We are all back to work after a long, long weekend.
As I get ready to paint the house later this month when the rest of the family would be away for a week, I’m exploring my options. Just thinking of getting one of the outer walls stenciled in a flower pattern. What do you think? Have you stenciled any of your walls? If so, how did you do it and where did you get the stencils from?
Who doesn’t love a green, blooming balcony? There are hundreds of blogs that list tips and tricks to bring the picture-perfect image to your balcony. But, we all know it takes a lot more than pictures to sow and harvest herbs on a windowsill. I’ve just spent hours sifting through scores of urban gardening blogs to find a few that are helpful to novice gardeners. My motive was to dig out blogs by urban Indian gardeners, but I was successful in finding only two that fit my criteria – frequency of updates, pictures, and well-documented steps and conducive conditions for growing plants. Geek Gardener – is replete with information on container gardening and various varieties of vegetables to grow in a particular month in India. Despite the low frequency of posts, Geek Gardener is an excellent resource for growing vegetables in a tropical climate. Every post has pictures of plants…
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…
No matter how stylish and elegant modern homes get, I’ll always be fascinated by the traditional Indian architecture. At the risk of repeating myself, I continue with this post :) Most houses in the olden times were built on rectangular plots and, in certain places, adjacent homes shared a wall. Vast open spaces inside punctuated by thinnais and mithams, skylight, courtyards, red tiled flooring, huge cylindrical pillars along the mitthams or courtyards, a small hole on either side of the main door to light lamps, and high ceiling supported by wooden beams were some of the common characteristics of these eco-friendly homes. With such years of wisdom going into building of houses, can they ever be wrong? Little wonder there was no dearth of light and air while we feel suffocated, stifled and leave the lights on evening at 9:00 a.m. in a 2,000 sq.ft apartment. What a shame! Another…