Coloursdekor's Blog

My Home, My Magic – home tour Feb 10

coloursdecor — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:44:00 +0000

Did you think the love vanished after Valentine’s day?? Continuing on the topic of love, here is a home where each corner is over flowing with love…

This is the home of my blogger friend Meenakshi, who blogs at Niwas-where our heart resides!

This is what she has to say -

Niwas is a home of memories, moments, good times, laughter and prayers. I
remember when we bought this house I was not sure what I would do as far as
decor goes. Being a first time home buyer I had no experience but what I had was
imagination and patience. We still have a long way to go but I am happy with the
steps we have taken.. .. I love the touch of India as it reminds me of home and
most of the stuff you see here are either gifts from family or garage sale
….

I wont bore you anymore… by telling you what I love about your home… But dont forget, I’m waiting for your lovely comments… And will leave you to enjoy the corner of her home..

Also do check January’s home tour – of Ms. Ahalya

Don’t forget to comment… so I know what you are thinking!!

If you’d like to see your home here, or would like to share a cozy corner of your home do email me on torresp27@hotmail.com … I’d love to hear from you!!

Gifts

coloursdecor — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 02:09:00 +0000

Don’t you just love receiving gifts? Who doesn’t!!??

This one came specially from Kuwait… from a friend who remembered that I love elephants… Not only did she send me elephants… but even the little card had elephants printed on them… Now isn’t that thoughtful!!!! Its so nice to have friends who love you sooooooo much!!

Table for two..

coloursdecor — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 01:15:00 +0000

Happy Valentine’s day to all my lovely readers… I love you all!!

Here are a few pictures of my low seating table… Dinner served for two.

The napkin holders have our kids names on it…

Pink the colour of love for me…. (infact pink is the colour for anything for me… )

Hope you had a great celebration… Let me know if you did anything special!!

Loving it …

coloursdecor — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 06:55:00 +0000

Look a friend gifted me this…

Hubby & I were meant to go away for two days next week….. Hence she thought I was in desperate need for this…

I totally love it… What do you think??

I’m not a huge romantic… but need any reason to celebrate… specially celebrate love and the people I love… Tomorrow is just another reason for me to tell all the handsome people in my life… that I truly love them and to thank them for making such a huge difference!!

Yes! its Valentine’s day…. for me & the girls… its another reason for a little bit of craft, a few candles, a little extra decor and voila its a celebration topped with lots of love..

We were meant to do this with photographs… but time hasn’t been my best friend lately… so we opted for post it notes instead… and the girls have written little notes for the people who they love. And as they named the people… from grand parents, uncles & aunts, to friends & teachers… and then reasoned out why they mattered…. I laughed.. sometimes was a bit shocked… but all is fair in love & war they say!!

The notes are adorable… some will form a part of my memories… I will be emailing them out to everyone today…

Oh.. Also, the girls are having a tea party tomorrow… They’ve invited friends who mean the world to them, and have packed little gifts (almond chocolates in pretty pink pouches) for them as well. I thought it was very sweet….. (the chocolates!! *wink*)..

So what are you doing for Valentine’s Day?

5 ways to love up your living space

coloursdecor — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:46:00 +0000

Hello all!!

Firstly, a big thank you to Pats for giving me the honor of sharing a few thoughts with you all, via her own personal stage – I salute you,muchos gracias!

Since Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, it is only fitting that my first entry pays homage to the occasion. Candlelight dinners, chocolate truffles, marriage proposals, full, red roses – tis’ the season to plan, indulge and empty one’s wallet, yes?

I say no.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy it all just as much as the next person, but I do believe in the reality of the moment, the cold hard truth that we lovingly call the global recession.

And though those 2 words are rather menacing, I don’t believe that they translate to no valentine celebrations. There are so many little ways to accomplish the most beautiful things and as Pats showcases so often on her blog, it’s the little things around the house that make the most startlingly gorgeous difference.

So here, I’m going to share a few ideas that you can use around the house to give it that extra special feel this 14^th.

A Valentine at home can be just as special and who knows, perhaps it’ll be one you’ll never forget!!

1 – Photographs

As a couple; whether married or still dating, you’re bound to have a few good shots of you and your significant other. This is the time to fish them all out, no matter how old they are. Remember, you may not think they’re great pictures, but more often than not, they will remind you both of a special memory, outing or time in your lives.

If you have the time, you could probably make a quick collage of some of your favorite photographs and it could adorn a blank wall. Think of you both standing in front of it, reliving all those memories together! Alternatively, make a quick trip to IKEA and get the wooden frames for AED 5/- (gets you 3) and use them around the house.

Since the frames are wooden, use a bright red marker and color in some hearts on the borders or if you’re feeling adventurous, make your own special design. Position these around the house, on the bedside table with a solitary standing candle, floating candle or flower and voila, instant prettiness! If all else fails and you just don’t have the time – run to the fridge. Transform your fridge door into your canvas for pictures and use a few pretty magnets or even tape.

You know a memory is a good one when it ends up on the fridge. Plus, it makes a great conversation piece while the 2 of you are getting a drink, fixing dinner or even washing up together!

(I did say this was applicable to married couples too – I’m a stickler for reality!)

2 – Candles

Candles are a huge favorite with Pats. What I love most about them is how easy they are to use.

Pick out a few candles that appeal to you. It could be the color, scent, the arrangement. If you like it, chances are so will your partner. Don’t be afraid to experiment with placement around the house. There is nothing more romantic than entering a dark house, dimly lit by candlelight. On your dining table, centre table, even the floor, candles seem to fit in just about anywhere.

Spend some time to ensure that the bathroom is pretty as well and shove the laundry hamper out of sight. One candle on the mirror sill in the bathroom, is a pleasant surprise! Post a little love note on the mirror and it’s immediately a special little something. If you don’t have the time to get the prettier candles, use tea candles, which are easily available and cheap. Line up a few of them from the entrance of your house alongside the wall and let them lead up to a heart of candles on the floor. Cheap, pretty and loved up!

3 – Wall décor.

This may take a little more time, but it’s worth it and it totally changes the face of a room. While you can probably pick some wall décor at your local party shop, this is my effort to encourage you to DIY or make do with stuff at home. This should only take you about an hour – tops.

All you need is a few sheets of red chart paper (normal sheets will also do), scissors/cutting blade and tape. Fold the sheets down the middle and draw half a heart against the creased line. Using the scissors, cut out the half heart that you’ve drawn and thanks to the fold, you’ll have a perfect, full heart. Make several of these in varying sizes and cut them all out. Once cut, you can stick these all over the walls, go as high up on the wall as you can – it looks beautiful once done and the room is instantly Valentised!

4 – Flowers

Yes, I know flowers are expensive. And yes, I know they die. (You cynic, you.) But it’s Valentines and if it’s romance you’re looking for, nothing sets the mood like flowers.

You don’t need to buy the expensive ones. Your local flower shop will, more often than not, have a few rose bunches that are sold at cheaper rates because they are a few days old. Buy those. Pull off the petals and you have a 100 options.

Spread them around the floor, fill a pretty bowl with water and let a few petals float in it, place a few next to the photographs you use or take the extra step and fill the tub with warm water and pour in the petals! Whether you’re doing this for your special him or her, it’s bound to be a hit.

Tip: Before pulling off the petals, go through the bunch carefully and keep aside the prettiest one. Put it in a tall vase or hand it to your loved one. Cupid will sing, trust me!

5 – Music

Ok, so it’s not really a décor tip, but then I’m not a 100% décor person *grin*

I’ve come to learn that music forms an integral part of our memories. Take the effort to remember special songs from your past – your first dance, first dedication, wedding special or even just something romantic. Get a collection of these songs on CD. Alternatively, piracy is bad, yes, but I won’t tell if you don’t.

And it doesn’t need to always be a romantic ballad! For example, in my case, at our wedding my husband and I and all our friends, went crazy dancing to a Panjabi number. As a result, whenever we hear that song, it makes us smile and takes us back to our special day.

It could be a ghazal, instrumental, pop, rock, country – it’s your special song. It could take you both back to a precious moment, make you laugh or perhaps share a dance in the candlelight. That’s amore!

Hope my little tips help you make your day a tad more special and don’t puncture your wallet – if you’ve got some more ideas, Pats and I would love to hear them!

Till later, have a great Valentines, lovebugs!!

Rose

Lets go Green – Glass not plastic

coloursdecor — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 13:17:00 +0000

Hope you liked my Go Green article last month. I’m hoping to go green every month… *wink*

One very common way of reducing or eliminating your plastic usage, is by using glass. Yes!! Use glass… whenever possible. Buy products that are sold in glass, eg. Milk or juices – buy them in glass containers. In this way, the manufacturers will be forced to sell in glass and plastic companies will be required to manufacture only biodegradable plastic. Or atleast I hope so!!

I am totally in love with glass … aren’t you?

Here are a few simple tips to use glass –

1. Don’t buy beverages bottles in plastic. Glass containers are just perfect and can be reused.
2. Do you get a coffee to work? I do sometimes… Carry your own reusable flask or stainless steel coffee mugs. All drink lids & linings are plastic, which will live on for over a 100 years. Yes!! Be proud of carrying your own reusable mugs.
3. Your leftover can be stored in fashionable glass containers.
4. Purchase consumables that are bottled in glass. Clean it & reuse it. (eg. Jam, peanut butter, maple syrup)
5. Use perfume or deodorants (roll ons) sold in glass bottles.
6. Don’t use plastic cutting boards… the glass or wood ones are lovely!!
7. Use baby bottles made of glass – why use plastic?

Bookshelves

coloursdecor — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 02:58:00 +0000

I’ve been hunting high & low for some bookshelf designs… Actually… thats not true.. I started looking sometime last year… then lost the plot completely… (I do that sometimes!!)

And now am back to looking at these images I saved from google… and wondering what I really want..

Do you have creative images or designs of bookshelves. I dont have a huge wall like the above picture…. but want to keep my books & magazines….

Share some inspirations with me on torresp27@hotmail.com

My cup of joy…

coloursdecor — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 15:30:00 +0000

It was a school / college girl feeling… We bunked classes, only to gossip & dip our hands into paint!!

Have you been to Cafe Ceramique…. I love cafes… but this one is special!!

You walk in… and choose what you’d like to paint!! Let your creative mind get to work… Then ask for the paints that you will use…

In the meanwhile…. order your coffee… and start gossiping as well!!

I love this place… the decor is just right… Can you spot the long vase with paint brushes in them??

The lovely wrought iron chairs, wooden ceiling… and lots of ceramics around you…. set you in the right mood!!

A closer look at the floor…

The food is great as well….

You can paint… anything you want…. I painted my cup of joy….. for a special someone – who fills my life with joy!!

My cup of treasured memories…

Painted floor

coloursdecor — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 02:01:00 +0000

As I walked into Bab Al Shams… I noticed what I was walking on was not a carpet…. it was a painting!! I fell in love with it and just had to share this with you….

I’ve featured a lot of paintings on walls…. here is paintings on the floor!!

A wider look… Dont you think it looks exactly like a carpet??

Now I have this urge to paint a carpet at home……

Salon & Spa interiors

coloursdecor — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 01:55:00 +0000

Sharing some pictures of a salon & spa. The interiors are simple, yet elegant & beautiful…

Very impressed with all the walls…. be it wall sticker or lighting…

Impressed with the attention to detail ..

Dont you feel like spending a day here??

Project completed by Vistaar Associates who beleive in providing innovative solutions… And I feel… have rightfully done so!!