Tag: HOME DECOR

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Lighting also matters

Artificial lights have been successfully dominating the residential zones as they aid in creating visual stimulation for the users…writes
Aryaman Jaiin

Besides being functional, lighting today is redefined by its sensory play of elevating and enhancing spaces. It is a medium that adds character and depth to the area, creating an experience for today’s generation.

Emerging as one of the essential design elements, it is crucial to incorporate meticulously researched lighting schemes into the architectural fabric of the interiors at the early stages, adding visual depth to the room. First, however, it is necessary to delve into the technical aspects such as functional requirements, types of equipment, lighting parameters, installation process, costing, and more. These pointers help in setting the groundwork for any kind of lighting installation.

Conceptualising lighting stems from the nature of the space, such as area, number of occupants, usage and more. Numerous methods can be used to incorporate lights for different areas and their function. For example, private areas can be installed with low lighting techniques such as dim, warm and indirect lighting, creating a cosier and relaxed space. For living areas or entertainment lounges, bright or white lighting can be used, keeping the user alert and more focused. The use of warmer colours for common areas and an interplay of direct and indirect lighting can help create distinct ambiences and experiences.

Artificial lights have been successfully dominating the residential zones as they aid in creating visual stimulation for the users. These lights can be used to accentuate statement pieces or bring certain architectural details into the limelight-elevating the character of the space.

Other than being completely utilitarian, lighting has proved to have a significant effect on the physical and mental well-being of the occupants. It plays a significant role in governing one’s melatonin and serotonin levels. It is believed that designing a practical, more customised lighting layout can positively impact the ambience and its users. Such carefully curated design schemes for a room can result in optimum usage of space.

To summarise, lighting needs to be understood and laid out comprehensively as it can make or break a space. For instance, it is possible to graze a wall with soft lighting or to completely illuminate it; both options can significantly change the ambience of a room. Ensure that your lighting complements your decor with functionality and panache.

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It’s time to have a winter makeover

Winter’s compulsion to obsess about light is palpable. Remove the window screens to make room for sunbathing areas. Sheer curtains in private spaces and attractive valances in living and other communal areas can help to break up the monotony of the inside.

Winter, when hibernating homes battle to remain awake, this necessitates a return to style and statement – a vivacious home renovation. In the midst of the relaxed seasonal mood, winter homes need to find a balance between relaxation and rejuvenation, all wrapped in a swirl of unique decor ideas. Interior Designer Punam Kalra, Creative Director of I’m the Centre For Applied Arts shows you how:

Rich Colour Palettes

Pewter duo available at Interior Designer Punam Kalra, Creative Director of I’m the Centre for Applied Arts.

The warmer tones of the season’s colours counteract the season’s cold breeze. Summer memories are evoked by vibrant, richer hues with a reflected face-a fresh tint of tangerine, a deep sheen of coral, or a more neutral-sided shade of mustard. These hues can be used as solid paints or textured wallpapers on the walls, in unique abstract designs, sensuous art, or natural stone grains, with a slight metallic accent to bring a dramatic twist to the relaxing atmosphere.

Plush Furnishings

Forest ottoman available at Interior Designer Punam Kalra, Creative Director of I’m the Centre for Applied Arts.

Warm upholstery-velvet, fur, suede, and other luxurious fabric-was used to combat the cold in earlier framed pieces. Wrap everything up, from huge pieces like sofas and recliners to small pairings like ottomans, pouffes, and coffee tables. Overshadow the backdated diamond tufts with blind and channel tufts for a modest yet whimsical effect in the overall interior design.

Non-chalant Moodboards

Every place needs a chance to appreciate the season’s real personality. This is why extra throw pillows and blankets can be brought in, with an overabundance of patterns and textures-modest plaids, checks, and other patterns mixed with dense textures and bold-neutral colour duos to evoke winter symbolism. You may unashamedly enjoy the winter scene by laying an oriental carpet, an abstract rug, or a solid dhurrie near your tea tables, along the fire place, or on your couches.

Extroverted Ambience

Winter’s compulsion to obsess about light is palpable. Remove the window screens to make room for sunbathing areas. Sheer curtains in private spaces and attractive valances in living and other communal areas can help to break up the monotony of the inside. Set up a window view with a coffee table, a wingback chair, and a homemade fur rug to look out the window at the grey outdoors and bask in the season’s vibe.

Warm Details

Wood, candles, fireplaces, open BBQs, and other warmer matters come to mind at this time of year. In furnishing, decorating, and even re-decorating, the season honours these components of thermal comfort. Vintage candles, with or without scent, can be placed in an antique candle stand, or warm lighting can be added with vintage chandeliers or rustic pendants that complement the natural golden-yellow glow.Distressed wood can be used as sidetables, shelves, wall hangings, personalised showpieces, and more. You can replicate the summery vibe with artisanal flower vases, fresh indoor houseplants, cosy pottery, earthen tableware, and more, in addition to the usual, demode statements.

In addition, fireplaces exemplify flair and sophistication, and they now serve as a fashion statement. Electric and ethanol fireplaces have taken over the residential scene thanks to their hassle-free operation and aesthetic appeal.

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Let’s make it kids friendly

If you want to unleash your child’s creativity, we suggest that no matter the quality and sturdiness of the desk you use a “placemat” or desk laminate that adds an additional layer of protection to prolong the lifespan of the furniture and make your child play carefree…writes N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe.

Home is truly a paradise for people and we always try to make our paradise more beautiful for our kids. The pandemic has changed our way of life and expectations at and from our homes. It’s not any different for kids either. When it comes to kids, there’s an extra layer of care and stress for parents in terms of recrafting an environment at home for study and playtime. The need for a balanced or easily adaptable environment becomes paramount to enable a child to differentiate between study and playtime. This increases the need for storage, so kids can have their space. When you make an inventory to provide more storage, you wonder where to begin. Erik Jan Middlehoven, Home Furnishing & Retail Design Manager, India IKEA, said, “Planning is key”, and shares some points as a blueprint to build your child’s spacestation-cum-phrontistery.

Build the right environment to keep them engaged

It is important that your child’s surroundings are very comforting, safe, and he/she can use their surroundings to study and play. While we tend to let our children sit at the dining table for learning, it would be important to have furniture that is ergonomic and suits their size like PAHL. Don’t forget that learning has gone digital, so there is more of a reason to stress on proper seating that allows for better posture. You don’t want too much distraction near the study area as the attention span is already shorter at a younger age. Make sure the space is clutter free and has enough room to let your child focus on one topic or activity.

Finding the balance between study and playtime

Small spaces are only as restrictive as you think of them to be. Try creating different spaces for different activities in that one place. The key is compartmentalization. Look for a way to create that balanced environment by opting for storage boxes to quickly put away study material and bring it back out when it is time to study again. This technique sensitizes the child to prepare themselves for when it is time to study and when it is playtime, get your child a few TROFAST boxes to make it seem like a fun activity. The sooner you begin, the quicker you teach your children from a young age to clean up and organize.

Desks that grow with your child

Sounds interesting? We’re referring to long-term solutions like PAHL desk where the table legs are extendable and adapt to your child as your they grow. If your wallet is a little bit thinner, then consider working with a chair pad or two. Desks surfaces are, by definition, multifunctional. If you want to unleash your child’s creativity, we suggest that no matter the quality and sturdiness of the desk you use a “placemat” or desk laminate that adds an additional layer of protection to prolong the lifespan of the furniture and make your child play carefree. FLISAT is another type of extendable desk that adds a bit of elegance to the study environment.

Adjustable Wall/Table lamps

Last but not least, you want to ensure that your child has the proper lighting to set the tone of study time. A trick to get optimal usage of light is to set the lamp at a height of 80cms from the table, without having it scatter off the required area. Desk lamps like KRUX are what you should opt for; lamps that are aesthetically pleasing to the child while also serving the purpose of optimal lighting on the desk.

Storage for kids isn’t child’s play for any parent. It is the smart and clever solutions that actually work and grow with your children. The above suggestions are sure to make it easier while you build your inventory.

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Pandemic made changes in home décor trends

Who said lights are only for Diwali and X’mas? Light denotes hope and positivity in all way. Not enough lighting in homes can impact your mood for the worse…writes Puja Gupta.

Home also needs refreshed look and changes as per time passes. Looking at the same walls 24/7 while stuck at home can be quite taxing. While people are reclaiming their space, they are finding true meaning in their homes in terms of feeling safe and comfortable. While we cannot control the uncertainty happening in the outside world, we definitely can control things inside, and this outbreak has inspired us to transform our homes. Michelle Williamson, Interior Designer, WoodenStreet, shares how this pandemic brought changes in home decor trends.

Colours and Colours

Since the pandemic, the outside world has left us with no colourful vibes, but on the positive side, it has inspired us to bring colour to our home in the best way possible. Colours are proven to be a perfect way to infuse positivity into your home interiors. Add them in any form, be it cushion covers, rugs, curtains, and other furnishing items. Incorporating hues like yellows and bright pinks into your surroundings adds a dash of cheerfulness in no time.

A Wall Re-Do

Looking at the same drab wall the whole day while stuck at home can make you feel more bored. In that case, wall treatments are the true caller. Bring in a scenario — the photo frames, which are the right statement-makers. Photo frames always make you feel nostalgic, and it is a good-to-go option for a re-do as well. From childhood pictures to the pandemic photographs (yes, why not?), create a wall full of pictures, and it will give a perfect Instagram-worthy look.

Let the Light Follow You

Who said lights are only for Diwali and X’mas? Light denotes hope and positivity in all way. Not enough lighting in homes can impact your mood for the worse. Add the light that you love, be it hanging lights, table lamps, floor lamps, and bring a change in surroundings. With WFH becoming the new normal, interior designers suggest to move your workspace close to a window to infuse natural light to your home.

Porch Treatment

This pandemic has reduced people from going to each other’s homes, rather preferring to meet them outside the house like in a porch or home garden. And this inspired them to do a home garden or porch treatment. Compared to the plain porches earlier, people are now adopting balcony furniture for making seating space outside the home, considering the home garden and other deco-inspiring items as essentials.

Make Private Spaces

While this crisis has allowed us to spend enough time with family members, accept that you do need your private space too. And, this encouraged people to create separate areas within the home itself. While you can’t create a separate room, you can create separate zones with room dividers and various other screen partitions.

Kitchen Deserves Convenience

This lockdown has led many to experiment with the new recipes and made the kitchen the favourite place of the house. And, while you start spending time at some place, you want it to be as per your convenience, and kitchens definitely deserve that. The kitchen cabinets, trolleys, functional microwave stands and high-quality machines can help you achieve that oh-so-perfect and restaurant-style results at home.

Hygiene is Must

People are now giving more importance to bathroom accessories which were often ignored earlier. From bathroom mats to soap dispenser sets, people are more towards the side of adding all these things in a bathroom as on priority, considering the hygiene factor a must.

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Pick some summer cool furniture

Undoubtedly, it brightens up the room and soaks away the darkness of wintery days. Light shades like ‘Honey’ and ‘Teak’ will do the trick…writes Puja Gupta.

Furniture is the face of an awesome home. This summer season is all about staying at home (with lockdowns across the country). Hence, revamping your abode with some furniture trends helps to feel enjoy the vibe of season. Here, Michelle Williamson, Interior Designer, WoodenStreet, talks about some picture-perfect ideas for this summer year 2021.

Less is More

The minimalist style always tops the list of trends in the summer. Minimalism in the furniture refers to the characteristic features of simple, clean lines and sleekness in the design. So, bring out the essential furniture pieces like a sofa, coffee table, lounge chair, or even bed with the simple and sophisticated look to make your home inviting and also a relaxing spot. You can also add comfortable and soft fabric cushions to feel fresh and lively.

Soothing Shades of Furniture

Whether you just want a seasonal update or to channelise the summer all the long year, this trend featuring light-hued and soothing shades works to make the case. Undoubtedly, it brightens up the room and soaks away the darkness of wintery days. Light shades like ‘Honey’ and ‘Teak’ will do the trick. In addition vibrant and rich hues of upholstery add to a welcoming summery days to your home.

Furniture for Super Refreshing Mocktails and Cocktails

Your favorite ‘Mojito’ and cocktails, must need a properly designated station. Also, a bar at home has been useful for many during the lockdown. So, becoming a bartender, the aroma of fresh drinks, and sipping on coolers are a great way to spend the evenings. A proper bar helps to preserve the flavour of drinks in your collection and keeps you cool during hot days.

Cheerful Summer Balcony

Who doesn’t love to sit in their backyard or balcony, especially during the evening or enjoy the chirping of birds at dawn? Balcony furniture allows you to enjoy some time in nature, soak up some vitamin D or enjoy the cooler breeze at night. Also, it allows you to unwind after a hard day with a cup of coffee in one hand and a book in the other. Not only this, you can enjoy a weekend breakfast in an outdoor dining set.

Symbol of Comfort and Bright Decor

During sunny days, printed fabric sofas is a smart move. Because it has specific properties of absorbing sweat, resulting in a comfortable lounge experience. Choose sheer comfortable and breathable materials such as cotton or velvet for the upholstery of the sofas. Along with this, there is a wide assortment of colourful fabric options to welcome the bright season. Florals are an evergreen option and never go out of trend. Also, they are well suited to either compliment or contrast in the decors theme.

Let the Light In

Summers are all about putting away dark and nubby things and letting the sunshine into your home. Swapping dark curtains, add natural window treatments, hang bold statement mirrors to let the light in.

Mirrors reflect natural light instead of absorbing it. So, place large accent mirrors in your entryway or in your bedroom, to enlighten up your room, it also helps to create an illusion of the large space in a crunched home.

Lastly Don’t Forget the Swing Chairs

Swing chairs are undeniably the best in lockdown, no matter how much space is available a swing can hang anywhere and helps one enjoy their siesta, coffee or book. It’s the right place for “me-time” after the long day of work. The wooden jhula or hammocks are surprisingly cosy and amazing to take small and refreshing naps. Add a soft fabric cushion adds a zing to your summery furniture style.

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Decor hacks to beat heat of the sun

Another advantage of floral motifs is that they tend to distract the eyes from any deficiencies and flaws in the interior, he says…writes Puja Gupta.

Artistic interior works are the primary concern of modern home aspirants. Summers bring with them the need for bright and refreshing interior decor ideas. Interior decor plays a critical role in managing the sweltering heat of the summers. With a plethora of ideas, right from adding in wall colour to adding those breezy green plants to changing the look of your rooms with breathable linens, you can explore different decor hacks to beat the heat of the sun!

When you think about summers, the one thing that comes to mind is flowers. Floral prints are the go-to decorating option adding in a homely touch of warmth and comfort to the interior. Subtle, pastel shades, or bright, loud colours, allow these prints to highlight your bedroom turning it into a warm, space, full of life, says Saurav Gupta, CEO, Bella Casa — manufacturers and distributors of chic home textile products and designer ethnic wear.

Another advantage of floral motifs is that they tend to distract the eyes from any deficiencies and flaws in the interior, he says.

“However, before you start furnishing your bedroom with floral prints, you should take the overall style of the room into consideration. The key is to remember that too much floral will hurt the eyes, but a touch here or there will give it that summertime oomph,” says Gupta.

Wallpapers:

Wallpaper with floral print is one of the most common options people opt for while adding a floral touch to their rooms. These prints have thousands of variations: simplified and accurate in designs ranging from large to small flowers.

“Once you get the knack of decorating your bedroom using floral prints, you would be surprised how they contribute to the amped-up mood in the morning and positive emotions at bedtime. However, you need not use floral printed wallpapers in the entire bedroom, highlighting a single wall can all add a delicate charm to your summer-ready room,” says Gupta.

Bed covers and upholstery:

Giving your room a floral makeover this summer isn’t as hard a task as it looks! Nothing says summer more than the bright and pappy floral printed bed sheets and curtains in your bedroom. You can get quirky floral printed bedsheets that will complement your solid coloured walls or add in light curtains with dainty floral embroidery to let the light dimly enter your room giving it a warm and cosy vibe! You can go for a stand-out armchair, a vintage sofa, floral cushion covers or a vibrant rug, Gupta suggests.

Simple additions:

It is necessary to ensure your bedding, curtains or wall pattern is repeated in some other elements of the room decor. The elements you add to your bedroom should also complement the patterns on your furniture upholstery, bed sheets and curtains. Elements such as a wall hanging, or a floral motif vase or shelves in the bedroom will look elegant making your bedroom bright and beautiful this summer, he concludes.

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