Author: Aceola

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CLAY IS THE NEW GRAY

Gray itchens have been having a moment, well…for much longer than a moment now. It’s about time some new kids come to town. And this is coming from someone who painted her dream kitchen gray. While  black kitchen have been gaining ground and bright white kitchens remain the super safe bet, there’s a softer option for the color-phobes among us:  Clay Kitchen

Think of clay as gray’s softer, warmer cousin. It creates a beautiful, neutral backdrop that envelopes you like a hug of an old friend, but the hue still feels sophisticated and refined.

One of the great things about this color is its versatility. It can feel right at home in more rustic, country kitchens but also feels right at home in modern spaces. I love the look of clay lower cabinets contrasted against a lovely carrara counter and bright white walls in the kitchen above. The classic shaker style lends to a traditional feel, while the no-uppers is incredibly current. Little hits of dark in the sconce and staub pot are like drops of paint on a creamy canvas. It’s a gorgeous example of a kitchen design that will stand the test of time.

Clay looks just as gorgeous in an ultra modern setting. The tone on tone look of this kitchen is gorge. A concrete island and counters offer a cool contrast to the cabinets, warm wood floors and bar stools. A glossy white backsplash adds a little shine.

Floor to ceiling clay cabinets help the large scale of the piece blend in rather than feel overbearing

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Jute: Eco-Friendly Products From India

Jute is known as the second most essential Natural Fiber after the cotton. Jute is a name of the plant that is also bio-degradable and used to make hessian, burlap and gunny cloth. The well-known name for jute is Golden Fiber due to its golden color & high monetary value. Jute, the vegetable fiber is a soft, shiny and long fiber that can be easily spun into coarse or strong threads.

Jute is a yearly crop grown for the most part of the year in India & Bangladesh on the fertile Ganges Delta. 90% of the world’s jute is reaped in Bangladesh and the rest in India. The mechanical term for jute fiber is crude jute. The strands are grayish to brown, and about 1-4 meters (3-13 feet) long.

Jute needs a plain alluvial soil and standing water. The reasonable atmosphere for jute farming is warm & wet due to which the best season is during monsoon. Where the temperatures go from 20 degree C to 40 degree C and relative moistness reaches to 70%-80% are positive for fruitful cultivation. Soft water is the essential element needed for the jute production.

The big shots of India or better said the business tycoons such as the Tata, Birla & Mittal had jute items, to be traded and imported as their first business.

The biggest producer of Jute is India as it’s climate suits the jute cultivation well and also it is Eco-friendly due to which jute and its products are accepted globally by environmentalists. Some of the range of basic Eco-friendly products made from jute are mentioned below:

Canvas , Bags, Jute Rugs, Cloth , Fashion and Decorative products.

Credit: AuthIndia


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Pashmina guide to your new scarf or stole

What is pashmina?

Pashmina and cashmere are two words for the same thing. Some urban legends say that pashmina is more luxurious than cashmere, but it is not true. In India and Nepal the word for, what we in the Western world know as cashmere, is pashmina. Unfortunately, the term pashmina has become a diluted concept in our part of the world, and often one can find scarves and stoles labeled as 100% pashmina sold for Rs 100 or less on the Internet or local markets, but in reality is made from other materials than wool – even synthetic fibres.

Pashmina – the fiber of kings

Pashmina, also known as fiber of kings or Golden Fleece, comes from remote places populated by people with an ancient culture, around which they have built an antique and constantly metamorphosing tradition.

Pashmina comes from the undercoat, or duvet, of the Capra Hircus, originating in the lonely and arduous highlands of Ladakh and Tibet. Nowadays the Pashmina / Cashmere region covers China, Mongolia, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran, where the Capra Hircus is bred at an altitude of at least 4000 meters. This extraordinary animal has managed to survive in inhospitable habitats, with freezing, windy winters, and hot, dry summers. This harsh environment is why it has developed an undercoat consisting of thousands of particularly fine, smooth, soft and warm fibers, which are concentrated in a small area, under the dense outer coat. Real Pashmina only comes from such fibers, which allow the Capra Hircus to resist temperatures of -40°C.

The undercoat grows until the days get shorter, and stop its growth when the days get longer. For this reason, Pashmina fibers are collected during the molting period, in the spring, when the goats naturally lose their hair. The complexity of the process, the small volume of material and the distance of the places of origin make the cost of this special, ancient natural fiber high.

It is estimated that only 200, 300 grams of duvet are normally acquired from each goat. Furthermore, this amount decreases during the fiber collection and refinement stages.

Weaving pattern

The weaving pattern is decisive for the appearance of the pashmina scarf. We have four different veawing patterns. Twill pattern with the classic diagonal rib, diamond pattern with the beautiful squares and the super simple basket weave where the cashmere threads are woven like a basket. Jacquard weave with the unique and beautiful patterns is a classic that is perfect for formal or wedding dress.

How to identify a genuine pashmina?

Genuine pashmina fabric is spun and woven by hand and not machines. Thus they are less homogeneous than fabric produced by machines, and normally the fringes are natural rather than braided. A pure pashmina shawl made from 100% cashmere will be in the same colour tone on both sides since it is not mixed from various types of fiber.

The cashmere/ Pashmina fiber is the best. However there are different qualities of Pashmina . The quality depends on the the length and thickness of the fibers. Long and thin fibers are rare, thus they are more expensive than shorter and thicker fibers.

A pashmina scarf made from 100% Pashmina refers to pure Pashmina wool not mixed with any other material. The average thickness of the fibers must be below 19 micrometer. 70% Pashmina and 30% silk indicates that the scarf is made of a mix of 70% Pashmina and 30% silk. Both types of pashminas have positive and negative properties.

A scarf made from 100% Pashmina is softer lighter and more luxurious than others. Pure Pashmina however is not as strong as if a little silk is mixed in. Thus a pashmina scarf of 70% Pashmina and 30% silk is warmer and more durable.

How do I clean a pashmina?

It is a myth that a pashmina can only be dry cleaned. We recommend to hand wash the pashmina scarf in luke warm water with a wool detergent. Make sure the detergent is properly dissolved in the water before gently washing the pashmina. After washing do not wring it, but place it flat on some absorbent material like a towel. If necessary you can flat iron the pashmina with a cold iron under a moist piece of cloth.

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5 Signs That You Need Help From an Interior Designer

Building and renovating can be fun and exciting, but they can also create a great many challenges. When starting such an involved project, it’s important to collaborate with experts you can trust: builders, architects, tradies, bankers, mortgage specialists, etc. Interior designers are also among this pool of helpful experts, but they’re often considered a luxury and therefore overlooked in an attempt to cut costs. There are, however, a few occasions when an interior designer is crucial for a smoother experience, when they can also help you save money, time, energy and a lot of stress.

1. You are time-poor
Many of us live crazy lives: our time is spent raising families, working one or two jobs, having a social life, spending quality time with loved ones, doing some good in our community, pursuing life goals – and sometimes we do all of that at the same time! What we’re often left with is little time to review plans, to think about the little details and to imagine how the new kitchen design you’re mulling over will impact your daily life.

2. You lack design confidence
You love interesting, bold design and are constantly inspired by what you see around you, on Houzz or in everyday interiors you come across. But somehow, you just can’t seem to choose (and commit to) any colour scheme or new design piece. That’s when you need help.

3. You have too many ideas and feel overwhelmed
We live in a world of constant visual stimulation: magazines, TV shows, Instagram, Houzz, your local cafe, your morning walk, your office – interior design is everywhere! It can be a blessing, and it can be a curse because, while this stimulation can provide plentiful inspiration, it can also result in total design overload. 

If your head is buzzing with hundreds of ideas and you find yourself constantly oscillating between a variety of styles, colours, materials, or even the general feel your aiming for, you might need some help.

4. It’s your forever home
You’re not building a house with the view to sell it at some point. You’re building a house just for you, where your family will grow, your unique needs and wants will be catered for, and your personal history will be made day after day. It’s not a house that’s meant to please the majority of people – it’s your very own indulgence.

We’re so used to thinking in terms of resale value and marketability that it’s sometimes difficult to know what would really work for us.

5. You and your partner just can’t agree
A renovation can be a big cause of stress between couples. The cause of tension is that the couple can’t agree on priorities, and their tastes are incompatible. These tensions can also slow down the renovation or building process, which causes even more tension.  In such relationships, an interior designer often acts as a mediator when it comes to house-related decisions. Because they’re not emotionally involved, they only use their professional knowledge when they make recommendations. 

Credit :   Nelly Reffet