Ideas to redesign your smal house to make a cozy, elegant space

It’s got nothing to do with age — doing up a home is a hobby with a lot of Bangaloreans and making the most of small spaces has literally become an art form. And with the young Indians choosing to live on their own, it’s but natural that they too would like a place that they enjoy coming back to. DNA comes up with 10 good ideas that can dress up your home — for Rs1,000 or less.

Light it up
Candles or lanterns are the coolest. Ask why? Simply because they double up as a decorative and utility piece. So here’s what you can do. Get a few stout candles, pick up some artificial flowers without the stalk and paste it on the base of the candle. Arrange them on a jute placement, which can be placed on top of a wooden board on the floor!

Curtain call
Even the cheapest of curtains will set you back by Rs250 a panel. So, ask your mother for old saris. If your living room is not big, use chiffon or opaque cotton saris for drapes. Avoid heavy silk as it prevents light from coming in. Just fold in two inches of one end to create a loop for the curtain rod and stitch it up.

So cushy
God bless whoever thought of cushions. Not only do they make your room look comfy, they’re pretty useful when it comes to doubling up as pillows when guests stay over. Stores on Commercial Street and Chickpet have pre-filled cushions that cost anywhere from Rs100 to Rs250. Four of these are good to start with. You could also take old kitschy bedcovers and re-tailor them into cushion covers.

Floral touch
A good vase can cost you anything from Rs500 upwards. So, get your hands on used wine bottles, wash them and use them instead. A stalk of gladiola in one will prep up your space in a second. If you know a carpenter, get him to saw through the glass in an asymmetrical fashion for a quirky touch.

Touch the floor
Floor seating is always good if you host movie nights. A medium-sized jute rug from a high street shop shouldn’t cost you more than Rs900. Throw all your cushions on it and it’s ready! Floor cushions too are perfect. A floor cushion, pre-filled, is normally available for Rs600 to Rs1,000 at home shops across the city.

Wall to wall
Interior designers love talking about wall decoration but anything good costs a lot of money. So we decided to go sasta! Use a small camera to shoot interesting things on the road. Then, get print-outs of them from specialised print stores and get them framed. Jayanagar 4th Block, Koramangala, Indiranagar and Majestic all have framing shops that will do your job, starting at Rs250. We suggest about seven to eight 12sq. inch photos hung on the wall in a square pattern.

Sleepy zone
You got the curtains, decent sets of sheets and covers for the bed when you moved in. But to glam your bedroom up, you need to think laterally. Go to a craft store and buy coloured beads in kilos (they don’t cost much) and string them. Once you’ve made about a dozen panels of six or seven feet each, hang them up from the door.

Do it with books
Plain wooden panels, with ends, nailed to the wall and used as a book shelf, are a popular idea. Get a few shelves made, without fancy trimmings, and paint it in sea kelp green or eggshell blue. Put a few of the quick reads that come in colourful paperback on the shelves.

Cook off
Space management in small kitchens is unavoidable. If you have a loft, buy large plastic containers (about Rs300 each) that can hold your provisions. But you can’t be reaching for them all the time. Instead, buy pretty coloured glass jars that come in bulk for daily use. Get a few painted glass bottles (Rs150 to Rs200 apiece) to use for water.

Bathroom singing
A lot of apartments come with shoddy bathroom cabinets. If you have some wall space, get a carpenter to make you an open shelf (about 3ft by 1 1/2ft) and line it with waterproof paint in a nice attractive colour. It shouldn’t cost you more than Rs800. You can put your bath products, a book or two, towels etc. It not only maximises space but gives that whole off-beat hotel room effect.