Mr. Vijay Aggarwal awarded the most innovative corporate leader of the year by Power Brands



The Power Brand Hall of Fame



Mr Vijay Aggarwal received the award at a glittering ceremony in London called The Power Brand Hall of Fame. Mr Aggarwal has been given this award for having successfully steered H & R Johnson (India) [HRJ] in a leadership position in the Indian market. HRJ is today the World’s 7th largest tile company. In his leadership role at HRJ, Mr. Aggarwal has been instrumental in consolidating the leadership of Johnson brand in India and creating Marbonite and Endura which enjoy strong brand equity in the market today. His emphasis to drive leadership through innovation has resulted in a consistent year-on-year growth of HRJ. With gross revenues of over Rs. 1500 crores (FY 2011), HRJ is the undisputable leader in Indian ceramic tile market. It is the only entity in India to offer a complete range of tiles, bath products, and modular kitchens under one roof.

The Power Brand Hall of Fame ceremony was held in London on December 12, 2011 to honour Indian Corporate Leaders who have carved a niche for themselves with their remarkable strategies to channelize growth and take their companies ahead. Some of the prolific Indian Corporate leaders & dignitaries who received the award on the occasion include Mr Adi Godrej (Chairman of Godrej Group); Laurent Demortier (President - Crompton Greaves); Mehul Choksi (Chairman of Gitanjali Gems); Altaf Halde (South Asian Head of Kaspersky Lab); Anirudh Dhoot (Chairman of Videocon Industries); Bollywood Director Farhan Akhtar amongst others.

Power Brand is a research-driven power book of India’s most powerful brands. A brand bible, it garners India’s most aspiring brands which have fortified their presence in the hearts & minds of the Indian consumers. The ideology of Power Brand is to bring into spotlight India's most prolific, successful and emerging companies in order to augment their international brand identity, credibility, stability & sustainability. In line with our commitment to focus on innovation, we unveiled a series of innovative super-premium products at the Acetech 2011 in Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi. Some of the innovative products that captured the imagination of our customers included Johnson Intellimate, Johnson Senso, Marbonite GVT Infinity and Johnson Digital, Johnson Stonex etc.
Let us in one voice congratulate Mr Aggarwal on this prolific achievement and reiterate our commitment to follow his vision and take the company to even greater heights.

Tiles for your kitchen




Kitchen Tiles

 

Selecting tiles for the kitchen is not an easy decision as you have to take different factors into consideration. The tiles that you select for your kitchen should not just be aesthetic to look at but also strong enough to resist stains and other damage. Most people only look for elegant looking styles but ignore the tile’s resistance capacity against scratches and stains. There are various options when it comes to choosing the right tiles for your kitchen. The two most common options are Pressed tiles and Extruded tiles.

There are two sub-categories of tiles under Pressed tiles. They are termed as Mono-cottura and Bi-cottura. Mono cottura tiles are produced under very high temperatures which makes them quite strong. Mono cottura tiles have a strong base which can easily withstand strong impact. On the other hand, bi cottura tiles are not as strong enough as Mono cottura tiles. Bi cottura tiles are known more for their stylish and aesthetic looks. They have a low resistance capacity compared to their counterpart.

Porcelain tiles

Another popular option you have for kitchen tiles is porcelain tiles. Porcelain tiles are widely used by many home-owners. Porcelain tiles are also termed as another variant of Pressed tiles. An advantage of porcelain tiles is that they are extremely durable and thus they are an ideal tiling option in commercial spaces like malls, offices and restaurants where it is not feasible to keep changing the tiles frequently. Whichever type of tiles you select for your kitchen but two things need to be considered well in advance. They are durability of the tiles and ease of cleaning.

Why Engineered marble score over other tiling options

When it comes to flooring there are a lot of options that you have. However, most undisputed and the most preferred option for flooring is Engineered marble flooring. Engineered Marble tiles have become a revered option with many home-makers because they offer a lot of aesthetic and practical benefits. So what makes marble flooring so popular? Let us look into some of the features of Engineered marble tiles. The first thing that comes to our mind when we think of marble tiles is their durability. Marble tiles are extremely durable and designed to last for a long time without any damage. Once you install marble tiles on your floor, you do not have to worry about changing your flooring for a long period. This is one reason why marble flooring has become so popular with the masses. 

Spruce up your home and office with Engineered marble tiles 

Engineered Marble tiles can be used to jazz up your home as well as office. They are considered an ideal flooring option for residential as well as commercial spaces. Marble tiles give a stylish, modern and a classic feel to your home or commercial space. Marble tiles are elegance personified as they help to create the desired look in the room. 

Easy installation 

One may wonder that installing Engineered marble tiles can be a tedious task. However, the installation procedure involved with marble tiles is quite a simple one and also takes less time. Though it is easy to install, it is always recommended that you hire a professional mason to install them to avoid any unwanted damage to the tiles. 

Plethora of designs to choose from 

One striking reason which makes Engineered&nbspmarble tiles so popular is the variety in which they are available. Marble tiles come in a pool of styles, colours, patterns and designs. Such a vast variety makes it easy for you to choose the right tiles to complement your home décor.

Three home décor mistakes to avoid




Home Décor

 

While designing your home, you have to pay attention to different factors like the theme, furnishings, upholstery and other things. One of them is the choice of colour you will select to paint your home walls. The choice of the colour should be correct for your home and it should not look either too overpowering or too dull. Many people get swayed by the colours shown in glossy colour magazines and blindly opt for the colour without considering whether the particular colour will be suitable for their home. Here a few tips when choosing the right paint for your home. 

Avoid choosing paint from a paint chip

Though a small chip of paint will look beautiful in the flashy fluorescent light of the paint store, it might actually be completely overpowering for your home walls. Whenever you select a particular colour, buy a quart of the colour and paint a section of the wall to see how the colour looks like. If you are fine with the look, then you can go ahead and finalize the colours for your walls.  

Don’t make the final decision in the store

Whether you are buying colours, fabric, flooring or other upholstery for your home, never make the final decision in the décor store itself. You can always ask the store manager to send in a few samples of the paint, fabric or the flooring that you have liked. Once in the home, you can check them under natural light to see whether they look or not.

Avoid choosing your favourite colour for everything

Just because you love the colour red, don’t go about painting all your home walls in bold red colour. You will not realise it in the beginning but painting all your home walls in flashy red will make it look like a haunted house rather than a home. You can instead of subtle shades for your walls to create a nice background to place your antique accessories and furnishings.

H&R Johnson to invest Rs. 400 crore in two years



Vijay Aggarwal, Managing Director



Ceramic tile maker, H&R Johnson (India), which has entered the bath fittings and kitchen cabinets segment, plans to invest nearly Rs. 400 crore in the next two years for expanding its various businesses. The Rs. 1,500-crore company hopes to increase its revenue by 25 per cent in the current fiscal.

Vijay Aggarwal, Managing Director, H & R Johnson India, said the ceramic tile market was growing along with the demand for bath fittings and kitchen cabinets. To meet the increasing demand, the company had invested Rs. 225 crore for expanding its ceramic tile manufacturing plant in Andhra Pradesh from 3 million sq.m to 6 million sq.m.. This was being further expanded to 9 million sq.m by January 2012.

Greenfield projects

The company would also be investing in two new plants at Rajkot in Gujarat. It had already invested Rs. 20 crore during the current fiscal in a joint venture to make 2.3 million sq. m of small tiles. The second one, a greenfield plant, would come up by February 2012 to produce one million sq.m of engineered marble and quartz at an investment of Rs. 50 crore. The company also planned to increase the capacity of industrial tiles, Endura, from 1.5 million sq.m to 2.5 million sq.m by March next year. It would be investing Rs. 35 crore for this expansion plan.

The market for tiles is estimated at Rs.14,000 crore. The share of the unorganised sector is around Rs. 8,000 crore and the balance is the contribution of the organised sector. Of the total organised market, Rs. 5,000 crore came from medium-end products and the balance from top-end products. For H&R Johnson, Marbonite and Johnson tiles contribute 45 per cent of its sales and the balance came from Endura.

The company had introduced digital technology for printing new designs on the ceramic tiles. Mr. Aggarwal was of the view that digital technology would catch up in the ceramic tile market in future.

On the bath fittings division, he said the company was planning to double the capacity of Baddi (Himachal Pradesh) plant. It would be doubling the capacity to 50,000 pieces of taps annually. It was also planning to set up a greenfield project in Jammu to manufacture 50,000 pieces of taps by April next. The revenue from this vertical was Rs. 70 crore last year. This would go up to Rs. 100 crore in the current fiscal, he added.

He said the kitchen cabinet division was started two years ago and was providing one-stop solution to customers. At present, the company had 40 dedicated showrooms. This would go up to 70 in the next six months.

Bathroom refurbishing- What do you need to know?




Bathroom Tiles

 

In the earlier days, bathroom refurbishing was strictly restricted to changing the flooring and replacing few fixtures and accessories. People used to not pay much attention to bathroom décor as they did to home interiors. Things have drastically changed in the present times with more and more people giving important to the nuances of bathroom designing and exploring new bathroom designs.

Cost- effective plans

If you are wondering whether the costs of bathroom designing will be astronomical, then worry not as you can choose a bathroom design that suits your tastes as well as your budget. Bathroom redesigning does not require looting a bank or taking a loan from the bank. You need to chalk out a well thought out plan and discuss your plan with the local contractor. You need to explore the creative bent of your mind and think from an artist’s perspective. Look at your bathroom as a piece of empty canvas and start imagining every idea that comes to your mind. Remember that each one of us have a different take on what is aesthetic and what is not. So, the designs are solely subjective and it does not matter whether the contractor likes your idea or not. If you are satisfied with the idea and if it looks feasible, then you should not think twice before proceeding with the same.

The old and the new designs

Bathroom designs range from the age-old Victorian style bathrooms to the new, contemporary ones. The Victorian styled bathrooms are characterised by sculpted pedestal basins, claw-footed roll top baths and free standing showers. Much thought has been in poured in the contemporary bathroom designs which have straight, sleek designs and geometric lines. White remains the most chosen colour for bathroom furnishings with other fittings in shades of polished chrome.

It always helps to proceed with a fixed plan in mind. You also have to think about the budget and stick to a planned one while renovating our bathroom. If you are ready to spend a bit extra, you can play a lot with the look of your bathroom.

Thinking of creating a ‘romantic’ bedroom? Read on…



Bedroom Tiles


We all want a bedroom that looks nothing less than a romantic heaven. However, this is the most conventional thing to think about as romance can start about anywhere in the room. Take for example the living room. You can create an equally appealing romantic mood in the living room. With the right music, soft rugs, right mood, cosy dining space, soft cushions with a few scented candles can make your living room a truly romantic place. However, most people are under the impression that it is the bedroom which is the centre of all romance and hence spend a lot of time, money and effort in designing the bedroom. Though designing the perfect romantic bedroom may seem to be an easy task, it cannot be a cake walk and you have to be very careful while designing this space.

Relaxation or work?

While designing the bedroom, you have to take into consideration many factors. You first need to decide the amount of time you spend in the bedroom. You may be spending half your day in the bedroom or may just be entering it for a good night’s sleep. You may decide to create the bedroom into a functional space by including the TV or your PC or you can simply keep it as a place of rest. Though you may agree that work pressures do not allow you to keep you bedroom a purely comfort space as you often need to work at odd hours and so need to get your laptop inside the bedroom.

On the other hand, you may strictly keep it as a place of indulgence, which is for relaxation, reading and some rest. You may also want to isolate the room from your domestic life and create a romantic haven for you and your spouse. Whatever decision you take, you also need to consider your budget. If you are working on a tight budget, then you might have to reuse some old items or refurbish them while designing your bedroom. 

Too hard to miss benefits of ceramic tiles



Ceramic Tiles


Of all the flooring options available, tiles are considered to be the most adaptable and affordable.  Tiles are especially an ideal flooring option for places like kitchen and bathrooms where spills are common place. However, many people like to have tiles in their living rooms, hallways and bedrooms. To create a relaxing atmosphere, all you need to do is to throw a rug around a floor to create the desired floor. Out of all the tiles present in the market, ceramic tiles are a popular choice. Their popularity can be attributed to a number of reasons. Some of the reasons are explained below.

Easy to maintain

One good thing about ceramic tiles is that they are virtually maintenance free. Though no tile will be completely maintenance free, the process involved to clean ceramic tiles is much more hassle free and simple compared to other tiles. All ceramic tiles require is an occasional sealant every few years apart from regular cleaning. Just by regular cleaning, you can make ceramic tiles appear like new and shiny. If you want your ceramic tiles to be water-damage resistant, you need to install the grout properly. To keep your ceramic tiles clean, all you need to do is visit the local grocery store and buy the local cleaning products. 

Cost-effective

When you look at the cost factor, tiles are easily the most affordable option. Ceramic tiles are extremely affordable and you can easily purchase them even if you are working on a tight budget. Though initial costs of installing the ceramic tiles may be a big high, but when you compare it with the durability, you will realise that ceramic tiles are the most cost-effective option. Apart from this, the simple maintenance and upkeep makes ceramic tiles even more cost-effective. Ceramic tiles are multi-functional and there is a ceramic tile that can suit any style and décor. 

What you need to know before buying bathroom wall tiles



Bathroom Wall Tiles



If you are looking for some innovative ways to lighten up your bathroom décor, then what better way than by investing in a whole new set of bathroom wall tiles. Just by adding on new bathroom wall tiles, you can refresh your bathroom without having to gutting or rebuilding it. The effort involved in installing new bathroom wall tiles is minimal compared to what is required in decorating other areas of the bathroom. Those who have installed bathroom wall tiles will stick to the fact that these tiles bring a splash of colour and life to the bathroom and give it a unique style.

Wide variety

If you are looking for the perfect bathroom wall tiles, then you will be pleased to know that bathroom wall tiles come in a wide variety of materials and styles. You just have to select the material that is perfect for your type of bathroom. Though the variety is huge when it comes to choosing bathroom wall tiles, the sheer variety can even sometimes confuse the customer. Simply walking into a home décor store or a hardware store can overwhelm you or worse, confuse you. You need to be well guarded with information before you make the final purchase of your bathroom wall tiles.

Budget

While looking for bathroom wall tiles, the first thing you need to determine is the scope and the magnitude of the project. This depends on the size and the shape of your bathroom. You need to first measure your walls and set apart a fixed budget for the tiling work. This will help you get a better understanding of the costs involved apart from the type of bathroom wall tiles that you can afford. When you plan your budget, remember that even if you plan to install the bathroom wall tiles all by yourself, there will be expenses involved like adhesive, renting a tile cutter , grout and so on. 

Give a new look to your home with wall tiles



Wall Tiles



The field of interior designing is quite subjective. What look one might like for their home may be completely detested by some another. When you take up interior designing, you need to follow your instincts and stick to what you like for your home not with standing what others will think of it.

Tiling the walls 

For instance, instead of painting the walls, you can go for wall tiles. Wall tiles look amazing on the walls and give a decent and a neat appearance to the wall. The not just beautify the look of the walls but also look unique compared to the drab appearance of the same old wall paints. Wall tiles come in a pool of colours, textures and designs so you will not face any difficulty in finding the right wall tiles for your home walls. Such is the variety available that you can let your imagination run wild and find wall tiles that are tailor made to suit your tastes and preferences. 

With wall tiles, you can create different types of look on the walls. You can opt for light blue tiles to create an oceanic feel on the wall. You can opt for crystal textured tiles to create a swimming pool like appearance for the walls. If you want a metallic look for your walls, then you can opt for wall tiles that have a metallic texture. Wall tiles with a metallic texture are newly invented and they are counted as one of the stylish designs for tiles. From conventional looking to the more sophisticated modern ones, wall tiles are slowly making their presence felt in the tile market. 

Two mistakes to avoid while doing home improvement

When you take up the task of home improvement, there are some unwritten rules that you ought to follow. Home improvement is not an easy task as it might seem to be. Though you may be excited at the beginning thinking about the brand new makeover that your home will be getting, you need to plan a lot of things in advance if you want the desired look for your home. Apart from religiously following some things, you should also steer clear of doing some common mistakes. Some of these are listed below.

Make the choices yourself

Remember that your home is a personal space. It completely belongs to you and none other. While taking any design or makeover related decision, you should first rely on your own instincts rather than blindly following what others tell you. If you are confused regarding some key decisions related to the makeover, you can always ask for suggestions. You can also hire an interior decorator to assist you on the redesigning. An interior decorator will be in a better position to tell you what is right for your home and what is not.

Do not paint first

Remember that you can buy any colour and any hue of paint under this earth at any point of time so always keep the painting job for the end. Your first task should be to accessorise your home and get all the right furnishings and accessories. Once you are done with this task, you can then decide which colour to use for painting your home. You can also use a combination of different colours and mix and match to effectively compliment your room décor and furnishings. Always remember to buy fabric, upholstery and fabric first.

Two areas to focus on while bathroom remodelling

Bathroom Remodelling

When it comes to re-decorating or re-designing the bathroom, the primary area of focus understandably remains the bathing area. It is the bathing area where you would be spending most of the time while you are inside the bathroom. There are different ideas for your bathroom that you can select when you have taken up the task of decorating your bathroom. Some of the common bathroom ideas are whether you would like to include a bath and shower combination in the bathing or maybe increase the shower area to create a walk-in. When it comes to choosing the right bathroom ideas for your bathroom, you have to consider many factors like the tiles, the sanitary ware, the furnishings and so on. They are further explained below.

Tiles 

The tiles for your bathroom will depend on your personal tastes as well as how you want your bathroom to feel and look like. You may be a fan of modern décor or classic, art décor. Or you may prefer the vintage décor or the Spanish designing. Whatever your choice is, there is a pool of different varieties of tiles to suit the varying needs and requirements of customers. You are at complete freedom to choose the set of floor or wall tiles to compliment the tub or the shower area. 

Spas

If your budget allows, you can consider including a spa to your bathroom. Though it might be on an expensive side, a spa tub is not that expensive as you may think it to be. As long as you have the required space and a well-thought out budget for bathroom remodelling, you can go ahead with including a spa tub in your bathroom. You need to measure the space in your bathroom and then decide whether a full spa would fit in or a roman tub is the right choice for you. If you want to try out something different, you can opt for a hydro therapy tub. After all, who doesn’t want a luxurious bathroom!

Three simple ways to cut kitchen designing costs

The kitchen space in the olden days served merely as a utility space. It was for the sole purpose of cooking food for the family. Concepts like kitchen remodelling and kitchen designing were alien to the middle-class home maker. Kitchen remodelling was restricted to the well-to-do families who had enough disposable income at their hands. However, things have not remained the same. In the present day, even the middle class and lower middle class groups look to redesign their kitchen with budget-friendly ideas.If you also are looking for budget-friendly ideas to remodel your kitchen, then the below given tips can be really useful to you.
Kitchen lighting
Though it may not sound that important, but kitchen lighting can go a long way in accentuating the look of your kitchen. A very cost- effective way to lift up the kitchen look is to opt for fancy light bulbs and fixtures to adorn the kitchen. If you are looking for adjustable lights, then look no further than halogen lights. You can easily adjust the brightness of these lights as per your mood or needs. 
Kitchen wall paint
If you want to jazz up the look of your cooking space, you can consider giving the walls a new colour by applying a fresh coat of paint on the ceilings as well as the walls. You may be surprised to know that painting your kitchen walls is one of the most cost-effective ways of redefining your kitchen. If you opt for some bold colours, it will help to make your kitchen look vibrant and full of life.
Kitchen cabinets
You may have not noticed but your kitchen cabinets tend to develop stains after a certain point of time and this hampers the look of your kitchen. A cheap way to add a new look to your kitchen is to repaint your old kitchen cabinets. You may wonder painting wooden cabinets will harm them; however, no harm will be caused to those wooden cabinets. Coloring your wooden cabinets in different hues can give your kitchen the look you always wanted to have. 

Two common mistakes to avoid while accessorising your room

We all make wrong choices in our lives. Be it with life partners or just a simple dress, we can go wrong at any point in our life. But there can be nothing worse than having to live with the mistake for the entire life. You need to rectify your mistakes before it gets too late. Same applies to your home décor. Your home is a place which is next to heaven for you. So why design it in the wrong way. Here are a few common home décor mistakes and how to rectify them. 

Unanchored rugs

If you have decided to throw off a rug on the flooring, remember that it should have something on top of it. Floating area rugs without any object on them are a big no-no for home décor. If you leave your rugs without any piece of furniture on them, they will almost resemble a magic carpet ready to fly any time. If you do not wish to keep any heavy furniture on them, you can keep at least two feet of the crouch or the chair in it. A fact to note is that coffee tables were designed as a rest on these rugs. 

Disproportionate furniture

Remember that the furniture you buy will define the look of your room. You need to first well understand the size and the shape of the room before you go to buy any furniture for your home. A dining table stuffed into a breakfast noon or the huge sectional cabinet fitting into a tiny den, a wrong size of furniture can wreck havoc on your room. Replace the odd sized furniture as soon as possible. Replace them with small pieces of furniture that do not occupy too much space in your room. Remember a room crammed up with too many accessories can make you feel claustrophobic. Before buying the furniture, always take the room measurements.

An exclusive collection of outdoor flooring tiles

Kitchen cabinets- Two simple ways to enhance them



Kitchen Cabinet



If your kitchen cabinets have become old or obsolete you will surely want to replace them. The cost for more advanced kitchen appliances may be more costly for you. However there are different ways you can change your present kitchen cabinets. You can make your kitchen cabinets look new and shining by two simple ways that are refinishing and re-surfacing.

Re-finishing

Refinishing is a best option for your kitchen cabinets if you are thinking of spending a rich amount on it. As compared to resurfacing refinishing is more affordable. Colouring along with some staining with some carpentry work comes under refinishing. It is best to hire some professional for the job if you want the best of refinishing job done for your kitchen cabinets. These professionals know very well which kind of products to use on the different types of cabinets and they will make sure that your kitchen cabinets look sparkling after the process is completed. If you want to save your money then you can do the refinishing process all by yourself.  Before starting the work of kitchen cabinets, you should thoroughly understand the process of refinishing. You should first purchase the essential tools that are needed for the refinishing process. Time is also an important factor that is to be considered when you are doing the job all by yourself. The process of refinishing should never be done hastily or you do not get the desired look for your kitchen cabinets.

Re-surfacing

Re-surfacing is another process through which you can enhance your kitchen. Though many people consider that re-surfacing is costlier it is more cost efficient than the process of refinishing. The process of re-surfacing involves replacing some of the appliances of the kitchen cabinets. The interiors of the cabinet are cleaned and new surfaces like wood, veneer or laminates are used for the kitchen drawers.

Wall tiles for your home walls !!

Wall Tiles

We all like to receive enough praises from neighbours and visitors when they visit out home. You must have spent a lot of time, money and effort in designing your home and you surely do not want your efforts to go waste. If you have crafted the right look for your home, then you surely will be praised for it. Designing the walls is an important part of home décor. Most of us think of painting the walls but few of us opt for wall tiles. Wall tiles are an excellent option for decorating the walls instead of painting them.

You may underestimate the effect of wall tiles but wall tiles add that special zing to your walls. Wall tiles come in diverse types so you can play with the designs and choose one that suits your home and also your tastes. If you wish to have tiles for your walls, then you need to first understand the tile market well and know the technicalities. Apart from gaining some technical knowledge, you will also become aware of the different patterns and styles that are available in wall tiles. You will come to know what patterns and designs are trending currently and what designs have faded in their appeal. Once you start visiting the local tile shops, you do not have to visit other's houses to have a look at what they have done with their walls. The market is booming with many types of wall tiles and you need a creative bent of mind to choose the right type for your home. A visit to the local interior décor store can well do the trick for you.

Lighting different areas of your home

When it comes to home decorating, one of the key areas of concern is to get the lighting of your home right? Interior lighting plays an important role in what vibe your home gives off and how the overall look and feel turns out to be. People like to light up their homes in different ways. Some like to keep it minimal with just a few lights while some like to elaborate. If you want to know more about the proper lighting for your home room wise, then read further.

Living room

If your family members like to read a lot, then you can consider keeping a lamp behind every reader’s shoulder. The lamp can be kept at a height of about 42 inches above the floor. You can also highlight a art piece using a halogen track lighting or fixing a picture light. To illuminate display and book shelves, you can use accent lights. To make your beautiful wall textures stand out, you can install recessed lighting apart from using dimmers. 

Kitchen

The kitchen is a place where you will need sufficient amount of lighting as you will prepare the food for the entire family here. To have general lighting in the kitchen, a grid of recessed ceiling cans will suffice. For lighting the sink and the surrounding areas, you can install individual recessed down-lights. For task lighting, you can go for under-cabinet lights.

Dining rooms

To create a beautiful setting in the dining room, you can place a chandelier above the dining table. You can also use a dimmer. If you have put up a framed art piece in the dining room, then you can highlight it using halogen track lighting. If you are not too pleased with the idea of a chandelier hanging on top of your head, then you can opt for trio of pendant lights.

Two simple ways to look for cheap kitchen units

Kitchen Units

You may think of redecorating your house but are worried about the budgets. Even if you do not want to redesign the house, you can easily redecorate your kitchen. You can look for new kitchen units in the market to give your kitchen a complete new look. If you are not too flexible with your budgets, then you may look for cheap kitchen units. The below information can help you buy low price kitchen units.

Annual sales

When you are looking for cheap kitchen units, it is best to shop for them when most retailers announce the yearly sale. You can get the kitchen units as cheap prices and yet the quality remains the same. You can get kitchen units of any type that you desire. If you have decorated your house in a pure contemporary fashion, then you can shop for some chic looking kitchen units. On the other hand, if you house has been done in a traditional way, you can opt for the ones that will give a warm, homely feel to your kitchen. Even during sales, you can bargain with the retailer to give you some discounts. They are in a hurry to clear the stocks and this could well work in your advantage. You can get the best deals at low prices.

Self-installation

Another way to shop for cheap kitchen units is to save the expenses spent on installation. Surely, the retailer must have advised you to hire a professional while installing the kitchen units. You also may be concerned about the safety of your kitchen units considering it is a big purchase. However, all you are required to have is basic knowledge of DIY fittings to install your kitchen units. It is important that you refer to all instructions and guidelines while installing the kitchen units. 

A look into the various kitchen taps available



Kitchen Taps



        A look into the various kitchen taps available

When you have decided to take up the task of designing your kitchen, you need to pay attention to several factors. From deciding on the layout, the style, appliances and the worktops, everything needs to be properly selected. Many of us feel that just by selecting the décor theme and a few appliances, your kitchen is ready to use. However, this is not the case. Though finishing touches do not seem as important, they are an integral part of your kitchen design.

 Kitchen accessories like taps are integral to the overall style and look of your kitchen. Apart from the big purchases for your kitchen, you also need to look into the nitty gritty like the accessories. Out of all the accessories, kitchen taps are considered essential as they not only enhance the look of your functional but are also important from the functional point of view. When selecting kitchen taps, you will surely not face any shortage of choices as there are many types to choose from. Some of the types of kitchen taps are explained below.

Single lever taps

Single lever taps are actually mixer taps that come with just one handle to manage the flow of water coming from the cold as well as the hot water supply. Single lever taps are for those who prefer a modern and a minimalist design as it looks pretty simple and non-fussy. It is just one tap and comes with either one or two mounting points and has only one valve.

Monobloc mixer tap

Monobloc mixer taps are another type of kitchen mixer taps that come with a smaller input pipe than those compared to the standard taps Monobloc kitchen mixer taps are of the modern look and design and have just one valve and require only one mounting point.

Bridge mixer tap

Bridge mixer tap is another type of kitchen mixer tap which comes in a traditional look and design. It has three inter-connecting tubes. The tap is located in the middle and the cold and hot water controls on either side. With just one tap, there are two mounting points and two valves.

What goes in designing the perfect kitchen?

If you have closely followed home trends from the past years, you must be knowing that in the olden days, the kitchen was a dingy area at the rear part of the home. Kitchen décor was not given much of importance as it was considered to be a strictly functional place serving the cooking function. However, times have not remained the same and people now are more open to experimenting with the look and design of their kitchen. As kitchen décor has gained importance, different kitchen layouts have been brought on the scene.

Some of the popular kitchen layouts are the U shaped layout, the L shaped layout, the corridor layout and the island layout. Each kitchen layout has its own advantages and disadvantages. A common hurdle that every home-makes faces while designing the kitchen space is how to keep most kitchen space open and yet accommodate all the needed appliances and accessories. Everyone wishes to have a small dining area in the kitchen. However, space constraints come in way of fulfilling this wish.

When it comes to choosing the right kitchen layout for your kitchen, different factors come into play. One of them is space. The kitchen layout you select will rely on the available space. If you have limited space, and yet want something different for your kitchen, you can opt for the island layout. If you are looking to have an island layout for your kitchen, then you should be ready to spend a big amount as island layout comes at an expensive cost. Apart from the layout of your kitchen, you also need to decide on the design of your kitchen. You may want to design your kitchen in an old, classic way or the modern, contemporary way. You also have to get the right appliances for your kitchen. Remember that you should not crowd your kitchen with too many unwanted appliances.

Three easy to do home décor tips

Home Décor

Home decorating is not as simple a task as it seems to be. There are a lot of things involved and you have to consult many technicians and décor experts before you take the final décor decisions for your home. Remember that what interior design looks good for your home may not be entirely suitable for some other type of home. Apart from this, some people also like to do all the décor work by themselves. For this, you need a sound knowledge of DIY fittings. If you are looking for some hassle-free, easy home décor tips, then read further.

Furniture

To give your home a clean and fresh look, what you can do is pull all your furniture items away from the walls. Do not keep your furniture close to the walls. You can try positioning you furniture at different intriguing angles. For a narrow living room, you can position the sofa in a diagonal direction. This will help to make your room look wider apart from providing an inviting and warm layout.

Wall painting

If you are bored of seeing the same old colours on your walls, you can consider repainting your walls in some cool, contemporary colours. You can choose the colour for you which make it look like a focal point in your home. Another interesting to do is hang an antique piece of art or some nice piece of furniture. When you choose the colour, ensure that the colour compliments other accessories in your room.

Get in some plants

You can also bring in some fresh green plants. They will surely add a breath of fresh air to your room. If you are not too keen on getting green plants, you can go for silk plants and trees. With silk plants and trees, it will be difficult to make out they are artificial and not real. 

Sanitary ware industry in India

Sanitary Ware

Sanitary ware industry in India

Though most of India’s population resides in the rural areas, the number of people residing migrating to urban areas is slowly increasing. It is estimated that around 27% of the total population of the country reside in the urban cities and metros. However, a distressing fact is that the entire population does not have easy access to proper sanitation. Shared toilets still are present in many localities. As per the government records, around 50 % of the urban population do not have proper sanitation facilities. The situation is even worse in rural areas where only 6% of the total population have some access to sanitation facility.

Growth of sanitary ware industry

Not with standing the gloomy picture of the sanitary facilities in the country, the sanitary ware industry is growing at a great pace and has expanded its market to great extents in the past five-six years. A lot of companies have entered the market scene, each trying to introduce a novel product, thereby capturing the market. As the demand for sanitary ware products grow, these companies have intensified their production operations. A fact to note is that the growth of the sanitary ware industry is directly dependant on the growth and development of the real estate industry.

In India, the net worth of sanitary ware industry is pegged at around 500 crores and shows a yearly growth rate of 3%-4%. There are many major players in the market, of which Johnson sanitary ware is a trusted name. Johnson sanitary ware is an offering from H & R Johnson which has its presence felt all over the world. Johnson sanitary ware produces a range of bathroom products suiting every budget. They have the affordable bathroom fittings for the budget spender as well as some expensive, luxurious pieces for those who want to create a dream bathroom.

  

Home remodelling advice for beginners

Home Remodelling

When you want to take up the task of home redecoration, you can get information and advice from different sources. No doubt, each of these sources seems as reliable as they can. However, you need to have patience and an eye for detail for the right advice coming your way. When you are looking for home décor solutions, you will get a lot of suggestions as to how to do the whole remodelling with minimum costs or which remodelling plans take the least amount of time and yet give your home a fresh, new appeal.

When it comes to home remodelling, most home-makers look for suggestions and advice that can make their home look perfect. However, the definition of perfect will differ from person to person as choices are not the same and so there is no hard and fast rule as to which design is perfect and which is not. You do not have to strictly follow all the rules and guidelines given in a décor magazine to make your home look beautiful. You can always tweak them a bit to suit your budget as well as personal choices. Here are a few ideas that you may want to opt for while remodelling your home.

1- You can opt for colours for your walls that will catch the visitor’s eye. However, you should make it a point to see you do not opt for over-the-top bold colours or you are bound to make a mess of it. You can look for some fresh and unique shades to enhance the aesthetic sense of your home. 

2- When looking for paints, opt for durable paints as they will last long.

3- You can arrange your home furniture as per your wish. Keep the furniture as per your style and convenience. Try to avoid the designs followed by the rest and portray something different and unique for your home. 

4- You can always mix and match themes and styles to create a truly customised style for your home.

Bathroom taps- Its time you give them some more attention

Taps

When you take up the task of bathroom remodelling, you need to set aside a fixed budget for the task. This is for the simple reason that you do not want to go haywire with your bathroom remodelling budget and ensure that everything is covered. When deciding on the bathroom remodelling budget, you have to take into consideration different factors like the bath, shower, flooring tiles, taps, shower cubicle and the basin. Often, it has been noticed that people tend to forget that taps are an integral part of their bathroom and they fail to set a good budget for bathroom taps. You must know that without a proper tap or even a basin, a bathroom is completely useless and serves no purpose. So it only makes sense that when you are drawing up a budget for your bathroom remodelling, remember to keep a good amount for your taps and basins.

Plethora of choices

When you are shopping for bathroom taps, you will find no dearth of choices in the market. Bathroom taps come in different colours, styles, finishes and patterns. With so many choices available, you surely will be confused as to which is the right tap for your bathroom. It is thus important that you spend some time on researching a bit so that you decide on the right type of tap for your bathroom. Remember that a wrong choice of bathroom taps can have a disastrous effect on the entire look and feel of your bathroom.  You can also get creative with your bathroom taps and go for the gold-plated bathroom taps. Gold-plated bathroom taps are known to be eye-catching and a look of class to your bathroom. However, you should ensure that you do not go overboard with the gold look as this may end up making your bathroom look cheap and tacky.

Bath taps- The most important accessory for your bathroom

Bath Taps

For all you lovers of modern bathroom décor, taps is one accessory that is hard to miss. For any type of a bathroom, taps are an essential accessory. Without the right taps, your bathroom remains mostly redundant. You may not believe it but taps serve more functions that many other items in your home. If you shop for the right type of taps for your bathroom, they can turn out to be very fashionable and help to augment the appearance of your bathroom.

Different types

If you do not know what goes in the making of bath taps, well there are many things that are used to produce bath taps. A variety of materials are used for making them. Bath taps are available in various designs, colours and forms. Apart from the different styles, bath taps also come in different patterns like mixer taps, basin taps and shower taps. All these type of taps are designed for different functions. In general, bath taps help to manage the flow of water, curb wastage of water apart from lending a very fashionable look to your bathroom.

Choosing the right one

As there are different styles and patterns of bath taps available in the market, you can mix and match different taps for your bathroom but ensure that whatever taps you choose, you should be well aware of their installation requirements and their different designs and whether the varying designs will merge with each other or not. If you do not want to take any chances, get all your bath taps in one colour. If you want to experiment with different colours, you can always hire a design consultant to advice you on the best designs and colours of taps for your bathroom.