Talk about smooth sailing!

This one’s definitely a step-ahead in design as well as conservation! I wonder if the sailors of yore would have ever thought of seeing their beloved sails put to this use. But today, between Spanish company DVELAS and Spinnaker, the sails return from their maritime journeys to feature in entirely stunning makeovers. Both companies are recycling used sails that have reached the end of their life and putting them into use in a series of innovative furniture designs. The group of architects and designers from DVELAS launched their Living Sails line with the purpose of recovering materials that hold unique histories, and give them a fresh new life through art and expert craftsmanship.

Much like the stylish and extremely comfortable Spinnaker chairs. With a frame made out of spring steel, the chair is ergonomically designed with a curvature that allows for optimum circulation in the body. To add an interesting spin to it Spinnaker encourages people to design and customize their own chairs helping them save on the waste from over manufacturing.

 And the idea has to be applauded for its ingenuity. After all what could be better raw material for all-weather outdoor furniture than sails used by ships. Even once it’s too deteriorated to be used for navigation, the tough, weather-resistant fabric is the perfect material for outdoor furniture.

DVELAS sources its sails from JTX Sails and has launched six different lines of modern outdoor furniture.  Each piece is created from one of many different types of sails, and is accompanied by information on the sail’s history, details on the port and boat it came from, and the name of the original sailmaker. Washed and waterproofed, the fabric still features the marks and designs printed on the original cloth. So you not only have a piece of stylish and comfortable furniture in your house but also a piece of history.

The DVELAS’ website accepts donation of sails, which will be transformed into chairs, cushions, shade structures, and floating rafts.

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Small wonder!

As our number becomes larger spaces available to us become smaller and the challenge today in some of the biggest and busiest cities of the world is to ... well, of course find some kind of space to call your own and then to make the most of what is usually a small space. The challenge, of course, being to not just us the space intelligently but also making sure its well-equipped and presentable.

So coming to the rescue of small-home owners it would seem to IKEA. The Swedish furniture manufacturer is now boasting a new small number on its sign-boards and this time they don't claim them as prices. Advertising their 391 sq. ft. apartments in their Brooklyn stores, their designers have come up with some rather well-designed and assembled living units.

"It might be compact but its more spacious than you can imagine. Its our 391 sq. ft. home" - reads the billboard. And from the images it looks like they're not just boasting. They've managed to carve out quite a decent bit of utility space in their professed 391 sq ft apartments with a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen and even a small-sized living room!

And since there's no better way to lead than by example, the little demo spaces they've designed and dressed up at their Brooklyn stores is sure to get plenty of attention as well as give lots of fresh ideas to small apartment owners on what they can do with their living space. And this, of course, will translate into lots of sale for the Swedish furniture manufacturer. Talk about keeping abreast of the times!

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A slice of Europe - Made in China

The Chinese have done it again! Attempted something that had never been tried before, that is. They've built themselves their own slice of Europe! 

Hallstatt, Austria

China has cloned the original Austrian village, Hallstatt, a UNESCO protected heritage site. Every last detail of the village has been copied in this replica dubbed Hallstatt See by the China Minmetals Corporation, located in the Guangdong province. The $940 million dollars project was announced by the Corporation in June, 2011 and now, in just about a year, the village is open to visitors. With an acreage of about a million square meters the village is intended to attract home buyers as well as visitors. 

Hallstatt See, China

However, this little slice of Europe in Asia in garnering some mixed responses from people. While the Chinese seem to be enjoying the place a lot, there are others who believe cloning a whole village isn't quite right. Especially since you can't emulate what really makes it unique in the first place. When the project was first announced, Hallstatt's mayor had expressed concerns over this venture of the Chinese too, afraid they'd copy everything including the village's place of worship. In fact, angry Austrians had announced that they'd consider legal action and would consult with the UNESCO about it. 


However, Hallstatt's mayor seems to have, since then changed his views. In fact, he flew in to mark the official opening of the clone and signed documents promising more cultural thoroughfare between the two Hallstatts since they realised the value of the the publicity it's afforded them. Accessible only by boat or after trekking through tough Alpine trails, Hallstatt, Austria now sees a lot more visitors than it did earlier thanks to its Chinese counterpart. In fact, as proof of complete acceptance, the original Hallstatt's website now reads: 'The original Hallstatt. Photgraphed a million times. Copied once.' How's that for a sea change!

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Light and easy!

Keeping it light could acquire a whole new dimension if this newest piece of furniture is anything to go by.

This Paperpedic Bed by Karton is, you guessed it, made of paper. Not only that, this miracle recyclable bed can be turned from a twin bed to a King size one and is claimed to be able to take up to 1 tonne of weight and can comfortably sleep 10 people. Apparently, the company gathered a group of volunteers to test its claim. 

And yes, again, it’s made of paper. Made by a system of intricately folded and tabbed paper panels that come together to form a sleek structure the bed is lightweight, strong and of course, recyclable.

The idea behind Karton’s designing is to create furniture that can be assembled or, rather, unfolded without the need for glue or chasing after extra parts. They wanted their products to be minimalistic, durable and affordable. So their bed retails at about $190 and you can add a set of space-saving drawers that can just slide under the bed at an additional $60 and round it off with a bedside table at about $75.  And voila! You have a whole set of recyclable bedroom furniture at less than $350.

However, if you live anywhere but in Australia you might have a bit of a problem sourcing the company’s furniture for a while yet as it's only available for sale online within Australia. However, the good news is that the company is considering making its furniture available for sale in other countries as well and it might just be possible since they ship all their furniture in compact boxes. Karton also has a variety of other furniture like stools and office furniture that you can consider.

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The walls are breathing!

Balcony at Dilston Grove

(copyright Ackroyd & Harvey)

It’s almost literally a temple of green. South East London’s Dilston Grove Art gallery used to once upon a time be a church. And today, it comes fairly close to being something of a living edifice. 

The Italian style church (formerly known as Clare College Mission Church) was the first concrete church to be built in England in the early 1900s. The derelict church has now been converted into an art gallery and boasts of grass walls that cover its interiors, courtesy Ackroyd & Harvey of London.  

Watering Dilston Grove -
(copyright Ackroyd & Harvey)

The austere exteriors of the church gave way to compelling interiors and the artists saw in them the potential to create something that could be a monumental art work. And so came about the grass interiors of Dilston Grove, when vision came together with clay, germinating grass seed, water and natural light; there was almost nothing that stop the creation of this living and breathing, literally, work of art.

Working in conjunction with sound artist and composer, Grame Miller the artists infused life of a unique kind in the decaying interiors of the building over a 3 week period. That it was a breathtaking sight for sore eyes, we have no doubt. Just as we’re sure it brought alive the walls in a way its original architects would never have thought of.   

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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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The African way!

Think Africa and you think of vast flatlands, magnificent wildlife and some of the most glorious sunsets in the world. It smells of adventure and is enough to quicken the blood of an intrepid traveller whether or not he’s tasted Africa yet!

And what better idea could there be than to bring magnificent Africa to reflect in your interiors. Warm and earthy yet sophisticated at the same time – African interior decor ideas are perfect if you want the kind of look for your home that is non-fussy, clutter-free and inviting.

Start with painting your walls in the colours of Africa, warm like red, yellow and orange. If you’re not one for bright walls pick a basic colour like taupe or beige and paint one focal wall in a warm colour or use the colours for accents.

African interior design also draws its strongest inspiration from nature so it would be a good idea to use artefacts made from natural fibres though we’d suggest you stay away from animal skins for a variety of reasons! 

Go for floor lamps with shades in warm colours or Moroccan lamps, use plenty of wood, cane and bamboo in your decoration as well as furnishing. There’s plenty of lovely cane furniture available that’s also much cheaper and lesser maintenance than wood. There are also plenty of African motifs that you can pick for spreads. And if you’re feeling adventurous get a woven rug in African motifs – gorgeous and eye catching!

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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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Let there be light!

Have you ever considered the difference the right kind of lighting can make to your home? The right lighting can effortlessly set the mood apart from making a palpable difference to the way your home looks.

Nothing can, of course, beat natural lighting. A well-planned home should be built such that it gets the best light in all seasons. While you don’t want to build a house where you can’t escape the heat in the summers when you want to, you want to ensure that your house gets the most of the meagre winter sunshine. Now this might sound like it needs to be a conjurer’s trick but that’s not strictly necessary! To set off, matters are greatly helped by owning an east facing home which will ensure that you get sunlight for the maximum amount of time through the day. But since we can’t all have east-facing homes without making for a very lop-sided world the intention should be to allow as much light into the principal rooms as possible. Using light tapestries and furnishings will also go a long way towards the cause.

Natural light apart, there are three basic kinds of lighting a place needs – task lighting, accent lighting and general lighting.

Task lighting is basically functional and used in high concentration, perhaps for reading or being able to examine things clearly.

Accent lighting, like the name suggests is meant to highlight paintings, plants or other interesting things about interior design or landscaping and is basically decorative. That being said accent lighting rightly used can bring your home alive in a variety of ways. Just see the difference it makes over a painting or tucked artfully behind a plant.

General lighting or ambient lighting fills up the gap between the two and is used for the basically illuminating an area.

And playing with just these three basic kinds of lighting there are so many things you can do to revamp the feel of your home! From alcove lighting to recessed lighting or even a soffit lighting to accentuating the pattern on an interesting wall, there are innumerable options you can explore to achieve whatever effect you want!

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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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A-way with walls!

While on this ‘wall trip’ we’ve discovered several other interesting ways you can bring your walls, which you’ve so far probably only considered as a necessary part of your building structure, to play a greater role in your home décor. You can paint them and paper them, make them out of glass and fiber, or train creepers over them! And now you can also dress them up with wall art! Move over paintings, wall art is here! It’s different, dramatic, eye-catching and now comes in a variety of materials!

Wall art isn’t necessarily a new concept but the dimensions it’s taken on in design metal and vinyl. It could be an eclectic looking wine rack that you hang on your wall, or perhaps an ornate light fixture that becomes the cynosure on a wall. It could even be a very ornate mirror that your visitors wouldn’t be able to keep away from. The interesting thing about metal wall art is that though they’re usually not particularly small, irrespective of their size, they’re so eye catching that they easily dominate attention while instantly dressing up the space. The result is that you can design the rest of your décor the way you want to and choose to keep it either bold or simple.

Another fascinating new trend, particularly of interest to people wary of trying wallpaper, is wall stickers. Available in a variety of materials these stickers are exactly what their names indicate. But before you go picturing the Disney characters currently “stickered” in your 7-year old’s wardrobe, don’t. These wall stickers are interesting cut outs that you can stick on your walls, usually without damaging the paint, and come in several interesting silhouettes in colour or black and white. All you need to do is stick on the piece of art you like best and you’ll transform your room! You can get hardier materials for areas with more moisture, vinyl wall art is designed to last for several years; whimsical designs for your personal workspace or cute or educational ones for the kids’ rooms. 

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