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home decor

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This post is a curated list of 5 Airbnbs in Bangalore ~ a city that’s grown so notorious for its traffic. The USP of these properties: design and location! There were a bunch of places we were to eager to drive to last week. From Sakleshpur to Pondicherry, all these places are well within the 350-Km radius from Bangalore. And it is a comfortable six-hour drive that doesn’t exhaust you to crave for a vacation-at-the-end-of-vacation. The only glitch? Most places were sold out. Of late, this is a story that pans out every long weekend and we find ourselves holed in within the confines and familiarity of our home. I’m not complaining for the community on most days feels like a resort in itself. If you are a non-planner like us, you may find our story familiar. A vacation is an escapade from the madness of the city,…

I have always been in awe of the gold jeweled products at Home Centre, especially around the festive season. Nothing does as much justice to your home as the golden votives, tea light holders or the blingy placemats. And truth be told, they burn a hole in your pocket if you go shopping during the season. So I like to stock up the prices are half for these products never go out of style. I stopped by Home Centre, Phoenix Marketcity last evening and made a mental note of what I liked. Oh! I’m not an impulsive shopper at all. I survey what’s on offer first, then come home to see what will fit and where. Over the years, I have seen that I tend to pick up the same colors during a season -a  habit that totally annoys me. One year, I ended up having 6 hues and shades…

Goa is a state of mind. A slice of paradise. A house for the body, a home for the soul. The Goan properties featured below are thus introduced on Airbnb. Unseasonal showers in Bangalore today; the famed Bangalore weather is back, it can’t get more romantic than this, and I can’t help but dream of a vacation. We’ve been to Cidade De Goa and Dona Sylvia in the past. Most properties in Goa are drop-dead gorgeous, but the ones below are also inspiring for their decor. Now, isn’t that a bonus as you soak in the sun, the sights and sounds of the sea, the swaying palms, the feel of the sand under your feet, and the colors assaulting your senses? I can never seem to have enough of a coastal vacation. Let’s begin our vacation..if only virtually! This house is listed as one with spectacular views of migratory birds…

Do you subscribe to any of the home interiors and decorating magazines, or pick a random bunch off the shelf every month? Do you lean towards Elle Decor with its emphasis on stylish living and following the seasonal trends closely? Or do you prefer Good Homes for its easily adaptable decorating and gardening ideas?Or you inspired by the exquisite homes showcased in Society Interiors? I have a monthly subscription for  BBC Good Homes, but read the others such as Society Interiors, Ideal Home and Gardens, Better Interiors and Elle Decor on a regular basis from the library or buying recent issues at cheaper prices. I’m slightly biased towards Good Homes because it has a glossy feel to it and has the right mix of advertorials and features. Except the home tours which are quite lengthy, the other features are a quick read. I absolutely love their multi-part design series spread…

Nestled in the by-lanes of Indira Nagar is a studio named “Glasscrafters“. Glasscrafters was started by Asad Hajeebhoy originally in 1991 in Bombay, followed by a four year stint in Muscat, Oman,and finally at Bangalore in 1996.  A physicist by education, Asad pursued stained glass as a hobby to take it up full-time in 1996.

Contrary to most Indian interior decor sites, Glasscrafters is well-designed replete with product pictures, portfolio, and course and service offerings. But, I still prefer to visit any studio/store in person to feel the pulse of the place.

A brief chit-chat on last Wednesday evening with Asad on art of stained glass was an eye-opener for me.  Tucked away from the hustle-bustle of 80 feet road,  Asad’s studio-cum-home is a flurry of activity with clients walking in, a designer working on some new project, materials spewn around, and finally, Asad talking about his passion for stained glass totally unfazed by his surroundings.  He demystifies the common perception that stained glass art is painting done on glass. In reality, there is no painting. Stained glass works are actually different pieces of colored glasses joined together with a copper foil to create a jigsaw-like piece of work.

According to Asad, his business broke even within 3 months of starting. Initially, he got his assignments primarily through references. The fact that there were no suppliers of stained glass materials in India back then made it a challenge. Mainly people who lived abroad placed an order for a specific piece. They brought the glass and materials with them for Asad to create. Word spread and now Glasscrafters has a impressive portfolio of over 2,000 projects. 90% of them are residential including some well-known ones such as Rishi Kapoor’s Mumbai residence.

A wide ranged of glasses are used such as wavy, wispy, opalesecent for the swirls and streaks, cathedral, streaky, textured, baroque, antique, and jewel.

A decade later, things have changed for the better. Glasscrafters is now a stockist for Spectrum glass.  The amount of  work involved in making every piece is mind-boggling. So, there’s nothing called a bulk order. A single piece or 100 pieces, to create each piece, small pieces of different colored glasses will have to be cut individually and joined together.

One morning my two-year old son brought a bunch of brown seeds after his morning walk. He called the round-looking seeds “flowers” and they were meant as a gift to me. Touched, I wanted to preserve the first gift I ever got from the toddler. On closer introspection, the dried seeds looked beautiful, and unlike most plants, they were too hard to wither from the branch.