Before we get to the wooden collections from Jin Kuramoto Studio, let me tell you how I got there.  I have two identical terra cotta pots with an interesting shape waiting to be painted and planted. I got it on my trip to Mahabalipuram; so they’ve been sitting in my balcony for over a month. I can’t settle on a design/color for the pots, and am constantly looking for fresh ideas. While scouting for modern patterns, I discovered materialicious.  According to the folks who run the site, “materialicious™ (”shelter, materials and objects”) is a user-submitted visual curation site featuring modern architecture and design, craftsmanship, materials and products.” True to every word. You can’t get your eyes off the page once you start browsing, and before you realise you’ve spent enough time wasting looking at the stunners.

Now, materialicious is what led me to  Jin Kuramoto Studio. The wooden tea sets and mirrors in striking, contrasting, and complementary colors leaves a lasting impression. It’s easier to reproduce the same effect with planters. I need not delve further into the effect it would bring into one’s garden.  The traditional wooden tea sets in subdued earthen colors with simple stripes is unique too.

Striped planters

Consider growing a herb garden in the smaller ones by placing them on your kitchen windowsill.

For dark, bright colored planters

Black absorbs heat and can be harmful for the plants during the summer months. Go for a little lighter shade while retaining the effect.

White rules

When you’ve run out of ideas, a easy fallback option is a white planter. - you can never go wrong with this one. Give it a little texture, group a couple of them in different shapes in a corner, and you have a winner.

While we’re on the topic of painting planters, I feel compelled to share how discarded cups were transformed into eye-catching reusable pieces with a little design on them. And, if those designs happen to be characters from Alice in Wonderland, can one resist?

Alice in Wonderland ceramic cups

Images:

1.2.3. - Jin Kuramoto

4 - Dagens Design

Your foyer is an indication of what to expect inside the home. Color or muted interiors, organized or cluttered,  storage space, accessories etc. A organized, tastefully decorated foyer generally leads to a equally well-maintained home. If the entryway is disheveled, then your guess is as good as mine as to how rest of the house will be.

I’ve always liked having a foyer so that the front door doesn’t open directly into the living room.  But, unfortunately, the apartments I’ve lived in have never had one.  So, I’m always scrambling for a space to hang coats, helmets, keys, and place the shoe rack. Imagine having a house plant or a vase with fresh flowers on top of the shoe rack - what a welcoming feeling every time one steps inside the house.

Several apartments I’ve seen in metros do not have a foyer. And surprisingly, all but very few apartments in tier-II and tier-III cities have one. So, why do you need one and what comprises the space? I need it for two reasons - privacy and storage.

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Who says your interior doors have to be neutral in color? Tired of the white/ivory color doors? Bright colors need not be restricted to walls, curtains or furniture. Go bold with these three ideas and style your door differently…

Bright paint can make so much of a difference…

Colorful Door

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I had a set of 6 wooden coasters that were nearly 5 years old. Dull, faded, and ready to be discarded. But the coasters/place mats are the sturdy kind that I didn’t have the heart to just junk it. So over the weekend I transformed a pair (to begin with) into these bright, colorful coasters.

Colorful Coasters

How to paint:

The steps are similar to how we painted the cane furniture: sanding, priming, painting followed by a coat of varnish. The only difference is I used acrylic paint for this project.

Coaster Painting Steps

Asian Paints recently opened their Signature Store in Mumbai. NDTV Hot property featured the colorful store as part of the show’s last segment. The design of the store, patterns, texture, and an impressive product line-up left me awestruck. Though my experience with Asian Paints Home Solutions (for painting) has not been great in the past, I logged on to the site to see what they have to offer this time. I must say, it looks neat.

The entire site is worth browsing. Yea, add it to your list of time-wasters Going by what they claim, it does sound like kids will finally have the freedom to get creative on the walls (or do they call scribbling?).

Get Creative on the walls. Moms can scream no more!

Wall Decor from Asian Paints

The colourwash effect under special effects, in particular, looks cool.

Terra Cotta planters are common along the road side in most cities across India. They come in various shapes, sizes, and forms including animals and gods.

I bought a pair of planters for Rs. 80 a few months ago, filled them with potting soil, and planted ivy (money) plants. A few weeks ago, itching to do something, I turned one of the planters into a decorative vase.

Terra Cotta Planter

What you’ll need:

1. Brush

2. Acrylic Paint - black and white

3. Palette or a cup.

4.  Fevicol

5. Water

6. Varnish

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After yesterday’s stimulating pictures of zebra print, let’s get down to do some dirty work today. Once I realized, it wasn’t going to be easy to get zebra stripes-printed cushion covers in Bangalore, I set down to painting one of my recycled cushion covers inspired by this throw pillow.

Zebra Pillow

Things you’ll need:

1. Pencil/chalk
2. Brush
3. A small cup/palette if you have one
4. Plain Cushion cover in any color, preferably old
5. Water
6. Some old clothes if this is your first painting project

A few tips before we start the project:

1. It’s better to use recycled cushion cover for this project because you wouldn’t want to paint odd looking stripes on a Rs.300 cushion piece and fret over it, would you ? I used one of the recycled covers from this project.
2. A plain cover of any color will be ideal for this project so that you will have a good background to draw the stripes on. Use contrasting colors for the stripe that gels with your decor. For instance, if your cover is white or ivory then use the natural black or orange or yellow.
3. Fabric paint can be washed with water. Ensure to read the instructions on the bottle and clean the brush using water after use. In order to preserve the colors for future use, close the cap tightly before putting it away.
4. If the paint is very dilute, then the results will be blotchy. More often than not, you will see patches on the back of the cover as excess paint from the top layer gets absorbed beneath. Get the correct ratio of paint+water by experimenting on a waste piece of cloth. As a precautionary measure, place a cutting board or something hard inside the cover. This will protect its rear side.

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