Home Sweet Home- Asian Paints and Ripple Links

Home.
That is probably the most soul satisfying word of any language. No matter where I go, after a time I long to be surrounded by my own four walls.

Asian paints
The walls, they talk to me.
I walk past them with a soft caress.
And yet , they don't belong to me, they are unfamiliar to my smells and they probably hate the number of nails I hammer into them.
But I am sure that they love my touch.
I am an Army Wife, I make our home wherever my husband takes us.
Be it a 50 year old bungalow, or a brand new apartment or a two room barrack.
I believe, my home is where my heart is.
I pack up all my belongings into crates and boxes and get ready to move every two years. An extremely tiring and painful phase, as hubby dear regrets allowing me to spend money on household stuff and is quite vocal about it. However, I single mindedly toil on...
Every new station brings with it a palpitating excitement of new projects, new interiors and new ways to decorate my house. In all the years I have been married, I have never lived in similar houses. So the move is never boring.

The Walls...

The first thing is always the walls.
Asian paints house solutions is one site to help out. I love Asian paints ,and every two years try a new shade.
Asian Paints is the best place to start. Use your walls or projects a blank canvas and let your imagination soar . The website is beautifully designed, with ideas that can bring your dream home alive. I repainted my wrought iron console table and bench midnight blue after reading how to on the website.
I am a DIY kind of person, and such projects de-stress me. Cuts down the botheration of needing to hire someone and wait around till they finish the job . Messy but totally fun.
Try the website for ideas and directions.
The first way to make the empty house mine is to start with the walls.
To me the basic colour for my walls must always be white. A white that never yellows and reflects the sunlight and lamplight beautifully.
One accent wall can be painted to suit your mood or climate.
This station, my accent wall is LOVE STORY ,a pale white wall ,a glaze that comes like the first blush of love. Honestly, it was the name that did me in. But I further accented the wall with a stencil ,a gold Moroccon pattern. I bought the stencils online and with stencil paint, I managed the entire wall.
Unique and fabulous, my wall garners many complements.

Colours...

I personally prefer muted colours, seeing that our climate is hot and dusty. Soothing colours of Taupe, cold coffee, and Almond dominate my furnishings. My curtains complete the light on light. And my couches are a warm almond colour. The burst of colours comes with the cushions. I have sets of bright glossy, matte, silk, satin , pop art ,chanderi silk cushion covers . Some made out of running fabric and some from saris, made by the local tailor and of course some bought online.

Wall Art...

I love oil paintings, they bring a sense of permanence to a house. An investment made for the future. But lately ,I love seeing the smiles of my family around me. So I have enlarged and collated and framed many photos, the memories warm my heart and are a great ice breaking beginning to any conversation with the guests. I update some pictures every season, some are old and forever...like wedding pictures.

Plants...

A home is incomplete without plants. The breathe life into the walls. Vibrant palms ,bamboos and crotans and others ,the house looks unlived and unloved without plants. And the best way to hide the flaws in the construction is by using potted plants. As long as you water them regularly and clean the leaves, they stay healthy and happy. Positive vibes .A great way to keep the temperature indoors cool.

Artifacts...

These little mementos I have picked up over the years weave a story of their own. A new station, a gift , a holiday , a statuette bought after saving and scrimping for a month or two, an impulse purchase, a bit of crystal some thing blue and stuff that has a history in my life. Something I made , something I reshaped, all of the little knick - knacks on my shelves and tables. Some creativity, some madness ,and of course my candles and votives...

Imagine how I pack all this up and reopen every two years.

Books and Flowers...

To me ,my books make my home more of mine. My son shares my passion for books and my love for paper. The book shelves are scattered all over my house and even if I read a page of my favourites, I am happy to be with them.
Flowers add to the positivity of a home .And when they are fresh from garden, they look even better.

Happiness and Laughter...

Nothing sounds better than the sound of laughter. That is what makes my house alive . Music and laughter and the chatter ,that is what tells the story.

God bless my home...and yours too.

Thats why "Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai..."