India — Spruce up your decor as you work from home
With Mumbai and Delhi in lockdown, decor experts share tips.
With Mumbai and Delhi both in lockdown, it’s time to spruce up your living spaces. Nothing kills productivity like cramped up spaces. So even if you have a small designated desk, make sure to de-clutter it and focus on ways you can make your space as interesting as possible. Design can be used to de-clutter space too.
Raseel Gujral Ansal, Co Founder CASA PARADOX suggests creating a workspace. “A designated workspace ensures that you work efficiently and effectively, No matter how big or small your designated area is – here are some recommendations that I always keep in mind while designing and curating a workstation. Make sure there is ample light – Choose a space that has ample natural light, working from home can get demotivating and gloomy (to say the very least) so pick a space that ensures that it has a flow of light. A room with a view of nature works best, making the space a personal sanctuary rather than a place for professional toil. I love to use aesthetics in a utilitarian fashion, so you’ll notice a lot of hidden storage spaces, cabinets that double as bookshelves.”
She adds, “Add some drama on your wall. Strategic decor choices help a lot to keep clutter at bay. For example in my home office, I didn’t fill every inch but instead kept the tablespace pretty bared-back, which lets my stunning sculptural stone desk (which was actually designed as a dining table) shine. I did, however, add large storage units along the pack walls to keep my work essentials neatly tucked away. The items that do get left out are all some beautiful nostalgia-evolving objects, collected over the years. Revamp your patio area – With this lockdown, gardens and balconies are a place of refuge, now more than ever. An unloved patio or roof garden is no place to spend sunnier days, especially if it’s a graveyard for dead plants and damaged furniture. Start with scrub and replacing old pots. De-grime patio furniture with warm water and washing liquid. If any furniture needs replacing, consider moving older furniture outside. If the area is covered, you could go for fluffy floor pillows and add color with an outdoor rug perhaps. Even the smallest space can look like a garden, like your window sill. Get creative, use the supplies you have at home like planters, vines, and creepers, add fairy lights, or even candles for a whimsical touch.”
Chanya Kaur, Founder – The Pure Concept Home observes that home offices or work desks can often get messy and neglected.
“Addgreens to your space which will bring in life and you will love to spend some more time. A lovely indoor plant like ZZ will look pretty and also clean the air. Potting the same in a wicker or terracotta planter will look perfect. Another way could be filling up the space with vibrant art that uplifts your mood. You simply create your own artwork and have it farmed. The last one, mix old and new. Mixing vintage and modern makes a house feel personal and lived in. So pairing a vintage rug with black and white minimal wall art will create that balance, keeping the space understated,” suggests Charu.