Attention Grabbers

Image Courtesy: www.home-designing.com

Wall stickers - a trend long buried, and revived recently, or a whole new concept of making a style statement? While wallpaper has come into its own as an entire industry, stickers were so far constricted to diary covers and at max, the whims of a toddler in the confines of her nursery. 

A look at stickers, especially like the ones displayed on www.home-designing.com, will show a whole new range of style statements meant for all - the bold, the expressive, the subtlety lovers, the classy and all. With neutral being the new colour, making a statement about you, your personality, and the people you entertain within that space, is paramount. Colour and shape are not restricted to accent furniture or pillows anymore - stickers add that right amount of whimsical class in all the right doses. Plus, with today's hectic life pace, one does crave an indulgence of imagination without having to step out of the house all that often. Eclectic is also the new decor style everyone is craving - this option may be for you if you're looking to incorporate the same in small doses. On the downside, there is the scope of getting utterly bored of a very loud sticker and suddenly wanting a whole new look. Well, they said that about wallpaper as well, right?

Pop goes the...

(Image Courtesy: www.arachnestore.com)

Retro, pop art or simply Indian wow, homes are embracing colour, and how! The picture above shows a creation from the house of Arachne. Notice how the braids signify a typically vibrant Indian/South American feel, with the colours playing up in subtle drama. Who had ever thought that drama and subtely could come across so well in bright colours? Well, its now a reality - and here to stay. And the tie backs add fun in detail.

With industrial spaces and non descript greys and beige to welcome you at work everyday, it is no wonder that the soul craves colour at home. So it is back to basics - grandma's old braided mats, old sarees are robbed of their zardozi borders to enhance a solid coloured cushion, low seating from the old family home - polished or maybe not (for that raw feel). Suddenly, cosy seems like the go to theme for all homes. This symbolises not only a shift in priorities but also the solution to a fine balance. Career AND family? Well, why not!

The Great Outdoors

 (Image Courtesy: www.home-designing.com)

Time spent more than generously at work stations, in the kitchen or anywhere indoors has given rise to a conscious need for escape. And what better place than the great outdoors? Adventure sports, long walks, hikes or something as simple as a long drive, are suddenly the statement that our weekends are craving for.

How does this translate in style terms? Well, to begin with, a merging of the indoor outdoor divide is well underway, if recent trends are to be believed. From driftwood for tables, to leaf motifs on cushions - it's all over the house. Outdoor furnaces and framed wall art of shells and pretty branches collected on a weekend away are also fast catching on. A courtyard for green relief, indoor gardens and terrariums are now the perfect style statements that infuse the great indoors with the even greater outdoors. Typically, an average household will turn to a barbeque evening to entertain guests - keeps the indoors clutterfree, and makes better use of outdoor spaces for seating and casual dining.

Which brings us to the all important point of how casual? For starters, the concept of using the outdoors as an inspiration for decor or entertaining, does involve having a laid back attitude to carry off the said trend. Imagine a Jacobean Style dining room and whimsical jute napkin rings - a complete mismatch!

The perfect solution here is to work in small doeses. If your formal dining room opens onto a terrace or a verandah, you would do well to have seating outside in wrought iron and wall art in similar metal frames (varnished in a glossy finish, maybe?), for a constant look. A jute rug between your formal and informal spaces can be tied in with a lifting white silver polish for the wood in your formal space, and colourful ottoman for coffee tables in your informal space. Demarcation and style statement in equal doses! This is where the basic colours of your walls, soft furnishings and kind of lifestyle come in. Do you entertain often? Pets or kids in the house? Working couple? The answer is simple - easy clean for an easy home. If not, then you have the luxury of indulging a little more!

No Time + Lots of Energy = Shopping!

A generation in constant hurry is how I describe us. Actually the whole world right now. The deadline for everything was yesterday, the food takes too long to microwave, kids take too long to potty train...the list just goes on and on.

My question is: what came first - the itching hurry or the fact that mundane things suddenly seem like they take forever?

It therefore comes as no surprise that change has indeed become the only constant. In a bid to 'keep up' and 'simplify', we re do our spaces every so often; are on the constant lookout for new (and fast!) supper recepies; try out every new makeover we can make time for...it is like an endless quest.

Well, suits the market fine I guess. Decor options now come easy on the pocket and DIY has become every home's favorite chant. And for those truly in a hurry, a splurge once in a while is ALWAYS well justified (sniff, i totally deserved to spend $xxx on that dress!) Ok, look at it this way. Imagine getting a new table runner at half the cost of dry cleaning + the gas spent to and fro. Suddenly makes sense, right? Well, you're not alone. There's an entire organised market (also called retail..works like therapy) catering to such logic now.

So, what if you get off the shelf DIY style (yes, that's really how it works, the only thing DIY about the whole experience is picking it out yourself and placing it to the best of your decor sensibilities in your space), AND at an affordable cost? My personal favorites are http://www.arachnestyle.com/, and numerous one line - picture heavy features in those decor and lifestyle magazines. Pillow covers, a pair of sheer curtains (a pair at a time actually), candlesticks, photo frames...it is crazy out there!

And the best part? No one's complaining!

Experiment...or maybe not!

Variety is the spice of life - we all know that. But. How often do you experiment? Not really? Too often - and many a times with unsatisfactory results? Well ok, here's what I think.

Lifestyle issues like decor and food have come to enjoy the attention of researchers, capturing the fancy of millions of readers of magazines pertaining to the said topics, before finally trickling down into a blog (not this one - I can assure you!) A yellow wall is the final outcome of a single, well thought out, experiment process by multiple home owners. Options like chocolate brown and teal either go horribly wrong, or do not get an iota of attention as a possible idea. Similarly with food - whether for everyday cooking or entertaining.

It therefore comes as a welcome change to find a brand that carries out these experiments (successfully!), with just that right amount of practicality in design and finally - use within a decor statement. In fact, more often than not, such products end up making the statement in an otherwise ho hum space. My personal favorite is http://www.arachnestyle.com/, among many, many others. Do you have one too?

If not, even a decor fear or experiment gone wrong will do!

Have people coming over, will go into panic mode...

Is that how your to - do list begins when you have to entertain? It does, right?

Ever wondered why there is so much free chaos going around when it's time to entertain? Simple - we like the challenge of finding order in the chaos. Never mind the long term effect of such an exercise on our nerves, blood pressure, heart...I could go on and on.

An Army Officer's wife - understandably social and more than understandably busy - once confided, "after a party is over, I sit back, trying to remember what me and my husband fought about just as the first guests were arriving."

Here's what you can do to simplify the chaos. Don't procrastinate - make those sauces and curry bases now. And while on that, I really hope you have the menu (and shopping!) with the information cards to go with each one (think flowery language and handmade paper explaining why the recipie inspired you so much), sorted at least two days before D day. Further, make sure you have those 'party' curtains, throws and colourful pillows (yes, it is imperative to have a collection stashed in your linen cupboard; at least do sheers) - all laundered and set at least 24 hours before (try http://www.arachnestyle.com/, for a whole range, if you're short of options). The fresh flowers must arrive an hour before the first guests arrive, right after you have closed the kitchen, showered and changed. A centerpiece will have been planned and set (waiting for flowers, if required), since morning. The invitations (what? you ARE doing a theme, aren't you?), should have been sent out at least 48 hours in advance. And favours? A week in advance to avoid a mad dash. Even better, plan and DIY. Feels wonderful - just try it.

And when the bell starts to ring, just sink into your favorite couch (not before you've offered a seat to everyone first), and enjoy. Absolutely avoid jumping into the kitchen immediately with drinks orders and platters of snacks. And for Heavens sake, do not start doing the dishes - not even 'to keep the sink clean'! It will only make your guests uncomfortable. By the way, remember that CD you burned with soothing music, in preparation of this party? Now's the time to play it.

While on entertaining, I have come to realise that an impromptu do can be just as much fun. Stack some pillows in a corner, encourage people to pluck their favourite later, fill dry fruit in random sized glasses lined with some colourful napkins and make some quick pasta, a bowl of stir fried veggies, a really easy salad and serve some crackers with home made cheese! Enough to keep everyone happy.

And you thought it was French...?

Sometimes - actually, more than just sometimes - many of us find ourselves nodding our heads vigorously, emanating noises like "uh huh..." or, "I know..." Why?

Here's why:
1. To ensure that we do not look like we have limited knowledge - on anything;
2. To ensure that whatever knowledge we do have, does not go waste (lost in translation, anyone?);
3. And most importantly, to avoid any kind of discussion, read: argument, by offering a potentially conflicting viewpoint, read: appearing opinionated (yes, neutral truly is here to stay).

So in situations like these, everything being said by the "more knowledgeable" party sounds like French. And for those of you who do speak French, select your language option from the drop down (yes, French is indeed the new Latin!). You get the drift, right?

I go into this null zone sometimes when i read certain articles or interact with interior decorators who thrown around a plethora of theories to justify their leaning towards a certain decor style or element. I am all for decor in real life - so how about keeping it real? That's my point. What I'd love to be able to do is take all those theories and terms, and put it across in a way that will really light that bulb in a layman's brain.

Okay, let's try this and see where it goes. French windows. Are they really French?

For the final time: you get the drift, right?

Spaces

Think about it. Every great space was once just that - a great big 'space'. Until you came along, let your imagination run amok, and finally settled into it, thus lending it your unique design voice. So, it really is all about spaces!

Hi. I'm Devangini - writer, mother and decor aficionado. Or at least that's where it started before I plunged into doing philosophical takes (and retakes) on lifestyle issues, favorite recepies...and more! Just about anything to give your space a special vibe that sings your tune! So join me as I endeavor to understand and pen down my thoughts on just what it takes to breathe life into - that's right - spaces!

Welcome aboard!