Steps to increase natural light and air flow in apartments

By:-Avani Jain
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Let your house and interiors breathe fresh air and reflect good light with these simple tips…


Just like no human being is perfect, no house is perfect too. And you get to know about these imperfections of your house only when you start living in it. So, if you are one of those who have started to feel that you have bought a cave devoid of natural light and air, fret not! We bring to fore some simple tips to light up and instil fresh air into your closed apartment.

1.     Cross ventilation is the key: Cross ventilation of air in the house can not only keep the stale and warm air away but also increase the flow of light. Cross ventilation is the key to healthier and cooler interiors.


2.     Tune the windows: Instead of closing all the windows in summers, open them a little when it is hot and dark inside so that the hot air can move out and light can come in.


3.     Place a window fan: A window fan can be easily used to replace hot indoor air. This is much better than the air conditioners which generate huge electricity bills. All you need to do is place the fan on the window with fan blades directing the air outwards. To further enhance air flow inside the house, you may open a window in each room and ensure all interior doors are open. The open doors and windows will also increase the natural light flow through the house.


4.     Paint the walls with light colours: To make a small house look larger and increase natural light flow in it, choose light-colour paint (it can reflect the maximum light)
and select furnishings from the same colour family.


5.     Opt for light-coloured fabrics for drapes and curtains on the windows: They reflect much of the light during the day and even help to reduce the heat inside the house by allowing the air to pass through them.

6.     Place mirrors: If a mirror is placed opposite to an open window (for the flow of air inside the house), it can reflect light and views from the window. 




In a nutshell

While you may opt for an air conditioner or a tube light even during the day, nothing can beat the natural light and air flow as that can give a new lease of life to your home and make the surrounding positive. From sustainability point of view also, natural light and air is very important to cut down on electricity bills and going green. So, it’s high time that you go back to nature and opt for natural apartment interior design ideas. Give your interiors a light and fresh touch!

Because it’s ‘Your’ Home

By:- Ankita Jha

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“Your home speaks of you, they say!”

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Zodiac signs aren’t vague truths, they are a perfect blend of science and philosophy. The weather of your birth determines your genre. You carve your paths but your nature is determined by your birth. Zodiacs in home decor speak of you and a creation according to your being.
“If your home soothes you, it imperatively speaks in essence of familiar set-up that is you. You shall come back home to pleasure and comfort in accordance to your nature!”
Look upon your sign and it shall be very similar to your persona. Your home shall become a heaven in no time!

Aries
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A raging fighter!
You mark the onset of spring and thus the shades of red in perfect contrast to the subtle and sober hues shall give zest to your soul. The walls of your home shall be a background of nature in light shades and the accessories shall scream class and extremity in volumes. Set your trend Arians!

Taurus
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The extravagant king!
Classic decor- Blend your class with culture and admire your art! You are on a nature’s tandem and hues of green, colors of light(orange, pink, blazen brown), the seascape of cerulean shall open gates of eternal peace for you. Accessorize in classic finished wall arts and let the products of music and beauty mesmerise your soul.

Gemini
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The balanced Art!
You are a blended person with a superior taste. Art in abstract and one of a kind is your choice. Go for it and make sure you adhere to your desires for they would be awesome. Use neutral colors and balance them with contrasting hues. Leave large spaces to denounce chaos and symmetrical accessorizing shall give you bliss!

Cancer
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The Sufi of today!
Your ends in home decor would be a classic blend of country and rustic. Wooden decors would please your being and natural light escapades are your genres. Artifices from faraway lands with a story would lift your spirits at all times. Grey and white walls with bright accessories is your definite take.

Leo
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The fiery chaotic calm !
You are a chaos in yourself and you love it fiercely. Your decor is your personality in totality! Adorned walls in classic art aligned with large bookshelves shall deem perfect. Bright orange, summer-yellow, turquoise are your colors by stars. For your fire deserves to rest in its self-defined cozy set up!

Virgo
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The minimalist beauty!
Neutral colors are your perfect charisma. Keep large unfilled spaces in your home, cover them in light toned rugs. You have an acute thrust towards details and accessories arranged in geometrical fashion in neutral and muted shades like forest green, sunflower yellow are your ignition.

Libra
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The effortless scion!
Rugs and muslins arranged, a space of perfect balance where very little detail is appreciated and looked upon is a Libran’s Decor. Thus, sophistication reigns in your interiors. Colors in a medium shade like peach, brazen orange, cerulean are your picks.

Scorpio
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The organisational wizard!
Carefully organised and assigned places to all accessories shall make your happy. Shades of red like burgundy, magenta and rich browns; also algae greens and black speak pleasure to you! Array your furniture in a smooth symmetry too.

Sagittarius
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The curious tale of you!
You would like to puzzle around in your home and you are an explorer. Mixed patterned and palettes are your definites! Shag and eclectic spaces are your keeps. Your color is purple and all shades of blue would appeal to your senses!

Capricorn
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You are the organisation wizard!
Lines and spaces in colors of mahogany, orchid and spring blush shall perfect your alignments. You understand the importance of timeless artifices and the contrast of updated decor. You would love pale yellow with a spark of red and colors with core in difference. Contrast your home in both and live in an unperturbed sequence!

Aquarius
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The bard of blue!
You are immensely into chic patterns and hues. Shades of indigo, azure, steel grey in contrast with lemon yellow, bright orange shall be your picks. You are glamorous in blue! Let the shades of blue emanate from all corners of your home and keep the fashion of subtlety and nature afresh.

Pisces
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The mystic!
You seek leisure in creativity. Your mood is the epitome of diversity. Keep all corners of your home in contrast with each other because your home is all the world for you and your seek! Blend in with coral colors and accent. The beauty of your nature is that you can use all the shades and they shall speak to you. Probe in with navy blues and nautical patterns!

 An Effort By Houssup.com

When the Bohemian lifestyle became the new mantra

By:- Manaswita Ghosh
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In an overly materialistic world, where the trends constantly tell you what is hot, and what’s not, what you must own to belong to the new league of cool, and luxury is the new necessity, a bunch of individuals have come up with a “lifestyle of less”.

What exactly is it, you may ask.

Is it about living a spiritual life after renouncing all worldly pleasures, like Budhha did? Or is it living somewhere off in the mountains like a hermit? If yes, why should I opt for it? How ideal is it to follow the bohemian lifestyle?

The truth is, minimalism isn’t exactly any of the above. Minimalism isn’t a fairly new concept, although everyone around you who is opting for it would like you to believe that.

Minimalism doesn’t require you to renounce the world, your family and relationships, minimalism doesn’t call for certain religious or cultural beliefs. In simple terms, minimalism is a way of life where you possess as less items as you can, thriving on the bare minimum. Not really comfortable, you think. But stay with me.

What is comfort, other than your ability to eat, sleep, relax, work and take care of your personal hygiene? That’s all the word is about, isn’t it? Minimalism focuses on just that. If I asked you to design a room that hosted enough items (the minimum items) to make you at ease, what would you go for?


Designing your home keeping a minimal theme in mind isn’t difficult. A couch for the drawing room, an armchair, a lamp and air conditioning. A duvet for your bedroom, a blanket and pillow, a few pairs of clothes, your laptop and cellphone, a desk and a chair. A simple dining set without any intricate design. Take a peek into the kitchen and we have a set of pot and pan, perhaps a spork and a ladle, a plate, a cup and a bowl. A basket to hold your essentials in the bathroom. A pair of shoes and sandals. A box of medicines. Bare minimum and yet you are comfortable. I know you aren’t convinced, not yet. So I will give you a few more reasons to consider minimalism as the new cool lifestyle.

1.   More people are opting for minimalism because of advancement in technology and computing. Earlier, you needed a book, a radio, your collection of DVDs, music system, a television and a wall clock to accomplish your needs for entertainment and telling the time. Today, a laptop compensates for all of these.


2.   In today’s world, when consumerism has grown by leaps and bounds, and markets make you believe you cannot do without something, a life without distractions and complications becomes a dream. Peace of mind has become a thing of past and personal freedom has been bounded by the amount of things we possess. After all, the more you own, the more you maintain. Minimalism is like a whiff of fresh air that helps you focus on what you need in your life, helping you get rid of what you can easily do without.


3.   Life is actually more fruitful and result-oriented when you focus your energy into what you do rather than constantly worrying about what to own. You will notice the amount of time you save when you are not shopping. It’s easier to take up a new hobby, read, exercising and getting a good night’s rest when there’s nothing to distract or stress you or consume your valuable time. A minimalistic lifestyle helps you take up a healthier lifestyle in a much better manner, simply because it is available and you can grab it because you have that space in your life.


4.   The art of modern design and aesthetics dawned with minimalist art, a revolution that began in early 1960s and evolved itself through art, music, painting and architecture. Modern art and architecture is a descendent of this concept and believes that minimum is better. The less you show, the more you reveal through your thought process.


5.   As more people are being swept under the tide of personal debts and are facing financial turmoil, they opt for minimalist living simply to identify the necessities of life and it helps them avoid the expenses to a large extent. Turbulent stock markets, costly education and student loans, static salaries, and the rise in unemployment are a few factors in the rise of minimalism. Some take it up out of concern for the environment, after all, the lesser you consume, the better.


In other words, you gain more when you own less. Minimalism isn’t just another trend you can opt for, it’s a lifestyle worth living, something that benefits you effectively on a personal level. So go ahead, cast away those unnecessary shades and hop into a brighter, spacious life.

All image source: http://www.home-designing.com/

Kitchen greens and all that’s ‘tween.

By:- Aasawari Kulkarni
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Spice up your kitchen with some red hot chillies, freshen up your space with all the mints and greens, add a pinch of tang with lemons and tomatoes and you have the perfect recipe to a gorgeous kitchen garden. Because going to the fruit and vegetable market to get your veggies is too mainstream!
Imagine, picking out fresh broccoli’s from your balcony just outside your kitchen and making a fresh meal! The satisfaction of not eating all those insecticide and pesticide rich veggies is one thing and the edge it gives to your interiors is another! Kitchen gardens don’t just decorate your corners but they are so useful, you won’t believe it. And the colour they add to your homes is incredible.
When planning space for your kitchen gardens, these are some fun tips you would like to consider..
• keeping a 300-400 sq.ft area is a good idea. Roof tops, backyards, balconies or front gardens also both make a wonderful space for kitchen gardens. Moreover you can be more innovative and turn a little corner in your kitchen into a small kitchen garden!

• Modern interior designing ideas suggest using pots and drums and decorating them in your own way to make your garden more personalized. You can paint your pots and you can arrange them in an interesting fashion. You could go crazy and make interesting pots of your own. Mason jars, old used up jars, interesting glass jars, anything and everything could make wonderful planters.

• Colour coding your plantations is also a good idea, for example, all reds could fall in one line and greens could fall in another.

• Another interesting way of adding dimension to your garden is by adding platforms and giving heights to some of the pots. Vertical planting could look gorgeous.You can paint the garden walls to make it a part of the garden. Or just go next level and create a whole environment in your kitchen by adding accessories to your gardens.

• To really lighten up your spaces, you can get hold of some pretty garden lamps and lights and hang them around your garden or over one of your really precious plantations.

• Just making a kitchen garden is not the end of it, it’s just the beginning actually; because taking care of all these green babies is a task. You have to be sure to not just water them everyday but feeding the soil is necessary to ensure a healthy growth. Meanwhile, keeping the garden clean is extremely important because all these tasks might end up leaving stains and stinks that you definitely don’t want in your interiors!

• You could start with the easier veggies like lemons and tomatoes and once you get the trick, you can pretty much grow anything. Make sure you’re really interested in gardening because ignoring your garden does not lead to anything beautiful!

Gardens take home decor to a next level. If we think about the history of interior designing, kitchen gardens start from the time when people didn’t want to make an effort of picking eatables from the wild, so, instead they started growing fruits and vegetables in their own spaces, meanwhile also decorating their homes! And today

kitchen gardens are coming back to households, all grown up! Since people are becoming so health conscious all over again. Plus they make a lovely and innovative space and pep up your interiors if done correctly.

You can really play around and do anything that suits your taste, after all it’s your very own garden. The ease of kitchen gardens can surprise you. And the content of eating home-grown food is just great. So just try your hands once on a small plantation and have fun planning your brisk and fresh spaces and liven up your living spaces! Happy gardening to you.

Adding that “professional” touch to your bedroom

By:-Manaswita Ghosh

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“If you love something, it will work. That’s the only real rule.”

- BUNNY WILLIAMS



Have you ever been in a room that you simply connect with? Somewhere you feel at ease and know every element in the room has been placed there just to suit your personality? Do you know the secret behind the setup? It’s simply choosing what works and what doesn’t.


I have met so many people who brainstorm over the foyer, the drawing room and the dining space, effectively deciding on the interior and decor to give that personal touch to these spaces that they can proudly show off to the world. But there’s always one part of the house that they forget promptly, dismissing it easily. It’s the bedroom.

Your bedroom is the most crucial part of your home, and yet you decorate it in a hurry, with no real attention paid to the intricacies. This is the space where you rejuvenate yourself after a long day, think about your next project and work on your dreams. How can you not give a creative feel to this one? Your bedroom needs to sport your work personality as much as it needs your personal touch.
Your sense of design shows your deepest desire, something that reflects itself in what you choose to showcase in your home. Your bedroom should showcase yourself the most, regardless of this being the private space you do not show off to anyone.
Here’s what you can do to fabricate that perfect interior for yourself:
1. Take note of what you do: Are you a writer? A painter? An architect or a singer? What are the basic needs that enable you to do your job? What can’t you do without? Now make a list of the basic furnishings you require. You will see that things evolve from there gradually.
If you are a writer, you need a writing desk and hutch with a comfortable chair. A cosy reading space and a bookshelf. You need the corner well-lit, so a table stand is a necessity. It gives your writing desk a bright, professional feel. Go for a table clock irrespective of the wall clock in your room. You need to look at the time up and close instead of turning your head every time. Have a basket for holding your stationery supplies. Make sure the desk is big enough to hold your laptop along with your notes, because technology is a factor you cannot do without. Have a set of charging points for your cellphone and laptop and other necessary gadgets closeby and within reach of the desk.
A similar design works for artists as well, with the exception of the traditional wooden storage box for your colors. You can have drawers built into your desk, they add a lot of space for storing your painting tools, brushes etc. Your easel can be placed next to your desk, or you can go for a modular easel-holder designed specifically for yourself.


2. Consider how long you work and when: Are you a night owl? Or do you prefer working during the day? Are you someone who prefers natural lighting or are you content with the artificial ones?

It’s a good idea to go for a settee, a comfortable armchair or an accent chair with a leg rest beside your working desk. You cannot work at a stretch, your body needs a comfortable place to sink in other than your bed. Accent chairs are the perfect alternative. Have an earthly floor lamp placed near your chair, so you do not feel the absence of good lighting while you read. It’s advisable to go for minimal cushioning when it comes to your working chair. Have a set of chairs for working comfortably, a desk chair you sit on for long hours and the armchair you rest on from time to time.

3. Fill in the gaps: Once you are done with basic furnishing and stocking up on your necessities, it’s time to take care of the rest. Wondering where to boast that trophy you won or the certificate that bears your name?
It’s time to switch to floating shelves! Sporting your accomplishments have never been better. These give your trophies a casual yet sophisticated display instead of the traditional glass-almirah. Frame your certificates in glass and warm shades of wood and exhibit them proudly in your work corner. You can enhance the corner using hidden lights as well.
The idea is to be as simple in your approach as possible to define the details, without making them stand out or appear obvious to the eye. There are no hard and fast rules to plan your bedroom according to your work personality. All you require are the right objective and a precise approach to designing, the rest is a piece of cake!
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