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Wouldn’t it be a nice to live in a house designed to use all forms of energy (heat, water, light) in a optimal way? Ironically, nature’s free resources are the ones becoming scarce soon. Water is a precious commodity in Bangalore, not only during summer, but through out the year. Where else do you see tankers hog half the roads all day?

A few months back, we dropped by at the Zed Earth property on the outskirts of Bangalore, and all of us instantly fell in love with it. I happened to see the pictures again and wanted to share.  Zed Earth is developed by BCIL who are well known for their eco-friendly homes.  The model villa is so aesthetically designed that it is brimming with ideas to enhance storage and functionality. What I loved about the interiors was it was neither contemporary nor modern  but adopted the best of both the worlds.

I will tell you the truth: what appealed the most in this house even before we entered were a dozen pots with healthy vegetables: brinjal was in the flowering stage and yet another had a bunch of okra. You don’t see them here..maybe these pictures were staged for the shoot.

Who likes stepping into a dingy, stinking bathroom every morning? The most private space in a home needs as much care as the rest of the house. I remember dreading to use the toilet as kid in my grandparents’ home because it was dark and infested with cockroaches. Thank God, the bathrooms of today have come a  long way  from those dungeons and serve as a relaxing corner than a mere functional space.

If there’s one grouse I have in my current apartment it is with the bathroom(s). The layout and tile color makes it hard to maintain. If you’ve already formed a gory image of my bathroom, then let me assure you they don’t stink :) We were young, short on time and design illiterate when we bought the apartment, that we currently live in, eight years ago.

Let’s just say, I have got wiser over the years and have better ideas now for a good layout. Maybe a remodel project is on the cards, who knows! If you are a new apartment buyer, here are a few ideas that will make your mornings bright and cheerful (oh! isn’t that where you step in first every morning?) .

1. Natural lighting: Let the sunlight flow in. Do you need to flip the light switch on before entering the bathroom during the day? It’s sad that the only opening in most apartment bathrooms is a 1*1 feet aperture for the exhaust fan, which limits the amount of light streaking in. One of the things I would love to have is a 2*3 ft skylight opening with a glass top above the sink fixture.

2. Dry = clean: Dry bathrooms always require little maintenance. The more the water on the floor, the higher the tendency for the tiles to absorb dirt. So, how do you keep it moisture-free in an area that is meant to have water? Well, what I meant is limit the usage of water to the shower area. Wipe it clean or let it dry naturally after everyone has had a bath. It also helps in keeping fungus at bay during monsoons.