rukhsanaDesigns

Embriodered Cushion Covers

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 09:05:00 +0000

Eid Mubarak everyone!
Had a super busy day yesterday, greeting and being greeted. You tend to feel warm inside with all the good wishes that come your way on Eid :) Or maybe its the sevaiyan and biryani after a month of fasting!

I was sprucing up the place on Monday and found some old cushion covers that I had embroidered for my wedding, more than a decade ago (doesn't time fly when you are having a good time) .

Red mushrooms in long and short stitch,

Delicate shadow work and satin stitch butterflies flitting around...

Blue lazy daisy flowers like a breathe of fresh air.

This is from my son's blanket.

Grab an umbrella, it's raining again!

Bring Back the Colors

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:28:00 +0000

The monsoon seems to be easing out at last. It leaves behind tired rain-lashed houses streaked with water and mud. Not a pretty sight.

So this month I am busy with the painters. They will soon bring the color back to this drab world.
I am flipping through the shade cards and drooling over these names.
Listen to these: Lined with Lilac, Honey Mustard, Blushing Rose, Jamaican Smile, Amethyst Shower...:))
Who wouldn't want to live in a Beach House or Green Haven.
So difficult to choose. Simple tips:

Never ask for the full shade card, it will overwhelm. Some companies offer more than 2000 shades, all designed to seduce and confuse. Stick to the favorites, they are easily available.
Make a statement in the drawing room and go for livable in the bedroom. Imagine sleeping with in the fold of the chosen color everyday, will it keep the bed bugs away?
Don't take more than two opinions. More difficult than said, I know especially in a joint family. But if you aim to keep your insanity, do it.

Festival season approaching...I love winter! Yippee!

SOS: Need a Tab

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 09:04:00 +0000

OOPS..
Trying to watch my step as I walk through a demolition site with a purse, tape and laptop in hand. Not the picture I want to portray to a prospective client as I struggle to show him some of my drawings.
I sweep my hand to describe the clever storage I have planned; my left hand groans with the added weight, gives way and the contractor dives to save the laptop as the contents of my purse are flung across the floor. It took me an hour to pick them up from among all the debris. And about a week of damage control to bring the client to my office.

Which is why I am browsing through the list of features of the Galaxy Tab 750.

It weighs a little above 1/2 kg, the above episode would never have happened if the laptop was replaced by a tab...
A large HD screen: just what my 3d graphics images need to come alive!! That would really dazzle Mr. X.
Live Panel and Mini Apps to help me work faster as I talk and explain and present.
I am a spider caught in the Web, can't do without it. I have my blog to maintain, lots of researching to do and all the gossip to keep up with. Social Hub combined with high speed and Flash support will keep me online.
Polaris Office is a good feature to cope with the mundane office work, letters, bills, etc..
I will have to tone down the Multimedia feature, if my eight-year old finds out it will be back to the laptop for me.
But will have to encourage him to use Readers Hub, I might atlast be able to pass on my love for books to him.
Haven't been able to really enjoy music for a long time. A handy tab with a full Music Hub could keep me in tune with the times.
An image is a powerful tool when conveying an idea. I may not be a master photographer but I take a lot of photos of my projects, of designs I like or of a site before renovation. So a good quality camera(s) will always be handy.
What can I say about accessories? Can a lady get enough?
I am not very familiar with the Android Technology but say Google and I will jump for it :)

The feature that excites me the most....that all the above could me mine for Free!
I am entering the IndiBlogger 'It's Time to Tab' contest in an attempt to create a suave Madam Architect image for myself. No more bungling, I will soon be slipping one of these slim Tabs into my bag.. . A hah to that!

Its Raining :(

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 07:12:00 +0000

After spending all my childhood in a desert I am yet to adjust to this incessant rain;
and all its side effects:
the muddy roads with their enormous pot holes,
fresh coats of paint that will never dry,
dirty foot prints crisscrossing the once sparkling new floor,

leaks that cleverly conceal their source and continue to drip all over the recently laid carpet,

and endless delays, because?..its raining!

I have just one word for it, YUCK!

People may romanticize it, write poetry and songs about it...
But when you are cutting through the downpour on your unreliable moped, trying to reach on time for an important meeting only to be splattered with mud by a passing truck, all you can think of are a few choice words from Delhi Belly.

My little ones love splashing in the puddles and looking for rainbows.
All I am looking for is a break.

Can I Print Dreams in Color?

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 06:59:00 +0000

I've dreamt in my life dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas: they've gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the color of my mind.

- Emily Bronte

I have spent many frustrating weeks designing for a client who can be mildly termed as ‘difficult’.

Difficult in that it is impossible to decipher what exactly are his wants because he is unable to spell them out clearly in black and white.

Oh! What I would give to have his aims, needs, wishes and dreams printed out in sparkling Technicolor directly from his mind onto my drawing sheet. Wouldn’t life be easy…

What I get instead is a verbal jumble of instructions (on my mobile no less!)that are dimensionless and therefore useless.
Appointments are made and atlast we sit down on the drawing board to rough out a few basics. This creates 2-dimensional lines. A starting point.

I switch on the laptop. Time to work on the ideas and inputs, carefully moulding them into shapes and textures. But I am still struggling to puzzle out the exact picture he has in his head.

He grasps for words to describe his dreams.

The project has begun but there is always something missing. The visuals aren’t what he had imagined.

He can’t explain and I can’t understand.

Time flies. Bricks are laid and plastered. We keep working on the sketches, translating words into colors and forms.

Then this morning I am sipping my tea, waiting for it to activate my grey cells, and he calls me.

He has mailed me a picture and would I please print it out, label it ‘DREAM HOUSE’ and stick it on his file. He is as ecstatic as I am.

As I look at the snap I can’t believe this is what he wants. ;)

Black and white words no matter how vibrant and vivid they are can never replace the power of a photograph in full glorious color.

The Colors of My Blog: rukhsanaDesigns is about architecture, design and construction.The background shows the colors and textures of the materials required for building such as bricks and sand. It reflects the practical side.The header shows the details and beauty I love to put in my designs.

If you want to print out your dreams jump to the HP Laserjet Site

This post has been written as an entry for the Indiblogger 'Take Flight With Color' contest.

The Lady is Ready

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Mon, 16 May 2011 05:17:00 +0000

Remember the happy couple? While the gentleman has been completed a while now, he has been left tapping his toes for the lady who has been taking her time getting ready.
Now that she is done here are a few snaps.
She really stands out in her sky blue.

The drawing room has a corner window with a beautiful fusion glass and a great view.

The drawing room is separated from the kitchen and dining only by the open staircase. The steps are clad in this lovely katni marble with shades of purple and brown.

The first bedroom has this feature window above the bed and the bay window which still awaits a cozy window seat.

That's the second bedroom.
Both bedrooms have their own dressing area and bath.

This house is made special by the collection of hand embroideries that grace its walls.

The Kalaiwala

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 02:47:00 +0000

This wily old man has been the center of attraction for the past few days.

His job is to recoat with tin the inside of the huge brass utensils that are used for community cooking during festivals. Not only does this give them a shiny new look but also prevents the health hazards that brass poses.

He settled himself and all his tools in the shade of a tree and set up a charcoal fire. Then he began heating the utensils and cleaned them with an acidic solution.

The next day he had an assistant to work a small rubber bellow. This kept the fire burning hot and constant.
Then he cut up a tin wire into small pieces and threw them into the vessel.
He used a cloth to spread the melted tin forming a thin film.

See the smoke and imagine the temperature! He fearlessly plunged his hand into the pot and went on with his business like it was the easiest thing to do. Didn't fool me! And all this on a hot April day.Whew!

Its about time skilled artisans like him are given their due. Theirs is a rapidly dying breed.

To New Beginnings

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 15:59:00 +0000

Our new office is now in its first stage of completion.

I always feel that no space can ever be completely finished; this would lead to a stagnation. If the place is in use then things will be added, removed, repaired or altered so it can never be termed as finished. There are simply numerable stages of finish-ness!

Here are a few pics of the office. It used to be my grandmother's apartment above the family shop.
The reception was once her kitchen. I salvaged some beautiful earthen jars from here and used them around the office. A few are placed on an old carom board, an ode to the past.

The earth red wall is the first thing you see when you enter through the ice teal front door. It forms a wonderful background to the frames and the plants.

A handmade paper lamp decorates the ceiling.

That's our boy Friday sitting on his desk in the reception. The spot lights are aimed on a 6'x2.5' painted glass display board with NB's photos and some of my works.

The colorful glass elephant and the scales are two of the many tit bits that went into making the space ours.

NB's cabin, no frills here. Its all business.

Unlike mine! Love the fabric of the cushions. The table has been salvaged and renovated and the chairs and sofa needed only a fresh coat of paint.

The two cabins are carved out of the large bedroom-living room-all purpose room. There is a nice balcony outside (to while away the time?)

We need to increase our collection of indoor plants and keep the ones we have happy:).

We are atlast done settling into the routine. Now I am looking forward to visitors, clients and especially friends. All are welcome!

Screen Printing

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 03:49:00 +0000

Had a fascinating day learning the art of screen printing. This ancient art is still very much in use today usually in the textile industry.

I was watching them print designs on cement sheets with thermacol backing. These will be used for a false ceiling in a large hall.

First the selected design was printed to size on a tracing paper. This was used to prepare a screen. The screen consists of a fine cloth mesh stretched over a frame. Areas of the design are left open and the background blocked off using a special chemical.

The printers carefully placed the screen on the sheet and poured a blob of ink in the center.Then one of them used a rubber blade to spread the ink evenly over the screen, pressuring it to flow through the design on to the sheet below. The others held the stencil in place.

Viola! The screen is lifted up to reveal the perfect print on the sheet. The blue color of the ink looks lovely on the white background.

Easy peasy...;)

A New Venture

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 13:22:00 +0000

NB and I are starting a new office.

It has been a hectic two weeks, getting things to fall in place. Designing anything on a shoe string budget can be draining. There are so many compromises to be made;you need to decide what is important and what is not.

Still have things to do..all those final touches that could make this office special. It already has a lot of prayers and good wishes to help it along so I know the future is bright.

Have to make a paper lamp for the reception.

Will post photos next week.

A Silly Poem

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 07:25:00 +0000

When Dad was driving off to work
He saw the strangest thing,
That his wee finger was missing.

Hey ho, he said;
See this!
How am I going to drive
With my finger amiss?

My dear mum, bless her soul
Came at once to console,
With a needle and thread
She sewed on a bullet of lead.

No! No! My dad bellowed
This isn't right,
I need something that's light.

So Mum grabbed a french fry
And began to tie.
Dad smiled, nodded, whirled it about.
Together we gave a shout
Way to go, Mom!

Now dad is real satisfied
With a french fry to overcome his appetite.
But we are still looking
For his wee finger that went missing.

(Written in 1993)

Brochure Design

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 06:49:00 +0000

Once upon a time I designed a housing colony for a construction firm. They asked me to do the brochure as well. This was my first attempt at designing a brochure. Have a laugh at the descriptions!

Eleven shops overlooking two major roads and eight spacious two bedroom flats all packaged with brilliant planning, superb construction and unbeatable aesthetics.

Time to bring a touch of magic into your life.

Atlast a house spacious enough for your growing family. A master bedroom with its own dress and bath is helped by two unbelievably huge bedrooms for the children. The kitchen has a store, the drawing room has a seperate dining area and the balconies , terraces and parking form a sea of space around the house.

This is definitely a grand place to live in!

This beautifully designed split-level bungalow has two spacious bedrooms, kitchen, living cum dining area, drawing room and a garage...All this sits splendidly in your own plot, no common walls, no disturbance, just 1100 sqft and more of serenity.

Could you have asked for more in a dream home?

So... if I ever decide to repeat this exercise I would really like some expert advise! Anyone?

The White Man

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 12:10:00 +0000

They say because I am white
I am prejudiced;
Biased against their skin
That is as dark as black diamond.

Everytime they see me
Shine like the sun beside them
Their beautiful faces with pearly teeth
Crease with lines of hatred.

I know of men like me
Who call these black people of God, 'niggers'.
And who beat them down when they cry for freedom.
I do not shame myself by being one of them.
Yet I am never honored with words like brother or friend;
They call me the White Man.

(Written in 1993 during the final days of apartheid in S.Africa)

Ruled by Opposites

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 20:06:00 +0000

Isn't life just full of opposite emotions.
One minute you are excited about a game and the next you are seething in the blackout.
You are marching confidently to the interview until you trip and fall into a puddle.
You say a wrong word and the love suddenly turns bitter.

But then the opposite is also true.
A surprise hug can melt anger.
A pat on the back can straighten it.
And enemies can become the best of friends (especially in politics and bollywood!)

Was born screaming,
Demanding the safety I had known;
Until she cradled me in her arms,
Soothing with her gentle tone,

opposite emotions

Her kisses.

First step, first word,
Off to school,was torn
Between fear of the fall
And freedom of the airborne;
Such ecstasy.

Teenage years were hit
By struggle of the opposite.
Like counting the petals of a flower,
Each emotion experienced in transit,
A filler for the next.

As a daughter, left home
With a teary smile,
an oxymoron?
--------------------------------------
She shouts in pain while
She bursts with joy,
When her baby arrives, screaming.

Have you ever had a magical moment when you felt two strongly opposite emotions? Love/Hate? Elation/Sadness? Anger/Sympathy? The desire to move forward yet run away at the same time?

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An Artist's House Featured

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 19:01:00 +0000

The Tea Lounge at Taj Palace, New Delhi holds weekly exhibitions of art work by up coming artists. My cousin is going to be a part of that during the second week of February. How great is that!
I went rushing to her place to see her and caught her on her way out, paint brush in hand. But she had just enough time to let me take a few snaps of her house.

I usually play safe with colors in my interiors. I prefer beige, ivory, taupe... But the moment I stepped into her room I understood what comes from being an artist.
The red, blue and yellow unabashedly fuse together as they do on her canvas and I feel warm, cheerful, happy!

A wild plant with tiny white star-shaped flowers stands guard in front of her entrance door.

The door opens to this beautifully vivid red wall in the sitting cum bedroom. The small table and chair (see the photo on top) form her son's study corner. I saturated the colors to try and capture my feelings looking at it, like I was stepping into a watercolor still-life of childhood memories.

Mirror Mirror on the wall

Ain't I a pretty thing after all!

Red carpet and red curtains to brighten the staid ivory walls.

This is where she works. Azure, lemon yellow and olive: an inspiration for and from her paintings.

Her terrace garden grows bright as does her future as a serious artist. Wishing her the very best!

DESTROY!

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 05:03:00 +0000

Destruction made simple.
I remember when cutting an R.C.C. slab was a no-no. Today you just call in the R.C.C. busters! What Fun!

The Lavasa Headlines

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 05:17:00 +0000

A lovely representative of the Lavasa Corporation Ltd. contacted me a few days ago asking if I could do a piece on the upcoming township near Pune. That really threw me..someone was actually reading my blog (other than family and friends). I said I would think it over and do some research. 'A trip would help' I said and she so sweetly replied that it could be arranged. WOW! This was big time!

But I guess my blog is not about that. Google won't advertise on it and neither will I.

She sent me a short description of the first planned hill station. It had all the environmental initiatives listed: Biomimicry, Continuous Contour Trenching, Hydroseeding,etc. Impressive. So is the fact that the Master Plan comes from the formidable HOK-ideas work. The question is will they be allowed to work.

I followed up will a lot of reading including the blaring headlines in all the newspapers detailing the various financial and environmental violations by the company. So who are the bad guys? I am not a big fan of construction companies but government officials go one over, they are on my Evil list. My thoughts : A planned development could be much kinder to the mystical Shayadhri mountain range than the random onslaught of civilization that is inevitable.

Lavasa has potential. The Master Plan looks interesting. A lot of good ideas have been pooled into it. I hope corruption and power play don't spoil it all, destroying the hard work of gifted architects.

The Lavender Office

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:14:00 +0000

Just finished a small office for an insurance agent.

That is the motto painted boldly behind his desk. The basics of insurance simplified. It gets people thinking.

The office is packed into a 8' x 15' space facing a busy main road. We divided it into two. The first area is for the assistant, that is his table near the glass frontage. Good natural light and lots of distraction!

This partition separates the front from the main cabin. The glass shelves allow the agent sitting on his chair a view of the entrance door.

The wood for the partitions has been salvaged from old shop displays and the earlier desks have been spruced up with a fresh coat of paint and some fancy laminate. The budget was kept tight but the result is pretty nice :)

The colors for the office are set to be lively and yet not frivolous. Why? So that the client views the agent as someone with new ideas but not risky ones. After all, the main aim of the insurance agent is to gain the client's trust.

The solid suede in a light and a slightly darker shade is broken by an elegant splash of lavender to make a simple office, classy.

All that's left is to fill the walls with art work,photo frames and character.

All's Well That Ends Well

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 19:05:00 +0000

Project accomplished. How great is that! This the latest of my completed residential projects.

A view from the outside. The wooden pergola with its lovely hanging light, the glass railing and the lively yellow.

These bay windows are becoming my trade mark. I love them and so do all my clients! This house is surrounded by such breathtaking scenery that it would be a shame not to add this feature. One could spend hours lounging on that comfortable window seat reading a book ,watching the birds chirping outside and listening to the trees sway gently in the breeze...

The mess in the kitchen, that I posted last time had people asking whether it was completed in time. Well, it was just about.Here is the promised snap with the showcase above, wooden cabinets and the dining table.

The entrance leads to the living-dining-kitchen on one side and the drawing room room on the other.

The drawing room with its twin bay window. Those hanging lights make such a lovely pattern on the ceiling.They are one of my favorite features of the house.

Had a wonderful time doing the interiors since the client happens to be a good friend as well as an interior designer with great taste. We spend days scrounging the market for the best materials and the best deals. Then worked tirelessly to put it all together to make a lovely, cozy home.

Time for a nap...The children's bedroom is so peaceful, I might just snooze off. zzzzz until the next deadline.

D-Day Approaches...HELP!

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 05:10:00 +0000

These are shots of my ongoing project...two days before the deadline.

Notice the mess and all that incompleteness.

That is the proposed kitchen and dining room. It is supposed to have cabinets and sliding windows!

People were telling me it was a mission impossible.

Painters, polishers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters (two teams), drapers and more all working in one house under immense pressure...there are bound to be some eruptions. I was lucky that the skirmishes resulted only in angry words and complaints of space encroachment. These I resolved as a patient kindergarten teacher would, with soothing words and some encouragement :P.

Those plumbers were really giving me nightmares.

Aren't they a relaxed lot. GET TO WORK!

Anyway, to cut the suspense short, the jigsaw puzzle fell into place in time. Will post some photos soon.

All's well that ends well.

What Men Want

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 18:37:00 +0000

As an architect you get to know a lot of different people.
You need to understand what they say they want and differentiate it from what they need and what they really dream about.

Most houses have the one person in charge: wife, husband, child or mother-in-law. But then there are exceptions, a lovely married couple who happen to be equal partners. That's when the war begins.

In my experience this is usually what the man wants:

1. A huge hall, let it cover half the house if not the whole. It should have an enormously expensive chandelier to brighten the eyes of the buddies, who will fill the room to watch the game on the new plasma t.v. (complete with innumerable gizmos).

2. A solid front door with a variety of locks, chains and latches. Safes everywhere with two sets of keys which are kept in a safe. The house should be enveloped by unsightly grills, piercing alarms, booby traps and an invisible screen.

2. A nice big bath with good plumbing and lots of hot water.

3. The rest of the house stuffed into a corner especially the kitchen. They can never believe that you need a room to cook in and that the wife loves her gizmos too. And that the appliances will cost as much as those installed in the hall.

4. Everything of the best quality ....for free, or almost. " I built this house 10 years ago at less than half the price and look at it, it is still standing." Unbelievable.

The war rages for a week. Then the mediator (architect) intervenes, draws the treaty and submits it to the contractor for final construction. As brick is laid the man will begin counting costs and the woman will gently nudge,manipulate and force the house into a comfortable home. AAH....

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Sports are not for me

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 06:58:00 +0000

The summer heat poured over me
and sweat trickled down my cheek.
I watched all the other runners fly past,
as I ran, tired and weak.
I came last,
Out of ten.
Well..that is much better than last year
when I never reached the end.

I stood among my mates
for the shot-put throw.
Maybe I am just not cut out for it;
the put landed on my toe.

I skipped on to the long jump
as is the trend.
I jumped far across the pit;
only five feet short of my friend.

I never win, I always try,
An athlete I shall never be.
I'll just have to stick to the stands;
A Born Spectator- that's me!

Failure

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 04:44:00 +0000

I have failed.

People surround me,
softly voicing consolations
as they hug me.
They share my pain in their eyes.
They try to comfort me.
This is only the beginning of
your perseverance: they say.

But I know it is the end.

I will rise again, try again,
My wounds will mend.
I will stand proud again.
And I will forget...
Until I am reminded
by the kindly looks, soothing words
and understanding smiles
of friends who remember

forever...

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Around the Pool

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 07:33:00 +0000

For sometime now I have been trying to include this project though it is not mine nor have I in anyway interfered in its making, running or viewing. But it is a wonderful thing so I will just jump to it.

This is one of NB's nature projects. While I work with cement, bricks and all man-made, NB loves nature.

In our garden is a small pond. It is a specially designed wading pool, with gently sloped edges so that small birds and squirrels can drink from it. Where it deepens in the middle they have a nice splash pool to play in (as they surely do!).

The surrounding is left as natural as possible. At first it was surrounded by very
long grass. NB noticed that a tabby was using the cover to pounce on unsuspecting birds so he trimmed it to a better length.

Feed is scattered on the ground every morning to attract more of our feathered friends.The sightings are increasing continuously.
The photographer can stand in a corner for hours, relaxing, unwinding and getting some amazing snaps.

Acrylics and Henna

noreply@blogger.com (rukhsana) — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 04:42:00 +0000

As an architect I have found myself trying to balance art with technology and sadly art takes a back seat too many times.

But these past weeks I had fun playing the artist.

A new false ceiling had to be hand painted for a huge hall so we all pitched in. The pretty roses in pink and green really came to life on the white asbestos sheets.

Acrylic is a great medium if you don't know how to paint.Since it is water based it is simple to mix in unlike oil paints which need an oil medium. Another advantage is that it can be easily washed off brushes, hands, clothes, hair..

It layers well which means that if the flower you just painted looks awful,
you can just paint over it!

The shades are so vivid and alive..I have used acrylics on cloth but they look better on asbestos or plaster of paris sheets.

I am at a wedding and no Indian marriage is complete without mehndi (henna). Henna is now available in ready-to-use cones that are convenient to handle. The henna powder is mixed with all sorts of chemical to improve the color and consistency.
It requires a steady hand to lay the perfect lines. The experts can make finely spaced nets and exquisitely detailed flowers all with the gentle flow of the hand. Some lines are thickened, some are thinned to get the required 3D effect.

This ancient art form is so much fun! It is addictive..I used my cone to decorate my little girl's hand and feet. My son wanted in on the action so I drew a dragon on his tiny muscled arm! :)