Decorating with cushions is one of the most effective ways to transform your home. Here are steps to make it a simple task for you:

Step 1: Select your colour palette
This is the most important step in the entire process. It is a wise idea to choose cushions based on existing colours in the room. Rooms are often full of colours and patterns. The colour of your walls, the patterns on your curtains, the coffee tables, the china and even the artwork on your wall can be your guide to choosing the colours of the cushions.

Step 2: Deciding how many cushions on a sofa
Once you are done choosing the colours for the cushions, it is crucial to decide the number of cushions to be displayed. The amount of cushions depends on the style of the room you prefer, the size and the number of sofas you have in your home. A 1 seater should use just one cushion, 2 seaters should use up to 4 cushions and 3 seaters should use 5 cushions.

Step 3: Choosing the right shape and size of cushions Experiment with sizes and shapes when it comes to cushions. You can display two different-sized cushions in the same patterned material and then add in some solid colours.

Step 4: How to arrange cushions on a sofa
There is no hard and fast rule about how you can display cushions on your sofa but there are a few things that you can do to enhance their effect. Keep in mind the colours of the cushions when you are placing them on your sofa. Just remember to have fun while decorating! You can try a new arrangement and leave it there for a couple of days and then mix it up again until you find one that you truly love.

Now that you have the low-down on how to decorate your space with cushions, it's time you go shopping for them!

While everyone has a mix of practicality and aesthetic in mind while designing the interiors of a house, how many people think to make it elderly-friendly? Indians especially, continue to live with their children, or in a joint family even when old. In scenarios such as these, it is wise to keep in mind certain points and factors which will make it easier for your ageing relatives to manoeuvre around the house and feel less helpless too.

1) Hardware Fixings
It is easier to use a doorknob with a lever than a round one with arthritis. It can be pushed down even with wet hands and is less slippery. It is also better to have the rocker switches which are safer and simpler. Ensure all switches are two way so that they don't have to walk from one end of the room to another to put on/off the light. Lastly, try and get faucets that are pressure sensitive. If that isn't an option, get faucets with levers.

2) Lighting
The elderly need twice more lighting since their eyes usually begin to weaken. Try and see to it that plenty of natural lights stream into your home along with adequate lighting in every room. If your home has cosy nooks or side tables, keep floor or table lamps on them for added comfort. The switchboards must not be lower than 4 feet so they don't need to bend down to put on the switches. Ensure there is a light in front of doorways and at the entrance of the home.

3) Furniture
It is difficult for those suffering from arthritis or rheumatism to bend their joints too much. See to it that the edges of their bed, is as close to their knee level as possible. If you cannot find a balance between heights, place a footstool. The same goes for other sofas and seating. Don't make the chairs puffy and sofas sinkable. Getting up for them will then be a struggle. Place smaller tables at frequent distances throughout the house so they don't have to carry anything for too long.

4) Flooring
One of the major mistakes that people make is not making their floors grip-friendly. Carpets and area rugs are very easy to trip over which can be dangerous. Do away with any rugs at all, if possible, or add non-skid mats beneath them. Secondly, replace marble/granite or any such slippery flooring with wooden floors.

5) Bathrooms and Stairways
Install a handrail if you have large stairways and ensure it is long enough. Bathrooms need to have anti-skid flooring and grab-bars, hand rails and hand showers all go a long way towards making them more comfortable and supporting them inside the bathroom. Keep a small chair or a footstool in there too. Also, keep in mind the need for an emergency call-bell in the washrooms and their room which can ring and resound throughout the house.

A few major festivals have just gotten over and your home looks like it has weathered a storm. It may seem like a simple procedure of just beginning somewhere when it comes to post-festival cleaning up but the truth is, there is a bit more method to the madness of setting things right again. Here are a few tips and tricks you can keep in mind before you tackle the leftover sweets and boxes of decoration!

1. Leftovers
During gatherings and festivals, it is often difficult to estimate the quantity of food you will need and we all have ended up ordering or cooking extra food at one point or another. In case you have a huge quantity of cooked leftovers and will not be able to finish it yourself, it is best to donate it to the society helpers while the food is still in good condition. Dry snacks and sweets may be kept at home for longer for these do not spoil easily but instead of leaving them in the boxes they came in, repackage them in air-tight containers and refrigerate.

2. Lights, Festoons and Candles
Festivals are one time when people do not light up candles purely for emergency or aromatic purposes. But the lights, candles and all other decorations that you have removed and dusted from their hiding place in the basement cannot be kept there again. Not with another festival just round the corner! It is best to buy enormous plastic, paper bags or even a cardboard box into which you can keep all the lights etc. and keep them in a corner till it is time to put them up again.

3. Furniture
If someone has stained your precious sofa cover by dropping curry on it, first try home remedies to lighten the stain immediately. You can give the sheets and other upholstery to the cleaners if you are unable to wash them yourself. Before you rearrange the furniture, scrub the floors well to get rid of any residue marks or mess that might have been left behind. Invest in a good vacuum cleaner.

4. Gifts
A lot of times, festivals also mean getting gifts given by friends and relatives which languish in corners and gather dust. The best way to avoid this is to request people to not bring anything, but if this cannot happen, try and keep only what you will use and get rid of sentimental clutter. If you can display something, well and good, if you cannot, take it out of its bulky box and bubble wrap it for safe storing.

Well, we hope these tips help you to clear out your house of that post-festival clutter!