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 Source: BEE web site If you are somebody bothered by high electricity bills and the damage to the environment because of rising energy consumption, then you will be extremely happy to know that the Bureau of Energy Efficiency has a come up with a wonderful system to help you choose which products to buy. The Bureau of energy Efficiency (BEE) is an agency functioning under the Ministry of Power set up by the Government of India in March 2002 under the provisions of the 2001 Energy Conservation Act. The agency’s objective is to promote awareness of the need for energy conservation and encourage adoption of products that are highly energy efficient.
In order to make it easy for the public and consumers to identify energy efficient products in the market, the BEE has introduced the Energy Efficiency Star labelling system which simplifies and standardizes ratings for energy efficiency for different electrical home appliances. Under this system, manufacturers can affix a label with a BEE logo on their products to indicate their energy efficiency. A label with five stars would mean that the product is among the most energy efficient products in the market and a label with just one star would mean it’s among (or next to)the least energy efficient.
This rating system is currently invoked for most kinds of common household equipment. Here’s a list of items that are covered under the Standard and Labeling Program of electrical home appliances from the BEE website.
- Refrigerators
- Tubular Fluorescent Lamps
- Room Air Conditioners
- Direct Cool Refrigerators
- Distribution Transformers
- Induction Motors
- Pump Sets
- Ceiling Fans
- LPG
- Electric Geysers and
- Televisions.
What this means is that every time you buy one of these products, you can choose to buy a product that is extremely energy efficient and thereby save a lot on your electricity expenditure.
A high energy efficiency ratio for a product you regularly use means less consumption of energy which translates into lower electricity bills and higher savings for you. Even though affixing the BEE star rating label is voluntary for most products currently, it has been made mandatory for room ACs from January 2010. This is understandable considering that an AC consumes a huge quantity of electricity and high energy efficiency ratio (EER) can make a big difference over a long time. The likely savings from reduced electricity consumption for an air-conditioner can be as high as Rs. 2000 over a year. So just imagine how much electricity can be saved in a particular flat or house if you replace all electric appliances with energy efficient variants. The average apartment in an Indian city could save thousands of rupees every year with such a move.
For more information on BEE star labelling system, visit http://cribb.in/save-electricity-by-checking-bee-labels.htm
The basic function of an Air Conditioning units or an AC is to regulate temperature and humidity so we can be comfortable in summer staying indoors. Air Conditioners were considered a luxury up until recently. But as a result of falling prices they have become much more affordable to the common man now. And with summer temperatures getting hotter every year, ACs have become common household appliance even in a city like Bangalore which enjoys relatively mild climatic conditions throughout the year.
How to choose an AC for your house or apartment
Cooling Capacity
The most important aspect of an AC is its cooling capacity, typically measured in Tons. What kind of tonnage you should be looking for is principally determined by the area of the room (more specifically, volume) that you want to be cooled. Normally for a 12×12 ft room a 1 ton AC should be enough. If you want ensure even better cooling, a general rule of thumb is to divide the square root of the room area by 10 to get the tonnage. That way for the above-mentioned 12×12 room, you could go with 1.2 ton AC. There are many other factors that are crucial to this calculation, the number of people in the room, heat emitting electrical units like light bulbs and television sets in the room, the local climate and the outdoor temperature near the AC unit. (It helps if the unit is in a cool area covered by natural shade, like a tree) Make sure all these are taken into consideration before you decide on the tonnage.
Installing a large unit unnecessarily should be avoided, as even though it may cool the room more quickly it could lead to poor humidity removal due to excessive on-off cycling. A small unit running for an extended period is usually more efficient and more effective than a large unit that cycles on and off frequently.
Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is extremely important as more energy efficient units – even if they are more expensive, can save you a lot of money in the long run. Less energy-efficient systems not only consume more electricity and lead to massive electricity bill but are also more damaging to the environment. Government of India has set up the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), which has come up with a 5-star rating system to help consumers identify more energy-efficient products. An AC with a 5-star rating from BEE can be trusted to give you the maximum cooling per kilowatt of electricity consumed.
Different Types of AC
Two types of air conditioners typically available in the market.
Window AC: This is normally used for cooling just one room. It’s convenient to install as it can be installed on a window. This, along with the fact that it tends to be less expensive, makes it very popular. The key difference from split AC is that all the components are in a single casing.
Split AC: A split air conditioning system consists of an outdoor unit with the condenser, condenser fan and compressor along with an indoor cabinet that contains the evaporator and the air-handler. Split ACs can be more powerful and can be used to cool multiple rooms supported by a single outdoor unit. They also have the advantage that they’re usually less noisy.
In addition to this, there are many other kinds of systems like cassette type AC’s and even portable ACs to meet your needs if your don’t think either of two mentioned above is suited for you.
Reverse-cycle AC
This type of ACs have the added advantage that it can double up as a heating system and heat your household when it gets too cold during winter.
Tips to Save Energy and Save on Your Electricity Bill
One thing you must know, even before you buy an AC, is that it consumes a whole lot of electricity. In familiar terms, the running cost of an AC in terms of electricity could be the equivalent of running 25 ceiling fans. So it is very important that you use the AC wisely, sparingly and efficiently. Here are some tips to help you do that.
- Install the AC in the centre of the room, rather than in a corner.
- Make sure there are no obstacles of any kind immediately in front of the unit. If the free flow of air is blocked from the unit, its efficiency will be seriously affected.
- Set the AC’s temperature setting as high as comfortably possible. The lower the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower will be the electricity consumption.
- Do not place electric appliances near the AC unit.
- Clean the AC filter regularly and clean the outdoor coils as they gather dust. Make sure you learn how to do it properly from the sales personnel when they install the unit.
To find more related information, visit http://indiahometips.com/ac-home.html.
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Tagged AC, home appliance
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 A chimney is a structure designed for venting hot gases and smoke safely from a kitchen to the outside atmosphere. A good chimney protects your eyes and nose from the smoke and fumes produced from the stove and also protects the ceiling above the stove and the kitchen environment from getting stained with the oily fumes from cooking. Exhaust fans can also be used for more or less same purposes, but there are many electric chimneys available in the market today which do the job much more efficiently.
It’s a good idea to consider installing a good chimney in your kitchen if any of these problems concern you:
- If you don’t want the stove to stain your kitchen ceiling and walls
- If you are concerned about the ill-effects of the fumes and smoke on your health
- If your eyes are oversensitive to smoke
- If you like to keep the kitchen odour-free
Electric chimneys are categorized according to their air suction capacity which is measured in cubic metres per hour. For normal cooking, you could get electric chimneys starting from Rs. 4000 in the market. If your cooking involves a lot of oil and deep frying, you might need to go for a chimney with a high (more than 750 m3 /hour) air suction capacity, which might cost you anywhere from Rs 15,000 to Rs. 1,00,000.
You can choose for a traditional chimney if all you want the chimney to do is ensure that the smoke and fumes from the stove do not damage your health and do not make the kitchen dirty. But you could also use the chimney to enhance the appearance of your kitchen. Special designer chimneys not only do their job of dealing with the smoke and fumes, but also serve as a kitchen decor accessory lending an air of elegance to your kitchen.
Types of chimney filters
Baffle filter
Baffle filter chimneys are considered an improvement on aluminium mesh filters. They’re supposed to be considerably more effective. They are quite useful for Indian kitchens and cleaning them is also easy. Baffle filters are available in both stainless steel and aluminium versions.
Charcoal filter
This filter is mainly used for odour absorption and is usually installed at an extra cost. The absorption and purification capacity of these filters depends upon the thickness of these filters and the charcoal granules used. As this filter is not washable, it needs to be replaced every 3-6 months depending upon the cooking habits of the user.
Ducting
This is a one-time installation alternative to charcoal filters which need periodic replacement. Ducting requires PVC pipes. Since this is a permanent fixture, it might require some carpentry work.
There are also chimneys available with aluminium mesh filters, but these may not be suitable for Indian style of cooking with lots of oil and masalas, as the small holes in them may get clogged by oily and greasy particles.
Number of blowers
The blowers run simultaneously with the motors to ensure effective exhaustion of unwanted smells and oil vapours at different speeds, thus providing optimum operation at lower noise levels. Higher numbers of blowers results more effective removal of unwanted smells and grease. If your cooking involves a lot of deep-frying, then the number of blowers is critical.
Size
Electric Chimneys are usually available in two sizes – 60 cm and 90 cm.
Maintenance
It is very important to remember that fireplaces and chimneys should be examined and swept periodically to ensure safety and proper functioning.
There many auto clean chimneys in the market today. These are suitable for Indian cooking using a lot of oil. Autoclean chimneys require very little maintenance.
Depending on your requirements and preferences you can choose the right chimney for your kitchen to enjoy smoke free cooking and to keep your kitchen beautiful and elegant.
For a list of electric chimneys in the market, see http://www.naaptol.com/buy/home_-_kitchen_appliances/cooking/electric_chimneys.html
 Designing and decorating the interior of your house can indeed demand a lot of creativity and expertise. A preferred option is to seek the help of a professional who specializes in it. But it’s still important to make sure that the style and décor match your taste and reflect your personality. There are many prevailing trends that you can take inspiration from when you go about decorating your flat irrespective of whether you hire professional help or not. This is a short overview of common apartment decorating styles to be used as a guide.
Modern
A modern or contemporary look would have sleek lines, minimal frills and neutral colours with a few vibrant accents. Open spaces are characteristic of this style, as well as furniture made of very light and very dark wood. The contemporary look is all about contrast and a clean, airy feeling. Clear contours and well-defined shapes and patterns are typical of this look.
Cottage
If you like to lend a cozy, holiday feel to your flat, then the cottage style could be ideal for you. It’s a very warm and personal decorating style that draws inspiration from seaside beach cottages and quaint ancestral homes in villages. Cottage style is a welcoming, lived-in look that reminds you of your grandpa’s house. Traditional cottage colours are brown, blue, yellow and white. Vintage quilts, simple furniture and great flea market finds would go along best with this style.
Traditional
If hot and sunny isn’t your thing and you’d prefer a more traditional look pulled from classic French and English styles, you could opt for the Traditional style which is quite romantic with gentle tones, floral and patterned fabrics, and intricate architectural details. It is often a very formal and balanced décor, filled with elegant antiques that mirror the look of an old England manor house.
Rustic
Naturist apartment dwellers will love the rustic decorating style. It centres on bringing nature into your home by incorporating elements of the outdoors. This décor uses natural woods, stone and tones of the earth. You could turn your apartment into a virtual log cabin in the woods with this style. Some of the homestays in the hills are modelled on this style.
Retro
The retro style could be very nostalgic, but also extremely playful at the same time. Pick a favourite era and fill up your apartment with decorative items from that period. When a certain period style gets hot, home decoration companies start to create a lot of new items in that style. This makes it very easy to find items for the retro trend that’s riding high at the current time. You could always go to the flea market and do some specialized shopping if you want something specific.
Mediterranean
Transport yourself to exotic, sultry European atmospheres with a classic Mediterranean décor. This style is based on traditional Spanish and Italian decorating. The colour palette features orange, red and yellow tones. You could add texture with ironwork, terra cotta pottery and mosaics. Imagine the antique, Old World feel of a courtyard in Florence.
What do you think you would like your apartment to look like best? You could easily get a preview of what these styles would look like by looking at photos of homes decorated in each of these styles on the Internet. That will definitely help you figure out what exactly you want better and motivate you to design your apartment with style.
It is extremely important to find out whether a prospective place can be deemed to be suitable for your stay. Moving with all the things you’ve accumulated over time to a new place is not an easy thing to do usually and it’s bound to be a rigorous, demanding and stressful activity. The legal technicalities of renting and leasing, that most people do not really enjoy busying themselves with, also take up a lot of time and patience when you move to a new place that you have bought/rented/leased. All of this I think underscore the importance of finding a place that is most likely to satisfy your needs and meet your preferences.
Once you sign the lease or rental agreement you are legally bound to the apartment even if you later find it isn’t really what you want. Asking the landlord or builder questions ahead of time can save you a great deal of money and grief. Before you go to look at an apartment, it is a good idea to think what you need to ask the landlord beforehand and prepare a list if you think it would be useful.
- Look at the lease and find out how much the rent is. Along with the monthly rent, you need to find out which day of the month the rent is due, the length of the term covered and under what circumstances you are allowed to break the agreement. Rental agreements are often made for a period of 11 months, with a provision of an increase in the rent of 5%-15% when it’s renewed. Some landlords might allow tenants to break a lease if they can prove they’ve been transferred to another location for their job or have purchased a house.
- Figure out your expenses. What is the deposit? It’s common to pay a deposit that equals 5-10 months’ rent for most regions in Bangalore. Do you need to pay the deposit when you sign the lease or when you move in? Are there fees the renter automatically takes out of your deposit, such as charges for painting or repair?
- Ask about the utilities. What utilities are you responsible for? What is the average cost of utilities for the size of the unit you are planning to rent? The utilities can make a huge difference in the cost of the apartment, so it is very important to get as much information about the utilities as possible.
- Check if you can have your preferred satellite/cable TV provider in the building. Also try to find out if you can have your favourite telecom/Internet connection there as well.
- Look into your lease/rental options for the flat/house. Make sure you and the landlord are on the same page about how much freedom you have to use the premises that you’re paying the rent for. Are you allowed to take in a roommate? How much can you use the areas that seem common? Are you allowed to sub-let the apartment? These questions are all important in case you reach a point where you can’t really afford the apartment, or if you have a friend or relative that you want to move in together with you. Especially try to look ahead at least for the next two-three years and see what kind of things you might need.
Tips:
- It helps to sit down first, think of your concerns and write down the questions you have. Obviously when you see the actual place you will have more questions that you can add to your list.
- Never take the broker’s word for a solid assurance without checking with the owner and confirming. If you are told something like a special exception can be made for you which is not normally allowed, try to get it in the agreement so they can’t renege on it later.
For more tips on questions to ask before you rent an apartment, please check our previous article here.
For a more exhaustive list of useful questions, please visit http://www.degraeve.com/reference/questions-to-ask-before-renting.php
When you’re considering renting a house, there are some very important things to keep in mind so you can make sure you’ll know exactly what you’re getting and you can get what’s closest to what you want. The points here are even more relevant when you’re renting (or even buying) an apartment as you will be part of community where you’ll have to verify that the guidelines for the tenants are suitable for you and your family and enhance your life rather than constrict it.
Asking the right questions to the relevant people (owner/apartment association representatives) is very important. Ask these questions during your apartment search to ensure that you have a clear picture of what it will be like to live in your new home.
What is the condition of the unit?
Before you sign a lease or a rental agreement, if possible, always have the renter/leaser show you the exact unit you’ll live in. Even if they show you another unit claiming it to be the exact copy, insist on seeing the space that you’re going to be occupying before you sign the papers and pay the cash. Take your time and do a thorough inspection, checking out the condition of appliances, windows, and walls.
How’s the noise level?
Check with the neighbours and the security guards. If there’s an apartment manager who has the general responsibility to ensure everything runs smoothly, he might be the best person to check about it. If peace and quiet are important to you, ask when noise levels are highest in the building.
What’s the parking situation?
Are you going to have your own designated parking spot in your apartment community? If not, make sure the parking rules are clearly explained. Make sure that there will be room for your car in the community’s lot. And if you plan on having a regular guest visit your apartment, make sure there’s someplace where they can park, too.
Are there grocery shops nearby?
Getting to know an apartment community’s neighbourhood is an important part of your apartment search. Get to know where the most convenient places are to shop for groceries, go for laundry, and where the nearest hospitals and clinics are. Access to the goods and services you use most will be important to you once you settle in.
How much can I alter/ decorate the place?
Some leases place restrictions on what kind of decorating a tenant can do. For example, some apartment communities don’t allow residents to paint or make holes in the walls. If setting your own decor is important to you, make sure you know exactly what’s allowed.
How are maintenance issues handled?
Ask about the procedures for handling maintenance issues and repair requests: Should you put them in writing or is verbal notice appropriate? Is there an on-site maintenance crew? Should you pay them after the repair or are they paid separately?
Are there any monthly fees?
You know you have to pay rent every month. But there might be other monthly fees associated with renting an apartment, often called a ‘maintenance fee’. You may also be responsible for paying some or all of the utilities. Make sure you understand — and can afford — the actual cost of renting an apartment.
Do not hesitate to pose all the questions you have and get them answered during your house/flat search. This will prepare you for a smooth move into your new apartment community or your new house.
For more tips on questions to ask before you rent an apartment, check our next article here.
 A CFL lamp
Lighting is a very important aspect of home design and decoration. Employing the right kind of lamps and more efficient methods of lighting can help not just in making your home look wonderful and inspiring but it can also help you save money for energy costs and reduce your carbon footprint. This is very important considering that about 20-30% of the average person’s electricity bill can come from lighting costs.
Making use of natural light
Conventional windows provide daylight in the outer 3-4 meters of an enclosed space. New daylighting technologies, however, can extend this sunlit area by directing light further from the aperture through which light enters, thereby reducing the need for artificial lighting and providing a more natural feel to the lit space. Using ‘light shelves’ or ‘light pipes’ along with related technologies an area as deep as nine meters into the room can be well-lit. The angle at which your windows/light apertures face the sun, the positioning of furniture inside, the way the curtains have been used all decide how much natural light your house can receive.
Light bulbs/Artificial lighting
With advances in relevant fields of science and technology, we have more energy efficient light bulbs that operate at lower wattages for similar output. The wattages for equivalent light outputs are different depending on the technology of the bulbs. This makes the light output or brightness, which is measured in lumens, the key factor in choosing a bulb today from an array of bulbs that function using different technologies. You will get an idea of the unit of lumen, when you know that the output of a 60 watt incandescent bulb today is about 850 lumens.
Modern, energy-efficient replacements for conventional incandescent lighting
Halogen lighting is a more energy efficient form of incandescent lighting. These bulbs, basically, can be used in any application where you have been using incandescent bulbs.
Compact Fluorescent Lamps, more commonly known as CFLs, are rapidly becoming popular for home lighting because of their energy saving properties and longer lifetimes. CFL bulbs are used to produce different variations of white light. To select the appropriate CFL for your needs, the rule of thumb is to go for about one-quarter of the wattage of the incandescent you were using – for example if you want to replace your 100 watt incandescent bulb, buy a 25 watt CFL. The main advantages of CFL are their efficiency and longevity. They use around 75% less energy and last an amazing 6 to 15 times longer!
Despite its numerous advantages CFLs may not be suitable for replacing all kinds of incandescent applications. If a CFL is switched on and off too frequently, for example, it may severely reduce its lifespan.
Light Emitting Diode (LED or Solid State bulbs)
While LEDs haven’t really made a big dent in the market for common lighting applications, they have some serious pros. They have a much longer lifespan even compared to CFLs, with similar energy savings. They’re also considered more environment-friendly than CFLs as they’re mercury-free, unlike the CFLs that need a small amount of mercury for their operation. With more companies beginning to manufacture bulbs of this family and higher wattage versions being developed, LEDs can be expected to serve a considerable amount of our lighting requirements in the future.
The Bangalore-BIAL ITIR is a 50 km2 (12,000 acres) Information Technology Investment Region that is under development 15 km North of Bangalore International Airport at Devanahalli. One of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in the world aimed at attracting IT investment, the ITIR project is sure to reinforce Bangalore’s position as the pre-eminent hub of IT activity along with the Silicon Valley in California.
The sheer enormity and ambitiousness of the project is conveyed by the fact that it is designed to attract investment in the range of Rs 1-2 lakh crores ($20-$40 billion). Envisioned to be a hub for knowledge-based and high-technology industries, it has already attracted the attention of major companies. Fifty-five multinational companies including TCS, Wipro, Cognizant and Infosys have signalled their interest in the project and responded to the Expression of Interest (EOI) issued by the Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation (KEONICS) for developing the region. This massive project is expected to generate employment to the tune of 3 million new jobs. This is a significant measure to augment exports and generate employment by attracting high-value investments.
The ITIR is one of the largest infrastructure projects in Karnataka’s history. The initiative will provide direct employment to 1.2 million people and indirect employment to 2.8 million. Development will involve a Centre-State partnership in conjunction with private partners. Basic infrastructure such as road, rail and telecommunication links will be provided by the Centre. The State government will provide physical infrastructure and utilities, including power, water, sewerage and effluent treatment facilities. The first phase of ITIR spread over 2,500-acre (10 km2) is scheduled to be completed this year, while the second and third phases will be built over the next five to ten years.
“The ITIR will be a self-sustainable integrated investment region housing IT, ITeS (IT enabled services) and hardware parks, supported by residential townships, a mini airport, high-speed railway network, shopping malls, hospitals and educational institutions among others,” the state IT-BT minister said regarding the project after a special legislation was passed to enable it, the ITIR Act, 2010. The Central government had adopted a policy to set up IT Investment Regions across the country as early as May 2008. With the BIAL ITIR Karnataka becomes the first state to be setting up an ITIR while other states like Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are also considering similar options to attract IT investment. This has been seen as yet another sign of Karnataka government’s dedication to capitalize on the state’s edge in hosting knowledge-based industries and has been lauded by industry majors like Infosys.
The project received final State cabinet approval on January 28, 2010 and Central approval on June 5, 2010. On July 15, the region received final legislative approval from the state assembly. It will be situated at the Nandi foothills between Chikballapur and Doddaballapur in the Muddenahalli/ Kanivenarayanapura area. This, along with other development projects near North Bangalore, will have significant impact on the real estate situation in areas like Jalahalli, Peenya and Yeshwantpur.
When developed, companies in the region will avail similar tax benefits applicable to the special export zones (SEZs). Deloitte, a global consulting firm has prepared the detailed report for the project and submitted to the central government.
In accordance with its stated policy of decongesting Bangalore and promoting tier-2 and tier-3 cities across the state, the government is also setting up the first special economic zone (SEZ) for IT at Shimoga in central Karnataka, about 270 km from Bangalore.
The real estate trends in 2011 indicate that Bangalore continues to remain on a strong footing and compares favourably with other big markets like Delhi NCR, Mumbai and Chennai. This has been confirmed by the real estate market data released by the South Asian division of the real estate consultancy Inc. Bangalore along with NCR and Mumbai was responsible for 80% of 5 million sq. ft. of office space that was absorbed between July and September 2011. The city also topped the table for new supply for office space along with the National Capital Region of Delhi.
The global economic slowdown is definitely having an impact on the Indian economy and also on the real estate market. In Bangalore, especially in the office space segment it has had huge impact, naturally considering that IT accounts for 60-70% of all office space demand and that a major chunk of the information technology businesses that operate from here caters to customers in the US and Europe. But with the new unemployment figures beginning to look ever-more rosy and the recent surge in the consumer confidence indexes in the US, there are good reasons to be believe that a strong recovery for the world economy is just around the corner.
While the growth in office space segment has certainly been dampened by the unfavourable global economic climate, the residential segment has been growing steadily. This is natural considering the growth in this segment rests on sound fundamentals which have little to do with global market sentiments. The major demand drivers for this segment being increasing disposable income levels, increase in the number of nuclear families/one-person households, tax savings on home loans, etc. which continue to attract investment into this sector.
Bangalore which seems to be successfully tackling the key issue of connectivity with a number of ambitious infrastructure projects, including the new Namma Metro, is seeing steady growth in both residential and retail/office space sector. This is evident in the fact that Bangalore has topped the chart for commercial space absorption with 11.53 million sq.ft. along with additional pre-commitments of 5 million sq.ft. for next year. New additions in supply include the Park Square Mall by Ascendas in Whitefield which was completed in the third quarter of last year and the Soul Space Arena on the Outer Ring Road. With high-profile tenants such as Spar Hypermarket and Inox and a built-up area of about half a million sq.ft., the Park Square Mall promises to be a big addition to the Bangalore retail arena.
While the residential property prices in the central business district (CBD) have remained rather static due to a perception of saturation and lack of investor interest, the suburbs have been witnessing brisk development, with many developers offering all-amenities apartments especially in the “affordable” category. Once the IT companies starts hiring again after the recession blues are over, it is foreseeable that the demand might again catch up with the supply even in areas like Sarjapur, Outer Ring Road and Marathahalli which saw considerable depreciation in prices during the last few years to adjust to the weak consumer sentiments in the market for buying and renting apartments. On the other hand, areas like Jalahalli in North Bangalore continue to see strong demand where the supply is yet to catch up in the affordable flats segment.
Whether you live in a house, rented apartment or a giant villa, interior design and home decoration hold the key to maximizing the potential of your home as a perfect habitat. These are certain crucial aspects which enormously influence the looks, feel and ambience of your home and by taking care of which you can turn your home into your own little palace.
Lively Living Rooms
The family hangout, guest reception area and the relaxation and entertainment space that also doubles up as the casual dining space when you’re watching TV – those are some of the functions of the modern living room. This is the space where you can really let your creativity grow wings and fly around all over the space.
For your living room consider neutral colour schemes that provide a soothing effect and blend graciously with the furnishings and the fabrics in the space. Durability is a prime factor when you’re considering paints here. Matte paints can be considered for their good wash-ability and stain resistance properties.
You could use dragging technique to lend the illusion of extra space, for example, by using an accent wall within a small, square room, which makes one side appear longer. You could add a personal flair to your living room by contrasting painted mouldings and by using painted picture frames as decorative accents.
Dashing Dining Rooms
Dining rooms are, depending on the lifestyle of your family, important entertainment areas for guests or an everyday get-together space that is active and highly used. It’s best to use a high-quality paint with a higher sheen that is easy to clean. In case the dining room is adjacent to the kitchen, consider using a complementary colour scheme to provide for a balanced combination of colours in adjoining spaces. You should also consider creating a focal point for showcasing the items that you wish to show off to your friends and visitors, like trophies, collectibles or family photographs.
Beautiful Bedrooms
Bedrooms are spaces where you let yourself reflect through the general appearance and ambience exuded. They’re indicative of unique aspects of our personality. As low-traffic rooms compared to other parts of a house, they do not require the same level of durability for paint finishes. So soft sheens and velvet finishes are good options for them.
You can employ innovative faux painting techniques that blend well particularly within themed bedrooms with texturing paints and glazes. Painting a faux fireplace that serves as a focal point could lend a warm ambience and charm to your apartment bedroom.
Stylish Bathrooms
There are many people who are quite indifferent to their bathrooms when it comes to home decoration. Even though they are private spaces, they’re also heavily used spaces usually. When well-designed, they can serve as, aside from strictly functional spaces, also retreats for relaxation and refreshment. Consider the overall decor of your home before you design the bathroom space. Let the master bath and other bathrooms be complementary to the colour scheme of the connecting corridors and the rest of the house.
The space in the bathroom is prone to mildew and surfactant leaching due to the high moisture levels that are present. Therefore, the highest quality sheen or semi-gloss paints that contain mildew protection as well as stain resistance are recommended for bathrooms.
Laundry Space Face-lift
For some of us, laundry spaces form the part of our house that we want nobody to see. With a bit of resourcefulness, we can convert this space to a spectacle of colours where the drying clothes can be the decorative elements. Create a garden motif for the walls. Consider splashes of lively colours on the walls to complement the hues of the clothes.
Account for the high moisture, when you consider paints. Kitchen/bathroom paints might be good options for this area, too.
The year 2011 witnessed major events and developments that impacted economies across the world and also influenced the Indian economy and the real estate industry. Responding to the overall gloominess in the world markets, industrial growth has slowed down and the GDP growth rates have been revised downward. Despite this the RBI has had to raise interest rates to combat inflationary pressure.
On the other hand, the fact that a strong recovery continued to be eluding the U.S. economy and the Eurozone policymakers’ inability to reign in the sovereign debt crisis indicate that emerging markets like India and Brazil along with China will continue to grow in importance and power the world economy. For a country like India, this period can effectively be leveraged to address core concerns of investors like infrastructure woes, lack of coherent government policy and to set forward a path for eco-friendly development to ready itself for the next boom. Significant investments in key infrastructure sectors of power and telecom along with transportation are required for the country to reach its full economic potential.
With the upgrading of the National Highway system through the Golden Quadrilateral that connects the four metros and implementation of innovative solutions that enable smooth and efficient intra-city commuting like the Delhi Metro, one gets the feeling that some of key issues in this regard are being tackled properly. One area of the economy that is immediately affected extremely positively by improvement in connectivity, especially in urban areas is, of course, real estate. A cursory glance at the trends in the prices of flats and plots with proximity to the route of the Namma Metro in Bangalore will be sufficient to prove this relation. With a slew of major new road projects like the Tumkur elevated Highway and NICE road converging in and around, North Bangalore, especially, remains one of the key destinations for real estate investors.
According to a Times Property report cited here, a number of planned intermediate ring roads around the Devanahalli Airport are fuelling residential catchment growth in surrounding areas. Among them are the 89-km proposed road from Dabaspet industrial area to Devanahalli at an estimated cost of Rs 1,110 crores and an 80-km road connecting Devanahalli to Attibele to be constructed at a cost of Rs 1000 crores, which will serve as a vital link between the international airport and Electronic City. Other planned intermediate ring roads connect Attibele to Ramanagar and Ramanagar to Dabaspet. While the Attibele-Ramanagar IRR will provide connectivity between NICE corridor and the satellite towns, the Ramanagar-Dabaspet IRR would be connecting the textile and manufacturing hubs.
The real estate market here seems to be grounded in strong fundamentals and therefore is rightly seen as a safe haven for investments that seek steady long-term returns. With the rapid growth of the city pushing its outward limits, demand for affordable housing in the outlying areas with good connectivity, like Jalahalli and around Hosur road, always promises to stay high.
Posted in Article
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Tagged 2011, real-estate
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 Vivanta by Taj at Yeswanthpur Some of the best names in the hospitality industry have been present in Bangalore for a long time. MG Road alone has some great hotels like the Taj West End, The Oberoi and The Park Hotel. And now we’re seeing some more of the biggest names in the industry beginning to operate in and around North Bangalore.
The Taj Group opened its third Vivanta by Taj in Bangalore at Yeshwantpur recently. Vivanta by Taj is considered to be a brand that is more cutting-edge in a modern-chic aesthetic in the Taj lineup of luxury hotel brands. Positioned next to the flagship Taj brand, it caters to the upscale business and holidays market.
Another brand new entry is the Mövenpick Hotel & Spa near BEL Circle, which can boast of being the closest 5-star hotel to the International Airport. The Swiss international Hotel chain specializing in resort hotels and airport hotels chose north Bangalore to be the location of its first hotel in India. This could indeed be seen as a testimony for the importance of the region for the city and a recognition of the growth potential of the region.
The Mövenpick Hotel & Spa, with its stated objective of serving Indian Hospitality with Swiss passion, is a wonderful place of luxury and sophisticated hospitality. The gym and the most modern swimming pool and spa there offer the ideal for the best kind of relaxation after a long day of work.
Some of the other excellent hotels around the region are Lemon Tree, City Centre, on St John’s Road, Sheraton Bangalore at Malleswaram, Park Plaza Bangalore and 24 Tech Hotel at Sarjapur-Marathahalli Outer Ring Road, Alila Bangalore on Whitefield, Ibis Bengaluru on Hosur Road.
There probably isn’t a better indicator of value of real estate in a region than the presence of high-end luxury hotels that cater to business customers. They serve as good indicators of high economic activity and good connectivity. The price of apartments in a given region almost always tends to show a very high correlation with the presence of good hotels and shopping malls in the region.
 Orion Mall at Brigade Gateway The biggest mall in Bangalore is slated to be built in the Kirloskar Business Park on Bellary Road. This huge mall is expected to have a built-up area of a whopping 1.68 million sq.ft. Another mall in the works is the magnificently designed Gopalan Mall on Old Madras Road. And the Orion Mall in Brigade Gateway by the Brigade Group promises to be the last word for your every need and indulgence. A complete all-day getaway with shopping, entertainment and multiplexes this is sure to become the hotspot for Bangalore’s shoppers and mall junkies.
Peenya has been traditionally home to a lot of industrial activity ever since the Peenya industrial estate was established in the late ‘70s by a state government initiative. Since then, this area has witnessed an unprecedented industrial boom which resulted in it becoming one of the largest industrial areas in Asia. Recently the government has correctly recognized and acknowledged the potential for further development in the region and has been taking concrete steps to attract more industries and foster further development in the region.
The Multi-storied Industrial Complex at Peenya Industrial Area is an impressive step among them. The Karnataka Industrial Areas Development board (KIADB) has finished construction and invited tenders for the sale of two blocks with over 1,25,000 sq.ft. area in the Industrial Complex. The location of this complex in one of the most active industrial regions in the country makes in immensely beneficial for industrialists and businesses to be represented here. This is expected to meet the dire need for a ready-to-occupy industrial complex in this heavily industrialized region.
Located at a distance of 16 km from the city, it straddles the national highway connecting Pune to Bangalore. For a region that was plagued with infrastructure woes as recently as five years ago, it has amazingly good connectivity and improved overall support structure today. It’s well connected to the Outer Ring Road and the Bangalore public transport. Moreover it’s located close to the Yeshwantpur Railway station as well.
The sprawling region that we know as Peenya today had its humble beginning when the Peenya Industrial Area formed by KIADB and the Peenya Industrial Estate formed by Karnataka State Small Scale Industries Development Corporation (KSSIDC) to coordinate and promote industrial development in the region. Starting with a few small scale industries in the 1970s in a small region, it is spread over an area of about 40 sq.km. comprising about 4,000 small-, medium- and large scale industries today. It is known for its electrical, engineering, textile, hydraulic and machine tool industries.
The region provides direct or indirect employment to over 3,50,000 workers and is home to names like IT giant Wipro Technologies, farm equipment manufacturer Kirloskar Group, Swedish electrical giant ABB, the diversified industrial company Ingersoll Rand etc among other well-known national and international industrial companies.
The industrial development in this region has always been a factor in the real estate scenario of the region. The importance of the region industrially will always compel the government to tend to the infrastructure needs of the region. This is evident in projects like the Tumkur elevated highway and the extended reach of Namma Metro to Peenya through Reach 3A and B stretches. This has resulted in a scenario where North Bangalore has also become an ideal destination for investments in real estate in sight of the increased connectivity and better social infrastructure brought on by the industrial development.
Even though the rapid growth in IT has finally stabilized to levels that seem more sustainable, it doesn’t seem to have cooled the intense real estate activity on sprawling suburbs of Bangalore, putting pressure on the ever-expanding borders of the city. Even though companies like Infosys which used to baffle investors and analysts alike year after year with triple digit growth figures have settled down to more realistic figures of late due to different factors like the lingering economic woes of the West and what seems to be a temporary saturation of outsourcing potential in Indian cities.
Even though the high-end residential projects haven’t taken off quite as spectacularly as some in the industry had hoped, the high demand for budget apartments seems to show no signs of waning yet. The huge middle-income segment which still keeps growing fast has a need for housing which has hardly been met by the existing supply in the market. There’s a new class of working men and women who want to live in flats within a budget they can afford, at the same time without making any serious compromises in comfort or luxury. They seem to form the biggest chunk of home-buyers currently and are a crucial market segment for investors.
Kumar Properties is one of the builders that are trying to meet demand in this specific arena. Their project Princetown is a prime example of budget apartments furnished with all amenities that provide a high quality of life in the suburbs. The real estate growth in the suburbs is showing no signs of slowing down. The presence of the new International airport and a host of industrial and infrastructure projects are instrumental for the phenomenal growth in the real estate market in the North of the city while the special economic zones are boosting the real estate in the East of the city around Whitefield and large IT campuses are still supporting the market in the South.
The infrastructure projects like Namma Metro and NICE Road are impacting the nearby areas in a big way. The connectivity and accompanying commercial development is bound to be followed by demand for housing, above all for budget apartments with two or three bedrooms. With a massive potential for appreciation in the coming years as the infrastructure projects are finished and the glitches in connectivity are ironed out, such apartments in the suburbs are an ideal destination for investment today.
Suburban real estate is increasingly being considered a safe haven as the uncertainties elsewhere are rising. With the stock market languishing and even gold – the investor’s traditional favourite in times of trouble – turning out to be unstable, property – especially apartments – in the outlying areas of the city are constantly rising in value. While better planned layouts have always been a hallmark of outlying areas projects like Metro are solving the problem of long commutes and making suburban locations more attractive than ever before.
 At the fourth edition of Bangalore Nano on Thursday, the Science and Technology Minister announced that it will be promoting nanotechnology in a big way, with enhanced financial support in the forthcoming budget of 2012-13. The state government has requested the central government for speedy completion of 100-crore Indian Institute of Nano-Science and Technology on Tumkur Road. It was announced that the government has already taken up civil works for the Institute on the already allocated 14 acres.
Nanotechnology can be defined as the science of engineering materials at the atomic or molecular levels. One nanometre is a trillionth of a meter, or in other words, it can be compared to the length by which the average man’s beard grows in the time he takes to lift the razor to his beard. Nanotechnology is already employed in a wide array of products from food and clothing to disinfectants. Bandages infused with nano-materials have proved to heal wounds faster. The implications of this for the future are enormous. Experts are reckoning with revolutionary progress in fields ranging from food production to video gaming and personal computing through the application of this technology.
Bangalore Nano is welcome initiative by the governmental authorities to foster a business-friendly environment for the development of nano-science and nanotechnology industries in the state of Karnataka. It is a platform that brings together the industry majors, bureaucrats and government officials along with researchers to showcase the latest developments in the field and to enable a free exchange of ideas and help formulate policy for the promotion of nanotechnology in the state. The state government seems eager to position Bangalore, which has a tradition of catering to frontier technologies like IT and BT, as an attractive destination for investment and research in this sunrise sector too.
The government announced a slew of steps it was planning to support nanotechnology at the conference. As part of its venture to boost nano-research in the State, the government is mulling introducing a policy on animation and gaming to boost the promising sector, said Minister for Science & Technology and Fisheries, Anand Asnotikar.
Nanotech Park
The government intends to set up a state-of-the-art Nano Park near the Bengaluru International Airport and ‘Expression of Interest’ has already been invited for development of the park on a public-private partnership basis, said the minister, adding that this initiative would give a major fillip to the nanotechnology sector in the state. The park would include an incubation centre, to support early stage entrepreneurial ventures, with the infrastructure and support structure required for such a centre. Necessary academic centres will also be present to foster and develop high-quality domain expertise.
Nano Lab at Jakkur
The government would also provide one acre of land at Jakkur for the establishment of Nano Lab by the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research on the neighbouring premises of the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Rural Energy and Development.
Leading scientists and researchers from industry majors and elite universities around the world participated in the 2-day conference held at Lalit Ashok Bangalore. Prof. CNR Rao, the Scientific Advisor to the Prime Minister of India, who spoke at the conference, said that nanotechnology can play a big role in solving the energy crisis and protecting the environment.
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