Let the seasons rule your fabric choices This may seem like a no-brainer, but I have seen people use the same drapes all year through. The no. 1 rule when it comes to curtains is to dress your windows as per the seasons. Good as a silky sheer looks, it is not really practical to use it in hot summery weather. The same goes for light cottons in winter. In general, you would want to opt for mull, linen, cotton or jute in summer, and silk, faux silk, nylon in winter. If you are opting for sheers, then read the information in the next point.

How thick or thin? There is a slightly technical aspect to cover here. GSM [or grams per sq. metre] is a technical term that refers to the density of weaves in a fabric. Know that a high-GSM fabric will let absolutely no light in, while a low-GSM fabric is very transparent. So depending on whether you are going to use a lining or not, or whether you need a black-out curtain or not, knowing what GSM it is, will help you shop better, especially when you shop online.

Good as a silky sheer looks, it is not really practical to use it in hot summery weather

Do you need a lining or not? This is a personal decision really. Sometimes, the curtain is merely aesthetic, and not functional, especially in a dining or kitchen area when light fabrics are used to let in as much air and sunshine. But in general, lining will add an element of body to your curtains, and make them look good and new for a longer time. Even cottons last longer when lined. Do ensure that both the lining and the fabric are pre-washed to allow for shrinkage before they are stitched. Or you may end up with an arch shaped curtain when one of these fabrics shrinks after the first wash.

Fabric care. As a rule, I opt for low-maintenance fabric for most of my curtains. By low-maintenance I mean ones that can be dipped and dried like my jute curtains, or my cotton ones that can be machine-washed and lightly ironed. I would consider curtains that need to be dry-cleaned only if they are meant for once-a-year events like Diwali or Christmas. So consider what works best for your home when you buy your curtains.

Choosing the right colours

Take a look at your room and notice what colours dominate. What colours are scarce, but nevertheless stand out? What colour are your walls and upholstery fabric? For your drapes in summer, opt for lighter shades that either contrast or blend in with your wall colour. But let that not be a hard and fast rule. If you are opting for linen or cotton sheers, your room could actually benefit from bright curtains. Another idea is to play with several cool colours.

Ensure that both the lining and the fabric are pre-washed to allow for shrinkage before they are stitched

In winter, you could either opt for the same colours in winter-friendly fabrics, or add a darker colour to the palette of your room. In the rains, opt for light fabrics that can be machine-washed and are low maintenance.

While the colours are a personal choice, take the help of a colour wheel to guide you on the colours that contrast and/or match your existing colour palette.

Tips

• If you are using an existing colour from your room’s palette, play around with textures in your curtain fabric. They add a lovely dimension to the décor
• Opt for blackout curtains only if your room gets too much light. For instance, bright early morning light may interfere with your sleep cycle, and it makes sense to use a blackout curtain.
• Thick fabrics will also block the ventilation. So opt for thick, high GSM and non-transparent curtains only if your window lacks privacy.
• Carry swatches of your room’s key colours in your wallet or purse. You never know when you are going to chance upon the perfect set of drapes for your space, and ensuring that you have them in the right colours will save you a lot of heartbreak and money.
• Avoid using shiny, heavy fabric such as velvet, because velvet looks best on smaller surface areas such as pillow covers. Window lengths are relatively expansive and velvet can add a garish contrast to an otherwise tastefully done-up room.
• As you build up the décor in your room, make “looks” for each time of the year. For instance, an everyday look can work for daily use, but when you have a party, you could pull out your “entertaining look” where all you have to do is change your curtains, cushion covers and table runners and your home can get transformed!

Curtains and drapes come in different heading styles these days. Just remember to match the heading with the occasion. An eyelet curtain would look great in a formal setting, whereas tabs are better for dining areas and bedrooms.

Happy decorating!

This was first published in the May 2016 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

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A child’s room should be internally and externally aligned so that it is always filled with a healthy ambiance. Inculcating Feng shui to set up your child’s room helps to promote sound sleep and increase their overall health. As parents, you have to initiate measures to ensure positive Feng shui and teach your children how to maintain their rooms so that they can enjoy the benefits of perpetual good energy. Here, I share a few Feng shui fundamentals that can be easily applied to your child’s room.

Have a systematic layout

As per the first fundamental law of Feng shui, your child’s room should be vibrant with no clutter inside or outside. Use boxes, stylish bags and storage devices to keep the room orderly.

A person’s room is a reflection of their mindset; clutter causes lethargy and pessimistic thoughts. Therefore, you should ensure that the bed sheet, pillows, show pieces, books, shoes and other belongings are always in their respective and predetermined places. Remember, a systematic approach brings with it an orderly lifestyle; it encourages positive thinking and a creative mindset. A well-arranged room causes energy to flow. In addition, for practical reasons, if the room is systematically arranged, you save time locating objects, making life hassle-free. Encouraging your children to maintain an organised bedroom helps them to be organised in other aspects of their life.

Cleanliness is of the utmost importance

There should be no dust, waste-paper, cracked glasses, broken toys or food stuff in the room. Disarray generates chaotic energy and tends to make a room claustrophobic. Make it a point to keep the room dust-free, as dust creates sluggish energy. Rearrange things, wipe the floor, clean the bed, study table, chairs and other items to get energy free-flowing. If you can, create free space around the bed, chair, study-table and corner lamps to allow the energy to move around the room.

Face the north for a good career

As per Feng shui fundamentals, the north is the direction to enable good career prospects. Therefore, if possible, place your child’s study-table in such a way that he faces the north while studying. Facing north while making career decisions or when planning for the future increases the likelihood of making better career choices. At the same time, you should ensure that no ‘fire elements’ like red bulbs, candle-stands, gadgets and magazines are placed to the north of your child’s room or even in the north of other areas of your house, since this impedes career prospects.

Feng shui for the bed

Your child’s bed should be aligned so that his head points towards the west. If that is not possible, then the east is the second best option. There should be no open cabinets or cupboards in the room. Every storage unit should be shut and things should be properly placed in their storage space. The bed sheet should be in soothing colours like pink, purple, light orange, light blue and preferably with nursery prints. Avoid bed-sheets with prints like snakes and ladders, ludo and other games, jungle prints, horrifying designs and shades like black and dark brown. As children grow up, their choices will change too, but encourage them to use bed linen that has calming prints as this promotes good Feng shui and has a relaxing effect.

Promote proper air circulation

Fresh air in the room rejuvenates the life energy, called Yang-Chi in Feng shui. Opening all the doors and windows of the room is very good for circulating affirmative vibrations. If your apartment has a balcony, use it to place plants with aesthetically pleasing seasonal or perennial flowers. The blossoming flowers help to enliven your child’s frame of mind.

To reduce mustiness in the room and to enable your child to be mentally alert, use rose, lavender, sandalwood, jasmine, lemongrass or eucalyptus scented fresheners, because they boost mood and memory.

Outside the room

Besides the room, the passage should also be free from clutter. There should be no obstacles in the way from the room to the lobby. There should be pleasing sceneries on the walls, preferably those of smiling children, playgrounds, or eminent personalities. Having pictures of famous personalities near the entrance and on the adjoining walls always bodes well and they become role models for the child to emulate. Avoid the use of pictures that could have negative connotations, like wild animals, war scenes, weeping faces and abstract paintings in this area.

Colours play a significant role

Paint you child’s room in vibrant colours and as per his choice. If you notice that your child prefers very dull colours and is more inclined towards black, gently guide him to choose bright colours. Off-white brings calmness, blue increases career prospects, purple balances energy and green encourages positive thinking. Red, maroon and orange may make him excessively hot-tempered; so if he is very keen on any of these colours, use it only on the wall in the south direction. If you want to use colours to balance the entire room with positive Feng shui, then use red on the southern wall, green on the east, blue on the north and light grey or golden or silver on the western wall. The northern wall of the room should not be painted with red colour, as this increases the fire element.

Study table

A properly placed and organised study table boosts your child’s academic progress. As mentioned previously, the study table should be clutter-free. There shouldn’t be any broken pens, unsharpened pencils, unusable books, old magazines, used rough-papers, garments, utensils and unhealthy literature on the study table. If they are there, get rid of them and clean the table.

Once the table is clean, place books that are currently in use upon the table and inside the drawers. Keeping heaps of old literature, toys, pictures and video games tends to hinder the free flow of positive Feng shui in and around the study area, while a dormant space may bring stagnation in your child’s life. Placing a symbol of the ‘Education tower’ or a miniature crystal globe on the study table helps to increase your child’s focus and fills the room with calming vibrations.

At the outset, it is you as a parent who will have to kick-start the process of boosting Feng shui in your child’s room. But once he sees the effects that a positive environment brings, he will enjoy maintaining it himself.

This was first published in the December 2014 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

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