{"id":3645,"date":"2016-07-21T11:27:02","date_gmt":"2016-07-21T05:57:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/appstudio.co.in\/ucblog\/?p=3645"},"modified":"2018-06-21T14:15:24","modified_gmt":"2018-06-21T08:45:24","slug":"home-design-101-green-balcony-makeovers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/appstudio.co.in\/ucblog\/interiors\/home-design-101-green-balcony-makeovers\/","title":{"rendered":"Home Design 101: Green Balcony Makeovers For You"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ask people what their favourite corner of the house is and you’ll get a lot of different answers. But despite all these differing opinions, nothing can challenge the sanctity of your relationship with your balcony. Be it your bed or that cozy reading nook you’re in love with, nothing offers the space to sit, sip a cup of your favourite brew and ponder over your situation in life like a balcony.<\/p>\n

While a bare balcony will also do this for you (being the selfless friend it is), the peace offered by a green balcony is on an entirely different, unmatched level. And this is why we spoke to Pallavi, the founder of Green Somethings, to help you give your balcony a green makeover.<\/p>\n

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Courtesy: Madhurjya Saikia<\/p><\/div>\n

A computer science graduate from Delhi University and an MBA from Canada, Pallavi started her career with a Management and Technology consulting firm. She ventured into marketing green concepts and lifestyle ideas out\u00a0of a personal interest in\u00a0living the responsible way and so, in 2009, while working, she founded Green Somethings<\/em>. While it started out as an e-retailing brand of potted plants as gift ideas, Pallavi has now made Green Somethings<\/em> into a lifestyle brand that promotes green products and services.<\/p>\n

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Courtesy: Madhurjya Saikia<\/p><\/div>\n

With shrinking spaces in the city, it is very important to create a space or spaces within the home that one can step into to relieve stress. Pallavi has created welcoming spaces in peoples’ homes \u00a0– be it their balconies, terraces, porches and even interiors by applying simple landscape design principles, working on each different layer, starting from the flooring and moving onto the walls and ceilings, and accessorising with plants and\u00a0contemporary woodwork. These spaces\u00a0are great for not just relieving stress,\u00a0but also for entertaining and hosting other events.<\/p>\n

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Courtesy: Madhurjya Saikia<\/p><\/div>\n

The most difficult part in giving a balcony a makeover is convincing people to visualise the transformation. While most people have seen and lived in beautiful home interiors, very few have actually enjoyed a good exterior set up. Thankfully, with increasing global travel, aspirations to possess a home with a planned and curated exterior (balcony, garden, terrace etc) have also increased. Still, most people expect to achieve total transformation (of their exterior spaces) in very low budgets. It is very challenging to make them understand that the cost of materials and man hours is sometimes even higher than interior design work.<\/p>\n

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Courtesy: Madhurjya Saikia<\/p><\/div>\n

On asking her what is her favourite design, she says – “It is difficult to pinpoint a particular design – I have loved all my work because a lot of hard work has gone into finishing each project. I think working with smaller spaces like apartment balconies is more challenging because you have very little to play around with. But my best and most interesting work has been transforming these balconies with\u00a0created interesting wall features and working with more vertical space than ground space.”<\/p>\n

When it comes to tips that can help spice up your rooftop or balcony, Pallavi likes to keep it simple – lots and lots of plants and greenery in different shapes & sizes, supported by earthen pots, bronze statues, cool woodwork and more. After all, if you’re investing time and money in a green balcony makeover, why not do it the right way? As you can see, Pallavi’s designs are very green, serene and seem like the perfect places to reflect upon the important things. Here are some more glimpses from her work so far:<\/p>\n

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Courtesy: Madhurjya Saikia<\/p><\/div>\n

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Courtesy: Madhurjya Saikia<\/p><\/div>\n

So, if you’re looking for a way to utilise vertical as well as horizontal space to create a quiet thinking corner for yourself, here are some tips that can help you get started:<\/p>\n