Interior Designing Tips for Bungalows !!!

Bungalow Interior Designs

To design the interiors of bungalows needs a great deal of planning and lots of creativeness. Care has to be taken to ensure that each and every part of the bungalow is designed perfectly. The Bungalow designers in Pune, like Sovereign Architects are trying to render services to their client in such away wherein optimal utilization of space is resorted to. The designers while designing the interiors of bungalows put forth their creativity, craftsmanship and spatial management to the maximum to produce the best effect.

Check out these interior designing tips for every room in the bungalow to give the wow effect to it.

General

•  The designing should add elegance, beauty and style combining varied spectrum of colours, geometric patterns and unique designs.
• It has to be reliable and cost effective.
•   Provision of ethnic, colonial and modern designs should also be provided.

Furniture

• The use of decorative accessories and dining furniture will surely create a positive impression.
•  Innovative methods of designing will also add a touch of style.
• A blend of wooden and steel furniture is ideal for the interiors as their designing is more antique. Also the furniture is more durable.
• Furniture with exposed frames will highlight and emphasize their construction.

Upholsteries

• Choose the right upholstery fabric like a dense tapestry fabric, or natural leather and bled it with wood to make your furniture look stylish and comfortable.

 Walls

• While designing the interiors of a bungalow, take the inspiration of the colours of nature. The colours ideal for the walls would be sage green, terra cotta orange, soft brown or mustard yellow. If you want to give a vintage look to your walls add a tint of gray.
• To give an authentic look, choose wallpapers with varied motifs like geometrical patterns or patterns with nature theme.
•  To reinforce the wall décor create artistic designs by using stencils or wainscoted painting.
•  If you want to frame the walls, then choose wooden mouldings that have a dark tone to make it look visually pleasing.

 Accessories

•  Stylish art and craft accents will personalize the décor of your bungalow.
• Add pattern and design to the floors of the bungalow living room, bedroom, and dining room by laying large area of rug.
• Angular designed motifs on rugs in harmony with the other interior elements.
• For reflection of natural light hang a dark framed oak mirror above the fireplace on the wall. It also makes the room look spacious.
• Handmade potteries are great accessories when you want to decorate the room artistically. It also highlights the artistic and craft style flair of the bungalow.

 Lighting

•  A bronze or copper lamp further accentuates the artistic style of the house.
• Most of the bungalows do have stained glass window with geometric and angular designs. You can further enhance the look of the room by placing a stained glass lamp with geometric designs on the table in the entrance.
• Mica shaded lighting fixtures and antique light fixture make your bungalow rooms look classic.
• Chandelier does give a royal look to the house and defines the interior décor of the house more profoundly.

Interior designing for bungalows is an exciting and creative experience because you can plan the designs more specifically and artistically.

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Please feel free to post your comments below.

About Author :- Vaishali Kawalkar is the founder of Sovereign Architects.

What is Landscaping ???

Landscaping

When you visit any apartment, office space, malls one thing captivates all of us is the landscaping.  They truly add beauty to the surroundings. It has been practiced for more than thousands of years by the Mayans, Indians, Romans, Native Americans and the Mesopotamians. It was mainly used to beautify the areas around the temples, palaces and other areas of public interest. The walkway of the Mayan temples was lined with elaborate paintings while landscaping the area.

What is landscaping? It is more than scenery.  The modification activity of the features of an area of land which is visible is known as Landscaping. The aesthetic appearance of the land area is improved by bringing in changes in its contours. The planting of shrubs and trees and adding ornamental features is also an integral part of landscaping. It is a combination of both science and art.

Architects in Pune also include landscaping while designing various building structures like malls, houses, apartments, museums, temples and other monumental structures. They blend the elements of nature and their construction technique to bring in the best landscaping. The main goal of the architects in Pune is to create within the landscape a beautiful, creative and artistic environment.

Requirement for Landscaping

While planning the landscaping, the designers should take into account the following plants:

• Understanding the land is very important for landscaping. Complete knowledge of the topography, climatic conditions, quality of the soil and the land terrain is very important.
• Thorough knowledge of the flora and fauna of the place should also be taken into account.
•  An unsuitable land should be reshaped before landscaping is done in it. This is also known as grading. It also involves the removal of rocks, soil and excess waste.
•  It also involves completely changing the land’s topography with regards to land elevation and land position.

Tools required for Landscaping:

•  A rough layout and design of landscaping should be made to create the necessary effect.
• Illustration of the pictures with different pencils through graphics is also required.
• To create a lush environment, trees, shrubs, plants are added.
• Beautifying the walkways with ornamental plants and lightings is another tool of landscaping.
• To beautify the landscaping pools, gazebos, stone walls (retaining ones), fountains, and other beautification features are added.

Attributes of Landscaping

Landscaping provides the following attributes :-

• They add scenic beauty to a place.
• It offers tranquility, peace, enjoyment and a sense of belonging.
• It is a means of recreation and health improvement.
• The natural scenery of a place is represented artistically which is pleasing to the eye.

Landscaping blends with the natural environment seamlessly and enhances the existing features of the natural surroundings.  The landscaping and the structure should be in harmony. It helps in grooming your yards and any area of land and keeping them healthy.  It has to be ensured that the landscaping should be maintained extensively to make it look good all the time. A gardener can be entrusted with this job and it should be periodically supervised. The first thing that one will see on entering any building is the landscape and the first impression is always the best and lasting impression. Landscaping adds beauty and an aesthetic sense of joy forever. 

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Please feel free to leave your comment below.

About Author :- Vaishali Kawalkar is the founder of Sovereign Architects.

Veneer...Adding Elegance to Your Furniture !!!

Veneer Ply Wood

“Put your best foot forward” The motto of most Architects and Interior Decorators in Pune. Your shoe might be anything but presentable but you still have to put it forward….and make an impression!

How ??

By putting a Veneer of respectability around it! Stitch it, polish it…do anything but make it look good….and economical. That, then surmises the very essence of veneer; an air and a layer of respectability on an otherwise bland medium.

Remember sharpening pencils in childhood? Who doesn't? One way of taking out frustration was to needlessly sharpening pencils! Ever wondered what happens to the thin slivers of wood that the cutter sliced from the pencil? Well, nothing. It was pure and simple waste. Now juxtapose the pencil for a log of teak wood. Everything else remaining the same or with slight alteration, what you get as the sliver is a veneer of teak wood!

Simple though it may sound, it is a rather delicate and complicated process given that  the price of a solid log of high-quality teak is well just that, high. Manufacturers of plywood and ply boards have found a new and elaborate way of earning that extra bit by giving you a slice of the real thing. Mind you, only a slice! The rest still remains with them. But then, when it looks good, take it that it IS good. Why bother with what is behind it!

 

People confuse between vinyl (sun mica) and veneer. One is make-belief and the other a slice of reality. Vinyl despite its advancement is still ranked way below veneer. This can be attributed to the fact that vinyl is made to order in a factory through and through with no element of uniqueness. Veneers on the other hand come from natural products, trees and can never be 100% similar. 

Vinyl though has the advantage of a laminated surface and requires much less efforts to apply it to the required surface. It is quite resistant to daily wear and tear and does not give way easily. Comparatively, Veneer is much more expensive in its raw form and requires complicated and expensive processes to stick it to the required surface not to talk about future maintenance. Being a wood-based natural product, veneer is also vulnerable to all those elements which affect wood like natural decay and termite attacks to name a few. 

That apart, veneer gains in terms of being the real thing, and that too in controlled quantity i.e. the good thing gets shared between a lot of people. One needs to have a very experience carpenter to get the best out of veneer. Since it is a thin layer, there are chances of damage and wastage much in excess of something much more durable such as solid wood.

Puneites, with their exquisite taste and deep pockets have something to look forward to. Architects and Interior Designer in Pune have more than their share of times shown to the world that when it comes to giving quality and taste, they are next to non. Players like Sovereign Architects have dedicated themselves to this order by procuring and using the latest in terms of technology, workmen and raw material at their disposal.

Any you are still waiting with your bland piece of plywood?! Time to veneer it!!

SOURCES :-
1) Wikipedia

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Please feel free to post your comments below.
About Author :- Vaishali Kawalkar is the founder of Sovereign Architects.

Plaster of Paris & Its benefits !!!

POP Texture on Wall

The lab name “Calcium sulfate dihydrate CaSO4•2H2O” is sure to confuse its most die-hard user. Simply put, Gypsum. Further simplified, Plaster of Paris- the stuff with which we make those elegant (though sometimes it is anything but elegant!) flower, petals and grand scenery on the ceiling!

If only Shahjahan knew of it. So much marble and trouble could have been saved! Imagine the Emperor and his men dipping their hands in a bucket full of POP and trying to make the Taj with it. They could have managed one, the table top variety!

Gypsum or POP then is a material aiding in the finishing of walls and ceiling. It can never replace cement and mortar, only beautify it.

Found in the earth like any other crystalline mineral, the big lumps thus dug out are ground into a fine powder and heated in special ovens to around 2000C in a process called calcining. What comes out is the base for POP, Gypsum boards and plaster.

POP/ Gypsum boards are prepared by passing the gypsum slurry between sheets of special paper on a contentious conveyor which passes through dryers. At the end of the conveyor, water evaporates from the slurry leaving a hardened layer of gypsum in predetermined size which can further be cut to sizes as required.

Its being the choice of material for various interior decoration uses stems from some obvious advantages it presents, such as :-

Ease of installation:

It is lightweight for its size which can be as much as 12 feet x 5 feet which requires less manpower to move and store it. Compared to wood or other materials, a larger area can be covered with a single seamless sheet. Its internal structure being fairly simple one can cut and paste it using everyday tools like saws, files and glues. It has reasonable holding strength and can be held in place with normal everyday fasteners like screws, nuts and bolts.

Fire resistant:

Gypsum board despite its hard exterior still retains miniscule quantities of moisture within it - despite years of use, which retards the spread of fire. When singed, it does not emit any harmful smoke. In fact, where installed in sufficient quantity, it is an effective fire retardant.

Sound isolation:

Its porosity does not aid in the sound passing through it making it an effective barrier though it should ideally be installed with known sound isolator materials.

Durability:

There is no bio-degradable material within a gypsum board and if installed properly will give years of service.

Economy & Versatility:

Easily available raw material and ease of processing makes it cheap to procure. Its properties mentioned above make its use diverse, something most interior designers love.

Interior designer and Architects in Pune have been using gypsum board and POP for years and with the spread of the city given its economies, in times to come its usage is sure to increase further. Some like Sovereign Architects have put it to use in novel ways with the whole interior of houses looking very stylish at a very economic price.

Seasoned hands using gypsum board/ POP can turn your long-held dreams of a beautiful home with silk smooth walls and ceiling can turn into reality. So, happy dreaming! 

SOURCES :-

1) Wikipedia
2) Wisegeek

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Please feel free to leave your comments below.

About Author :- Vaishali Kawalkar is the founder of Sovereign Architects

Interior Designing of Bedroom !!!

Bedroom Interior Designing

A place where you can rejuvenate, recharge after a hard day’s work is the bedroom. It is the place for you to unwind and feel stress free.  Make your bedroom a spacious and special retreat with these tips from an interior designer that will make your feel absolutely cosy and comfortable. The interior designer in Pune have a plethora of designing ideas for your bedroom that can make it exotic and inspiring.

Bedroom Furniture: Choose carefully the furniture taking into account style, design and look. The bedroom furniture can accentuate the looks of your bedroom and make it look great. The furniture includes bedside cabinets, side-tables, etc. In a bedroom, the bed is the main focus.  Add a luxurious look to your bedroom by choosing the right bed linen. Also place plenty of cushions on your bed to make it cosy, comfortable and absolutely splendid. The furniture can be a vintage one or a modern one. It has to be stylish as well as functional.

Wall Paint: While designing the interiors of your bedroom choose the correct hue for your walls. You can also add serenity and calmness by varying the shades. To make visually appealing mix different patterns like stripes or floral print.

Upholsterers and Bedroom furnishings:  You can add colour to your bedroom by using rugs. They can be changed to compliment the seasons or to match your upholsterers.

Draperies: Draperies make your interiors look more elegant and beautiful.

Wall Paper & Wall Decals: Make everyone swoon by giving your wall an impressive flair.  Give a complete makeover to your bedroom be it the master bedroom or the guest bedroom with the help of wall papers. Match the wall paper patterns to your bedroom furniture and wall paint. They sure make the bedroom more vibrant.

Wall Hangings: While designing interiors, wall hangings play a key role in decorating your room. Give an artistic look to your bedroom by displaying beautiful and decorative mirrors. An artwork will also give a classic look to your bedroom walls.

Wall Moldings: You can create architectural detailing by adding molding to the walls and give it a classic touch. The moldings when painted white compliment your walls and make it look bolder.

Headboard: Headboards are a great for designing your bedrooms. You can go in for a custom-made headboard upholstered with fabric or add patterns to your plain headboards by painting them.

Lighting: Illuminate your bedroom with proper fixtures to make it more effective. You can choose from a wide range of lamps like the crystal ones, pin lights or sconces to give the perfect ambiance to your bedroom. You can also keep a bedside pendant which makes great reading lights.

Shelves: You can save space by going in for open shelves to place books and other decorative pieces to make it look absolutely cool. You can make your bedroom clutter free by using cabinets that will help in keeping your things in a neat manner.

Flooring: The best material for flooring for your bedroom is wood, laminated flooring, or carpet. They are anti-slip. Ceramic, marble or granite flooring is not advisable as you can easily slip and they also make your floor cold. 

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Please feel free to post your comments below.
About Author : - Vaishali Kawalkar is the founder of Sovereign Architects.

Tips for interior designing of living room

Interior Designing of Living Room

Your home defines you, and the living room serves as a trailer. It a known fact that trailers do carry movie to great heights!

That said, don’t you think your abode should reflect the real you and what you aspire? It should. And it will, where you step in the right direction.

The art of making your home look and feel like one is called interior designing. It is not only limited to aesthetics but also helps conserve space and make homes user-friendly.

Known Interior designer in Pune like Sovereign architects have over a period of time refined certain techniques which have been compiled here (though not all!) and would be of use to you.

• Furniture : The very purpose of the living room is to meet people, sit with them and relax. In this, the role of seating arrangements and furniture can never be understated. Depending upon the person’s stature and resources, the furniture should be adequate, smart and never overdone. Furniture here may mean the usual seating arrangement like sofas, seaters, chairs and accompaniments like stools and side tables. These, to the extent possible should be of durable and comfortable material in line with the weather patterns of the place. In India, one can choose between traditional items like cane chairs to traditional sit-outs of wood to ultra-luxurious leather-lined sofas depending upon one’s needs and choice.

• Decorations: Since this is a seating and meeting area for guests and hosts alike, it goes without saying that decorations are a must. Yesteryears saw these in the form of wall hangings like paintings, portraits, photographs and murals and items kept in strictly appointed places like showcases. These seem to have undergone a sea change what with money and means available in plenty. Now you can have walls themselves being a piece of decoration with painting technology having undergone some serious changes. Innovation is the name of the game. You dream and you get it! Things like Chinese lanterns, Moroccan lanterns, mud lanterns etc are increasingly being used as means of decoration on walls as also corners of the room. Glass urns, and copper and brass vessels classily made are also an interesting addition with things kept in them to add to the beauty. Figurines of brass, silver and even clay are very affordable these days and add to the charm of decorating you space. This is one area completely at the mercy of one’s imaginations!

• Electrical fixtures like ceiling fans and lights are no more functional. These too are means of ornamentation with ceiling fans morphing as light sources! Yes fans with built-in lights like a chandelier! With the advent of LEDs, you can have small lights in the most unthinkable of places adding to the aura. Sources of light are no more supposed to be seen in their naked form; diffused lighting is the latest fad and rightly so. Here, if one is resourceful enough, one’s wishes are certainly someone’s command and that too within reasonable reach and price!

If you still seem confused or unsure, well there are interior designer in Pune (like Sovereign Architects) more than ready to help you. So, Dream, analyze and employ!

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Please feel free to leave your comments below.
About Author :- Vaishali Kawalkar is the founder of Sovereign Architects.

Vastu Tips for Office

 

Vastu Tips for Office

Vastu Sastra or vastu veda is the ancient science of construction. It is based on directional alignments for any dwellings. It combines the five elements of nature- Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Space. In the olden days, Vastu Sastra was used for the construction of temples. In recent times it is being widely used for the construction of houses, apartments, office and other buildings.

Rushing through work and not respecting it can cause tension and hostility for an individual. There are many architects in Pune who are incorporating this method of detailing of direction to maximize the benefits bestowed by the five elements. Here are a few vastu tips for good fortune that can be implemented in your office to create a positive, congenial living and working environment.

Reception: North-west direction is most ideal for placing the reception and the dispensers or water coolers should be placed in the north-east corner. The employees managing the reception counter should sit facing the entrance.

Conference room: It is highly recommended that the conference room should be located in the east or west corner.

Doors: Do not place any obstacle near or in front of the doors of the office.

Lighting and Ventilation: Natural lighting is very important wherever possible because prolonged exposure to fluorescent lighting can harm the natural imbalance of the human body. The office should also be well ventilated. The directions to be avoided are south and south-west as these areas invite diseases and illnesses.

Furniture: It is suggested that the MD or the owner of the office should have a rectangular table. The cupboards and safes should face southwest direction. Side table and telephones should be placed in the Southwest corner.

Staircase: While designing your office ensure that the staircase is located in the South, West and Southwest direction.

Departments: Suggestions for the placement of various departments can be as follows

•  Accounts department should be located in the South eastern direction.

• Marketing or Sales department should be located in the Northwest.

•  Finance manager should sit in the north quadrant and should either face north or east.

• Management department should face the south-west quadrant and the general manager or managers office should be in the South or west quadrant

• Administration and the human resources departments should be located in the east.

Fountains: Water bodies like fountains should be placed in the eastern or North Eastern region.

Office Interiors: Place images of deities and Gods on the right side of mirrors as it is considered to be auspicious as far as finance is concerned. You can also place an aquarium containing 9 goldfish and 1 black fish in the Northeast direction.

Pantry: The canteen or the pantry in office should be placed in the south-east quadrant.

Toilets: The toilets should not be in the north-east and south-west corner.

Seating: Care has to be taken while making the seating arrangement for employees. You should avoid placing the employee’s seat under the beams or if it is unavoidable, then the beams can be covered with a false ceiling.

Vastu Shastra facilitates enhancement of health, wealth, prosperity and happiness and also attaining spiritual well-being. This science of construction is widely used by many architects in Pune (like Sovereign Architects) to enable both the management and employees to work in harmony to achieve success. 

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Please feel free to leave your comments below.
About Author :- Vaishali Kawalkar is the chief architect at Sovereign Architects.