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There is nothing like natural greenery. Natural, real plants are invaluable if you need to brighten up spacer or provide that vital oxygen. However, there ar4e certain times and places where you can’t afford to go for the natural one and have to do with the artificial version.
Among the many faux kinds of greenery you can bring in, there are plastic plants, and flowers and flowers and ferns in silk and glass which are especially available in home-décor or design stores. Besides, you can also go in for artificial trees. Prime among these are bamboo and palm trees. They are widely used in homes, offices and especially in hotels and spas. When these plants and trees are housed in elegant terracotta, metal or ceramic containers they enhance the aesthetic effect. Sometimes, a row of them is installed in a bed of sand with marble pebbles with beads strewn around the base of the tree to add to the décor.
If you purchase one from a good brand or something, which is a designer piece, you can be sure of a product, which looks exactly like the real thing. Also, there is plenty of variety in size and shape. The tree trunk or fronds and the way they branch out may all very. From the tall ones typically placed in corners of large rooms or outdoor party areas, to the small desktop ones, you have a great range to suit any type of use. Generally, the tall tree should be used in a spacious room as it would dwarf the small room and look totally incongruent there. There is a wide range in prices too and typically the cost depends on the height and weight of the palm tree, the extent of the foliage, the diameter of its trunk, quality of the materials used and the overall appearance that is how real or natural it looks. Advertising professional Govardhan Hegde has a wife who suffers from pollen allergy and is also paranoid about insects. However, they did want a green touch to their interiors. So, on one of his trips abroad, he brought home two big, artificial palm trees and had them installed in the large drawing cum dining room of his villa. “We have also placed a lot of silk and glass flowers, in flower vases across the home for the same reason.”
In other cases, artificial plants and trees are installed at home by a family whose members are traveling for most of the month and hence have little time to tend to the greenery at home which soon withers and wilts form lack of care. For software professionals Ujjwala and Shankear Rao, the decision to go in for their faux palm trees was because of their hectic travel schedule. They have installed several palm trees beside a couple of bamboo clusters at different points in the home like the drawing room, verandah and outside in their porch as well as one in their gazebo. “It is not only about watering the plant, even the associated problems of clearing fallen leaves or cleaning any smudges on the floor or carpets, for which we have no time, are also eliminated.” Besides, of course, one is also freed of the hassles of regular trimming and fertilizing of the tree. Indeed, the low-maintenance factor has become a big draw of artificial plants and trees. The faux palm tree, in particular needs little care. Besides, the fact that the good variety lasts long has also led to their popularity. The artificial palm tree is also chemically treated so there is no fear of damage from insects or indoor pollution. Some of the good products are so real looking that most guests can’t tell the difference until they go close and touch the tree or leaves. These palms add an unusual and interesting touch to your interiors or even in semi-open areas like gazebos, verandahs and porches. This is why there are many homeowners who can afford to take care of natural greenery and do have plenty of real plants in and around the home, but still go in for artificial palm trees.

Probably no other room in the house needs to be as tuned to your lifestyle as much as your master bedroom. Every little fancy takes prominence in this room be it as basic as a comforter or as high-tech as a home theatre, if you like it then it should be here. Even then, there are some designing principles that apply to this space.
Master plan
A room has its own constraints, mainly owing to the size and traffic flow. Both cannot be helped. Furniture arrangement will naturally be around these two factors. If the size of the bedroom is small, it is best to keep some standard furniture out of the room. For example, instead of nightstands, wall-mounted bed lights, like those in hotels, will do. The vanity counter can be replaced with a wall mirror and a shelf to keep toiletries. A bigger bedroom benefits from the extra space when the design consideration is given to personal preferences. An entertainment zone, a library, a study, home office, a seating area, or a walk in closet can be incorporated here. Sometimes, sheer size can fit in two concepts instead of one. But whatever be the size of the bedroom, traffic flow needs to be considered. It is always preferable to keep the way to the attached bathroom and the two sides of the bed free and easily approachable.
Colour scheme
Colour selection is purely personal. While one colour relaxes someone, it can evoke an opposite reaction in some other person. But designers, studies, and traditions have slotted colours with moods. The colours and the mood usually associated with them are pink for love, green to bring calm, lavender for relieving stress, and blue for serenity. These colours are most likely to be picked up for the bedroom rather than bold colours. A neutral shade like white or cream can also be used with a bold accent colour on one wall. For that matter, decorative claddings on the rest of the walls. Popular wall claddings for the4 bedroom are bamboo, timber, and marble.
Storage
A large bedroom should have a suitable walk in closet to hold acquisitions of all shopping jaunts. The rest can benefit from built in cupboards. Floor-to-ceiling cupboards offer good storage and so does a chest of drawers or a storage chest. For a small bedroom, it is better to store seasonal clothing in another room in order to reduce clutter.
Decor
Choose a theme and work with it. Furnishings like curtains, bed linen, upholstery, and area rugs need to be well coordinated. Area rugs act as great separators and can be used freely in bedrooms of any size. Flooring that looks    warm and stylish like par4quet or vinyl, for budget watchers, is good over here. Beautify the bedroom ceiling, as you are most likely to look up at it. Ornamental ceilings medallions or decorative ceilings are extremely attractive to see. A dropped ceiling will make a large bedroom inviting whereas a raised ceiling will create an illusion of space in a small bedroom. While at it, do not miss fine details like moldings, trims, and cornices, in wood or Plaster of Paris. Wherever possible, display pictures and paintings that give you immense viewing pleasure. If looking at your collection of crystals makes you happy, then go ahead and have them here in an elegant display unit. Consider extra frills like a window seat or a skylight.
Lighting
The central lighting in the bedroom is best with a dimmer to create appropriate mood lighting. However, sharing a room will require some alternative lighting that can be kept on without disturbing anyone. Thus, there is a need for bedside lamps. The entertainment zone, if present, will require soft and unobtrusive lighting. The seating or reading area will need bright portable lamps, and a dressing table will want bright strip lighting. Cupboards can be fitted with fluorescent strips that switch on when the doors are opened.

The art of clipping trees, shrubs and hedges to create designs and sculptures goes way back many centuries. Topiary is an art that is striking and varied. The different shapes give an unusual yet ordered look to the garden.
Basics
The selection of the plant is the first step towards a beautiful topiary. The foliage needs to be dense with small leaves. The plant chosen should be evergreen and needs to grow in a stout compact manner or as a column. The world’s tallest topiary in Imphal has grown to 61 feet. The topiary, Samban-Lei Sekpil, is clipped from the Nilakantha plant. To get a shape from a growing plant requires a lot of patient pruning. However, you can get a specific shape by training the plant around a wired frame. Beginners need not be discouraged if the shape is not as desired. A little bit of manipulation can probably get another form, which may be equally delightful. Either the clipping can be done as the plant is growing or after it has grown to the required height. Also, topiary shears are available for intricate clippings.

Designs
Elaborate designs are art pieces. However, they are equally difficult to create. To begin with, ivy can be used to train over wire cages or balls to give clean geometric designs. For a more complex spiral pattern, experts advocate tying a string, preferably nylon fishing line, from the top of the plant and circled around in downward sweep. Subsequently, any stray twigs or leaves can be clipped to maintain the shape. Weak stems can even be tied to keep with the shape of the design. Sharp and straight designs are achieved with plants that have small leaves.
Aesthetics
A garden gets a face-lift with elegant topiaries. For a formal look, geometric designs are better suited. One such example is freestanding topiary globes dotting the lawn. Hedges along a lawn can be dotted with green columns and arches can be made along entryways. Simple designs can be achieved with a little practice. Once these are easily dealt with, elaborate forms can be tackled. These can be either standalone designs or part of a tableau, which can incorporate other elements. You can get creative here grounded only by the formation of the design. Animal designs are particularly popular and the frames for them are easily found. Elephant and bird patterns are popular in animal designs. Tableau scenes generally require human figures or fairytale characters which are slightly difficult to conceptualise on a wire frame. Other designs that will look good in any garden are mythical creatures and automobiles.
Maintenance
Topiary needs regular maintenance for its shape and health. You must regularly water it. Over-watering is a sure way to kill it. Mist all parts of the topiary with water. Occasionally spray insecticide to keep away spiders and other insects. Plant supplements can be used to ensure that the topiary remains healthy.
Some tips
If you have a potted bougainvillea, ivy, or jasmine, then there is an easy way to have a beautiful topiary. Simply trim the leaves to form a series of globes and your topiary will be the focus even in a small balcony. When using a hollow round frame, it is better to first stuff it with wet moss. Gently place the roots of the ivy on it and make sure that the roots entrench into the moss by making tiny holes in it. Use simple hairpins to secure the plants to the frame.

Decorating your home can be one of the most enjoyable experiences for you and your family. But what is more important is to figure out how one should get the best from a set budget. For starters, pace your decorating. Decide and plan ahead of time what you are ready to spend on the project and don’t forget to include money for miscellaneous accessories. Be realistic in your assessment and specifically list where and when the money will come from. If you think a home improvement loan is required. Start on the paperwork and check out the various schemes available. It makes more sense to begin the project a little later rather than have it held up in between due to a delay in expected incoming funds, which could substantially add to your total expenses. Decide on one room at a time and select the priority areas. Have a plan detailing the color scheme, style, and atmosphere that you want. Above all, fix a target date for the completion of each area. Time overruns usually result in cost overruns, so stick to the plan and finish the work within your preset time limit.

Another situation where costs can go up is when people are unsure of exactly what it is that they want or hesitant in deciding the precise materials suitable for different areas of the house. In case you do not feel absolutely confident about tackling all aspects of the decorating project, get in touch with a professional designer. The money spent will be an investment rather than an expense, as he or she will save you time, energy, money, and frustration. Explain your likes and dislikes, because whatever is done needs to suit you and your family.

Paint and wallpaper borders can be used in updating and freshening a room and usually cost very little. View colors and patterns in your home during daylight hours before making a purchase. Repeat each color in your scheme at eye level, mid level, and floor level to achieve good visual balance. Place mirrors so they reflect something beautiful. Use them to add dimension, expand space or reflect light in a room.

Instead of changing the glass panes of your windows, dress them up with curtains or place large plants placed near the windows. The arrangement of furniture in the social areas of the home is another important factor. Make sure your plan allows for some flexibility in terms of pulling up extra chairs when more guests arrive. Mix and match items that you like. Remember that functionality is more important than fashion. Get budget items that work for you, rather than ostentatious things, which only serve a decorative purpose.

Set and enforce deadlines in terms of concepts, costs and time and you’ll find it easy to decorate while staying within your budget.

How many times in the year do you recollect planning a color makeover, then postponing it for later, and then re-planning it? A common tendency delays it to the concluding year-end chore and finally a fresh layer of paint adorns your living room. Colors decide the look of a room. When you choose colors for your walls, upholstery, cushions, bedspreads etc. you begin the process of giving the room its own character. What better way to define a ‘Christmas’ look for your room than by using a festive color scheme? You can use a combination of red and green, red and white, red with white and gold, red with green and silver to arrive at a merry combination.

Hang ornaments from the X’mas tree or the windows and doors. Classic Santa and tree ornaments are readily available. Distinctively detailed and aglow with glitter, these exquisite hand-blown and hand-painted ornaments evoke fond memories of Christmas celebrations of the past. You need to look out for detailing and décor though. Brighten the boughs of your tree for a look of timeless elegance. Add some wildlife to your tree with squirrels, hedgehogs, and reindeers to add a bit of wintertime whimsy.

Choose to showcase a special collection that you can’t have on display all year. Christmas is the perfect time to give these items a place of distinction, share them, and enjoy them.

Dress up your home in winter white and green this season by creating a winter village ambience in your home. Start with the table. Place candles, candle holders, heirlooms, decorations handed down through generations, and a collection of gifts. Set your village among a snowy forest by adding green and white glittering tree-shaped candles. Accessories by adding a layer of fresh snow, in the form of white wax. Add details like reindeer, and other knock-knacks. Give your dinner party too a whimsical winter theme. Use your winter village as the centerpiece for your buffet. Personalize by placing small winter tree candles, ornaments and winter accessories like a ski board to give the theme a complete look.

Tabletop fountains can be a great way to accessories your work or dining table and they make a very unusual gift idea too. They visually enhance the table, and the sound of the water trickling down can be very soothing. Besides work or dining tables, they can be used as mantelpieces, on centre or side tables in drawing room, and in a corner of the kitchen counter. Some people even place one on the window next to their bed as they find the sound of the running water very relaxing. Finally, tabletop fountains also provide moisture in an otherwise generally dry indoor environment. There are various styles, sizes, materials, and colors in which these little tabletop accessories come. There is something in the market for virtually every taste and budget. You will be surprised at how ingenious the designs are. You might find a miniature rock garden, which holds a small fountain in the centre. Some of them have animal and human figurines where the water often drips from a pitcher, or spouts from the animal’s mouth. Some of them recreate a little garden complete with flowering plants having a tiny pond in the centre where the fountain is. Other creative designs include large flowers where the water spouts from its centre, trees with overhanging branches, urns etc. Some fountains also have music to go with the sound of the flowing water to add to the relaxing effect. The music may be playing permanently as long as the water keeps flowing, or it may be an occasional chime, timed to sound at a regular interval. Otherwise, you can have a fountain where the music can be activated only when your touch or move the fountain.

The typical materials used for tabletop fountains are slate, copper, stone, granite, ceramic, stainless-steel, glass, and fiberglass. Tap water is commonly use for a water fountain but it contains calcium and minerals, so over time there are unsightly residues and algae-deposits that build up on your fountain and pump. This, of course, can be somewhat reduced by the use of a water-additive. But this will only ensure that your fountain will remain clean for a longer spell but it cannot permanently prevent any build-up.

Therefore, distilled water is a better option and if you can obtain it, you can use water goes through the reverse-osmosis method from water filter. If your fountain is made of copper, then a clear powder coat over the copper helps prevent the problem of deposits, considerably. Stainless-steel is an excellent choice because algae and bacteria don’t gather on its surface as it is not-corrosive and also very easy to clean. Generally, tabletop fountains don’t require much maintenance. You can empty out all water from it, and clean the surfaces thoroughly removing any dirt, algae, or calcium deposits once a month or even three months, depending on the material you use. Leave it to completely dry for a day or so and then refill the water and resume using it.

•  Use lots of figurines, wreaths, ornaments, and tabletop trees.
• Tie ribbons generously to chair backs, candlesticks, wreaths, basket handles, drapery tie-backs, stair railings, and doorknobs.
• Choose ribbons in colors and patterns that coordinate with your decorating scheme.
• If you can’t find anything that looks quite right, choose metallic silver, gold, green, or red.
• Put a wreath on every door that you have. Use real pine, holly, or grapevine, decorated with bows, berries, fruit, pinecones, raffia, ornaments, birds, photos, or candy.
• Whenever you’re home, turn on a CD or the radio and listen to Christmas music.
• Tie some sleigh bells onto the front door, and listen to the cheery welcome.
• Collect classic movies with Christmas themes, such as “A Christmas Story”, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, “Scrooge”, or “The Santa Clause”.
• Bake little loaves of tea bread and warp them in colorful wraps. Set them in a pretty basket for decoration. Fill a pretty basket with traditional candy canes and set it on the coffee table or entry table.
• Sprinkle artificial snow across your tabletop or on house plants.
• Embellish indoor plants or trees with shiny ornaments. Make a ritual of lighting the Christmas tree each evening.

Woodwork eats a considerable chunk of the budget allotted for interiors. There are ways to minimize the cost by using options, which cost lesser than solid wood. Flush doors fall into this category. Perceiving its popularity, even major companies have invested enough design elements as well as utility value to make these doors one of the fastest selling products.

Concept

Flush doors have two skins or faces with hollow or solid core in between. The core, by itself, can be of flax board, particle board, honeycomb, or any such material. Honeycomb core can be of aluminum, plywood, particleboard or hardwood and will make the flush door light yet durable, thus making it the most preferred choice for interior doors. The faces are generally of high density wood fiber, veneer, or stain grade hardwood or softwood. Quality conscious companies use low VOC adhesives in the making of these flush doors. Depending on the thickness of the face, which ranges form 3mm to even 12mm, the door gets stronger and has better acoustic properties. They are given a nice finish and are impact-resistant as well as scuff and moisture resistant. They are also made to be rot and termite proof. All these qualities give a huge advantage over solid timber, which may be prone to termites and weather. The outer faces are made of materials that can be painted to match the décor. This is also a big plus. Generally, plain block-board flush doors can be cut to the size required.

Design

Flush doors are available in most of the standard door designs. The faces can be separated by a rail-and-stile frame or it can be one single component. You can also have a combination of wood and glass. This means that the flush door can have glass panels in between the overall frame. The wood grains on the faces are available in a variety of authentic-looking grains of oak, pine, mahogany, cedar, and teak. Decorative moldings as well as fancy beadings are possible on these doors to give a warm wood finish. Ornate grillwork can also be incorporated, if required.

Décor

One important feature of flush doors is that they can be painted. This means that they can be modified to match the décor of the room. Small or dark rooms will do well with brightly painted flush doors. Some interior doors can have glass panels to allow for more light into the living space. The versatility of flush doors makes it possible to have any shape of glass panel as the boards can be cut easily. Thus, you can have glass panels of circular, triangular, square, or polygonal shapes in these doors. If painted doors are not for you, polish the faces with a rich finish. This way the splendor of a solid wood door is easily recreated at a much lower budget.

Location

Generally, flush doors are good indoors although there are options available, which can be even used for the main door. If the faces of the flush doors are adequately waterproofed, they can also be used for the bathrooms. Flush doors are almost always hung to the frame or jamb with suitable hinges. Looking at the utility of a flush door, in no longer remains an option to be exercised. It becomes the only choice, especially when budget and elegance are the issues. The range of designs and varieties available makes it a delight to select one that will match the décor of your house.