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3/10/2007

Create the mood

When we think of painting the house the first thing that comes to mind is the colour. Each one of us wants to give our home an unusual look and colour plays a very important role in rejuvenating a room. Across every continent and in every culture, colour dominates and permeates our lives. In our fast-moving world we are constantly bombarded by colour, yet many of us have lost touch with its meanings. Colour surrounds us, feeding and nourishing our senses. We see it, feel it and absorb it. Our minds, bodies and spirits are profoundly affected by it. Before you start seeing how various colours and colour combinations work for you and your home, it's best to think in terms of what overall effect you want, planning mentally how the colour is going to impact other aspects of the room. Here are some tips to bear in mind. Colour is one of the most profound and powerful ways to shape our surroundings today. It can be used to create atmosphere and give the impression of making a room smaller or larger. One of the most compelling things about colour is its power to affect how people feel. Different colours can instill feelings of vibrancy, warmth, cold or calm. Balanced with the lighting, furniture and mix of fabrics and textures, colour can be an immensely powerful tool. Tapping into that power is quite simple. Thankfully most people are affected by colours in the same way, which means that you can use certain colours with the confidence that they'll create a given atmosphere or feeling. Reds, oranges and yellows are referred to as warm colours since they evoke images associated with heat. Warm colours are useful to create cosy atmospheres. Blues and greens instill a cool ambience. These could be cleverly used in small rooms and narrow hallways prone to warming. Deciding on exactly the right shade or tone can be difficult. While there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to colour selection, using a "colour wheel" can help. This is a practical tool designed by colour professionals to help mix and match colours. Learning how to use the wheel is best done by understanding how the different colours relate to one another. For example, there are three primary colours on the wheel, red yellow and blue. These cannot be mixed from any other colour. For creating space a light coloured paint will make a small room appear bigger. Clever use, for example, would be to paint a ceiling white to give extra height to a room. Painting walls with vertical stripes can enhance the sense of height. This can be useful in a kid's playroom and also to make a room more cosy. Darker colours draw surfaces in making a large room seem smaller and more intimate. If you have a room, which is too narrow and long, "widen" it by painting the shorter walls a deeper colour than the longer walls. Colours have to be chosen according to the amount of sunlight entering into the room. For example, in the room where not much sunlight enters, it would be better to have a lighter shade of paint. Similarly in a room where there is ample sunlight, a darker shade would work better. According to interior designer, Anita Shah, "The latest trend has two tones of colours mixing them both. For instance, mixing orange paint in white will bring out light orange and then giving it a zebra effect. This combination will make the wall stand out." She adds, "In these stressful times, people generally opt for soothing colours like light green, pista and light yellow, which generate positive vibes to increase the energy level and they also use deep light colours for relaxation." So before you paint your walls, consider carefully the impact the colours will have on you and your surroundings. Take your time before making your choice. It could impact the way you feel about your home. Warm colours are useful to create cosy atmospheres Different colours can instill feelings of vibrancy, warmth, cold or calm Colours have to be chosen according to the amount of sunlight entering into the room Each one of us wants to give our home an unusual look INPUTS: SADIYA KHAN, TNN, 10 Mar07

Awaken the magic

Good lighting can add new dimensions to flat paces, says Dipika Ramachandran
Good lighting design can awaken the magic in spaces and change a mood or improve productivity. It can transform flat and unappealing spaces into an entirely new dimensional arena. Get an expert to help you - good lighting involves knowledge of contrast ratios, luminance, illuminance, photometrics of lighting fixtures, depth, use of colour, task lighting requirements, correct lamp colour temperature, low-voltage track or cable systems, fiber optics, effective cove lighting systems, correct lighting for art, lighting control systems and much more. Natural light is a fantastic asset of any home, but the quality of the light depends on the aspect of the room. A north facing room receives the harsh rays of the sun, an east-facing room receives bright sunlight in the morning followed by long shadows and no light later in the day. Using artificial lighting controls glare and maximises the available natural light in north and east-facing rooms. South facing rooms have warm light all day, although it changes throughout the day and year. South-facing rooms are mainly chosen for the kitchen, main living areas and other rooms that have maximum utilisation. Westfacing rooms receive the sunlight at the hottest part of the day, which can cause glare. To maximise the use of natural light mirrors, curtains, glass windows and doors, panels or partitions are most often utilised. Ambient or background lighting plays the part of daylight and is usually provided by a central pendant light, a hangover from the days of gas lamps. It can be the source of most lighting problems as it creates a bland, flat effect. However, if you supplement general lighting with some or all of the other types, you'll end up with a great, flexible scheme. Staples include ceiling-mounted bowls, wall lights and standard lamps. Accent lighting gives texture, focus and shape to general lighting, adding depth and shade, with shadows in some corners and pools of light in others. It's formed by a mixture of halogen spotlights, downlighters, uplighters, tracks and table lamps. With the latter, opaque shades that direct light down and prevent it spilling out are used. Tracks are great for lighting different areas of a room. Task Lighting is what you need in order to do a specific job, whether it's reading, working at a computer, cooking, drawing or sewing. It needs to be focused on the area of use. If light seeps out, then that area is likely to get glare from other surfaces, especially computer screens. Lighting is of the utmost importance for creating the right ambience. By experimenting with different types of lighting, the mood of a room can change from calm and romantic to energising and vibrant. Create a bright, warm glow with a combination of subtle light sources with an emphasis on accent lighting. Reflective surfaces such as mirrors can be used to bounce candlelight around the room and crystals, mirror balls and reflective baubles are ideal for adding that extra sparkle. Depending on the occasion, use different-coloured lights and bulbs and adjust the flicker speed on lights for a party feel. Make a large room with high ceilings appear cosier, by adding several types of small lamps, singularly or in clusters to create low pools of light. Also, consider shadows when arranging your lights and add piercedlanterns or light shades to create unusual patterns on the walls and ceilings.
TNN, 10 Mar 07

Rustic rules

You can bring in some rustic charm with objects of decor on an easy budget, says Deepa Gupta

The surest way to bring a warm inviting look to your living room is to go rustic. You could go all out and have the theme running through the whole decor of the room or use certain facets to highlight the earthy element.Wall texture is one such element. A brick wall adds a rustic touch very effectively. Stay with this finish on just one wall, or if doing the whole room, coordinate all the other furnishings to blend. The furniture should be comfortable and warm shades like orange and yellow look perfect in this setting. Rugs and durries are essential to soften the roughness of brick. It is easier to texture just one wall in the room. Apart from brick, you could use stucco or any other roughly hewn finish. Or simply paint one wall in a different colour. Terracotta and yellow are hues to consider for a rustic impact. Once you have used the finish of your choice, build the decor around it. Wooden furniture, especially pine, cedar and walnut is ideal. Dressers and corner display units build on the rustic theme and what better place to display your collection of plates.Blue pottery is both earthy and attractive and comes in a vast range of designs. In fact, given the variety of art and craft in India, there’s a delightful choice for decorating. Take the furniture from Rajasthan and Gujarat. Chairs, tables, boxes and chests, some intricately carved, others more roughly hewn, bring on the rustic flavour. Kashmiri carved furniture in warm tones of walnut is another good option. An endless array of artifacts can sit prettily with the furniture. There are papier mache statues and boxes, brightly hued cloth birds and animals, Warli paintings and Kalamkari and Madhubani works. Terracotta is truly rustic and there are many ways to use it. Erect a jaali wall as a room divider and display your books and bric-a-brac. Planters and urns set off the greenery in the room and a collection of pots and jars can be built into an interesting configuration.Terracotta murals are a simple yet effective way to dress your walls. Set off the earthy notes with cushions in myriad hues. Lamps made of terracotta add a warm glow as do the leather crafted shades from Andhra Pradesh. For a more colourful effect, opt for the fabric hanging lights from Orissa. Or simply throw a scarf over an ordinary shade to bathe the room in soft light. For a different kind of country look, invest in a couple of comfortable sofas. Upholster them in tweed or floral prints and dress round side tables with matching fabric. A traditional fireplace would fit right into the scheme of things.You don’t have to go for the real thing, a faux one will do.Top the mantelpiece with photographs and flowers. A painting would sit nicely above that too. Picture frames made with rope and wood add the right notes. Wicker and cane make for good rustic settings especially when combined with checks and stripes. A rocking chair is another piece of furniture which enhances the homely look. The kind of flooring also adds to the rustic effect.A stone or slate floor is ideal for that rugged look. Terracotta tiles also serve the purpose. You could also use ceramic tiles in earthy tones. These are all easy to maintain and too.To make things easier you could go in for floor seating and large cushions. TNN, 10 Mar07

A complex process

Valuation is a multi-disciplinary subject involving finance, legal and technical knowledge says, real estate valuer Hemal Ganatra,
The Valuation profession in India needs to undergo a sea change. With the increasing dependence of finance and real estate transactions in the ever growing real estate sector, the Valuation profession needs to be regulated. Unfortunately, India happens to be one of the few countries wherein we do not have any Valuation Board or licensing authority which is responsible for setting the entry parameters for the Valuation profession. Currently, Banks and financial institutions are empanelling Valuers based on the registration with the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). Banks are being perplexed with the issue of not realising the value (as estimated by the Valuer) when it is put for sale. There is a common misconception that the value of a property is a simple multiple of the market rate (which can be obtained by simply calling a real estate broker) and the area of the property. Valuation is actually a multi disciplinary subject involving finance, legal and technical knowledge. Every property is unique in nature and its value changes with the purpose and time. It depends on various factors such as physical characteristics, legal factors and socio economic factors among others. Valuation of properties can be carried out by various methods such as the Sales comparison method, the income capitalisation method and the cost method. The appropriate method to arrive at the estimated Value depends on the type of property, its use and other factors. A single property can have two values on the same date if the purpose of the valuation is different. Similarly, the value of two adjacent properties can vary by as much as 100 % with the same purpose. Valuation is carried for purposes as varied as buying and selling, tax, financial reporting, legal settlement or for obtaining a loan. The valuation process is further complicated when properties like Hotels, IT parks, SEZs, Retails Malls and similar income generating properties are valued. Such properties are best valued using the Income approach. The expert Valuer in the process of Valuation checks and verifies the various documents required for developing a particular property. He verifies documents such as Title deeds. Development plan remarks, commencement certificates, approved plans, conformity of the actual construction with the approved plans etc. The Valuer also provides advice on the demand and supply occupation, tenancy position, adverse rights on the property among others. The increased competition between private and public sector banks alike to finance real estate projects has also increased the dependence on the Expert Valuer to provide sound advice to financial decisions. Everything sounds gung ho in the current Real estate boom, but the realisation will come when the markets will not be so good. Speculation has been rife about the inevitable correction in the real estate market. With the rising interest costs, the ever rising demand and the even shorter supply, valuations by an expert with the requisite education and experience is the call of the day. There is an urgent need to introduce more professional courses in Valuation of properties. The Centre for Valuation studies, Research and Training is one such body which has taken the initiative to bring professionalism in the field of Valuation by introducing valuation courses in Universities and aims to pursue the respective authorities in establishing the Central Valuation Board. The objective has been partly achieved as the Centre has been successful in getting introduced Full Time Post Graduate Degree Course in Valuation of Real Estate & Valuation of Plant and Machinery in Sardar Patel University at Vallabh VidyaNagar, Gujarat. The Centre has also introduced the same Masters Degree by way of Distance learning/ correspondence programme in Dr. Babasaheb Open University, Ahmedabad. Gone are the days when bankers only referred to the last page mentioning the value in a valuation report. Bankers now need to understand the valuation concepts themselves to guide them in their financial decisions. TNN , 10 Mar 07

Residential preference

Residential preference for people in smaller towns is shifting to multi-storied apartments, writes Gaurav Munjal, TNN, 10 Mar 07

Rising purchasing power, desire for better lifestyle coupled with changing preferences have seen consumers demand the best in the market and real estate is no exception. Though the choice to live in an apartment in a multi storied building in metropolitan cities is out of compulsion yet people in cities of Tier-II and Tier-III are opting for a dwelling in the apartments due to better maintenance facility and security cover offered by them.
This fact about the changing preferences of the residents of smaller cities has been brought to light by the study, “Consumer psychographics of group housing residents in Tier-II and Tier-III cities”, conducted by info EDGE — a statistical survey research and data analysis firm based in Gurgaon.
Other aspects such as better standard of living at relatively cheaper cost and availability of pooled facilities like community centre and gymnasium were the next in priority list. This reveals the growing health consciousness among the populace, which cuts across gender and age-groups.
The hitherto untalked about considerations such as the presence of like minded people in the neighbourhood figured in the wish list to be sought in the group housing societies.
The survey further revealed that businessmen formed the largest chunk of people (with 40%) who preferred moving to the group housing society. Salaried professionals in the government jobs formed the next higher percentage (32%) who prefer living in the group housing societies. Salaried professionals in the private sector and self employed followed suit with 18% and 10% respectively.
Interestingly, though modern amenities like a modular kitchen does not rank very high in the wish list of customers in the preference survey — ranked 5th — yet these are highly preferred in the satisfaction survey — ranked 2nd. This implies that though the modern amenities do not figure prominently in the consumers mind at the moment and he would carry on with his present day life style for a couple of years yet he would soon look out for these avenues for satisfying himself. A builder should thus think it proper whether to go for short term gains by not stressing upon the amenities or opt for long term gains by including them and keep the demand gates open for his residential complex.
Around thirty percent of respondents preferred a semi-furnished flat whereas 54% respondents wanted a fully furnished house as against just 16% who wanted to go in for a raw flat and furnish it themselves. The exorbitant price charged by the developers for finishing the house replete with fixtures works as a major deterrent as percentage of respondents swinged in favour of non furnished houses once the price of furnishings were disclosed to the customers enabling them to conduct a detailed scrutiny.
This implies that though the idea of buying a furnished house sounds appealing to customers but the developer should not aim for raking in profits from this avenue. Instead, furnishings should be provided at competitive prices as a goodwill gesture for long term customer satisfaction
The study included market segmentation for identifying potential customers in correlation with socio-economic factors, collecting primary data to gauge customer preferences, their attitudes to loan and to the designs of kitchen and bathrooms. Besides this, a satisfaction study was also conducted in some cities to isolate the factors affecting overall satisfaction of residents of group housing societies and identify key drivers of customer satisfaction.

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