Clinkerz- Creating Wonder out of Waste!

At Clinkerz , Up cycling is a way of life!

Clinkerz is an initiative to create wonder out of waste and engage in the process of up cycling. Reusing, discarded objects or material in such a way as to create a product of higher quality or value than the original is what up cycling is all about.

At Clinkerz, they deal with glass bottles that are discarded and convert them into decor products for home and work place. Glass bottles come in myriad shapes, size and colours. Creative thinking has lead Clinkerz to produce the following range in their state of art facility. They are an ISO Certified organisation with a capacity of 10000 bottles up cycling per month.

Range of products offered:

• Photo bottle lamp
• Bottle lamp with messages
• half cut planters
• Table top planter
• Hanging Planters
• Wind chimes
• Drinking glasses & tumblers 

Product Review & Styling:

 Bottle lamp:These lamps again come in various colours and you can of course choose the one that goes on with your decor. Let me also tell you, that Clinkerz would love to personalize the lamp for you. After all, who doesn't love their products to be the way, they imagine it to be and Clinkerz is committed to take customization to a more personal level.

When it comes to glass and light, they make the perfect pair and Clinkerz uses this to its advantage in assisting people to express their love and gratitude thru its signature products.

Adding quirk in my kids room:

In day light

At night, with the lamp switched on!

The lamp comes with all the necessary electrical fitting. You just have to plug and watch it glow!

A lamp for the bedside table:

  This one is real pretty, what with its unique shape and colour, it is the perfect addition to my bedside table. Who would have imagined, that it was lying unused as a trash!

Planter: 

I loved this planter from the word go! Creative visualization has led to this product, that supports and gives a whole new dimension to the green initiative. A small way of giving back to Mother Earth.

The size is good enough for adding succulents, small plants or may be, even your daily needs in the kitchen like coriander or fenugreek (methi). The edges of the bottle are not sharp, therefore you can work with ease, while planting in them. The bottle planter, i feel is an interesting element to add in any setting, either on your dining table or your console.

One quick fact check: It takes nearly 4000 years for glass bottles to completely decompose.

 In today's times, it makes so much sense to use and gift such products that have contributed towards reducing carbon footprints. If this makes sense to you as well, go check out Clinkerz now.

You can even contact them through their Facebook and Instagram page.

Travel inspired design and decor tales

 As you travel and explore a place you gain a different perspective. The experience that you acquire thru visiting a new land is like none other!

We traveled to Bhutan this summer and this post will cover the various design inspiration and styling tips I gathered  during the stay. As one who is interested in decor and art, I felt I was lucky to be here.

Bhutan has beautiful dzongs or forts and the architectural detailing on each of them is very much similar. In spite of that, each one was eye catchy and we looked forward to seeing more of them each day! Add to that, the traditional homes in Bhutan have a certain pattern and they are supposed to follow that even for the newer construction.This gives a uniformity in design. The windows are expected to be built with arches on them.The size of the windows may vary but the arches remain. Have a look at the following pics and it will all make sense...

The patterned arch that you see in this window design is very typical in Bhutanese architecture.

 The melange of colours and painted art on doors and windows mesmerizes you. some of the bigger motifs that you see on the bottom most part are the sacred symbols in their religion denoting peace and prosperity.

The arch is invariably present in each one !

This is within a dzong

These doors and windows use a wooden panel with intricate carving and detailed motifs painted onto them. The colours are generally rust,golden yellow,green and a royal shade of blue. On many of them an extra square block of wood with art work was attached and this lifted the design and styling a notch above the rest.

 

 

Notice the wooden block on the topmost part of the frame with a 'shankh' or conch painted on it. I felt these are such beautiful design inspirations to take away and can be experimented on our very own console tables and the like, lending a very rich and unique feel to the entire set-up!

A closer look at the neat and vibrant design

Let us take a look at some more of these...

This is a  wooden box with enchanting wood work on it, concealing wires and all the other hardware stuff inside the box!

DOORS... Literally welcoming!

 When there are no doors, you will find these pretty applique worked screens obstructing direct view.

 

A typical sit out...

Are you sold out on these cute storage cum coffee tables? I sure am! 

perking up a mundane space...

Let us peek more into their furniture range for some more design inspiration...

Dragon motifs on the sides of the settee...We can perhaps follow suit with some of our very traditional motifs or simply a floral pattern

These mandala designs are very popular in Bhutan

Such an elegant looking seater!

 What struck me here was the Bhutanese textile used for the cushions. We can again implement one in khunn or ikkat weave

Apart from these I shared pics of  some beautiful planters from this ' Land of Thunder Dragon' on Sajavat's Facebook and Instagram feeds. You can check them out regularly for more inspirations on design and decor.

 

Let me end the post with a Buddha figure beautifully positioned inside a stupa. I felt the same would look great as a jharokha on the walls emanating peace and calmness!

The above ideas were some of the decor inspiration that I got, while traveling to Bhutan. Hope it helps you in some way while decorating your space. Signing off for the time being.

Happy decorating!

A traditional home in the heart of Vijayawada

The last post of the year and let me make it a good one! This post is after my own heart. It is a home tour from Vijayawada and is the abode of Asha Kiran.

To begin with, let me tell you, the home is built without any help from interior designers or architects. Asha had her home conceptualized in her mind in a certain manner and she went ahead with it and it has turned out perfect!
When it comes to decor, Asha is a traditionalist! Here she lives with her hubby, two daughters and a cute fur-ball!
Traditional Indian homes are synonymous with  a veranda and large open spaces, sit outs in the front, art work on floors and walls and you find all of that here! So far, I have come across homes that are a marriage of traditional with the modern but this home is purely Indian in all sense. I know, am doing a lot of build-up but Asha's home deserves this and more! So, let me just get started...

This is the entrance and notice how it stands out against the high-rise at the backdrop.

As you enter...

Flower beds, the concrete sit out and Ahh! how can you miss these grand pillars...

Look at the Tulsi' maadam' or the pedestal on which the Tulsi is placed! Indians have always considered Tulsi as divine and worshiped the plant due to its intense medicinal properties. And you can spot a niche on the yellow pedestal. This is with the intention of  lighting a lamp there!

In olden times, they would build these niches in the wall near the entry door for lighting lamps.The lady of the house would light them during evenings and that used to lend such a warm and calming effect! This entryway opens a bag of memories for me. For,ages ago when modernism hadn't caught up with our villages, the houses used to be adorned similarly!The ornate carvings on the wooden door and the painted threshold  are just signs of more beauty awaiting you inside!
The  threshold has painted motifs of elephants, kalash and lotuses ,all signifying auspiciousness and prosperity.

Now, as we step inside, you can make out the interiors styled with wood and brass. Asha's kitchen is a treasure trove of brass utensils.She says, she is very much fond of these sparkling beauties. Her favourite places for buying these antiques are Indian Antique Quest, an online destination for authentic antiques, flea markets, Lepakshi exhibitions and the old markets of Vijayawada.

I still have vivid memory of my granny's old home which had such doors that opened half way from top, served the purpose of knowing who knocked without really letting them inside!
This is the traditional version of our modern day safety doors. Isn't it?

The wooden bench like trunk that you see in the above pic serves well as a storage and a sit-out.

Being a brass lover, all those utensils make my heart, skip a beat!

Asha loves to decorate her home with flowers and that can be seen in the following images

 This is her prayer room..

Asha tells me, its been 5 yrs since they constructed this home and to me it doesn't look more than a day old!

The lotus incense holder creates the right drama at the entrance and of course you cannot miss the sweet bundle of  fur-balls who makes his appearance in more than one frame!

Now, a much needed tip for all brass lovers shared by Asha...

 The Original beauty and glow of brass vintage items comes after cleaning with  Pitambari powder  and swiping it with a dry cloth.The most important step is to then keep them under sunlight.This step is a must  to get the best glow. I wish this tip will be useful for all brass lovers.

Let me end the post with an image that left an everlasting impression on me...

I hope you loved this home tour. I felt so happy presenting it to you folks.

As we usher in Christmas and New year, I wish the best for all my readers.We shall meet again in 2018 with more styling tips and more importantly with posts that shall warm our hearts and bring happiness forever!