Home Theatre in modern Kerala homes
Home Theatre is considered to be the ultimate in Home Entertainment; at least among Modern Kerala Home Builders. Many even consider a house to be incomplete without a dedicated space for a Large Plasma TV and Surround Sound features.
Television viewing, now being an integral part of the Malayali culture, like elsewhere in the world, optimal Viewing Angles and Acoustics add value to the time spent watching Movies, News and Favourite Television Series.
From Custom-Assembled Sound Features connected to the Television Set- to Branded Complete Solutions, the Home Theatre market has a wide range in terms of both quality and pricing. You could make costly mistakes by not knowing how to start or where to look for the Home Theatre System that most suits you.
If you are one of the many people around the world who loves the sound quality of watching movies in theaters but hates the hassles (crying babies, people talking, cell phones ringing, etc) of actually going then I hope you are seriously contemplating the value that a home theater or surround sound system could bring to your movie enjoyment. In fact, a good surround sound system cannot only improve your overall enjoyment of blockbuster hits but also your favorite music and video games as well. Surround sound is far more than a tool for watching movies at home, it is an entirely new way to look at and listen to your television in general.
You do not have to begin your home theater or surround sound experience with a top of the line piece of equipment. It is quite possible to start small with a surround sound system and build a better system as you go. In fact, I seriously recommend that people invest heavily in speakers from the beginning and sacrifice the number of speakers in favor of better quality speakers. In addition to this there are many box kits out there that are designed for almost any budget on the market. You can find box kits for everything from basic surround sound systems to home theater in a box. If you are seriously considering the enjoyment this can bring into your home there is no time like the present to start checking out your options.
I never recommend simply walking into the store and purchasing the first kit you find though you are certainly welcome to do just that. I feel that you might walk away from the experience a little jaded however and highly suggest that you go to a local retail center that has sound rooms set up in order to listen to the many options that are currently on the market and compare the sound and the quality of the sound within those items in your price range. I suggest that you start on the low side and work your way up rather than starting at the high end and working your way down.
When you find the quality of sound you are most comfortable with, this is the system I recommend you go home and research. Compare prices online to see if you can find any major values and bargains. The Internet is usually full of good deals for consumers that are willing to sort through many companies that market online. While the Internet is the land of opportunity for some, I also recommend that you take the lowest price you find online to your local retail store and see if they can match it or throw in a few perks to sweeten the deal. You could find some interesting deals by doing this and it costs nothing to try and could save you money in the long run.
The point is to get the best system your money can buy (without sending you to the 'poor house' in the process). Once you have decided on the system you want all bets are off when it comes to finding the best price. We live in a consumer driven marketplace and as a consumer you do have control over where your money is spent and whether or not you are willing to pay the price of spending your money elsewhere.
You know the quality you expect, as you've listened and compared in the stores, and you know the price that you are willing to pay for that quality. Most consumers are learning this fact and willing to make concessions in order to compete with those companies that operate online. See what your local retailers can offer you and if they can't match what you've found online you should be willing to go with the online service. This is a great way for you as a consumer to know what you are getting and feel as though you've gotten a good deal in the process. More importantly you get to bring the theatrical experience you love so much into your very own living room. Now the only kids crying over your movie will be your own.
Interior Design
Interior design is one of the topics that have no limits. Why is it so? Simply because it directly connects with your imagination. Does your imagination have any limits? We hope not.
When you are in a home renovation process you probably have this idea about changing your current interior design. Your home is part of your identity, sure thing you want to have it match. If your imagination keeps moving every time you think about your interior design, it is probably because you need to change the current one. Help yourself. Browse the internet or read the books to get as much information as possible about interior design. Pay attention to different styles, colors and issues that may occur in your own creativity. The benefit of creating your own interior design is that you will have exactly what you wanted. Your dreams can come true. The whole interior design process can be very interesting and can be seen as a game of creativity. We are all kids deep inside.
Another piece of advice is to consult with professionals and ask them for help. They know much more than you do. They have studied interior design for several years. They have experience in creating interior designs and they do know what is workable and what is not. They will definitely save you time and effort. It is up to you, if you want to hire professionals and let them do the interior design of your house, or if you want them to guide you in your unique interior design process with small changes as needed. Anyway, it is your house, and your decision is the most important. Design your interiors in a way that will make you happy every time you are at home.
More links on Interior Design-
Swimming Pool
This page is about swimming pools. In Traditional Kerala Architecture, houses had adjacent ponds where the house hold would bathe & wash. With the advent of Interior Plumbing, the practice of building ponds had come to an end. Now, health consciousness has created a market for Swimming Pools as swimming is supposed to be the one exercise that caters to the whole body.
The size and shape of the swimming pool totally depends on your choice; and the space you have at your back yard. If you still have not decided if you need a swimming pool or not, just think about. Think what swimming pool can give to you. Well, after the crazy business day, especially when it is hot outside, swimming pool can be just what you need. Swimming pool is good for relaxation. It is very good for your health. Swimming pool gives a refreshing feeling. Is not it worth it? We think it definitely is.
If you still have some concerns – think that the swimming pool can make your children happy and keep them busy. If this reason is not good enough for you, but you are a social person, well, swimming pool can be a good reason for your friends to come to your place even if you live far from the center of the city.
Another good thing about swimming pools is that you will not have to spend a lot of time on swimming pool shopping and installation. You only need to come to the store and tell to the swimming pool sales person the size and the shape of the swimming pool you wish to have. The rest will be up to the sales person.
You can try to install the swimming pool by yourself with the help of a contractor. But keep in mind that eventhough it does not seem to be very difficult there are some specifics and some rules that has to be followed. If you want to be sure that the swimming pool is installed properly and everything does work in a way it should be, ask for a professional help. These people know what they do and they will do it fast. So, one day you don’t have a swimming pool the next day you do. Is not it great?
More links on Swimming Pool-
Bathroom Accessories/ Toilet Fixtures
Although more emphasis is given on the functional aspect, aesthetics also do have an important role in the choice of Towel poles, Toilet brush caddies, Toilet seats and the like. Matching all accessories to a common theme and colour really makes the time that is spent in the Bathroom, a very pleasant one.
Traditional Kerala Architecture had put Toilets way below in the designers priority list, mainly because interior plumbing was not known, and home-attached toilets were a luxury reserved for the upper strata of the society.
Until recent times, in modern Kerala Homes, although toilets were well designed, the accessories were often overlooked mainly due to lack of awareness and not enough variety in the market. Things have since changed and a wide range of Bathroom Accessories are now easily available. Specialized Designer Toilet Showrooms in cities even let you visualize your Bathrooms before they are Installed.
Toilet brush caddies- Caddies make up nice bathroom accessories. The caddies are ideal, since if you just leave the toilet brush lying in the floor it dirties up your room. In addition, if you do not clean brushes after using them in the toilet, it can build up residue and leave a foul smell. As you can see, toilet brush caddies are nice necessities.
How to choose toilet brush caddies?
Musa, Chateau, Home, Outline, Wind, and Freestanding make a nice selection of toilet brush caddies. If you are searching to accomplish organic embellishments, you may like the crystal glass selections. The glass wear is sometimes structured with pure brass and wood wenges. Musa just created the latest wall-mounting caddies. You will find the latest chrome polish styles and the satin nickels.
How do I choose a caddy to match my bathroom?
The caddies made by Musa, i.e. most designs are crafted to fit any modern bathroom. The items are shipped from foreign legions, i.e. Italy. The items are basic, yet it will bring a classy style to your modern bathroom.
The toilet caddies come with accessories. Few companies sell with the item, wood wenges trims, tumblers, soap dish, and other holders. Most items sold by Musa are made of purely cut brass. Clear crystal glass is gorgeous and will fit any room. I mentioned that the caddies are designed for most modern bathrooms, yet the item will match nearly any style in Victorian rooms, regal baths, country style, and more. You may not want to choose the item to install in child baths, unless the children are older.
How do I choose other bathroom items that go with the caddy?
You have a list of items to select, including the glass corner and vanity shelves, tissue holders, robe hooks, towel bars, soap dish, tumblers, and so on.
How do I choose items designed by Chateau? I am not partial to silver, yet Chateau made the latest brush caddies that attracts the eye. The latest brush caddy is polished in both chrome and brass. You will find a variety of matching hooks as well, which include polished brass, chrome, combo, and the brush nickel. If you choose the combination of gold and chrome, try mixing it with the chrome and brass polished hooks.
You can also mix the brass/chrome caddies with towel bars, designer mirrors, robe hooks, glass holders, and more. The item comes from Sweden, which the country’s crafters has proven faithful in designing elegant bathroom accessories.
If you intend to purchase the chrome/brass caddies, you may want to purchase a gold bath tissue holder, and a vanity glass shelf. The combination will make your guest think you are living high on the hog. If you do not like the glass vanities, then consider the décor mirrors that light up and mount on your wall.
Freestanding has a nice selection of brush caddies also. The gold are nice, yet in images it stands out loudly. I am a gold fan, i.e. I like gold tones, shades, colors, etc, yet the color in this instance is a bit disturbing to the eye. In this instance, you may want to consider the Oil Rub Bronze-Plate designed with steel. As I look at the image, I feel that the brush caddy would look nice in an antique atmosphere.
I love the wind so I had to check out the images designed by Wind Collections. The brush caddies are nice if you like chrome with spurts of gold. One of the bathroom accessories you want to consider with this series is the shower corner baskets.
More links on Bathroom Accessories-
Cabinets
In your home renovation process you can have a lot of fun while searching for the right cabinets to install. Why? Because, there are really a lot of variety; which is not limited to cabinets' color choice or cabinets' materials. They are also about style, design and position you would put the cabinets in. If you have not realized yet where you can put cabinets we can give you some examples. You can have kitchen cabinets, office cabinets, home cabinets, bathroom cabinets, storage cabinets. There are also different cabinets’ designs, like: wall cabinets, corner cabinets, pantry cabinets and so on.
Now, when you realized the variety you will be dealing with in your cabinet searching stage, we would think that couple of advices would be in place. One of the advices is on matching. Try to match your cabinets to your home or at least to the room or place you would want to place these cabinets. It will even help you to make your house bigger and will look better. Even if you put lots of cabinets the identical design will only help you complete the picture. This idea also works with colors. Cabinets matching colors to other furniture would be aesthetically a better home or office.
If you don’t have an idea of what kind of cabinets you would like to have, you can always visit local stores and get ideas from them. Or you can search the internet. You can also talk to professionals, who will give you guidance on why a particular kind of cabinet will be much better is a particular way. The important thing you should decide before you go to the local stores, is the size of the cabinets.
More links on Cabinets-
Lighting
If you are on the lighting system stage of your home renovation, you should be very patient. It is not the easiest stage, and the wide variety of choices we have now are not making this process simpler.
The first thing that usually comes to our mind is that we need more lighting products. We would like to want them everywhere. Well, at least the good news is– with current technology you can allow yourself to have a lot of lighting products and still save money and energy. For this, you simply have to buy energy- efficient lamps.
Well, but this does not solve all your problems. You still have to decide what kind of lamps or bulbs you want to have. You should figure before-hand the quantity of lighting products you will need; the style of lighting products; the luminance of lighting products etc. These all questions have to be answered before you buy new lighting products. It will not be a bad idea to consult with Power & Lighting professionals. Someone, who can help you not only with physics and calculations, but also with design and security.
We would advice you to take a look at your house first before you ask a professional help with lighting. Make some notes of which parts of your house do you want to highlight and make brighter, and which parts do you want to hide. Get your idea about lighting first. It will help you in the conversation with the contractor and you will feel confident that you are following the plan you have in your mind. Creating your own lighting style can be a fun. It’s just better when it is supported with knowledge.
More links on Lighting-
Bonsai Trees
Interior landscaping, if well-designed, is a treat to the eyes. With the greenery that Kerala has been blessed with, the house can be designed so as to bring the surrounding nature indoors in a fascinating blend. This week's feature comes from our Landscape Designer's Desk- Bonsai Trees.
Bonsai Trees are otherwise natural trees that have been trained to grow into a miniature, instead of the full size. We have watched these green midgets in wonder at the flower shows and Agro-exhibitions in our State. With a little time and effort, even you can grow your own Bonsai garden at home.
How to choose bonsai herbs
Laurus Nobilis or the sweet bay laurel is an aromatic tree with evergreen shrubs. In nature, the tree grows up to 40-feet tall in warm areas. When the tree is potted however, it only grows a few feet at a slow pace. Sweet bay laurel is one of the difficult species to reproduce organisms. When the plant is grown in gardens, you will need to cut and seed frequently to entice the plant to root, or propagate. The roots and seed are difficult to grow at the start.
If you purchase the sweet bay, choose the smaller plants that are designed to grow in gardens, or outdoors. The plant in suitable growing conditions will flourish. However, as the plant starts to develop suckers you will need to remove them. Otherwise, the bonsai will loose its shape. During the winter months, you want to bring the plant indoors. Use brilliant lights, and situate the plant near the south window.
The sweet bay is a long-lasting bonsai, yet it is not idea for beginners. If you are a new grower, you may want to view the list of rosemary herbs instead. The rosemary is the Rosmarinus Officinalis group, which the herbs are easiest to grow. You can keep this plant indoors, since it can handle humidity. Rosemary bonsai is similar to pine. The plant will endure indoors or out. The rosemary group has a selection of colors and styles. Rosemary grows scented flowers, which are pink, light to dark blue, and/or white. Rosemary adds variety, and the plant type has a wide array of foliages.
Like the sweet bay however, rosemary is difficult to start growth. Rosemary requires a degree of cutting in order to propagate. You should trim the plant during growing season, i.e. around summer. During the winter months, rosemary can tolerate cooler weather, yet you should place the plants near the south, west, or east area of your home, near a window. Rosemary includes the pine fragrance. Experts recommend that all rosemary plants have limited peat added to the soil, especially in pots. If you use less peat or sand, it will assist in keeping rosemary from drying out or having too much moisture, the required care for the rosemary plant.
Santa Barbara rosemary’s are attractive bonsai. If you plant the Santa Barbara in your garden, make sure that you surround it with debris, or objects such as timber, flat rocks, etc. The plants can benefit from the shield. If you fail to provide the shield, the Santa Barbara bonsai has a tendency to grow outside of its boundary. Prostrate rosemary is another herb trained as the bonsai. The creeping rosemary is the same as prostrate, only known as creeping in different areas. Each member of this herb named is a cascade-style so to speak. Rosemary plants require warmer environments, drier surroundings, and ventilation to prevent mildew.
How to train:
When you train, cascades follow the instructions provided to you. Few cascades are best off if you plant them at the edge of an elevated bed. The bed should trail to the other side of the bed. Rosemary is also grown for adding flavors to meals or making perfumes. Again, if you are a beginner, the rosemary herbs are the plant of choice. In fact, rosemary is a beautiful plant that you will enjoy for years to come.
Rosemary, cascades, Santa Barbara, etc, are of the tender perennial group. If you starting out, we recommend that you learn more about the plants, including training, caring, types, styles, classes, etc, to help you grow your plants effectively.
More links on Bonsai Trees-
Garden Design
Eventhough this web-site is about home remodeling, Landscaping is a topic that you would have to deal with anyway. Garden design is something you will be returning to over and over again. It does not matter what season it is, you can practically start thinking about garden design at any time.
Your Garden is one of the first things that your guests will pay attention to when they visit your house. You can create the garden design in a way that will match to your house; you can go with the unique garden design or choose garden design from the most popular one. You can actually create a garden design that will help you to hide the spots of your existing house you would like to hide.
However, before you will make a chose of the garden design style, you should really study the weather and climate of the area you live in. Not all garden design styles will be possible to have in all areas. Our advice is to consult with professionals. This will save your time and might give you additional assurance that the choice of your garden design is a workable one.
After you’ll get answers on your questions as to the climate and, therefore, the type of plants you can have in your garden, you can start choosing the garden design style. Remember, garden design style is not something permanent; you can always change it in the future. You can also try different garden design styles in different parts of your garden and then stay with one you’d like the most. There is no right or wrong garden design style. It is your choice, your time, your work and your money. Even plants that are growing perfectly well in your neighbour's house might not grow well in yours and vice versa. Garden design is very personal. You can get some advices, but the final choice will be yours.
More links on Garden Design-
Choosing your Sofa Set
Buying a sofa is one of the biggest furniture investments you’ll make—and one of the most permanent. You’ve got to love your sofa because you’re going to have a very long relationship with it.
There is no such thing as a “temporary” sofa. Expect to have it for at least 10 years even if you plan on having it for just two. What happens is that the sofa gets demoted, moving from the living room to the family room to the basement to the dorm. Before you know it, a decade has passed. And that impulse buy has become a part of your life.
To make sure your selection will appeal to you over the long haul, consider some of the following questions when buying a sofa:
Style
If you're buying a sofa for a traditional room, consider one with traditional lines.
Make sure you're buying a sofa that complements the style of your décor. If your interior is traditional, look for a sofa with rolled arms, a contoured back, skirting or tufted cushions. Contemporary sofas tend to have cleaner lines, fewer flourishes and understated upholstery.
Scale
Consider the proportions of the room and determine what height, length and depth of sofa would look best in the space. If you’re uncertain, mock up a footprint on the floor using masking tape or blue painter’s tape. (If that’s not enough, consider “building” a sofa out of empty boxes, then living with it for a day to see if the size feels right.) Allow at least three feet of circulation space on each side that traffic must pass.
If you plan on spending a lot of time laying on the sofa, figure out the length you need to do that comfortably, and buy a sofa that has at least that much space between the arms. (Don’t choose a sofa based on length alone, because a sofa with wide or rolled arms may have less space between the arms than a shorter piece with straight arms.)
A common furniture shopping mistake is buying a sofa and discovering that it won't fit through the door or into the elevator. Make sure you measure all the openings the sofa has to fit through, and check to see whether the legs are removable.
Armless Sofas
If you're buying a sofa for a small space, consider an armless model.
More links on Sofa Sets-
Kitchen Furniture
Kitchen furniture is probably one of the first things you do and would want to change when you do your home remodeling. There are lots of kitchen furniture decisions you have to make. They start from the different design and end up with the material the kitchen furniture is made of.
Kitchen furniture is not just pieces of furniture that you should fill in a part of your house. Kitchen furniture is something more. Kitchen furniture can inspire you or your spouse to make something delicious and spend extra time in the kitchen. For some people kitchen furniture is just useful tools, for others it’s part of the family tradition that keeps a family together in one place. In any case you will still have to spend quite a lot of time in finding the best kitchen furniture that will fit to all your requirements.
So, before you go shopping for kitchen furniture you should have an idea of the type of kitchen furniture you would like to have. You should measure the space and also decide on where and what kind of drawers and counters and other kitchen furniture pieces should be.
An advice about colors. You can chose the one you would like, however, it is important to make the right choice about the material the kitchen furniture is made of. Browse the internet to check which material will be the best in your case. Modern Kerala Kitchens use Wooden, Block board or Aluminium Fabricated Cabinets and Furniture.
More links on Kitchen Furniture-