Category: Apartment Living

Great kitchens do not necessarily have to be large in size. Apartment living culture has seen many people opting for flats nowadays. In comparison to bungalows and independent houses, apartments have considerably less kitchen space. But there are examples of exceptionally great small kitchens with smart layouts and space solutions. While you cannot enlarge your space, you can create an illusion of your small kitchen appearing larger.

Here are 7 clever ideas to make your small kitchen look more spacious and beautiful:

1. One design technique is to install reflective mirrors to create a semblance of more space. Even installing glass tiles, satin paint and stainless steel appliances will enhance it further.

2. One good idea is to use transparent furnishings to make the kitchen look and feel spacious.

3. If your kitchen is too cramped for a dining table and chair, a good option is to use Kitchen counter bars which can be utilised as a space for preparation as well as dining. The space below counter bars can be used for storage.

4. Using elongated geometric patterns such as strips on the kitchen walls and floors gives an impression of a longer and broader space than it actually is. If you have no plans to change the flooring in the near future, using patterned rugs and runners will give the same effect.

5. Instead of stuffing the bulky pots and pans in cabinet, hang them overhead. Place hooks throughout the kitchen for hanging pots, napkins, mugs, etc.

6. Only buy things that you actually need for your kitchen. Avoid cluttering your already small space with objects of visual enhancement or decorative items.

7. Use light colours with little variation in shades. Try to blend the wall colours with those of cabinets and appliances. Too much contrast hinder the spacious feel.

In this busy life, we are always on a lookout for tiny affordable details that can make a big impact on our small space. Investing in a kitchen requires a slightly different approach from investing in the rest of your home. Buy space saving appliances like flexible furniture, automatic dish drainers, etc. You can hide recycle bins inside the cabinets to save that space or use back of doors for extra storage.

It’s time to rethink your small kitchen space for a happy home and a happy you!

Your balcony is a place, you so fondly adore. And you have all the good reasons for the same. You can breathe in fresh air or soak up sunlight, without having to leave your apartment. Be it enjoying the solitude with your favourite book or inviting over friends for chitchat, balconies are a perfect spot. There are endless ideas to decorate your balcony. With a pinch of creativity and cheerful colours, it’s now time to add a life to that abandoned corner of your home.

Artificial Flooring
Since balconies require considerably small space, you can opt for theme-based flooring, suiting your taste and the climate. For instance, you can opt for the artificial grass rugs. This will, on one hand, give a semblance of nature’s feel plus limit your cost and upkeep hassles of a real garden.

 

Image source: Absolutoutdoors

Furnish it fabulously
It is best to use flexibly smart furniture in the balcony. This way you can accommodate more people at times or enjoy a generous space while being on yourself. Folding chairs or compact mattresses can be used. If the space allows, fix a comfortable swing in your balcony to lay back and relax on weekends or enjoy your morning coffee. Furnish  with trendy cushions in multiple forms, sizes and colours.

 

Image source: Dinaters

Essentials
Make sure that the seating arrangement is weather-proof. Don’t let sun beams ruin your plants or furniture. It’s fundamental to provide shade for your balcony during the scorching summers. You can use soothingly coloured drapes or curtains to filter sunlight.

 

Image Source: Fabfurnish

Decorating options
To accessorise the balcony space, the best option is to use plants. A balcony is certainly incomplete without the green. You can use as much plants and flowers as possible, still they will never look overly stuffed. Beautiful and bright plant pots in unique shapes and springy colours will add an outdoor garden feel to your balcony. These can be vertically hanged on the walls or kept in line along the railing. You can even keep the plants in hanging bird cages.

Image source: sspielee

For lighting up your nights, use pretty lamps and string lights. Add pale shades or simple white to add a vintage feel or use bold colours. For a luxurious impression, Chandeliers also look gracefully appealing.

Image source: homebunch

Wind chimes look elegantly charming as well. Choose a pretty one matching your setting and make your mornings melodious.

Image source: Ebay

Lastly, install a bird feeder in your balcony. Other than the noble cause it serves, creative bird feeders do add up an aesthetic charm to your space.

Image source: Duncraft

So, get started now. Enjoy prettifying the happy little corner of your own!

Here arrives that magical time of the year again! What’s so mystical about it is even the cold winters cannot dampen the warm holiday spirit of the season. It’s almost Christmas folks!

So, let us guess. No year-end holiday plans and yet wanting to do something different this Christmas? We have a perfect idea – host a memorable Christmas party. Deck up your home space in innovative ways and invite over your friends or colleagues, creating a lasting impression on them. From managing a party-perfect space in your home to decor ideas, we have got it all covered to ease your pre-party stress.

How to create extra space in your home for a party?
If you are a wonderful host at heart but have insecurities regarding your small apartment, no need to hold back your plans anymore. First of all, commit to throw a party and rest all can be worked out.

Do not be reluctant to move your furniture from your living room to bedroom or storeroom to create a free passage for guests to move around or even dance without clashing into your stuff (that would seriously be a Killjoy!). One idea is to move your dining table to one end of the room and cover one large wall-facing side of the table by placing it adjacent to the sofa instead of chairs. Place chairs around rest 3 sides of the table. Make sure to adjust the sofa seating according to table height to avoid any inconvenience to the guests while dining.

Image Source: bitly/1iMiLlE

Light up your abode beautifully
Most beautiful way to light up a dull space is through candles. On the occasion of Christmas, candles bring an auspicious glow into the atmosphere.

Use variety of candles in different colours, shapes and fragrances with interesting candle stands. If you have empty bird cages, you can give a vintage hint to your home by putting candles in it or wrapping it around with string lights.

Image Source: bitly/1QVFprl

Warm string lights can also be hanged in a criss-cross pattern over the dining table and around the Christmas tree for a wonderful setting. For a dinner party, another appealing idea is to hang a creatively written menu on wall to let the guests have an idea of what the evening holds.

Hosting a party is a wonderful way to enjoy each other’s company and some really delicious food. Remember that at the end of the day, what’s more important is having fun and celebrating with your peers. So, if you are tinkering around, rushing to the market, buying & wrapping presents and there is no fun element in it, you are missing out on the Christmas spirit. Keep your stress at bay and have fun!

Celebrate a Christmas of your dreams at your very own home.

Merry Christmas!

An apartment is a self-contained dwelling unit located on one floor of a building. Living in apartment is a popular lifestyle choice in urban areas due to rising land prices. There are several types of apartments such as Studio, Junior-1 Bedroom, 1, 2, 3-BHKs that can be distinguished on the basis of features such as size, capacity, facilities, usage and flexibility. Some of the apartment forms are illustrated below to help you gain a clear perspective on which one suits you the best:

Garden apartments, are residential units located mostly at the ground floor of the building having direct access to the garden. The upkeep of garden apartments might be time-consuming but it is a nice place to enjoy fresh air or an outdoor meal.

Convertible apartments, are more like single-room studios with a bed-area that can be walled off to generate additional space. These forms are least-expensive and allow you to customise your space.

Live/work apartment is a space modified to suit the requirements of home-based working professionals. This is most-common in case of start-up entrepreneurs who are into online or work from home business models. The advantages of this home-cum-office arrangement are zero commuting expenses, comfortable working conditions and better work life balance.

The above list is not exhaustive and there are other types of apartments such as penthouses, duplex, lofts, etc. originated on account of variation in features. Owing to security and maintenance convenience, apartments are currently a well sought-after choice for living as well as for real-estate investment. Explore and choose wisely.

One of the basic necessities, having a home to call our own is still as important as it was years ago. Though shortage of land has created a challenge for builders to provide a place for everyone within their budget, the introduction of flats or apartments have successfully bridged the gap of buying/renting a property.

With many types of flats/apartments from studio, junior or 1-2-3-BHK apartments, etc., for low budget and garden apartments, convertibles, live/work apartments, etc., to meet the need of small families available, we today have a number of options to choose from. Here we have brought together information on few types of apartments so that you can choose the one best for you:

Penthouse apartments, are generally built atop the roof mostly as single-occupancy living space. In addition to the location and safety advantage, these offer luxurious wide space as well as fine views over the cityscape. Easy and private access to the rooftop terrace is like the added icing. You can own a penthouse in the bustling heart of the city and yet be assured of your peace of mind. There is ample of natural light in penthouse apartments and the terrace can be used for barbeque get-togethers, jacuzzi or office space.

Duplex or Triplex apartments, consist of space on two or three (respectively) adjoining units, vertically connected with an interior space. Generally, the upper area is used for bedrooms and lower space as living space and kitchen. These are a good option for joint-families who need spacious accommodation as well as a privacy of their own.

Lofts, are the uppermost storey (like an attic) just below the roof of the building. Generally adapted from former war-houses or industrial buildings, they possess vintage-kind charm with industry-type details such as wooden floors, raw brick walls and high ceilings. Walls of these apartments can be styled with unique artwork as per one’s taste. Their open layout and ample natural lighting usually amuses those who are into conventional dwelling options.

Explore as many options as you can and then choose the one which fits your search criteria. After all, there is no place more comforting as our homes.