another balcony garden

This is not a balcony... this is a treasure... an enchanting space... 

I simply cannot believe how creative people can be... How even this little space in your apartment that is most often least decorated can turn into something this gorgeous... I could truly spend hours here!! 

... and this is the magic created by Sheeba and her hubby... in their apartment in Dubai

I cant say any more... the colourful bottles, the dwarf, all the other little accessories... are simply perfect... 

This stunning wooden piece has been created and painted by Sheeba's hubby... 

I sure hope these images have inspired you to create magic yourself...

The Weekly Story ~ wk 4

Hello my lovelies... How are you all doing? I've had a horrible February... I can't even begin to explain.. So if you are wondering why I haven't visited you... its just been a horrible... horrible time... I'm away this week.. and when I come back I'll be gathering myself (soon!!).. and will surely be back in action before you know it... 

So, you've seen part of Reshma's garden already... Today I'll show you some more... 

and I am certain you don't need any tips from me today... 

But the ample use of accessories and decor items... makes her garden simply perfect.. 

the mat & terracotta horse makes this space lovely

appropriate use of log as plant pot

and what can I say about this?

Hope you are joining The Weekly Story linky party ~ open from Monday through Wednesday every week..

1. Do a post on your blog, about ANYTHING! and it can really be anything – example – a fun recipe you tried out, a craft project, a DIY, a table top, a few candles, coffee with friends or a good book or a movie review… The list is endless… just about ANYTHING… and anything about YOU !! *smiles* ... It can also be 'anything pretty' ...
2. Original photographs only... No images from other websites or magazines please!! This is about YOU.
3. Link back to my blog.... only as a courtesy, so we have more people joining the party.
4. Copy the 'permalink' from your post (not the link to the front page of your blog).
5. Add your 'permalink' to the 'inlinkz' at the bottom of this post.
6. Click the link before you. Don’t forget to comment and if you like the blog, please follow!!

Any questions, email me on coloursdekor@gmail.com

Please note, you DO NOT have to be a follower of my blog to join the party.. I'd love to see you here!!

Please grab the Colours Dekor 'The Weekly Story' button!!

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Stone art ~ DIY

A little girl called, Parisa took these river rocks and tried to make sense out of it. For some reason, those days she was making different Ganesha (AshtaVinayak) this picture came to her mind and she glued rocks with Gorilla glue. The tile she had was smooth texture... it would be better to have a rough texture tile so that glue holds on the heavy rock nicely. With her tile the glue came off after few days. Rough tile would also give a nice rustic look.

It looks simple, but the challenge is in placing the rocks at right place.... earlier she had placed the rocks meant for ear little above and then it looked like Monkey face instead of an Elephant face.

So her tip is to place rocks on tile in whatever object you want to make and leave it aside for couple of days, look at it every now and then and once the picture makes total sense to you, go ahead and glue it. Since Gorilla glue bonds like rock, be careful while using it, so that it does not touch your body or drops in unwanted place. Also you might not be able to undo once glued. Give it a day to bond only then lift it up. When the glue was holding her rocks nicely to the tile, she had placed it on a frame holder.

Now… tell little Parisha… what you think about her fabulous work of art…

Table Linen - DIY

Totally in awe of this creativity.... 

Magical Homes, bring home made - table linen... 

Hand made paper, laminated to become a table mat. What a fabulous idea!! 

and if you like what you see... hop on to Magical Homes

The Weekly Story ~ wk 3

Have some of you been asking me... what to do with small spaces?? and small balconies... 

Joining us today with her magical, enchanting space is Harshika .... who blogs and talks about her culinary skills on And She Cooks... 

A small balcony is definitely a big challenge!! Knowing if the balcony is short, square, long, rectangular, semi-circular will help you determine the type of furniture, plants of home accessories that will fit into the given space.

You obviously can't put a deck umbrella in a short balcony, but decorating it with a small bench will make it look stunning.

Use a mirror, it always makes the space look bigger. Go vertical... and use edges and fences effectively and efficiently...

Fill corners with larger herbs, and the rest of your space with smaller flowers, bushes and herbs. Use a small stool with a cushion to personalize your garden workspace.

Make your space look cozy, by adding a chair or two, or a bench with cushions and a small table. This way you can sit in your comfort zone and admire your patch of green. Don’t forget lighting! This is an important element.

I'm a sucker for solar lights and you get these in all sorts of beautiful shapes and sizes. More importantly, use ample candles too. Let all your creative juices flow. Express your heart and make this space your own. Paint a wall or use ample hanging décor.

Decorate with pillows that compliment your wall. Hand pictures, metallic bells, terracotta bells, chimes and anything that makes you smile. The best way to get lots of little cheap knick knacks is flea markets (at Safa park or on your way to Fujeirah), garage sales (around jumeirah), or dubizzle.

Join The Weekly Story linky party ~ open from Monday through Wednesday every week..

1. Do a post on your blog, about ANYTHING! and it can really be anything – example – a fun recipe you tried out, a craft project, a DIY, a table top, a few candles, coffee with friends or a good book or a movie review… The list is endless… just about ANYTHING… and anything about YOU !! *smiles* ... It can also be 'anything pretty' ...
2. Original photographs only... No images from other websites or magazines please!! This is about YOU.
3. Link back to my blog.... only as a courtesy, so we have more people joining the party.
4. Copy the 'permalink' from your post (not the link to the front page of your blog).
5. Add your 'permalink' to the 'inlinkz' at the bottom of this post.
6. Click the link before you. Don’t forget to comment and if you like the blog, please follow!!

Any questions, email me on coloursdekor@gmail.com

Please note, you DO NOT have to be a follower of my blog to join the party.. I'd love to see you here!!

Please grab the Colours Dekor 'The Weekly Story' button!!

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paintings & photos

Introducing today is Shikha Chuahan.... and her page Shikha Chauhan Photography... 

Shikha is a home maker and loves doing artistic things... Creativity and colours are her true passion... The madhubani painting above.. and a mural below.. clearly show off her creativity... 

Shikha loves painting.... and says...

'Colours attract me... big time'... *smiles*

Shikha loves photography too... She loves transforming things into a creative version... giving them her own creative touch... 

Below are her digital prints... (although the living room is a google image)... 

... a few more digital prints below...

... and finally a warli painting...

All the above images are provided by Shikha Chauhan... If you like what you see... hop on to Shikha Chauhan Photography... and dont forget to like her page...

Happy Valentine's day

Just popping in today... to say 'I love you' all... Thank you for taking the time to drop by... thank you for all the emails I receive... thank you for all the love you show... 

Don't forget to tell all the people you love... that you truly love them.. *smiles*.. And you really don't have to wait for 14th Feb to do it... 

Do a little craft with your kids.. and enjoy every minute....

Enjoy a dinner for two... with your loved one... 

And don't forget to check 'Tips for Valentine's day decor'

And remember I love you all... so be a part of my life more often.... *smiles*

Embracing Global Decor

Sharing some blog love today... (in time for Valentine's day)... and showing you my new find *smiles*... Here is where I spend a few hours in a day... 

Aalayam...meaning “a place of residence” in Sanskrit, is a blog with a concoction of ideas and inspiration. Co-authored by Deepa & Supriya, who are not only passionate about living the good life, but love design, decor, travel, photography, good food... and so much more.. So hop on to Aalayam Inspiration... and don't forget to follow... and show some love.. *smiles*

Over to the ladies at Aalayam....

Hello! When Patricia invited us to do a guest post for Colours Dekor, Supriya and I wanted to work on something that the Colours Dekor readers would enjoy. We wanted the pictures to be colorful and visually inspiring. A write-up on our personal design diction seemed appropriate. Supriya and I definitely have a lot in common with regard to design preferences and I guess that's what drove us into a collaboration. If you already a reader of Aalayam  then you know that we both love incorporating world-wide design elements in our homes. Our styles can best be described by the umbrella term "Global design /universal appeal".

Deepa's home - coffee table

My home is a merry melange of elements from all over the world  anchored by Indian elements for a truly global flavor.  Treasures such as Tanjore paintings from the art emporiums of  Chennai, persian rugs with ornate patterns, and fenton hobnail glassware from American antique malls  work harmoniously  in my home lending an exotic appeal. My home boasts of global charm and combines unorthodox decor accessories, lots of color and a heavy dose of drama without compromising on user-friendliness. Here's a few corner's from my home that highlights my fondness for world decor.

Deepa's home -  Living Room

Deepa's home - Bookcase

Supriya's home incorporates global design elements that are not necessarily conformist! The palettes range from ornate Indian furniture with vibrant textural softscaping to irreverent Bohemian chotchkies combined with quirky antique chic! This decor scheme blends form and function, and works like a charm for moving stuff around based on mood and occasion. The featured snapshots of her living space epitomize her style philosophy "let the room speak for you!". 

Supriya's home  - Chess board

Supriya's home  - seating area

Supriya's home  - blue wall/reading nook

Do you like ornamenting your home with global finds? Do you like  celebrating world cultures through global knick knacks?  If so, take a look at this great article on TLC  - "Decorating with world flair" 

Thank you Patricia for the privilege ! Hope we have inspired you to create your own global palette.

Visit us at Aalayam for more from the world of design and decor.

Cheers!

Deepa and Supriya

Weekly Story ~ wk 2

So am back on the topic of gardens again...

With a few emails from people asking... some asking... I dont have garden pics to link in... Well then.. Go on and link some old pics... even better... just link anything on your blog... *smiles*...

A few more emails asking me 'so what happens to us?'... 'we have no garden'...

*sigh*.. How I wish I could find some pics of my little balcony to show you how a cozy pretty garden can be maintained even in a little balcony... Nonetheless... joining us today on Colours Dekor is Surabhi Mehrotra... sharing pics of her balcony... *smiles*...

Surabhi shares her story on how she transformed her empty balcony to one with an over dose of pots... to now one transformed into a beautiful and colourful little piece of sunshine.. 

Quick tips for balcony spaces... before we move to Surabhi's story... 

1. Organise differnt sizes and shapes of pots, with a variety of flowers and plants.

2. For small balconies... use creepers to fill up wall space. You can also use hanging plants, money plants, etc... that fall downwards and can be hung of the ceiling.

3. Colouring a wall with a single colour... example yellow or lime green... or even attempting a painting like some simple birds, flowers, stars or even a 'warli' or 'madhubani'... gives the space character.

4. Use lots of garden accents, like gnomes, chimes, bells, bird feeders, stones, pebbles, etc.

Over to Surabhi... 

Just that my hubby & I both love plants a lot and find gardening de-stressing. Initially we kept bringing pots and then realized that very little free space was left in the balcony and it was difficult to keep balcony clean and neat. So we decided to go vertical!! Donated loads of roses to neighbors and painted our dull boring wall to bright sunny yellow as we had flowers in purple, magenta shades. 

As a person also I love bright colours. Dull colours make me sad, so when inside our home we have a sober combo, I thought why not experiment with a bright colour in the balcony. So hubby and I drilled, put up fence and potted creepers… took care of them for a few months… that is now fruitful and our mornings starts with a colourful happy note. 

One thing for sure… I learnt that beside regular care, you need to talk to the plants, put them together in group so they dont feel lonely and if possible play some music. 

Next on our agenda is to add some bird feeder, bird house and a bird bath and some lights. 

Surabhi is an HR & textile professional, took a break and now has a small venture… 
called "Surabhi Ka Pitara"

I totally love how the yellow wall looks... simply impressive!!

So if you've got such a gorgeous balcony ... go on... link in.. or email me on coloursdekor@gmail.com

Join The Weekly Story linky party ~ open from Monday through Wednesday every week..

1. Do a post on your blog, about ANYTHING! and it can really be anything – example – a fun recipe you tried out, a craft project, a DIY, a table top, a few candles, coffee with friends or a good book or a movie review… The list is endless… just about ANYTHING… and anything about YOU !! *smiles* ... It can also be 'anything pretty' ...
2. Original photographs only... No images from other websites or magazines please!! This is about YOU.
3. Link back to my blog.... only as a courtesy, so we have more people joining the party.
4. Copy the 'permalink' from your post (not the link to the front page of your blog).
5. Add your 'permalink' to the 'inlinkz' at the bottom of this post.
6. Click the link before you. Don’t forget to comment and if you like the blog, please follow!!

Any questions, email me on coloursdekor@gmail.com

Please note, you DO NOT have to be a follower of my blog to join the party.. I'd love to see you here!!

Please grab the Colours Dekor 'The Weekly Story' button!!

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