Written by Ar. Ruchika Deshpande | Updated October 2025. If you’ve ever scrolled through balcony garden ideas on Pinterest and felt a little FOMO, you’re not alone. Most apartment balconies in India are the same. They are small, sun-baked, or completely ignored! In fact, I’ve seen so many beautiful balconiesContinue Reading
You know, I’ve always been a fan of Pinterest-worthy homes. The rich colors, the decals, the floret walls, ah! Everything about them has caught my attention since infinity! But then, yes, I always had a tough time recreating them in real life. Like, the traditional mill work, plaster and structuralContinue Reading
Imagine it’s just a week left for Diwali. Suddenly your dining table is buried under sweet boxes, dry fruits, and shiny hampers. Well, it feels festive at first, I know. But give it a week, and half of it gets re-gifted. Some goes stale, while the rest in trash. AndContinue Reading
Architectural world records! Trust me, I’ve eventually lost count of how many times I’ve stumbled on that title. But then as soon as I open the database, it’s literally the same thing over and over. Like come on, there’s hardly any architect that doesn’t know that Burj Khalifa is theContinue Reading
Well, I already know I’m a lazy gardener. Between juggling my 9–5 job, kid duties, and house chores, plant care somehow always slips through the cracks. And guess what? My veggie patch made sure I paid for it—yields went down, flowers turned pale, and slowly everything began to wither. That’sContinue Reading
You know, I had got a design kick last week. Like, I just went and picked my latte and sat down to figure my 2-bhk apartment design. I had already picked my colors (soft gray with a pop of teal). I wanted modern house plans and was feeling pretty confident…untilContinue Reading
“Navajeevanam by Ar. Shashi isn’t just a house; it’s a pretty well-articulated partner who listens, pauses, calms and grounds us down further.” You know what? Getting feedback like this from clients always hits different. It tells us we’re onto something good! Something fresh, thoughtful, and well-designed. And that’s exactly whatContinue Reading
Well, don’t get the title wrong! I literally mean that Importa’s hidden & concealed doors in UAE might just stir a new revolution! And why, you ask? Well, let’s take you through a story! You know, I am an architect myself! But I’ll be very honest with you – WhenContinue Reading
You know, I have always been quite naive about plants & planting in general. In fact, it was only during Covid that I actually started arranging plants around my desk. Some of them thrived, some didn’t. And despite the correct watering, some got soggy, while some dried up. And eventually,Continue Reading
Ever been to a residential apartment sample flat? Well, we had the chance to visit one last month, and couldn’t help but exclaim at how ‘safe’ the design was! Beige palette, the same old mirror tricks, the same old boxy console table. It just felt as if everything looked theContinue Reading
Have you ever come across a place that resembles a ship? Ah, yes! Even I have been to ship-themed cafés & restaurants. But a real palace that looks like one? Now that’s something else! That’s what you’ll find at Jahaz Mahal Mandu, an old 15th century beauty right in theContinue Reading
Well, last week, I told you guys about why you should use neem oil for your garden. We studied the benefits, applications, methods & results in detail. But then, the last Saturday, I received a lot of mails asking about the best neem oil for plants in India. Some wereContinue Reading
Remember how we all were bored to work from home during Covid? We literally didn’t even change our clothes, piled our accessories and just slouched at work. While some bosses blamed our laziness for the drop in productivity, we all knew the real villain was those boring walls around us!Continue Reading
Last week, I visited my ancestral home for a short, sweet trip. I loved seeing my childhood place again—the swings, the attic, all those memories came flooding back. But then, I entered the backyard and my heart sank. Most of my favorite trees & plants had mealy bugs, fungus, mitesContinue Reading
Did you know that over 68% of architects are quite particular about the pens they use? No ball pens, no gel pens and no tiktok pens, strictly! In fact, they even have a long checklist on how the best pens for architects should be. So, basically, this list has aContinue Reading
