Properties, Homes & more

Finding inspiration for interior design can be tricky. Going to the usual stores often leaves you feeling uninspired and one of the crowd. Sometimes it takes looking a little bit further to find design that truly inspires and invigorates the left hand side of your brain.

One of the best places to find inspiration is from the thousands of blogs that are dedicated to design and interiors. Many famous interior designers and industry professionals like to maintain blogs to log their creative inspirations. For those of us that do not live in the World of design these blogs are a great place to start in order to quickly get up to speed on the latest trends and developments. Often you will find that there are styles that you were not aware of and ways of styling a living space that you had not considered before. Often the high street sofa store do not cover new and breaking styles of sofa so it is always worth checking other places before it is too late.

Interior design blogs will also give you ideas on how to style rooms. Practical tips outlining the do and do not’s’ can come in very useful. Things like spacing, colour, and practical advice can make all the difference to your success.

When looking for sofa and interior blogs make sure you follow blog rolls rather than simply relying on search. Many bloggers do not make an effort to get search visibility so it is always advisable to check out the blogs that are popular within blog rolls. Many bloggers are also willing to have dialogue with you and may be able to help if you have any specific questions.

Once you have looked at many sofas and taken plenty of time looking at blogs, I would strongly advise that you print out your favourites and make a collage. A collage will provide the visual stimulus that will help you decide which style suits you best. After taking in to account other factors such as price and sizes you will be ready to choose the sofa of your dreams. Good luck!

For more info about sofas, you may visit the sofa information section on sofasofa.com.

Celebrate this festival of DIWALI by making a difference in the lives of some young girls who wish to pursue their dreams of being successful and confident like you and me. This is an effort by the team of “Mission Awareness” to help these girls in a way which will make them self independent…

Let me brief you about “Mission Awareness“. This is an organization run by enthusiastic youngsters who want to help the world by giving some time, talent and resources from their lives to make it a better place. They are involved in many activities to spread awareness about global warming, energy & water conservation, fuel conservation, etc. They now have come up with the bright idea of getting Diwali Diya’s made by these underprivileged girls.

The money that will be accumulated from the sale of these Diya’s will be used to conduct handicraft, acting & dancing and educational camps for the underprivileged children in primary schools across Mumbai & Greater Mumbai. With the help of very helpful teachers and friends, they have taught some underprivileged girls the art of painting Diya’s in a unique and different way. And see what they have made… A huge collection of beautiful & eco-friendly Diya’s that can make your Diwali even more colorful and bright. Find below the photographs of some of these awesome Diya’s alongwith their price.

LEAF Single: Rs 30 | Pair: Rs 55	PEACOCK Single: Rs 40 | Pair: Rs 70
FLOWER Single: Rs 20 | Pair: Rs 35	SWASTIC Single: Rs 20 | Pair: Rs 35
FLOWER-2 Single: Rs 20 | Pair: Rs 35	KAIREE Single: 20 | Pair: Rs 35
GANESHJI Single: 30 | Pair: Rs 55	SUN Single: Rs 70 | Pair: Rs 125
FLAT SHANKH Single: 20 | Pair: Rs 35	PLATE Single: Rs 40 | Pair: Rs 70
SHANKH Single: Rs 30 | Pair: Rs 55	TURTLE Single: Rs 40 | Pair: Rs 75
ROSE Single: Rs 20 | Pair: Rs 35	SUNFLOWER Single: Rs 20 | Pair: Rs 35

To order, please email to GUNCHA @ guncha.khare@gmail.com and mention your order & contact details. Guncha manages this Mission and will ensure that you get your Diya’s well in time in nicely wrapped package. I have bought 5 of them and believe me, they are simply superb. So go ahead and place your oder and help underprivileged a little bit in your own way…

<< Tips to use candles to enhance the warmth & romance in your home

In my earlier post, I talked about how Candles can be used to induce warmth and romance within your own home, and how little imagination can turn around the entire ambience to something serene. Combine candles in varying shapes and sizes to create a display that is attractive even when unlit. You could also place a candle in a clay pottery bowl and fill the bowl with stones or pot pourri.

Let’s look a little ahead and talk about the precautions you must take in order to ensure no unforeseen incident / fire happens in your home. You must ensure safety while having lit candles, more so if children are around. Here are a few tips to prevent fires:

• Keep candles out of bedrooms
• Place candles away from any inflammable fabric or material, especially curtains
• Ensure there are attentive adults around the lit candles - very important if there are children in your home
• Always places candles on a stable surface
• When using candle-holders, ensure they are non-combustible
• Try not to use candles that have inflammable materials embedded in them - such candles may look flashy at first, but believe me they are the most dangerous to your safety
• Place candles (both, lit & unlit) out of reach of children and pets
• Always keep a fire extinguisher at home. You never know when it might come in handy!

We have always used traditional sources of light for illumination - i.e. electric bulbs. Have you ever thought of using the most basic source of light man have invented: CANDLE? Believe me, candles are turning out to be a hot favourite. You can add warmth and romance to your home by placing lit candles around the “intimate places“, say living room. Add to it, dim lights and fresh flowers and you’ve the perfect ambience for that special dinner or evening with a loved one.

Candles no longer just mean the mundane white ones. Innovation is the key to their popularity and nowadays you find a variety of candles in stores - aromatherapy candles, votives, gel candles, floating candles etc. Candles scented with essential oils provide not just for an aromatic treat but also have therapeutic benefits. The word votive comes from the Latin word “votivus” that means vow. They were originally lit and devoted to the memory of a loved one. Votives are meant to be burnt in a holder and you also find them in a wide variety of colours. Gel candles usually come in glass containers while pillar candles are standalone and come in varying thickness.

Elegance with holders

If there are candles, then there have to be candle-holders. You can have a fruit bowl or brass uruli with floating candles on the centre of a table or floor, to give a touch of the exotic to the atmosphere. You can also use floater bowls. Glass, brass, pewter, and silver are some of the other materials used in decorative candleholders. Candles can be placed strategically around the home to add to the decor and as they are available in numerous hues they can add a touch of colour to any space.

>> Tips to prevent fire while using candles at home…

Painting your home? Here are some of the tips which you can’t afford to ignore…

1. A primer must be used before applying latex over oil base paint.
2. Use water based acrylic latex paint for exterior use. These paints are known for quick drying, ability to cover previous colour, less odour and washable nature.
3. Use oil based paints for interiors. The gloss and resistance to water of oil based paints will work best for your kitchen and bathroom walls. Although oil based paints dry slowly, require special thinner for cleanup and emit strong fumes, they are extremely durable.
4. Oil based paints can also be used for the doors, wooden furniture and metal works.
5. While purchasing paints, go for a reputable brand and tailor your choices as per the project. Apart from colour take factors like abrasion, weather, water contact, sunlight etc into mind before making a decision.