Properties, Homes & more

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.

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.