Raise your hand if you do not dread that dark area under the kitchen sink, and you have my admiration. When I had just begun to work years ago, I once rented a 25-year old home. What was I thinking? Affordable rent. Every night was a nightmare. The minute I would switch on the light, all I could see on the floor were generations of roaches that came from under the sink. Maybe because: 1) the kitchen was dark 2) the pipes leading to the gutter underneath were ill-fitted 3) it was hard to access for cleaning, and 4) the trash can was kept there. No matter how clean the area was, it did not deter the roaches. Sound familiar? I am sure many of you who have rented homes, or otherwise, would agree with me. Personally, I’m so glad those days are past me when colonies of cockroaches…
My mum was here for a fortnight, and like me, she is fond of all things organizing. For the kitchen, in particular. She helped me in organizing organized the kitchen, got rid of stuff that were old, plastics, and put a ban on purchasing anything new until it was time to discard some of the existing canisters. Aren’t mums are the best? I really love it when she is here as it’s like getting a crash course on life and how to be wiser and balanced. I took her to Home Centre and she shortlisted a few things I must buy later. Surprisingly, these are sold out online all the time but I was glad to discover they were available in stores. Here is the list and why I think they are great buys. And just so you know, this is NOT a sponsored post. 1. 6 pc GLASS STORAGE JARS…
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…
This post is all about how to use bamboo lamps in your home as they are budget-friendly and stylish. Juggling style and comfort is akin to the Vrikshasana pose in yoga. You focus on a point and you get the balance right. The posture in itself is beautiful. Let the focus waver and you find yourself dancing from one side to the other. We like the comfort of the fabric sofas, but decide to wait a few years until the kids have grown up so that one doesn’t have to worry about the stains. Similarly, as much as I like the sleek lines and minimalism of modern style, I find it cold sometimes as if it lacks personality and warmth. Can two styles be mixed? Why not? Remember Vrikshasana. The pictures below are a testimony to that. Some combine country cottage style with modern furniture, others sleek modern with rustic lighting. However,…
My heart skipped a beat when I saw this image. I get yours will too if you see how this space looked like before it went under the hammer. A mindblowing transformation that aimed to bring together the cooking, grilling, and entertaining part close to each other. This balcony is part of an apartment that belongs to an entrepreneur and a lawyer in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Yes, this is the balcony that gave way to that bright, jaw-dropping entertaining space. I believe there should be one space in your home where you can let your hair down and entertain your guests in a no-fuss manner. Barbecue, grill, drink the night away, play music over several rounds of food — whatever your entertaining style is, and whatever works for you. What do you do when you are short of space? How do you make room? Well, there is a lesson to…
The festive season has officially begun with Ganesh Chaturthi. It’s incredible how the streets don a new avatar in the festive season with a heady mix of colors from violets and pinks to yellows and oranges. You feel like you can’t have enough! The festive season also marks the shopping season in many ways..so here I’m back this Friday with seven absolutely beautiful finds for your kitchen — all under a humble budget of Rs.500. Thrown in the mix are also some pieces that I found irresistible, but they didn’t make it to to the list as the price overshot by a few hundred bucks. Go hungry poster for Rs.169 I believe framed quotes bring character to a room. Blackboard walls as a trend have been overdone. Nevertheless, it would be charming and a lil’ tacky to have this poster on one of your kitchen walls. This is not framed.…
This post is sponsored by Capricoast. We often associate wood as the material for interiors. After a radical introduction of stainless steel as the prime material in our previous kitchen tour, today I take you through its traditional alternative: a ply kitchen that is budget-friendly without compromising on accessories. This is also executed by CapriCoast. Just like the previous post, all frequently asked questions are addressed in this post: how much should a ply kitchen cost, will the vendor undertake civil work, what material to use in a kitchen, is waterproof ply necessary etc etc. This home is part of the Zed Homes community, an eco-friendly project that is close to our hearts. Key details about the project: Name of the project: BCIL, Zed Homes Location: Bangalore Size: 8 feet hob side (hob and sink on opposite walls) 11 feet sink side Material used in kitchen: Ply Shape of kitchen:…
As you tour new homes, how often have you wondered how much the interiors would have cost? Most of the fancy kitchens cost an arm and a leg ranging anywhere between 10 and 15 lakhs. I personally find designing the interiors of a house akin to taking any competitive exam when it comes to stress levels. If you are not fortunate enough to have zeroed in on the right interior designer, you wake up in the middle of the night in a sweat with so many unanswered questions. When we were designing our kitchen, so many questions ran through our minds on a daily basis, and without a proper designer, Google was the only answer. I’m sure you would have faced these at some point of your home building journey: Marine ply or BWR ply? Or stainless steel? Hetitch or Blum? Steel hob or glass hob? Granite or Corian top? How much…
It’s been three months since we moved into this new house. It feels like home now. We cherish the crisp air in the mornings, the evening breeze, and I must sheepishly admit, I sometimes miss the sounds and cacophony of Marathahalli. In today’s post, I offer you first glimpses into my kitchen: a place that I hold dear to my heart because of the time and effort that went into its planning, civil modifications, designing, choosing a vendor and execution. Kitchen layout: It is a 14 feet long by 11.5 feet wide east facing kitchen. The kitchen is flanked on north side by the living room wall and on the south by the utility. It is open on the east and faces the main road on the west. There is a huge 4 * 3 window on the west side. Civil modification: Originally, the kitchen was smaller as it had…
Surprised that Friday shopping is back? Oh well! I figured I might as well curate my shopping cart into a post since I spend so much time ogling through random stuff all day. I am in the process of discarding stuff right now and buying canisters/jars for the new kitchen. On top of my shopping list was a rectangular spice container to hold essentials: turmeric powder, paprika/chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, chat masala, and kasuri methi powder. These are what I use on a daily basis. I was particular about the shape since it saves space in the tandem boxes.Round containers are not efficient space-wise. But, to my disappointment I couldn’t find anything in India that was a big rectangular box in steel with internal partitions. A company called Shreeji manufactures what I’m looking for but it is meant only for export. I’m trying to get rid of all plastic containers…