Planning to buying a old home and renovate it on a budget? Then this is for you. You will discover which interior designer to connect with, and garden, flooring and furnishing ideas. There’s something about taking a peek inside real homes. There’s a bit of suspense of what lies behind those doors, of how people dress their homes, and the excitement builds if the doorway is tastefully decorated. What I have for you today is the renovation of a 20-year old home in Vidyaranyapura, Bangalore by Jyothika Baleri of Destination Designs. Renovated homes are tricky and it takes trained eyes to see beyond what is obvious and unlock the potential. What to consider when renovating a home Typical questions that would arise in one’s mind are: does the house need to be demolished completely? what architectural features can I retain? how much of the wood can be reclaimed and put…
A duplex apartment in Bangalore designed by interior designer Shivani Dogra. This home is rich in fabrics and artifacts sourced from the local market. Most of the projects I have featured recently require a great deal of wood work, sourcing materials across locations, and needles to say, a huge budget. From my experience of doing up our new home, I can safely say any ethnic touch costs a bomb: be it sourcing a wooden pillar or carved wood furniture. Shivani’s projects have always appealed to me because they are not high on budget, and the focus is on styling to make a room come alive. Her clever use of bed spreads, coordinated curtains and blinds gives a seamless look to a room. I take you through her latest projects as Shivani shares some nuggets of wisdom on decorating with you. Stepping away from her characteristic monochromatic style in the previous…
Averse to planning and budgeting? Hate numbers? Don’t fret. Not after you read this post. One of the oft-asked questions when you approach an interior designer is “What is your budget?” I cannot stress the importance of planning and budgeting for interiors because this is a huge project, one with many variables than buying the house itself. Often, we don’t know how much money we have and are scared to spend. At the other extreme, people end up buying more with limited resources, resulting in credit card debt. Both the extreme case scenarios are not ideal. And if you ask me, budgeting for interiors right up to the point of moving in starts well before you begin house hunting. Let’s say, if you can afford to spend Rs.1.5 crores, then ideally your house including registration should not cross 1.35 ~ 1.38 crores considering you don’t want to compromise on interiors.…
Have you ever tried solving a 750-pieces or more jigsaw puzzle with a time limit? I have. Didn’t complete it, of course, within the time limit. Building a house is like a novice juggling 10 balls in the air, or solving a 1000-pc jigsaw puzzle. Just when you think you have everything figured out, there’s a whole new dimension that appears out of nowhere. This is a project that requires planning, budgeting, and an approach to implement it, much like any other project. With this post, I’m taking a step back to understand why you need or do not need an interior designer? Then, WHY YOU NEED AN INTERIOR DESIGNER Better pricing with suppliers: For most accessories such as kitchen baskets or electrical fittings, they have a better pricing because of the volume of the business they do on a regular basis. The only downside is I’m told by a…
For all you home makeover connoisseurs who ogle at before-after pictures endlessly (like me!), the name Shivani Dogra should flash the famous pictures of her Delhi pad in your mind. The now-renowned Delhi-based interior designer gave a complete makeover to her rental home on a low budget. Ever since I read about her little renovation project on a budget in BBC GoodHomes, I’ve associated her style with simplicity, uniqueness, use of natural fabric, and the right dose of color. Shivani talks about her design mantra, where she finds her great finds, what projects she undertakes and more. Read on.. It’s been three years since she transitioned into the world of interiors after moving from Mumbai to Delhi. It’s a delight to take a glimpse at some of her new projects. Indian interiors are often associated with a liberal use of color so much so that at times it gets monotonous.…
Good morning! How’s the week treating you folks? I’m hoping you are reading this post on feedly or some other reader. How did you find the transition? As much as I like feedly, I miss Google Reader.
So anyways, early last month, after the numbers slowly started receding from my head, I spoke with Harsh Jain of Nestopia one afternoon. How about some prettiness first before we get down to business?
Doing up one’s home, or even constructing an independent house is still largely an unorganized space in India; largely done by word of mouth. There’s no credibility before you hire a contractor, or be certain you’ll see a home at the end of the year. Oh yes, the horror stories of contractors fleeing with lakhs after gaining your confidence are not fables.
This magnificent 3,300 sq.ft bungalow in Classic Orchards, off Bannerghetta Road in Bangalore is home to Seetha and Shyam Kaluve. Designed and built by architects at Tabula Rasa, it’s a feast to the eyes. The palatial bungalow boasts of enviable architectural features, further accentuated by materials used in yester year homes. The beautiful exposed brick wall is the first thing you see when you enter the house. Modern comforts are far and few in the living room. There is an inordinate amount of thought and detail that has gone into in replicating elements of olden day homes such as cement slabs for seating, the Athangudi tiles used for flooring, wooden rafters to keep the house cool in summers, Jaipur blue tile inserts in the staircase railing,and natural lighting from terrace. These are also eco-friendly choices that add to visual delight. Wooden pillars, oonjal were commonplace in homes 40-50 years ago. The home…
My son remarked this afternoon, “mamma, how does Google know all the answers?” I replied, “yes, it does, provided you ask the right questions.” The past decade or so has made us believe that we can have all the answers in a click from supernova explosions to a drug prescribed by a hematologist to what’s so fascinating about a beluga whale; it has given us the confidence to experiment, get our hands dirty from carpentry to coding.
But, I believe certain things in life are best left to experts. Because their expertise in the field takes your breath away, even if only for a moment, it’s worth it. So, as much as I advocate DIY, I’m also an ardent fan of the professionals who know their work best. Here, we are talking of interior designers.
The Orange Lane is one such firm in Mumbai run by Shabnam Gupta. Her portfolio is incredibly impressive/creative in execution from the commercial ones to vast houses to studio apartments and bachelor pads.
Minus words, plus pictures – to take your breath away.
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Kaizad Dinshaw’s work ever since I saw how he magically transformed his bachelor pad into a visual treat. How much can you accomplish in 691 sq.ft of space you may ask? Take twenty steps from one end to the other, and you hit a wall. But, that’s how small or rather big is Dinshaw’s apartment, and we saw, how with a clever utilization of space, he didn’t compromise on aesthetics, functionality and most importantly, lack of floor area.
So, after a long gap, I browsed Nitido Design’s residential portfolio. Kaizad’s verstaility comes across in decking up small spaces predominantly in white. I often get e-mails from readers asking how to conceal a dining area from the living space, or what would go well above a weathered cabinet, or how could a old mirror fit into a space. It’s good to see the portfolio of experts and learn a thing or two to see what works and why, and how to complement furnishings and furniture.
Here are a few favorite picks of mine from Kaizad’s portfolio.
The weathered cabinet becomes the focal point of this room. So, before you discard that old cabinet, think again. You can re-purpose it to make it the star of the room. A simple DIY of painting with one color, sanding, and painting another coat of a different color will give it the weathered look. A mirror or large artwork above the cabinet works well. But, if you are thinking an assortment of small photo frames, not so much!
We have a huge collection of books at home. Of late, most of the reading happens on iPad, Kindle and my Nook color. But, I cannot emphasize more the lure of real books and having one library at home, especially around growing kids. A dark backdrop, or any contrasting color, makes the space stand out.
