Husna Rahaman’s article in Bangalore Times.

GIVEN that your home is a form of self-expression, what does your home say about you? No, this is not a Cosmopolitan magazine "If you score between 1 and 6, you probably need a new spouse in a new house" kind of quiz, although I am tempted! I cannot imagine a single person starting with the caveman who does not desire a home, a place like one's very own finger- print, different and unique from every other. It is to this end that one works, earns and often yearns to spread one's wings.
Here's a flash - you do not need a barrel full of money to do this, although that doesn't hurt either! If you are in the process of buying an apartment, whatever your budget, make the purchase while the building is in the blueprint stage. This allows you a huge canvas for flexibility. You should have the right to decide for yourself the size and the location of your loo. Not an architect who hasn't a clue about you. Merely decorating an apartment after buying a readymade one is like icing on a half-baked cake.
In the series of spaces that comprise your home, of no mean consequence is the bedroom, the room that gives away all your secrets and unlike no other, gives you permission to kick off your shoes and make yourself truly at home. For centuries however, the bedroom was a victim of the closed door policy that revealed much about money and power. Some kings and queens actually held court in their bedrooms where the bedstead was as elaborate as the throne, and the bed curtains as plush as his Majesty's cape. Until new age attitudes began revolutionising design, the royal ideal made its way into the bedroom of anyone who could afford even a modest semblance of it.
Today, designers continue to work towards redefining the bed- room in accordance with the lifestyle and attitude of the client. Bedrooms are finally waking up. They are no longer merely sleeping places. They are alternate living rooms where it is easiest to unwind. The excess is gone in terms of acquired objects. The quality of interior materials is higher than ever and oddly easy to maintain.
The bank of wardrobes has made an exit to an adjoining walk-in facility and there is an abundance of space and light. The quality of the experience of falling asleep and waking up is recognised with the pleasing outdoors views. So there is a maximising of the outdoor connection by featuring extensive windows with translucent drapes.
No longer are manuals on proper bedroom etiquette being handed out and the air is fresh and individualistic. No longer is it mandatory to position the head of a bed against a wall. Headboards, while still popular, are not necessarily overworked to death. Instead they may be smartly upholstered to resemble a tailored suit, and on occasion, architectural wall treatment like curved lacquered panels replace head- boards entirely. The bed can be with or without a headboard, and any spot in the room is fair game for its placement. Bedside tables can be sculptural gems, asymmetrical, with thoughtful lamps possibly wall mounted.
Given that bedrooms are not merely sleeping rooms, oversized lounging chairs that coordinate with the overall palette are inviting. Make sure even the most functional items have an artful flair and create a bed- room you love while awake to ensure sweet dreams while asleep.

-Daniel Zones