Alien feelings

The feelings are very alien, very weird and mixed! End of day 1 in my "own" house and I can't feel a thing that supports that fact.

I will not pretend that all the feelings are in the neighbourhood of happiness.

There is surprise that a structure of walls, columns, beams and bricks - a blank canvas can convert into something beautiful and a work of art.

There is worry about the sheer amount of work involved to keep a house clean. True for any size, shape, style of a home.

There is disappointment about the way some of us humans behave, the greed we display for money, for more, for anything extra or free. The kharcha-paani that every delivery or installation person wants even though the sales receipt and customer service says delivery and installation are free of cost ma'm!

The shock when a lady who comes to help do a one-time, one-day only, clean up of the place, which has already been properly cleaned once, asks for Rs 600/- to do a round of sweeping and mopping and no other actual cleaning and refuses to budge till that amount is given.

The feeling of being let down by the shoddy work done by some groups of workmen, with the taps leaking at places, the doors coming off at hinges, the paint peeling off (already???). What happened to good work ethics, quality of work and doing one's job properly?

The feeling of slight regret at the thought that maybe I should have gone with a big interior contractor/firm to do get all the work done. Maybe the final quality and look of the work could have been better. The could-have-beens and if-onlys just add to it.

The hope that all these niggles and hiccups will be gone eventually and things will work smoothly.

The pleasure of lovely views, night time city lights, cool breeze, warm hearts and sun drying clothes.

The joy when things like newspaper delivery, laundry collection, milk delivery and car wash are all taken care with one phone call.

The belief that all things that are meant for you shall come to you - in one way or another! So do what you want to and life will gently tread you towards the path meant for you, towards people you are supposed to meet, towards places you are supposed to go to!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Real Homes I - Poorni, KG and Adi's house

This post has been pending for the longest time ever! I know! Without further delay presenting to you *Drumroll please* - the first home in the Real Homes series, which belongs to Poorni, KG and their son Adi.
Lets start with a tour of the house and then I will tell you about the owners :)

For me, these first two pictures sum up their home, they are the essence, the soul of their home.  These pictures are a preview of what the owners love!

Poorni is learning to play a guitar. Music, books, collectibles, eclectic stuff, mixed furniture, it all finds a place in their home and makes it warm and inviting. 

Both Poorni and KG are book lovers and yes they pick up books even if they have lots in the to-be-read list. I do that too, do you?

One of the many things I love about their home is the lived-in, casual feeling one gets as you walk in.

Those are tiny paper lights strung around the bigger hanging lamp and they look oh so pretty when lit up!

The Dhalls are a travel loving family and their trips all over the world have resulted in a lovely collection of artifacts displayed all over the house.

Ladies and Gentlemen presenting to you the Starbucks coffee mug collection :) 

This lamp was picked up from Delhi on a trip to source lights for their current house when the interiors were being done. 

Wall art picked from Purple Turtles, Indiranagar. The art is by Aarti Karwayun Chawda of ispaceart. 

Very soothing and long lasting natural fiber blinds from BlindLove, Indiranagar.

Their house has soothing colours, mostly neutrals or earthy colours like this brick wall here. 

Art and various art forms can be seen throughout the house, like the aboriginal art from Australia above. 

The blend of the traditional with the modern, you think?? Love the antique finish mirror, again from Purple Turtles. The fridge magnets are souvenirs picked from everywhere they have been. 

The love for music has passed on to Adi, who is learning to play the drums. 

Poorni is an ex IT professional. She loves to travel, read, try new things and explore the world, one bit at a time! She is also a photographer and does assignments professionally. Check her photography page here. She is the owner/creator of Beantree, which uses natural and locally sourced ingredients to produce food free from preservatives and additives. Their lovely, finger licking hummus is available in multiple stores. My personal favourite is the lemon coriander hummus. 

KG apart from his corporate world/IT career which takes him around the world more than often, loves to read and run. He is now preparing for his first 50K run. 

Let me know if you would like to know anything about the things featured in the post - what, from where, et all. I shall ask the owners and let you know. 

Happy Friday and hope you all have a lovely weekend!!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Lessons learnt and apartment update!

The first and most important rule is that Things do go wrong and they WILL. No matter how well the project was planned. Execution is a totally different ball game.

A few things I have learnt during the new apartment interiors process -

* Everything that you want to change, fix, break, restructure is mostly possible. If your contractor/designer/carpenter says otherwise, it could be because he doesn't want the additional headache, too much risk involved, lack of expertise, it costs too much money (which should be a headache for you not your designer or contractor). Only a very small number of exceptions exist to this almost-fact.

* Double check everything before it gets executed. The design does go through changes while it passes from the designer's table to the supervisor to the carpenter who works on it! So make sure you tell the carpenter or handyman to show a rough draft of what he has understood or show the assembled piece before fixing it finally. Trust me this will go a long way to help avoid major blunders.

* We Indians as a generic trait have a tendency to nod our heads and say yes to everything. Then later on we actually ponder over whether the task can be done or not. And we also have a tendency to hide things from the client till the end. The husband says, If something goes wrong, then a project coordinator should either fix it OR if it cannot be fixed and will cause a delay then the client should be informed. Most of the contractors/carpenter teams don't do either. They let the project linger on and complete it on its own pace. Keep an eye out for this. And if possible make your own schedule with dates of starting and completion and track the work as per that, raising a red flag when needed.

* Electrical points - If you have the option of changing electrical points and choosing where you want them then do it. Do it before you start the actual wood work - cupboards, bookshelves etc. Think of where would you want reading lights to be fixed, lamps to be kept with respect to beds and bedside tables. I personally like to have switches and a plug point next to the bed on both sides. The getting out-of-bed to switch the light off is one thing I don't like. Charging mobile phones or laptops is also convenient when you have a plug point next to your bed.

* Don't forget the geyser in the kitchen for those oh-so-cold winter days. Your house help is going to be thankful!

* Thinking of buying a Home theater system at some point of time in the future? Get the points for speakers and the system in place. The points can be done and left and used later.

* Have a terrace or balcony - make sure you have enough light and plug points for all those barbecue and late night parties.

Updates from the new apartment -
We are at a stage where the electricals in the new apartment have mostly been completed. The carpentry for the wood work - wardrobes, bookshelf, study desk, bar unit and a few other storage shelves in the kid's room are mostly done. Now the surface finishing work shall start - duco, veneer polishing, laminate fixing etc. Another 15 to 20 days to go.

Sneak peek into the home! Tada till the next time :)

One of my favourites (already) in the house - the bookshelf 

One of the corners in the living room - waiting to see it come together with the lights

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Decor - Eye Candy

I was looking for inspiration for bookshelves and upholstery fabric, online. As usual digressed and chanced upon something beautiful. There are some lovely lovely ideas out there and I fell in love with these. Have been day dreaming and drooling ever since. Sigh!

There is something beautiful and zen like about this room. Elegant. Peaceful. Love the neutral effect, the layout, the decor. 

Oh! I love love love this one. For the bookshelf, the colour coordinated arrangement of books, the reading chair, the Ikat cushion, the footstool, the blue pottery scattered throughout the room, the whites, creams and the rug. 

And this one for the pink dining chairs and the white kitchen. I love white to the point I am getting a white kitchen, yes in spite of all those concerns of "Indian kitchen and cooking. Are you sure you want white?" Now, if only I was gutsy enough to get chairs in such a colour. Love the elegant look of this one. 

All images - Windsor Smith, Room in a Box Do check out her work. It is lovely and inspiring! 

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

How to go about planning your wardrobe?

Before you think this is a post on 10 wardrobe must haves for the summer-fall fashion scene, let me warn you, it IS NOT.
It deals with a comparatively boring topic - wardrobes, closet interiors, design, shelves.
So there, now that the expectations are set, lets begin :)

I have moved across cities for a pretty large part of my life. Every new house we would move into would require me and my sister to choose cupboards or rather sides of a cupboard. The power struggles over "the better side" are a thing of the past.
Now it is between the husband and me. Who gets which cupboard and how many shelves. In the end he always needs and gets more space than me. Stop snickering you men! You know it, you guys use a lot of space. I know some women who might be nodding at this ;)

When it came to thinking of wardrobes for the new/own place, I drew a blank initially. I mean like, what's there to think about. It is simple right? A few shelves and some hanging space. Anything would do.
Well,  I was wrong. There are, like anything else in the world, hazaar (a thousand) options. From the plywood used for the structure, to the laminate stuck on top, the style and colour of shutters (doors for the uninitiated), the shelves, accessories. You name it!

So then I went on my research hunt guided by the questions -
1. What are my needs for storage?
2. Who is going to use the wardrobes?
3. Maintenance capability? *Laziness is a huge factor here.
4. Space available in the house

Storage needs - First you need basic wardrobes to keep every day clothes. Then there is the stuff like bedsheets, bed spreads, comforters/rajais, pillows, cushions, all your other linen for the house. You also would have luggage that you would like to stow away when not needed - suitcases, duffel bags, carry on bags and the likes. Think of all the other accessories, make up, bags, purses, shoes, hats, caps, sports/hobby related clothes, accessories.

For the bedroom, I would like something basic like these, with one change. I would prefer the top shelf to be moved to the bottom. In my opinion the top shelf is often at a height much more than the average person and thus becomes a hard to reach place. Good for stuff you want to hide from the kids but not to keep things you might need on a daily basis. A hanging rod is better there.
Ladies - If possible try to make space for a longer hanging shelf too, for all those summer dresses, skirts, long kurtas that are longer than the standard hanging shelf height of about 42 inches or 3.5 feet.

Picture courtesy Furniture123.co.uk

Picture courtesy Furniture123.co.uk

Person using the wardrobe - I feel the shelf style should be different for a wardrobe meant for a grown up vs a child. If you want the kid to be independent, that is. If you are the kinds who choose and lay out clothes, right from t shirt to the inner wear and socks and even help your 6 year old wear them then you can design the shelves as per your needs rather than the kids. For kids the shelves should be easy to reach, easy to see and safe rounded edges. There should also be a lot of toy, book, sports equipment and other accessories storage, but we will deal with that in a separate post.

Maintenance - From what I have learnt so far, laminates are easier to wipe off and clean compared to veneers. Wipe off with a damp, not wet, cloth and you are all done. Then there is Duco (the car paint sprayed over finish), glossy acrylics or lacquered glass (glass painted on one side) and other fancy materials for the wardrobe interior and exterior finish. Choose based on need from the material - looks, durability, functionality and also based on how would you maintain things in the house. If you are blessed with the time and patience to give tender love and care to things in the house then do go ahead and choose material that needs attention and upkeep. So a veneer finish would look rich, smooth and classy, say in the living room. But the kids room can do with a functional yet aesthetic looking laminate.

Space availability - Based on space in the house you could add lofts on top of the wardrobes (if you need extra space). Use sliding doors instead of traditional pull open doors if there is a space crunch. Sliding doors look modern too. We have under-the-stair space too at our place which we will be using as storage to keep those travel suitcases or sports equipment or other knick knacks which always manage to make way into the house and you wonder where did that come from or why did I ever buy that? :)

Picture courtesy Houzz.com and Billinkoff Architecture

And anyways, I am more of a there-is-a-place-for-everything and ALSO a clean-up-the-place-in-15-minutes-before-someone-is-coming-over person so I need enough storage to dump stuff in away from view :)

Hope this information sharing helps! Do write in for any specific questions, queries you would like to discuss or ideas you would like to bounce off.
Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely week ahead.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Colours!

Making a new house or re-doing an existing one for that matter, comes with its own set of challenges, learning and mental blocks that you need to get over sometimes.
In the process of choosing colours for the house (the process is not complete yet!), I realized that I have a colour commitment phobia.

So for instance I love the colour on this wall and the resulting look of this room. Isn't it BEAUTIFUL?

Pic courtesy An Indian Summer, Thiru S, Elle Decor  India

BUT will I go ahead and paint a wall at my place in that colour??? Umm, errr, ahem.... no.
Why not, you ask?
I am too scared to commit to it. How will it tie in with the look and style of the rest of the house? What if it doesn't look good after it is done?
Paint over it. Simple!
Not that easy. What about the cost, budget overshoot and extra time to change it? What if the next colour I choose doesn't look good either?
Ughh! Frustrating thought process.

So what do I do to steer clear of this phobia? I decide to stick to neutrals and bring in the colour with the soft furnishings and accessories. All you brave colour lovers must be going "Scaredy-cat", "Chicken". I know!

But the neutral camp ain't bad at all. It's got its advantages, charm and lovely options. Must add flexibility as a trait.
Take the room below for instance, Neutral, minimalistic, colour added via art work, the carpet, the cushions, accessories.
What's not to love I say!

Pic courtesy Bluekrit

That said, my heart still tugs me towards the colour loving party! Maybe an accent wall, a niche that stands out with a favourite colour, a ceiling done in a bold hue. I can always change it right?

These pictures below make it tougher for me to decide. Colour or Neutral?

Pic courtesy Houzz.com

Pic courtesy Houzz.com

What path did you take? How did you decide? Any advice, learning or sharing of experience is welcome.

This post is a part of the Blog-a-Prompt week at Marathon Bloggers. Today's prompt is Colours.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

My philosophy of a home...

... has been stated perfectly by Nicole Paulus here! She says "I think your home should be constantly evolving with you. Decorating should never be over."
I want my home to reflect me, my likes, my loves, my comfort. I want it to become my haven and feel more comfortable and warm every time I add something to it. 

You could use a designer, carpenter or DIY, what matters, at the end, is - when you step in, stay, settle down, does it make you happy? If it does, then everything is worth it!!

Since the last few months I have been drooling over home websites, furniture, decor, soft furnishings, fixtures, whatever-else-home-related-you-can-think-of. Came across some lovely inspirations, incorporated a few into my design. Today I will share some of my favourites with you :) 
Here we go - 

Love this swing. Pic and design courtesy Bluekrit

Yes! I am getting a swing in my living room. I have wanted one for ages and this was my chance to get it. More on that when the swing is ready :)

Picture courtesy Houzz.com

I love how calming and serene this master bedroom is! I like this picture for the overall look and effect than any individual element. The white trim and the pastel wall and ceiling colour is beautiful. Designing our master bedroom on similar lines with the space for the two chairs. Will keep you posted.

Traditional Paisley Settee by Horchow

I love love love this settee! Traditional yet packs a punch. I have a weakness for paisleys and the yellow is bright, uplifting yet doesn't overwhelm. This could be put in a room with neutral furniture and wall colours. *Note to self - Look out for fabric like this or the one below. 

Another favourite is this Ikat slipper chair!

Indigo Ikat Slipper chair sold by Urban Outfitters

Leaving you with this one - which appeals to the organized (OCD as some call it, but it is not) part of my brain. How cute is this. Need to source this and make a place for something like this. Enthucutlets are you listening?? 

By Pottery Barn Kids. Pic courtesy Houzz.com

Next post, next week - Electrical and Plumbing and what I learnt about them. Sounds boring? Let's make it fun shall we :) 
Feel free to send in queries, bounce off ideas, share thoughts, inspirations and ideas!! 

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Architects/Interior Designers/Contractors/Carpenters - Figuring out which one works for you

After my previous post, I got suggestions, links and help in multiple ways! Love the online world at times like this - help at your finger tips and super quick at that :) 

A friend suggested this blog, which he found during his make-a-home project - Home Design Ideas by Nandita Manwani. Nandita has put together some very important and practical info in a very easy to understand manner. She realized the work involved and the learning curve in making a house when she made her own in Bangalore and started collating the info on her blog! Good for people like us :) 

Do check out her posts on 

Sliding doors - Bet you did not know some of the practical tips she has mentioned.

Types of Wood for Home Interiors - The ABCs of different kinds of wood used in home construction.

What is the right material for woodwork? - Which wood should you use for the carcass/boxes, the shutters and wardrobes? It is all explained in this post. 

Moving back to the topic for this post. The 2nd step in the make a house your home project is deciding whether you want help with doing up the house and what kind of help. 

I would like to refer to one of Nandita's post again (why reinvent the wheel) - Do you really need an Interior Designer?

S and I decided to check out all the options we had at hand. That meant checking out the architects, interior designers and contractors that we knew about. We collected references from our friends, friends of friends, acquaintances, ex-neighbours, people who had done their houses recently. I re-visited homes that I remembered for that special touch, or the soothing wall colour, the TV unit, furniture, furnishing, lights, general layout. Jotted down notes, names of shops they visited, any practical tips, dos and don'ts they had. Yes, I have a diary with hand written notes. A scribble here, a note there.

Getting all the gyaan from real people has helped! I know more than I did a month back. I can talk the language of MDF board, crown moulding, trim, laminate, acrylic, LEDs and a whole lot more. I still am no expert but at least it is a start and a HUGE learning. 

In our search we came across some firms for interiors. I am listing the names linked to their websites. My intention is not to promote any particular firm, this is just a list of firms we came across during our search. If you would like to know specific feedback about any of these, or what information I have about these, whom we chose and why, please feel free to send me and email at simrand@gmail.com 

Savio and Rupa

Duke Richards Interiors

Design Cafe

Deep and Hana Architecture

The Karighars

Morph Design Co.

Mathew & Ghosh Architects Pvt. Ltd

Nilay Patalia Architects
Bluekrit

What did we discover during this process?

We realized that if you have the money there is no end to what you can do. 
There are designers in the market who provide end-to-end services to suit different budgets. 
There are contractors who provide the same set of services but for your designs. 
It is a pick and choose, mix and match.  You need to pick what works for you, your sense of style, your  need for freedom, flexibility and the biggest factor - your BUDGET. 

And the grass always seems greener on the other side. So if you go with a designer, you might feel "What if I had gone with the other one?" Or "How I wish I had the freedom to just get this table made the way I want to from the carpenter." 
It is okay to feel that way. Very normal!! :) 

If you go with your own designs and get them done via a contractor/carpenter then the thoughts might be "What would a designer have done with this place?" "What if there is better material out there for this space? A designer would have known about all those options!" 
That is okay too!

So I would suggest explore, research (in your own way), prepare a budget, then choose based on gut feel. There will be issues as in any project, there will second, third and many more thoughts while you are doing it and even after ;) But in the end you will come out wiser and experienced and am sure still have a lovely home. 

Ah and one more thing, I would suggest leaving a few things to be done later or in a phase 2, 3 or N. Especially soft furnishings, some of the furniture, knick knacks. Once you move into the house it gives you a better perspective of what you really need, what colour throw will go well with that neutral sofa and beige walls. Also provides opportunities to keep you busy with mini projects if you love doing interiors like me :) 

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

New beginnings - From House to Home

I haven't met a single person who says that building a house or making a home is easy! And from what I have discovered so far, it certainly is not.
It is a very slow, tiring, hazy and frustrating project. Of course it does have its moments of fun, excitement and joy!! But by the end of it most home owners remember what this picture below suggests  :)

Pic courtesy Coffee With an Architect

The first thing I realized, when we started thinking about getting our recently bought apartment done is that there is no single place/organization/website that offers you details of what and how to do this. The ABCs are all for you to figure out. There are a million ways to start and multiple paths to take based on what your neighbours, friends, family or colleagues did. Hence the process is not clear and nothing makes sense initially. It can be very confusing and overwhelming at times. If you are going through such feelings, you are on the right path. But slowly the image shall begin to emerge and you will know what to do. How slow is subjective :)

I am not saying this is rocket science but if there was a website that gave a little intro to the world of how-to-create-your-own-place, that would be nice. I wonder if something like that already exists for Bangalore and I am not aware of it. If you know about something like that please do let me know.

For my own clarity, sanity and to help future new home owners in Bangalore, I plan to document what I discover, see and learn. It might not be an exhaustive list but will be based on places I find out about, people I get to know about and any resources which might be of help.

The 1st stage in this process would be buying a place or thinking about buying a place or maybe you are just remodeling.
The first advice suggestion advice (after checking the dictionary difference between the two, advice makes more sense here) - Start planning early!!
Even before you get the possession of your flat/independent house/villa or whatever else it is that you have. If it is yet to be constructed even better. You can start thinking of designs or designers you would like to use way in advance. If it is ready to move in property, like ours then also no harm done. Once you finalise which property you are buying start the thought process in parallel. Don't wait to start that till after you get possession. Especially if you are in a time crunch for whatever reasons or are in the paying-rent-and-EMI-too situation.

As part of the planning early stage, the first thing would be figuring out whether you want to use an architect, interior designer, a contractor or a carpenter. Don't know the difference between them? Here you go!

Classification of the Design Species

      

More on this in the next post. Follow this space closely as I go on this journey of transforming a house to a home. Wish me luck too.
Have an awesome weekend!! :)

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Road Trip Day 6 - Bikaner

On Day 6 we woke up in Bikaner, the last of our stops in the road trip. I have never been to Bikaner before this. So this was a first. We had only 1 day here, almost half a day actually, so we decided to do some googling and choose 1 or 2 places to see. The first on the list was Junagarh Fort. It is famous for being one of the forts that was never conquered. It was built in the city rather than outside on a hilltop, like Mehrangarh fort. It had a moat filled with water around it. The water is sort of gone now but you can see some of the moat still around. The royal family doesn't stay here anymore and have shifted to the Lalgarh Palace, which is also a heritage hotel. We did visit the palace too for a brief visit.

We picked a few odd things from here and there. Not too much shopping. A pair of slippers, a skirt here, an earring there. We did sample the local yet very famous Bikaneri rasgullas, namkeen and ghewar. That closed our eating local delicacies part of the trip. 

On the way back we stopped at the house of one of my dad's uncle's in Punjab. They have an orange orchard. We spent some time there and N got to experience a tractor, a buffalo and a hand pump first hand. He was so happy to pump out water by himself :) A chatting session and a sack full of oranges later we were off for home! 

It was a great time, time well spent - re bonding, laughing, chatting, sight seeing and shopping :) Cheers to the last day of this road trip and here's to many more!!

You can read the previous day's posts here - Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 & 5.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Day 19 - My home tour on Magical Homes!!

My ex-apartment in Bangalore was featured on Magical Homes yesterday. The site also has a lot of tips and ideas on all aspects of a home. Makes for an interesting read. Hop over to check it out :) And let me know what you think, by leaving comments there. 
This is the 2nd home tour for my rented apartment and Dipika the editor has put together the post so well. Thanks Dipika!! 
We spent 2 years there and it was a wonderful stay. I miss my home, my neighbours, my friends from that place and hope to go back there soon.

A cozy corner in my balcony. Books and a cup of tea made it awesome! 

The 1st home tour for that apartment is here on The Key Bunch. 

With that done, my task list looks much better now - 
- Send pics for home tour - Done
- Write article for my first freelance assignment - Done
- Send pics and info for a lifestyle site coming up in Feb 2013 - Done
- Gifts for N's teachers at kindy - Done
- Holiday and Christmas shopping - Done
- Bulk of the packing for N and me - Done
- Donate N's clothes, the ones he has grown out of, to The Salvation Army - TBD 
- Last few rounds of laundry and ironing - TBD
- Clear and clean the fridge - TBD

This month has been crazy! I thought it would be the slowest month of the year, relaxed, easy breezy. But instead it has turned out to be the craziest of them all. Started with the blogging marathon and I took it up as a challenge and a way to meet new bloggers. Then came the tug-of-war of going to India vs staying here. That was is mental torture. And all of a sudden I had these 2 requests for pictures and an article to be written! Plus all the stuff for the holiday - shopping, packing. Phew! I am so looking forward to the holiday. 

What are you planning to do on New Years? Where will you be? At home with loved ones? With extended family? Out of town? Partying somewhere? Watching TV? 

This post is part of the Marathon Blogging December 2012. 

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Day 16 - What time is it?

Look at the 3 pictures below and tell me what time of the day do you think it is?
I haven't touched them up at all. So no editing, brightening, photo shopping done.
All 3 have been taken at the same time of the day, from the balcony in our downtown Wellington apartment.

The correct answer shall get a prize!!
A big hug and kiss virtually, allllll the way from this end of the planet. I'll even throw a coffee in which I will enjoy on your behalf if you can't make it here ;)

This post is part of Marathon Blogging December 2012 and is specially designed to increase your awareness about the planet you live on.
I know you are very grateful and indebted to me for that. And no I will not meet you in the near future for you to strangle me out of sheer frustration at this post and the level I have stooped to.
And before you even think, NO, this is not cheating. I have a post. This is it. Deal with it!
Happy Sunday :)

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Check out my home tour on The Key Bunch

My apartment has been featured on The Key Bunch!


Thanks to Sharon and Rekha for showcasing it so beautifully and to all the readers for dropping by the blog, commenting and following!!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Before and After - Master bedroom wall art

This weekend was fun fun and busy - I had a potluck lunch with friends which had super yummy food. Potlucks are great coz you get to eat a variety and learn new recipes. S and I got to meet some very dear friends who have twin boys about N's age. One of the twins has the same name as N! :)
Watched some World Cup matches, relaxed, lazed out and then - to balance all the happiness - came some bad news :( I came down with a severe bad throat and congestion. All the fun n frolic and carelessness (on my part) resulted in a very bad congestion, infection and fever. Ended up going to the doctor and am on antibiotics now. But before all this happened I took some pictures of my bedroom wall which was long due.

This is how our master bedroom wall deco looked like, till some time back. We had a single framed wall art. It has been made by Sarika of Kraftaria. I bought this at the Diwali Mela in our apartment complex. I love the wall art but the wall just looked empty!

Then I had this brainwave of adding more such framed wall arts to make a set. So I met Sarika and requested her to make 3 more. Voila!! This is how the wall looks now.

I know the blue one is slightly off level, need to fix that as soon as I am up and running.
But look at each of these quilled wall arts - they are so delicate and beautiful!

I wish I could paint the wall behind. But since its a rental apartment I don't have that option now. I surprised S by putting these up and he loved the art.
Hop on over to Sarika's blog Kraftaria and check out all the other stuff she has made. It is beautiful and innovative!

I am linking this to Patty's Weekend Wrap up 21!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad