Month / Jan 2020

by Aman Sharma

Unseen beaches of Goa.

Goa is one of the most chattered and visited tourist attraction in India without any doubts. It is extremely famous between all the age groups and is visited by large number of tourists every year.  From last some time it has become the most liked place to celebrate New Year and Christmas, and not these two but it is considered as the perfect spot to celebrate. Various parties and other carnivals are organized here throughout the year including- Sunburn. Whenever someone plans to explore beaches, happening places, nightlife, enjoy or relax, Goa is considered as the prefect spot for all of it. Despite of thousands of people visiting Goa every year, there is a large part of Goa that has not been well known by the people especially the beaches. In this article I will write down about five beaches to explore on your next Goa visit.

1- Miramar Beach– This one is not so hidden and is visited by people but just. This beach is just 3 kilometers from Panaji. The silky sand, Palm trees and a clear Ocean in front of you. These factors will stole your heart for sure. The surroundings will left you amaze and will make a space in your heart for the lifetime. This beach is also known as ‘Golden Beach’ because of its golden-brown sand color. This beach is lined up with shops and local eateries when there is an event nearby.

2- Mobor Beach– People who want to seek adventure, Mobor beach is considered as a perfect place for them. The way to this beach goes through a highly dense forest. In between the route tourists can play or do various adventurous activities such as Skiing, Water surfing, Jet Ski, Banana- Bump ride etc.

3- Vagator Beach– It is located near Mapusa road and at distance of 22 kilometers from Panaji. Vagator Beach has dramatic red cliffs looking down on the shore and two fresh water springs within a stone’s throw of the sea. But Vagator has little by way of seaside accommodation. There is also a 500 year old Portuguese fort nearby. Though it is mostly visited by western bag packers but however it is also becoming popular to Indian tourists now. This beach is also known as ‘Big or Little Vagator’.

4- Morjim Beach– Morjim is a Census Town in Pernem, Goa, India; it is situated on the northern bank of the Chapora River estuary. It is home to a variety of birds and is a nesting site for Olive ridley sea turtles. The village has become known as “Little Russia” because of the concentration of Russian immigrants living there. The beach offers you and high and low wave tides which is why it is also considered a favorable place for kite surfing.

5- Betalbatim Beach– This is considered as one of the most beautiful beaches of Goa. It is also known as the ‘Sunset beach of Goa’ because of it mesmerizing sunset view. This beach is more peaceful and cleaner than all of other beaches. The advantage of the beach is that it has a vast coastline. Morning risers can take total advantage for a long run or walk on the beach. There are few bakeries which serve local breakfast and bakery food. This beach is apt for family picnics or if you want to spend good time by yourself under the tree or at one of the shacks. On weekends, you will also see locals playing football.

Travelers generally choose this area for a long duration of stay, as it offers affordable home stay and it also has few resorts close to the beach.

by Aman Sharma

Mirror won’t be the same.

Decorating the mirror is not a new concept but obviously it’s a loved concept. From ages people especially women love to re-decor the small household items, especially the mirrors. With time to time there have been ever changing designs to re-decor your simple home mirror. From Retro to modern looks they have sorted it all to design the mirror. Earlier mirror was seen only in the dressing room or where you usually get dressed up and in your bathrooms, but now it also works as a style label for your home. If you are also having a mirror which you want to re-decor than this article will fit all of your needs. I have picked the best yet the easy designs for a perfect mirror that you and everyone who visit your place will love.

1-Mirror with flowers- This has always been the favorite when it comes to design a mirror for the home. The mirror and flowers on its border create a harmonious and positive atmosphere indoors. To make this just paste the dry leaves or flowers on the border of the mirror, fabric flowers will also work. To paste properly paste a layer of thin cloth on the mirror and then paste your flowers and leaves. This type of mirrors can be used in your living/lobby area and also on dressing table.

2-Rope- This is one of the classical designs which were used very much few years back. This is the perfect way if you want a hanging mirror. To do this simply roll a rope around the mirror and create a small loop at the mirror head to hang it. Use a thick rope instead of using a thin rope because if we use thin rope we have to create a number of turns around it and thus it will lose its original look. If you a home based on classical design then this will add a glitter to your home. But even they work very well with any type of homes. This can be used next to your stairs, as this design is used for small mirrors generally so use them in way where it creates a style statement than a proper looking mirror.

3-Pom-Pom – Children absolutely love this type of mirrors as they are more colorful and playful too. These type of mirrors can be used in children’s room as it looks more colorful and create a joyful vibe. Wrap a layer of pom-pom around the mirror, we can use pom-pom of various colors or can match them with the color of theme you have done in your home.

4-Stones & Shell- This type of mirrors come under modern concept of art and are excessively used in homes, Hotels, café and offices. To make this simply cut a cardboard piece according to the shape and size of the mirror. Place the mirror in the center of the cardboard cutting and apply a layer of the glue or whatever solution you are using and then start applying the stones and shells on cardboard. This may take some time but the end product is so much beautiful and you will thank yourself later for making this. This types of mirror can be either used on entrance consoles or bathrooms.

5-Beads- Cut slightly a large piece of cardboard then the mirror and start pasting your favorite beads on it. You can use sort of beads which you like or can pick a theme color to make it. This type of mirrors can be used anywhere especially if you have a plain wall hang this mirror on it. It will become a focus of that wall and will also work as a form of abstract art.

6-Lace- It is used if we want to have a luxury or the royal look on the mirror. As lace comes in so much designs you will access a lot of options in this. To make it just use a wider lace around the mirror and paste it. This mirrors can be used in your bedrooms or at the entrance consoles.

I hope this was beneficiary if you were looking to re-decor your mirrors. Have your own idea? Please be kind to share it in the comment box below. Any suggestions are welcome. Thank you for reading. Follow us to become a part of this new reading family.

by Aman Sharma

Uncoding the bathroom

Bathroom is simply defined as a room with a bathtub/shower and usually with a basin and a toilet seat, but bathroom is not just about this only anymore. In a poll of about 2500 people including men, women and youngsters they have accepted the fact on an average they spent 30 minutes of their day in the bathroom. So the bathroom has not just remained a place to go, freshen yourself and come out but now people sit there scrolling through the internet, going through the world on their phones and so much more. On a note it is accepted by about 70% of people that there ability of thinking increases in the bathrooms compared to normal work space. So it has become equally important to design them well too. In houses bathrooms now work as a style statement. In this article I will try to write down the basic principles used in designing a bathroom. Bathrooms should be a quiet and hygienic place and must be designed accordingly. If you are designing one for home than you should considering making a mood board for it. Usually a mood board is where you write the main element i.e. is bathroom in this case and around it you write all the things that come in your mind by thinking of that particular word, than select the words you are most attracted and paste their pictures on a sheet. In this way you will get a clear picture for what your thoughts are on how your bathroom should be.

Illustration of a mood board

Before designing of the bathroom it is mainly divided into four parts to get most of the bathroom that are-

  • Dry area- that is your Wash basin area
  • Semi wet area- that is the WC/Toilet seat area
  • Wet area- that is the bath area
  • Slopes- Bathroom’s floor is made in a way that it is a little slant so that if water get collected so it automatically slides down to the drainage point.

This are the basic principles that are used in structuring of a bathroom. Below is a small brief about this areas.

1-Dry area or the ‘Basin’ area- This area is considered as the soul of your bathroom area. The first part of the area that catches the attention of the person. Wash basin must be placed just at the entrance of the bathroom. This is the area which can be and is mostly designed to the fullest. This area can be filled with a lot of design elements, big looking mirrors, cove lights and so much more. This area has to be kept dry. Although you have wash basin here where you will wash your hands and face a lot of times in a day. So the area should be designed in such a manner that water don’t spill everywhere. The height must be at correct level (standard at 36” from floor level) so it provides you ease of use. Wall mounted basins are new in trend but still counter top basins are preferred more till date. A small mat or rug can be place on the floor near the basin area. Though people decorate it very much by filling it up with different products but to get best of it try to keep the minimal stuff on the counter, keep liquid soaps in a bottle hanged on the wall. Use vanity under the basins to store more of the stuff as they will also work a design statement for your bathrooms as well as a storage option too. Below are some the bathroom basin area designs. Don’t fill up too much here as it will make it look tidy and later will create various issues like cleaning and maintaining it.

2- Semi wet area- The WC/ Toilet seat area is known as the semi wet area of the bathroom. This area must be hidden or designed in such a way that it is not visible directly when you enter the bathroom. The position of the wc should also be maintained so you don’t feel tidy or uncomfortable while using it. In smaller bathrooms wall mounted wc can be used to save more space.

3- Wet area- The bathing area is known as the wet area. It is advised to create its floor a little slant than the normal floor level so that the water don’t get collected there. If possible try to divide the wet and semi wet area, particularly it is done by giving glass shower enclosures. Shower enclosures are trending these days but demand a proportionate of space also which is mostly not available in regular bathroom sizes. So to overcome this either you can create a partition wall between the two or keep the wet area floor a little lower than the rest of the floor of bathroom. Another thing to keep in mind is that the wet area and semi wet area must be constructed near to each other than being in the opposing directions. Below are two ways to separate the wet and dry areas.

4- Slope- As described above, the bathroom floor is constructed in such a way that it is a little slanted towards the wet area so that water can easily travel out through the drain point.

These were the four main basic principles on which a bathroom design is based upon. These things are essential for a bathroom to function to its full efficiency. Once the plan is made according this, than you can move to next step that is designing of the bathroom. Planning with this rule will automatically result in better outcome of the design no matter what you choose to apply there.

While designing the bathroom watch out for these things also-

  • Proper ventilation of air and the placement of the exhaust to clear out humidity in there.
  • Minimum space required in bath and wc area so that you can move your elbow and legs freely without hitting anything.
  • Use matt or rustic flooring in the bathroom to avoid slipping.
  • To avoid termite or water damage on wall apply tiles till the ceiling. One it will protect your vanity and other items from problem and it will also work as a style element for the walls.