Properties, Homes & more

Nerul has stood up to expansion on all sides, with a planned infrastructure and good roads. The road and railway connectivity of Nerul is excellent. On the harbour line, Nerul has frequent facilities with trains up to Mumbai CST and also till Andheri and Panvel on the other end. The recent Nerul-Thane rail service is another feather in the cap. Buses of BEST and NMMT services have an extensive network in Nerul.

Nerul is home to many educational institutes like SIES Graduate school of Technology, Ramrao Adik Institute of Technology, Terna Engineering College, Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, SIES College of Management Studies, Dr. DY Patil College of Architecture, Ramrao Adik Institute of Technology, Dr. D. Y. Patil Dental College, Delhi Public School, St. Augustine’s High School, St Xavier’s High School, Sterling College, Ryan International School and Apeejay School.

Nerul is a complete place to stay in Navi Mumbai — a person who has stayed here will never want to move out from here. It is also fully saturated, with hardly any projects to come up. Over the years Nerul has developed in leaps and bounds. In the past nine years or so the infrastructure of Nerul has undergone a drastic change.

Considered by many as the “best place to stay in Navi Mumbai after Vashi“, Nerul has the most scenic stretch of the Palm Beach Road — the showpiece of Navi Mumbai. This state-of-the-art road is at par with those in other developed cities, giving it an ultra modern appeal. The mangroves on one side and the lake on the other give it a tranquil air.

CIDCO has some plans to develop public parks and boating facilities, which will increase the appeal of Nerul as a preferred residential location. The D.Y Patil cricket stadium launched with the IPL bang, has given an altogether new identity to Nerul. Because of the stadium, the place has now got its own name in the map of India. It has always been a popular shopping destination after Vashi, with the presence of many leading brand-stores and malls. In a nutshell, a complete residential area that is what Nerul is…

The Times Property Showcase 2009 was conducted in Thane and had many properties on display from across Maharashtra at affordable prices. Visiting every project and builder is time-consuming and physically draining, so in order to make the process simpler builders are exhibiting their projects all under one roof to make property buying easier. With the same intention, the Times Property Showcase 2009 brought under one roof more than 50 top builders, over 300 projects, homes starting right from Rs. 6.66 lakhs, attractive financial options and special exhibition offers at the three-day property exhibition held at Nehru Centre between 17 and 19 April 2009.

Referred to as “Right Priced homes” the exhibition had on display properties from all over Maharashtra including, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik and even beyond Maharashtra at locations such as Bangalore, Goa. It gave various options to prospective home buyers to select before they make a final decision to invest. Exhibitions give the best option to the buyers to select from a wide range of projects while developers also get informed about their competitors and new trends in the market.

Not only first homes but also options for weekend homes and second homes were also on display. In addition, special benefits included the best rate for various properties, exclusive gift hampers, free drop for site visits and home pick-up. However, the visitors were more interested in property within Mumbai. Though the exhibition was focused on properties all over Maharashtra, the demand was more for properties in and around Mumbai.

The exhibition was an attempt to bring together various properties across Maharashtra to give a common platform for both buyers and sellers and take the maximum advantage of the offer. In the current scenario with all conditions in favour of the buyer, it surely seems the right time to buy right-priced homes.

Buying a lamp for the home is now serious business, with the number of options available in the market. Everything in home décor today revolves around different types of lamps, whether for the living room or the bedroom, or even the dining room. However, don’t simply jump over the idea of buying lamps for your dream home. A step-by-step approach will help you arrive at the optimum selection of lamps that are appropriate to your needs.

1. Most important question you should ask: What are your tastes like? Formal, casual, country, or contemporary? Same goes with your existing home décor (if available).
   

   Your living area is a true reflection of who you are and what you like. Do you just want to do something for the sake of decorating your home? If yes, then perhaps you are not so concerned about properly decorating your home! If your answer is No, then please read ahead…

2. What is the main purpose, the primary use for the lamp you are considering: reading, writing, work project, area lighting, accent lighting, an object of art, a beautiful specimen lamp, or just something pretty that will light up an area?
3. What colours are you using in the room where you are putting your new lamp?All of these questions will help in formulating just the right picture in your mind, which will then result in buying the perfect lamp for your needs.
4. What room is the lamp going to be placed? For example, in living room, den, bedroom, dining room, foyer, kitchen, bathroom, game room, entertainment room, etc?
5. Where exactly is the lamp to be used? For example, on a table, a desk, counter top, mantel, book case, chest, dresser, sideboard - the furniture where you wish to place it will have to be measured and then the lamp which will sit correctly has to be ideated.
6. When will you typically be using the lamp? In morning, noon, afternoon, bedtime, after supper, late night?
7. Will others be in the room with you when you are using the lamp?
8. Will the light from the lamp affect others in the room?

Now that you have some ideas, let us look at some specifics, especially sizes. Home décor items are very important as they relate to each other in the same room. How big is the table, counter, shelf, etc. where the lamp will be installed? A large lamp on a small area will appear overpowering. A small lamp by itself on a large area will appear like it is lost.

How large is the room where the lamp is to be used? A tiny lamp left exposed in a huge room will appear lost and vice versa. Relative size is important, especially to the ceiling. A floor standing lamp will need to reach at least up to three fourth the height of the walls, but if the lamp is placed on a shelf or book case, it could be shorter.

The material from which the lamp is made is also extremely important. The most durable materials are cast metals, stone, porcelains, crystals, glass and wood. All antique heirloom lamps that we see today are made from these materials.

The much awaited garden on top of Parsik Hill in Belapur (Navi Mumbai) will finally be thrown open to the public on Wednesday, June 17. This garden is spread across a generous 4,000-sq mt expanse built on top of a new water reservoir on the hill.  It will be inaugurated by NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

Offering a breathtaking panoramic view of the entire satellite city, the garden is already being referred to as the ‘Hanging Gardens of Navi Mumbai’. With Navi Mumbai slowly becoming a concrete jungle, the garden is surely going be a welcome change. There are also planns to set up telescopes along the periphery of the garden.

According to the city engineer of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), Mohan Dagaonkar, the reservoir below the garden is part of the Kalamboli-Digha pipeline project, which was undertaken by the NMMC along with Pratibha Industries to ensure an uninterrupted supply of water to the city. This spot was chosen because it is one of the highest in the city. The water that will be brought here from Morbe Dam will be transported through the new pipes mostly by gravity, thus saving a lot of electricity. The water tank will handle nearly 32 million litres of water every day, and will supply the same to various parts of the city.

According to the developer of the garden, it will have drooping creepers and a waterfall, which will add to its beauty. Apart from the high vantage point, from where we will get a lovely view of the city, the garden will be useful for morning walkers and fitness buffs.

The latest foreign trend is to incorporate plants into furniture design, going green in a totally literal way. The easiest way to enjoy nature is to have a garden. Maintaining a full-fledged garden is no child’s play so most people settle for a few potted, inhouse plants in theie homes. Though they add “green” quotient to your homes, if not planned properly they end-up into general clutter.

That’s precisely the point which gave rise to inhouse plant designing; someone designs multipurpose furniture with a difference - where you can plant your favourite greens within the design parameters of the chair or table itself, or even display units which make do with an ever changing element - living plants.

	The potted plant table by Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka saves space by having the pot incorporated below the table, with a simple white surface to enhance whatever the colour of the plant. The Little Garden is a round, metal, low table produced by Moroso. Its top is supported by a central circular stem that has a flower pot at the base.
	Designer Greg Zulkie has gone a step further and come up with the Stitch Table. It is a coffee table with three stainless steel pots that can hold anything - even plants. This is to do away with the necessity of plonking a pot (in however pretty a planter) on top of your shiny coffee table and thus spoiling the lines of the table, or even worst, risking scratching the said surface. These steel pots don’t need to only hold plants; they can also hold all the other miscellanea of life at home like magazines, papers and even dirty cups.
	The living display wall units are another idea which consists of two frames sandwiched together with pockets of soil to hold the plants upright. There is a feeder system to ensure that the plants don’t go thirsty, without water seeping all over the upholstery. This dynamic display of The Living Wall Planters will be extremely popular, especially once the manufacturers are able to get rid of the amateurish look of the product.
	Another idea is the living bench or ‘Bushy Bench’ by 5.5 Designers that has space for earth and plants to be grown to quite a height, to make up the backrest and arms. You can even colour coordinate the plants to match with your ornaments, or just let it be the center of attraction! This is the half effort bench though there are full ones where every inch can be covered in grass or ivy, some soft, sittable plant - ideal garden furniture. Of course, these may not be especially easy to grow, but just think of the oxygen contributed to the atmosphere quite apart from all the oohs and aahs that it will engender.