Properties, Homes & more

The Plants World nursery and garden centre provides a new and an exquisite collection of planters for landscape architects and avid gardeners alike. Geared to match all kinds of house décor, whether sleek and modern, where a contemporary planter should be your logical choice, while weight may become an issue for the window box.

There are metal, fibre, ceramic - there are all kinds available to match the décor both inside and out. These are also available in a range of finishes - antique, stone, slate, terra cotta to name a few. While choosing your planter put thought into its final location, size and the plants that you would be planting inside it.

The humble hard-baked red clay, which was primarily used to make earthen pots - until now considered as a low-income society item - has finally managed to enter the so-called high-income society. It is now used as a fashion jewellery, in artefacts or home decor. I am pleased to bring to you Terracotta - the latest up-market fancy fad, made up of earth. Moulded into various shapes, sizes and forms, it adds an exotic touch to homes and imparts a warm, earthy tone to the surroundings.

Terracotta is also making its mark in the fashion industry. Eventhough jewellery made from terracotta doesn’t have a smooth finish, its uneven texture adds to the charm. Modern pieces inspired from traditional designs give an ethnic touch to any outfit. They are also available in bright colours. In fact, many young hot girls are crazy about anything that is rustic.

When it comes to home décor, the most popular items are Feng Shui wind chimes, Laughing Buddha statues and Chinese lanterns. Terracotta wind chimes produce a vibrating sound that is believed to bring good fortune and luck. Apart from that, figurines of Lord Ganesha, Radha-Krishna, the Sun God; animals and decorative pots are also much in demand.

Another advantage of terracotta is that it is friendly on the pocket too. They are reasonably priced and fit well within any budget. They are also trendy and attractive. Terracotta pots are environment friendly and help retain water, thereby making it an effective option to grow plants. It is not only cost-effective, but can spruce up even the most basic of interiors. It also adds an ethnic touch to your ensemble in the form of rustic jewellery.

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…