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1.	THE MARZINALIZED: "Inclusion" in political parties: Is it merely a popular slogan?
2.	FOCUS: Silent sufferings
3.	SOCIETY: Life of a housewife cop
4.	Q & A: Freiheit's photographic journeys
5.	SOCIETY: Midlife education: Women beating illiteracy
6.	SOCIETY: Fender bender: Experimenting with live-in relationships
7.	: My own DIY writerly workshop - Part I
8.	: Reimagine your Windows
9.	: Series to tragedies
10.	BOOK REVIEW: Difficult subjects: Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho
11.	TRAVEL NOSTALGIA: Mumbai Madness: Once upon a sea shore
12.	DIY DECOR: Bathroom ideas
13.	10 QS: Becoming Uma and after
14.	: ON THE RECORD
15.	: An Unlikely hero
16.	: Shrestha & Karn Sporting heroes
17.	: Nepali Dalit woman gets DLitt from US
18.	THE MINORITY REPORT: Social harmony improved in Madhesh/Tarai: Report
19.	NATION FIRST: The diagnosis is all right: The prescriptions are not
20.	FOCUS: Hope and despair at Beldangi: The angst of the Bhutanese refugees

DIY DECOR

Accessorize your abode!

CILLA KHATRY

To make a house a home, finishing touches are needed, and those finishing touches can come in the form of accessories. Decorative pieces add warmth, style and character to your space. Just as personal accessories like scarves, belts and jewelry are necessary additions to your wardrobe, place accessories like vases, lamps, cushions etc are equally essential for adding a touch of glamour to your home.

You don’t have to change an entire set of furniture or repaint the walls a different color and spend a lot of time and money if you want to revamp your home. A few accessories here and there can just as easily do the trick.

The Week scouted around and came up with a list of affordable accessories that you can use around the house to give your space a facelift without much effort.

Nifty side tables
Side tables can do more than hold your bedtime reading material and alarm clock. You can use one in your entrance with a vase and a tray to hold knickknacks like keys and loose change that you can just grab on your way out. You can even use one next to your seating space in the living area or in a neglected corner of any room to make an optimum use of the space.

Miniature bookshelves
Forget plain, boring bookshelves that take up an entire wall. Bookshelves can be both functional and decorative at the same time if used creatively. It can be used to hold books and magazines along with papers that invariably end up littering your space when not taken care of properly. Bookshelves can work wonders in keeping clutter at bay while adding a touch of oomph to the room.

Mirrors
Mirrors can be used anywhere and it doesn’t have to be limited to the bathroom and bedroom. Mirrors are often used to make a room appear bigger as they give the illusion of space in a small area. Hang a small hand-painted or a neatly crafted mirror in your entrance space or use a simple framed one in your living space. The placement of mirrors in dark corners can brighten the nook.

A stylishly decorated entrance with just the right accessories like mirrors, console tables and vases can up the glam quotient of even a simple house. (Photos Courtesy: Arjun Shah)

Throw pillows, pouffes and bean bags
Throw pillows, pouffes and bean bags are easy décor add-ons that can give a splash of color to a room filled with neutral furniture. Besides offering additional seating areas, these plush accessories can make a room look inviting and comfortable. You can change the covers to go with the seasons for an easy way to refresh a room.

Baskets and bowls
Baskets and bowls go easily into any room of your home and can be stylish and functional at the same time. A bowl of fruits will look lovely on your coffee or dining table. Baskets can be used to store newspapers and magazines or your collection of remote controls instead of letting them clutter your coffee table. Baskets can also be stowed beneath the sofas or beds for extra storage.

Doorknobs and handles
Replace your doorknobs and handles with crafted ones. You can find neat ones in metal or ceramic in various décor stores around the capital. From hand-painted ones to those with intricate designs and carvings, the choice is endless. It’s small detail like this that can change the look and feel of your house without much effort.

Hangers and hooks
Place a coat rack next to your entrance or hang some clever crafty looking hooks behind the bedroom door to sling scarves, bags and coats. You won’t have to dump your bags and coats on a chair or leave them lying about. Coat racks are an inexpensive way to keep your home tidy while giving it a lived-in feel.

Clocks
Just because clocks are functional items doesn’t mean they can’t be stylish and don’t make a bold décor statement. From an alarm clock, wall clock to maybe even an elaborate grandfather clock, different clocks serve different purposes. A chic wall clock in the living room, a wacky alarm clock in the bedroom and maybe even a large wall clock in the kitchen can make a style statement while serving its purpose.

Doorstops and doormats
If you’re looking to add a decorative touch to an otherwise boring door as well as adding functionality to those doors that are prone to closing all by themselves, then a decorative doorstopper is all you need. Create a fantastic first impression of your home with cute and quirky doormats instead of the regular ones, and spruce up your doorstep.

Room divider screens
Decorative room dividers can add depth and style to any room while giving it a more vertical dimension as well as adding a touch of intrigue to any room. They also serve practical purposes, like breaking up a long room, hiding a closet door, or creating a more intimate area in a large space.