Designing Your First Home

There is no place like home and you will be on cloud nine when you own a dream home. The next plan you have in your mind will be simply moving onto your dream abode. However, it is not the only thing that you have to do. Before moving on, you should decorate your home and make it a perfect place to live in. Your home should tell a story about you, so it’s better to personalize and make it a truly admirable place. Your design should replicate your taste and way of living and by splashing your creativity everywhere, you can make your home unique.

You can sit with your family and scan through magazines for getting some inspirational ideas. If you come across something interesting, keep it safe for future reference. Just like that, gather examples of things that you would like to see in your home. Even when you hire the service of an interior designer you can sit with him to discuss your needs.

You can start from your living room and bedroom, as these two are the places where you spend most of your time. You can select a color scheme for your rooms. Decide what colors you want in each room and start right from there. Always keep in mind, light colors will make your room appear larger, whereas dark colors reduce its apparent size. However it doesn't mean that it will prevent you from using bold colors that you love just because of the fact that your room is small.  You can try painting just one wall in that color and the rest of the area with a neutral color that complements it. Create a unique blend of colours in your living room by using different tones for mats, curtains and furnishings. It's good to stick to neutrals when it comes to permanent fixtures as brighter colours are more difficult to change if you wish to do so in the future.  

Pick something unique: buy some colorful pillows or scented candles to create a youthful, engaging mood. It’s good to keep shaped vintage mirrors on your walls as they will enhance the beauty of your rooms. You can even hang some artwork to your walls for added aesthetic appeal. Family portraits will also add a homely feel to your interiors. Another great idea for that homely touch is to create a "story wall" exclusively for your living room with a variety of close up and wide angle shots depicting various life events.

When you arrange the furniture in a room, make sure that it doesn't look overcrowded. Your top priority should be proportion, scale and balance within each room. When you design your home, always consider doing things that will add value to your home, so that it in case if you want to sell it in future it will add more resale value for your home. All these simple decorating ideas will help you to make your new house feel just like the home you always wanted and you will start loving life again. 

An Apartment or an Independent Home: What’s Your Preference?

Home is where the heart is, goes the saying. 

But what does the heart want? If you have always dreamt of owning the perfect home, or if you’re purchasing a residential property as an investment, one of the first decisions you will be faced with is choosing between an apartment and an independent house. Azmal Zaheer Khan, a leading architect of Kothari Associates says, "As far as an independent house is concerned,it can be rebuilt to suit changing tastes and requirements, at any point of time," It can also be expanded horizontally if space permits, or vertically, by adding more floors- certainly a big reason why many buyers favor houses.

Independent houses give the impression of privacy and freedom, and offer the advantage of space for gardening or keeping pets. But the adage that good fences make good neighbors is getting re-written with more and more buyers preferring to buy or rent apartments. The real estate boom and rocketing construction costs are making it near impossible for an average individual to build a new house. But in addition to this, modern apartments come with a host of facilities and privileges, like round-the-clock security, that add value to your investment. You have water and electricity 24x7, and you will be able to enjoy all ultra modern amenities under one single roof .