Do-it-yourself end tables

Do-it-yourself end tables

Old garden pieces - a bird-bath or an urn, for instance, can take on a second life as indoor furniture. Or, you could also buy a planter like this from a home and garden store, and top it with a glass circle that is a little larger than the base of the planter. (Have a glass shop cut it to size). Other instant end-table ideas: top a footstool with a tray, or stack baskets until they reach just the right height.

Art and you: Repeat a print in a myriad colours

Art and you: Repeat a print in a myriad colours

You don’t have to be a moneyed connoisseur to dress up your home with the beauty of brushstrokes.

A Delhi homemaker got an arts college student to replicate these watercolor leaf patterns in different shades to match her decor, had them cut out and pasted on neutral bases, and added neat, toning frames to set off each art-work’s distinct and striking colour.

Positioning them side by side as a decor unit works well on an otherwise stark wall space. Even abstract shapes replicated in complementary colours of your choice will do the trick.

Birds in my window

Birds in my window

Looking for unusual window dressing? Check out these par¬rots with attitude. The avians also come with a purpose; the blurred treatment of the glass (around the birds) fuzzes the ugly buildings on the outside yet let in the mellow winter sun. Below, the rich green tree line remains visible through clear glass. The owner’s beautiful Labrador makes an inter¬esting frame with the birds of glass.

‘I wanted to liven up the place but didn’t want the design to overwhelm.’

Good Idea: Curtains to Kitchen Clutter

Good Idea: Curtains to Kitchen Clutter

Do countertop appliances give your cooking space a hard, industrial edge?

For a more feminine feel, hide your mixie and other equipment behind a veil of aesthetics. The idea can be interpreted in other areas of open storage plagued by clutter — just hang up attractive curtains and see the mess disappear. Antique plates and flowers in vibrant hues add interest here.

WINDOW PLAN

WINDOW PLAN - Let in the light to bring about a dramatic change in your home space, knock out a picture window in a blind wall for extra light, or - where a window already exists - get the mason to come in and carve out a bigger niche. Adding length or breadth to a window transforms any room almost magically. You can dress up your window in any style you like, but make sure it is dramatic enough to be the focal point of your room. As for grilles, it’s probably safer to have them fitted even if you live on the second floor or higher. But for maximum impact, keep the design simple - it looks classy and is easier to clean.