture you ever took. If you must, pick one accent wall and put up a few pictures in simple frames.

4.     In fact, why just the walls, declutter your house and your lifestyle. Throw out things you don’t or haven’t used in a while or give them to somebody who could use them.

5.     Use light screens of dark wood or bamboo screens to separate spaces.

6.     For your furnishing, pick a low seating arrangement with tables to match. You can even choose to take your seating to the floor but that might be a problem with some of your guests so we’d suggest something that’s between the two.

7.     Invite nature in. It doesn’t necessarily have to be big plants, either. Get a small, flowering plant or even a small plant of dancing bamboos which you can even place on a corner table, or perhaps a small rockery or waterfall in your garden space.

8.     If you’re willing to go as far as relaying a floor, consider getting bamboo flooring. It’s also a very environment-friendly option.

9.     Consider laying down Tatami floor mats to cover the floor.

10.   Use Shoji and Fusuma screens to cover your windows. They not only block out the harsh outside light but also look great.

The basic principle you need to keep in mind when going the Japanese way with your interiors is that Japanese architecture and design works in very close conjunction with nature, both in terms of materials and decor; so keep your spaces open plan and use plenty of glass.

                                                                                                                                                     

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Bring India home!

Bring the warmth of India into your home with the use of rich colours and textures. Whether it is your bedroom or the living room, a touch of warmth in a home never goes amiss.

Use warm colours on your walls, or keep your walls in a neutral shade and add a splash of warm colour to your interiors; get a bright rug or frame an antique sari and put it up on the warm. You can also opt for cushions in bright colours on your couches or warm lampshades. Get interesting stone or brass work floor or table lamps to go with these but be careful not to overdo it. Bright draperies can also add life to your room.

Look into other ways you can incorporate stone in your decor, such as marble tables with inlay work from Agra or Rajasthan.

They might be a little expensive but are a real investment. The north-west of the country is also a great place to buy glass from, from colourful traditional hanging-globe lamps or handis to any other artifacts.

The south of the country is a great place to buy brass work and wood works from, while the North is a great place to source all your carvings. Head to the  North east for warm rugs and interesting bamboo works etc. 

The really great thing about Indian decor is the vast variety that’s available to you to work with thanks to the sheer diversity of the country.

So go ahead, bring some India into your homes!

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5 tips for the pocket sized garden

Unfortunately, in today’s Lego block world, garden space is not a luxury most of us can afford. In fact, you’re lucky if you own a patch of grass to call your own. And if you are, in fact, one of these lucky souls, we have just the ideas you need to make that little garden space turn into your personal haven!

1.     A good imagination always helps so that when you look at your little piece of land you don’t extra garbage space but a potential garden.

2.     We really liked the idea of small step gardens. They’re exactly like the terrace gardens you studied about in school, only a lot more compact, and you don’t necessarily have to grown vegetables in it. Plus, they’re expandable and conserve water; just add on another little step whenever you want to add more plants.

3.     Another really great idea is of gutter gardens! No, don’t wrinkle your nose we promise you they’re not disgusting. The idea is to create a long pipe like structure (open from the top, of course) that can be strung along a fence or a wall and grow plants in that. Some people create these “gutters” out of wide bamboo sticks cut across in half.

4

     Another interesting idea would be the one created by Wee Tree landscape designers of Chicago where they place horizontal planters between fence slats, creating a sort of wall of plants.

5.     If what you have in the name of a garden is a square spot of concrete or are not a huge fan of crouching with a spade in your garden, a raised flower bed that stands much like a table on its own four legs is a great idea, looks great and barely takes up any floor space at all!

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Low Cost Housing

Low cost housing seems to be the buzzword in today's news. The Government commits to it, companies want the contract to it, people are skeptical about it ... but whatever it is, it's in the news. So, what exactly does low cost housing entail? 

Apparently, low cost housing or LCH as it's also known, is not necessarily synonymous with low-grade products or the use of untrustworthy material. Low Cost Housing includes effective budgeting, use of local resources and improved skills and technology that eventually reduce the overall cost of construction of the project without sacrificing the eventual strength of the structure.So, essentially, LCH is about the economic management of resources, making the eventual product more affordable for all classes of society.

The cost of constructing a building can essentially be divided into two heads:
Building material cost
Labour cost 

In LCH the cost of building material is reduced because of the use of the locally available materials that are efficient and by an improved design. Labour cost can be reduced by making a disciplined schedule of work. 

Other methods that are used to reduce costs are
1) By reducing plinth area by using the thinner wall concept, like a15 cms thick solid concrete block wall.

2) Use of locally available material in an innovative form like soil cement blocks in place of burnt brick.

3) Use of energy efficiency materials

4) Use environmentally friendly materials which are substitute for conventional building components, like, R.C.C. Door and window frames in place of wooden frames.

5) Every component of a house is pre-planned and the design procedure rationalised with a view to reduce the size of the component in the building. This also curtails the wastage of materials.

6) The re-creation of the same design also goes a long way in bringing down costs.

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Furniture Time Travel: A touch of French romance

Ever wondered what is with the French cabinet-makers and the hullabaloo regarding Louis XVI tables? Well, here’s your quick guide to decoding the basics of French furniture history and perhaps, bringing some of that romance home.

French furniture has a history that’s as rich as the nation as itself. From the Middle Ages when the furniture was largely improvised to the famous pieces created during the time of Louis VI and then Napoleon, it’s had a long and eventful journey.

It might have taken a century for France to come in contact with the Italian Renaissance but once it did, its effects were to be seen everywhere. Cabinets became chests, chairs were padded, and tables became highly sculpted. During the reign of Louis XIII, the French furniture-makers discovered bead and spiral turning, perfected veneering and began working with metal.

Marie-Antoinette's bureau-plat

However, the reign of Louis XIV saw the beginning of the golden era of French making that the world would remember for a long, long time to come. Versailles was in all its glory with its best cabinet-makers and decorators in attendance. The commode or chest of drawers appeared with ornate brass pulls and key escutcheons. Tables began to be designed for more specific functions such as gaming and writing, and drawers were introduced in the band just below the top which was covered in something other than simple hardwood so as to be more friendly to the quill and the bureau-plat was born. At the same time legs became more figural. Faces of gods, bearded fauns, arabesques, nymphs, goddesses, allegories, cornucopia, and foliage abounded as did the sun, which was the royal emblem. The wood used was pear, walnut, natural woods and imported ebony and other precious woods. Gilded bronze decorations were very popular. Copper, pewter, silver, tortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl was found in the marquetry which basically means inlay work.

A slow transition from thereon saw the emergence of asymmetry in the times of Louis XV; just as the taste for secrecy pervading the French society resulted in a profusion of hiding places that opened with springs.

The reign of Louis XVI saw the discovery of the city of Pompeii and a resurgence of interest in all things Roman. This style is also known as the Neo Classical style. Furniture became simpler and less ornate. Furniture legs became straight and the backs of chairs became oval, rectangular or shield-like.  Designs became more simplified. Marquetry was abandoned in favour of more austere decorations. Geometric patterns were still prevalent but less extravagant than before. Greek ornamental designs became popular, like the sphynx, gryphon, and the Grecian urn. Egyptian motifs also emerged.

This love for Egyptian motifs continued into the Empire period when Napoleon ruled over France. They were seen gracing several marble tops, as were the Napoleonic symbols of the eagle and the prolific N which stood for Napoleon. Unlike the preceding styles it relied heavily on shiny veneer rather than wood carving and relied on size to convey its intentions. 

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5 Green-ovations you want to look into!

Consider yourself ‘Green inclined’? Do you want your new home or your soon-to-be revamped home to be as Green as possible? Well, then the possibilities of what you can do boggle the mind. And if money’s no object then sky really is the limit as technology comes to your rescue.

Eco-friendly paint for your home has now been around for so long that there's hardly anybody who doesn't know of it. Just as we've all (in the days before eco-friendly paint) walked into a freshly painted space and felt dizzy with the fumes before the tour was even over! And the answer came in the form of Low VOC paints - paints that emit fewer fumes on application and removal, as well as in the years afterwards. For your house exteriors, however, you might want to pick a paint that'll last you longest, since low-maintenance is also Green.

Wanting to bring the sun straight into your home now has new meanings. If you thought solar panels were expensive and too much of an investment for a rented house, these movable solar panels could well be your manna from heaven. Easily installed, you can literally roll these soft solar panels, pick them up and leave the next time you decide to move house.

If you’re so inclined you could also wire your home to a large flat screen monitor that monitors your room-by-room energy consumption helping you identify the areas where you could cut down.

Another fascinating trend is that of modular homes that can literally be packed up and moved with you. What is really interesting about these homes is that their energy-consumption is remarkably lesser considering they can be kept warm or cool as you desire with markedly lesser energy consumption.

If you’re fond of your long hot water showers at the end of the day, you also need to know that every 5-minute shower that you take sends about 80 litres (20 gallons) of water down the drain – literally. That’s enough drinking water for a day for about 20 people. Investing in shower water conservation does sound like a good idea now, doesn’t it? If you scout around in the market you will find ones that suit your requirements the best. We’re sure they’ll prove to be worthy of the investment in the future.

And of course, at the end of the day remember the adage that tells you that there’s nothing Greener than low maintenance. The lesser time, money, energy and resources you have to spend maintaining it the more Green it is!

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The Green Ec(h)o!

Eco! It’s nothing if not the new buzzword. It’s the wagon everybody seems to want to jump on to. But eco, like charity, begins at home right? So, what exactly is an eco home, then?

Now, before you picture yourself hitching a bag and heading to the woods or living in a drippy thatch hut in the middle of town with high-end cars and SUVs zipping past or a house with walls of corrugated paper – don’t. All this hue and cry about eco homes is not an underground conspiracy to get you to move into either of those. What an eco home, undoubtedly, is about is an attitude, lots of sensitivity, sprinkled generously with wisdom.

So, basically, whether or not you live in an eco home is really only a reflection of you. Yes, you want every single modern appliance known to man and then some. Yes, you want your home to light up like the Eiffel Tower at the push of a button and for it to be as plush as that of the shahs of Iran. But living luxuriously does not mean you cannot live wisely.

That button which will turn off the light is not, in fact, a mile’s trek from you; use what you need when you need it. Make use of the natural resources available to you. It is, after all, possible for you to harvest rain water and to design your home such that it makes the best of all the natural light and air coming in before you resort to artificial sources. Plant a living or green roof if you can. It'll not be an eye-catching trendsetter, it'll naturally regulate the temperature of your home, all year round! And there, the home you’ve always lived in has now metamorphosed into an eco home!

Remember, an eco consciousness lies in the mind. If you care, it shows and that’s what makes a real difference. 

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Furniture time-travelogue 3: Rome

Now Rome, unlike Greece, was not only prolific in its furniture building but also apparently diligent about preservation. But then what else would you expect from nearly the first empire builders in the history of the world.

The Greek style is very strongly reflected in Roman furniture but with the additional embellishment of bronze and stone. The ornamentation on this furniture generally consisted of vegetable and animal motifs. With time the rigidity of the furniture relaxed towards more flowing lines and the ever-present Greek influence became more pronounced.

Perhaps unsurprisingly the folding chairs and the stool make an appearance in Roman history too, except the Romans tended to use it as a chair and footstool combination, the footstool usually being fashioned out of bronze. However the Roman besellium  had cylindrical legs and lateral arm supports but no back rest (think Julius Caesar in Asterix) making them extremely uncomfortable to sit on. By contrast there is evidence of stone chairs with a curved back rest that were so perfect technically that were, paradoxically, very comfortable.

However, the most characteristic piece on Roman furniture remains richly decorated, portable, folding stool with double curved feet called the curule which was mainly used for dignitaries.

A bas relief showing the Roman curule 

Tables were also a popular item of furniture and there is reason to believe that the three-legged wall leaning console originated then as also we see the first signs of a large serving table often with a marble top.   

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Furniture time-travelogue 2: Greece

The Greeks have long since been acknowledged as some of the greatest architects of the world. It’s only natural that their furniture should also be equally spectacular. However unfortunately there are few examples of ancient Greek furniture existing that could give us a clear picture of their craftsmanship in that area. But what we do have is sufficient for us to glean some information from it.

In the construction of their furniture the Greeks basically used indigenous wood like cedar, pine, cypress etc and much like the Egyptians their work was inlaid with other precious materials like marble and metal.

Classic Greek furniture, with its curves, also had a novel delicacy as compared to any other preceding period. Their sinuous form with the sharp dip of the back is also evidence of their understanding of and an attempt to adapt to the human body.  In this regard the light-weight klismos chairs created circa 5^th century BC were extremely popular, especially as evidenced by their frequent appearance on Greek period property and bas relief. Their slender legs swept outward as well as inward giving them not just their flowing shape but also stability. Since then the klismos chairs have made several appearances in furniture fashion around the world from France to England and even America.

The klismos chair

Another popular Greek design was the diphros – backless and with scissor shaped curved legs reminiscent of the Egyptian design. These were often also foldable. The Greeks also seem to have a found a wide use for tables, unlike the Egyptians, though their tables also remained compact and portable, scattered around corners in their homes, used to hold food and drinks.

A representation of the diphros

Interestingly, Greek couches apart from their rather decorative legs were also fairly simple in structure. Consisting of a rectangular frame for the seat and the back, the legs were often turned outward or were built like Greek pillars and decorated with classic motifs. From these couches evolved the ever-popular triclinium that also became tremendously popular with the Romans. In fact various versions of it are visible even today. 

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Furniture time- travelogue: Egypt

It was a well-travelled friend of mine who set me on this path. It was on one of my recent visits to his house that I realised that his house increasingly resembled a ‘curiosities of the world’ museum more than anything else. But the result, rather than being a mess, was a rather eclectic thing of beauty. So if you’re somebody who travels the world a lot or knows people who do, the next time, instead of chocolates ask them to pick up something that truly reflects the culture of the place they’re visiting. And please try to remember that culture isn’t something that usually comes in a bottle! Or if you’d like to attempt something more suited to your personality wherever you live we have a quick dose of background info for you!

We start this slightly peculiar travelogue/ time travel journey with Egypt ... feel free to join in.

Egyptian cross-legged stool

One of the oldest and richest cultures in the world, it’s lucky indeed for us that Egyptians were masters of preservation. Thanks to that we have live snapshots of Egyptian culture available to us even today. Lets’s take furniture for instance. It is apparent from a study of Egyptian cultural history that furniture in ancient Egypt was an indication as well as a consequence of social standing. But even the rich and the powerful didn’t pack their rooms with furniture. They were, however, comfortable and well-made, and a lot of it consisted of chairs. Some of the folding variety like the scissor and the X-shaped chairs have been replicated and remained popular through centuries. It wouldn't, in fact, be far off the mark to say that most skills known to modern furniture makers were already to known to those Egyptian craftsmen of yore. 

Their tables were made in varying sizes not so much to accommodate the height of the person but the fact that Egyptians were accustomed to sitting both on floors as well as chairs.

A fascinating peculiarity of their furniture design is the clear influence of nature, particularly animals. So if you thought only Europe had a thing for claws, think again! The legs of Egyptian furniture most often were slender and curved or shaped like claws or even hooves. Even the legs of their beds show a clear influence of cats, gazelles and sometimes even bulls and lions! 

Egyptian bed

The bed otherwise was a simple rectangular frame interwoven with leather thongs. Since Egyptians weren’t really into pillows their headrests sport some interesting features. Along with being portable they were usually made of wood, iron or ivory and in some special cases were covered with linen making them only marginally more comfortable! The headrests were usually a little higher than the rest of the bed to facilitate breathing and also to protect their complicated hairstyles!

Another intriguing thing about Egyptian furniture was the way they used wood. Since most of the wood indigenously available in Egypt was unsuitable for furniture making and had to be imported from the neighbouring countries their carpenters and craftsmen learned how to make the best use of the wood with barely any wastage!

We could certainly learn a lesson or two there!

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5 ways to bring the holiday cheer home

Time does indeed seem to fly and it’s hard to believe the holiday season is here again! But though celebrating in the delicious winter cold is something to look forward to, the holiday season inevitably means a spike in expenditure. From gifts for family and friends to vacation or celebration plans, all of it spells money. And yet, it isn’t quite a celebration if your house doesn’t reflect the cheer.

However, there are some simple things you can do to make sure your house looks like the happy place it is as you end one year and get set to usher in another one on a high note.

1.     1. Your furniture might look like the same one you’ve been looking at for years and perhaps, the ‘s joy it once inspired is a long lost memory but you’d be surprised at what a lick of polish or paint, as it may be, can make to the way your furniture looks. What’s better is it something you could even do yourself if you chose.

2.     2. Have you tried a new look for your home recently? Again, it doesn’t necessarily have to mean expensive changes. In some cases it could just mean moving your furniture around a bit. Bring out a piece of furniture that’s been hidden in one of the inside rooms and make it guest of honour in your living room. Or even better try and find an old family heirloom that’s been ignored for years, polish some shine into it and bring it out!

3.     3. Reupholster!  There’s no better way to make your old furniture look like new. You could pick out your own patterns of upholstery and give it to the furniture maker. You could even get curtains to match! When we say furniture, it includes lamp shades and anything else you please!

4.     4. Get some flora into the house. From plants to artistically done floral arrangements, they can all look great if done right. Consider artificial flowers as there are some really great choices available in the market today and these have the benefit of lasting longer and hence being a one-time investment.

5   5. Another great way to revamp the way your home looks is wallpaper or wall stickers. Now before you shy away at the thought of the labour and money that’s going to involve you can relax. With several very attractive wall border patterns also available in the market today you don’t need to take the trouble of papering a whole wall. You can even opt for a more interesting option in the wall stickers. Read our other post on the topic. http://tainconstructions.blogspot.com/2011/12/way-with-walls.html

So, what are you waiting for? The holiday season awaits!

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Art the Raja Ravi Varma way

Raja Ravi Varma

‘A prince amongst painters and a painter amongst princes’ - the name of Raja Ravi Varma, artist extraordinaire, is one that few art lovers in India would be unfamiliar with. Born in 1848 at the Kilimanoor Palace in Travancore, Ravi Varma displayed early signs of his exemplary talent as he scrawled on the walls of the palace with charcoal.

Fortunately, the talent of the youngster was not scolded away as vandalism as his uncle recognized his gift. While he, Raja Raja Varma, gave the artist his preliminary lessons his formal training began at the age of 14. However, it was not till he was about 17 that his introduction with oil paints came about and the rest, as they say, is history.

Renowned for his depiction of Indian culture, particularly mythology, there is something near magical about his work. It has been over a century since the artist breathed his last but if you look at his work it shines as though it were painted yesterday. Quite apart from the exquisite detailing of the works one thing that would never fail to catch your eye is the way his subjects seem to breath as though rather than being trapped in a painting they were just looking at you through a window.

The ones that leap to mind even as I think of his works are the one he did of Rani Lakshmi Bai where the queen stands in her regalia, her hand placed on a stack of books, where even the intricate border of her sari and the name of each book is discernible; and the painting depicting the scene from Ramayana where Ravana slays Garuda as he attempts to intervene with his abduction of Sita. Even though the face of the heroine is hidden in the painting the artwork is alive with her anguish.

Closely acquainted with the habits and graces of Indian royalty his paintings are unsurprisingly flawless in details of not just the finery but also their attitudes and poses. A lot of his works depict Goddesses where he has used South Indian women, who he considered beautiful, as models. But whether depicting mythological characters or real people, his paintings, more than anything else, look like a moment frozen in time where some real people were just caught as they went about living their lives. 

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It's on the wall!

An interesting way to change the way your home looks could be with the use of wall papers. As the trend picks up in India an extensive variety of wallpapers is now available for you to choose from. Or if you so decide you could even create your own wallpaper designs with the help of your computer! You could opt for a natural look with wood finish design wallpaper or choose to go for something dramatic instead.

You could wallpaper an entire room or accentuate one wall to dramatic effect. You could also choose to dress up the interiors of a cupboard with a glass front or that of a sideboard etc. Wallpapers in light colours can make a room look bigger and darker colours can have the opposite effect while also making the space feel cosier. While vertical stripes have the effect of making the ceiling look higher and is ideal for tight or small spaces. If the wall you are looking to wallpaper has some surface flaws then you could choose to go for an embossed variety or one that has been made out of natural fibres. However, if you’re planning to attempt the wallpapering yourself and it’s your first time it is recommended that you pick wallpaper that’s easy to line up. For instance, if you pick drop match wallpaper you have to ensure that every strip of wall paper you cut matches exactly with the last one. Most of the intricate patterns fall under this category. But if you still find yourself leaning towards one of these designs it is recommended that you seek professional guidance.

But if you’re not quite sure of being ready to experiment with wallpapering a whole room you could also use it to interesting effect by dressing up a lamp shade or the surface of some other furnishing. You might just be enthralled enough with the result to decide to take on something bigger!

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The Shaker way

An old image of a Shaker village

The Shakers or the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing are a religious sect found today in the United States of America and widely known for being the forerunners of gender equality as also their cultural contributions especially in the field of music and furniture. Their unique culture and dedication to hard work and perfection is legendary and has resulted in a unique range of architecture, furniture and handicraft styles.

Shaker Weaver's Chair

And their fame is well-deserved as they made their furniture with care believing that doing something well was in itself “an act of prayer.” You can imagine then what exquisiteness was the result of such dedication to excellence. Until the 19th century they rarely made anything with an elaborate or complicated design. Everything was crafted with a specific purpose and only for an intended use, form followed function rather than the other way round. Most of their furniture was crafted out of pine and other cheap wood and hence was light in colour as well as weight. In fact, the exquisite simplicity of Shaker furniture is said to be the basic inspiration behind a lot of modern furniture.

Even when in the post 19th century era Victorian influence was noticed in Shaker furnishings its basic character remained simple with clean lines and an inimitable elegance. As the late 19th century saw the dwindling of Shaker colonies experts and collectors recognized the need to protect their unique heritage in furniture building. Thanks to this early vigilance several pieces of Shaker craft have survived such as the Shaker cabinets, tables, chairs, and rocking chairs etc which have continued to inspire furniture makers and designers across the world even today. The interesting thing about Shaker furniture is that it is maintained that if you closely examine the furniture you wouldn’t be able to find a single nail anywhere in it!

Of course, apart from its very obvious influence on modern furniture-making Shaker furniture was also a symbol of their honesty, the reason that their products were considered amongst the best. You could always be assured of having paid for true quality, and nothing quite matches that in terms of worth.

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It’s as simple as that!

Investing is the best way to secure your future, In this world there are two ways to earn an income…one money in exchange for labor of the other let the money do the earning for you….the wise invest for a rainy day! If we talk about savings…your savings account can never keep pace with the inflation at an average interest rate currently at 2%.

Should I risk it?

I shall not be a mere spectator of the life passing by, I shall live it and for living it, I take the risk. But I minimize the gamble with a lot of research and educating myself on investments, the more I know, the less my chances get of investing in the wrong place.

Diversifications, a strategy that investors have been employing since ages, invest in diverse sectors to play it safe. Have investments in various companies, from blue chips to techno stocks, to investing in bonds. There are many paths down the investment lane, but one thing rest assured is that Money is going to work for you.

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