"The Studio" - now on Facebook : A photo palate for interiors in the "Indian" context

Over the last few months I realized that I have been accumulating a good number of  photographs of interior work - both ongoing and finished, on my phone and nearly none had found their way to this blog. The prime culprit - the thought that I will "one day" get a good photographer to cover "finished" interiors of the entire project/s and then put the best ones out here .... a "one day" that is yet to come :(

There is a lot that pictures communicate, not just how good (or bad) the interiors look but also insight into what goes into creating good designs - thus initiating and invigorating the viewers' own thoughts & ideas. What I also found was that while the western world has its  Houzz.com's and other websites, there is hardly ANY place that has insight into home interiors in the Indian context...let me explain what that means.

As Indians our needs are fairly unique and these need to be factored in while designing homes - things such as gas cylinders in the kitchen, a place for storing slippers in the foyer and a provision for people to sit and put their shoes on, false ceilings that need to take care of accommodating the ceiling fan (ask a westerner what a ceiling fan is and watch his expression), storage spaces in the kitchen for lines of boxes containing different spices - the small - small boxes that we have quite similar to the ones in the paan shop :), the puja unit, the jhoola in the living room... I could keep going on and on but I guess you get what I mean by design in an "Indian" context.

So back to the point - if you look around for ideas and pictures of designs that cater to our Indian needs you will hardly find much on the Internet. The facebook page of The Studio is an attempt to fulfill that exact gap - apart from getting all those photographs out from my phone that is :). It is also a forum I am experimenting with for a more continuous interaction with my readers (you).

I will be glad if you visit the page (it's at https://www.facebook.com/homedesignbangalore) and give me your feedback - a "like" if you like it or a comment if you see something amiss and want it added. Just be a little considerate as the content on the page is only what was added this afternoon after the page was created. Based on your feedback it will grow over time.

While it's said that a picture says a thousand words, sometimes those thousand words need to be written down for the best impact. Therefore this blog will continue to be THE medium for exchanging thoughts, questions & ideas. The Facebook page will serve as a medium of conveying some of those ideas through pictures. And both this blog and the Facebook page will interlink to bring you the best of each. Also, if YOU have any picture that conveys a unique idea/ thought or lifestyle then do please share and I will be more than happy to put that up ... just ensure that it is not copyrighted.

As always will welcome your feedback

Signing off

Nandita

My New Logo - The Studio: Homes, Kitchens & Wardrobes

Finally after long deliberations & doodling with friends and family the logo for The Studio is out...yooohoo :)

Based on customer needs, the brand will have 3 ranges of interior options under it

1. The Eco Range - Pocket friendly home interior packages for 2 & 3 BHK apartments
2. The Classic Range - Complete home interiors in good quality material and workmanship
3. The Studio Range - Hi End stuff - Complete Interiors or individual Wardrobes/ Kitchens

As always would welcome your feedback and inputs

Signing off
Nandita

Photographs of my recent Home Interior project at Yelahanka, Bangalore

It is a beautiful penthouse  - top floor, some 3000 sqft with a huge kitchen, party area and the works. Below are the recent clicks.

Nothing starts (and ends) well without the blessings of the almighty

This was actually a recess between two pillars in the center of the home and was converted into a divine showcase to bring a feeling of "presence" & "calmness" to the entire home.

Looking through the living room into the Kitchen

Another angle of the same emphasizing the overall lighting

The Sofa Units - from Urban Ladder

One of my favorites - got an artist to hand-paint the mirror - it shows maple leaves falling from the top

Dum Dum/ Bum Bum of "Night at the Museum" Fame

The TV Unit

TV Unit - Another shot. Wiring hidden behind the wall panel

The Crockery Unit. Breakfast counter in the Kitchen on the right

Crockery Unit - another Shot

Bedroom 1 - Sliding Wardrobe. The photograph doesn't do justice to the actual output as the lighting in the bedrooms was not enough for a good shot (same is true for all the bedroom photos below). The photographer ... who also happens to be a dear friend, was also bereft of equipment having left the same in safe custody at Kolkata during his recent shift to Bangalore :(

Wardrobe Shelving

Headrest - Haneef mian's (the headrest maker's) second iteration. The first one got rejected as the colours of the threads used for the stitching did not match the theme. He will surely give up on me some day :)

This one's a giant - 10 feet in width - and required quite a bit of engineering to make the shutters and ensure that they slide well.

Sliding Wardrobe - Shelving

Bathroom Storage

I was bored with horizontal mirrors on sliding wardrobes - this was the result

Haneef Mian at work again - this one was first time right :)

Edge handles for bathroom storage - helps your kurta to not get caught in the handle when you brush your teeth. Bet you never thought of that one :)

Partial view of the shower partition

What is this - Take a guess??

A rollaway bar :)

The kitchen. It has lights UNDER the bottom cabinets ... hee

Kitchen - another angle showing the corner sink.

Partial view of the breakfast counter

Full view of the Breakfast Counter

Breakfast Counter - Another angle. The hole is just for show and for the kids to have some fun.

This was a massive TV unit cum bookshelf. Was a bit of an experiment with random open and closed shelving. However ended up pretty satisfactory.

Bookshelf - Another view

Murali Manohar - Came all the way from Orissa to bless the home

As I said at the beginning ...nothing starts & ends without the blessings of the almighty.
... lights out

PS: The top floor lawn/ party area is phase 2 of the project...look forward...

Bye for now
Nandita

The Studio Range of Wardrobes - Frequently Asked Questions

I have been getting a number of questions from you on the Studio Range of Wardrobes post the launch & though that a FAQ was in order ... so here goes. Feel free to ping if you have something that is not already in the Q&A below.

Q1. What is The Studio range of Sliding Wardrobes

Ans: The Studio is a range of Hi End sliding wardrobes in international finishes and quality. Each Wardrobe is custom built for each individual customer based on his/ her individual taste, lifestyle & requirements

Q2: What do you mean by International Finishes & Quality

Ans: The Studio range comes in finishes and quality yet seen only in imported wardrobes available in India – this includes

1.       Door options in Hi Gloss, Glass & Mirror

2.       Metallic Edge Handles

3.       Soft Closing

4.       Use of the best sliding system hardware available globally

5.       Top running sliding systems

6.       Optimized door height, width & weight for trouble free sliding action

7.       Customized Shelving

8.       Dust proofing using specialized brushes and pelmets.

Q3: Is there anything “better” in these wardrobes compared to imported wardrobes.

Ans: Yes there is.

1.       The wood that the imported wardrobes use is HDF or MDF, all wardrobes under the Studio range are in BWR ply to ensure longevity and the ability to withstand Indian conditions.

2.       Price: The price of a  “Studio” wardrobe is more than 30% lower than the price of a comparable imported wardrobe (scroll down for more on the price)

3.       There is no lead time for procurement/ import – the only time needed is that required for understanding the needs, customized design construction & fitment.

Q4: What sizes are these Wardrobes available in?

Ans: The Studio range of wardrobes is 100% customizable and built to match the exact space available

Q5:  Will the Wardrobes be fixed or stand alone

Ans: They will be fixed as that enhances the look and leaves no spaces between the wall and the wardrobe. If however the customer wishes to have them stand alone then that is also possible.

Q6:  Are loft options available?

Ans: Yes loft options are available. Unlike in the West we folks in India do prefer to have lofts and the whole point of the Studio range is to cater to our blended needs around finish, material quality and utility

Q7: Will it need any work on the site?

Ans: About 90% of the work will be done at the factory however depending on the complexity of the door design chosen there will be some work to be executed onsite.  However the max assembly/ work time on-site per wardrobe will not be more than 2 days.

Q8: Most important question – what is the price??

Ans: The price depends on the design, finish chosen (Hi Gloss, Glass, Combination etc.), shelving and the size. The idea is to have a price point where even if the customer decides to make the wardrobe on his own using the same material, he ends up spending equal or more. In looking through the supply chain efficiencies and bulk discounts available to designers I do believe that this is possible.

Q9: How to order

Ans: Get in touch with me over e-mail (nanditamanwani@gmail.com)

Signing off

Nandita
PS; General best practices for Sliding Wardrobe design are available here

Update July 03 2014: The dedicated website for The Studio Wardrobes is now up. Please visit http://www.thestudiowardrobes.com

Sliding Wardrobes Bangalore - Launching "The Studio" Range of Hi End Designer Wardrobes

Dear readers…this is just a short announcement that I am launching my own range of Hi End Designer Wardrobes under the brand name “The Studio”. While more details will follow (hopefully on a separate site dedicated to the product…still struggling to find a good web designer, any takers :) ?) I did not want to miss the auspicious occasion of Diwali for this soft launch, so please wish me luck :) 

This endeavor encapsulates the experience and best practices in making sliding door wardrobes learnt over my 6 long years in home making. While each wardrobe under “The Studio” brand will be custom built, it will incorporate best practices such as

1.   Material – BWR Plywood, Hettich Hardware

2.   Finish – In UV Hi Gloss, Glass/ Mirrorred, Veeneers, Duco, Laminates or a combination with metallic edge handles

3.   Practicality & Ease of Use – Dust proofing with dust brushes, customized shelving based on individual lifestyle & needs, soft closing and no banging sliding system.

4.   Engineering – Top running sliding systems, framed shutters, optimized height, width & weight of shutters for smooth and trouble free running.

Also refer http://www.homedesignbangalore.com/2010/07/sliding-wardrobes-do-it-right-first.html  for things to keep in mind while making sliding door wardrobes

Feel free to reach me at nanditamanwani@gmail.com for any queries and feedback, signing off for now

Nandita
PS: I have recently posted a list of FAQ's around The Studio wardrobes - before you pop a question you might want to check the FAQ's available here

Update July 03 2014: The dedicated website for The Studio Wardrobes is now up. Please visit http://www.thestudiowardrobes.com