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Save
space in style
Get set
& go on a beach holiday PACESETTER
Ruma
Roka
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Save space in style Regal repast The most space in any place is taken up by furniture. A house stuffed with furniture may not necessarily mean more space, rather a lack of breathing space. In smaller places, less is definitely more. Choose the pieces that are in sync with your needs and open up your place. J and R Guram is a name that adds the old-world charm to your house without compromising on utility. In fact their products are perfect for apartments, especially small ones. They make 'campaign' furniture which is inspired by the eighteenth and nineteenth century pieces that were meant to be folded or knocked down and transported long distances. Jeet and Raj Guram were brought up in Uttar Pradesh around such furniture and it became a passion with them to manufacture it. All their furniture — chairs, tables, bars, writing desks and more, are quite exquisite to look and realistic for apartment lifestyle. Raj Guram says, “Campaign furniture is practical, delicate in design and robust to use. It can easily be folded and stacked to maximise the utility of space. This is specially meant for house-proud people and those who need something viable for their limited space and want to recreate the beauty and enigma of the bygone era.” Vertical space When floor space runs out, the walls are the way to go. Collapsible desks, beds, wall-mounted televisions or LED TVs, washing machines and even retractable ladders are the buzz word. Natalia Nagree of The Living Room specialises in such products. She says, “The company started in Mumbai 41 years ago and as the spaces cramped up, the need to innovate led us to come up with smart and functional sofa-cum-beds which have been really popular. As time progressed and people looked for even more effective solutions, we came up with the ‘cosmo’ and ‘metro’ and more recently ‘metro-G’, which are single and double beds that can be folded up along the wall and used as desks and study tables during the day. These items are preferred choice for children's rooms, a small second bedroom and even a guest room-cum-office. We also offer the ‘eezee’ dining table, a free-standing table that can be folded and seats four to five people, has storage at the bottom and stackable chairs. These products are doing well in urban markets.” Small wonder Parking space is usually limited to the designated spaces allotted to each apartment owner or the single vehicle space in front of your house. In big cities many people use metros and busses to travel to their place of work. But the place where they alight is still some distance from their work place and commuting that distance is another headache without your own vehicle. What if there was a small portable vehicle that you could carry on trains and buses and use it as a last-mile vehicle? URB-E is an electric, lightweight vehicle that has been awarded the 'Best Personal Transportation – CES 2014'. It fits the bill perfectly. Grant Delgatty, CEO & co-founder of Ego-Logical Mobility Solutions, started working on URB-E in 2012. It uses recycled aircraft-grade aluminium to form its frame and is very handy. He says, “It was conceived as a result of observing the worldwide trend of commuters travelling in congested urban environments, and needing a supplemental vehicle that could be carried on a train or bus in order to use for the final duration of one's commute. The design approach for the URB-E was to create an ultra-compact, lightweight, easy to use, and aesthetically cool electric last-mile vehicle.” Currently available online, you can have your vehicle shipped and delivered. Space savers
While we think of folding furniture, concealed
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Get set & go on a beach holiday For lovers of the white sands and blue skies, the sea holds its own charm not just in summers but also in winter for hardcore enthusiasts. The sandy beaches of Bangaram, for example, offer excellent holiday opportunity with the prospects of indulging in deep-sea adventures like scuba diving and snorkelling, both for professionals and amateur fun-seekers. Marine life Nothing can beat the fun of going scuba diving or snorkelling in the Lakshadweep or the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The sea here offers some exotic views of marine life and coral sea beds. The surf on the beach can be rough, so it is advisable to go with a well-trained tour operator, who provides full gear for the sport and a professional is at hand, who will be nearby for any support you may need. However, despite such lush beaches, Indians till the recent past have not been overly enthusiastic about a seaside holiday and have largely preferred hill stations and other touristic destinations. But now, with air connectivity and better infrastructure, most of these leading beaches in different parts of the country are attracting Indians in hordes who visit them with families in tow for a wind-sun-and-sand vacation. But before you start packing your bags and taking off for that dream destination, there are a few things to consider when planning a beach holiday. First of all, make sure that the place you are going to has something for every member of the family. This would include fun activities for children as also recreational options for adults. Planning is essential because a seaside trip is different from say, a vacation to a hill resort or any other touristic destination. For a fun-filled beach holiday, you would require different kinds of clothes and accessories, things that will keep the family entertained and some special paraphernalia to make sure that you are well-protected from the elements. Essentials and accessories There is a wide range of beach essentials and accessories, including the must- have holiday extras people usually forget... hats, sunglasses, sun cream, flip-flops and many more things. So make a list and tick-mark each box before embarking on your holiday. First, the attire. A seaside holiday would be incomplete without swimwear, which would include bikinis for the ladies and swimming trunks for the men. Since there is a wide variety to choose from in the market, go for the best swimwear that makes you look hip and trendy. Once you’ve selected the swimwear, the next essential on your list should be the accessories. The first thing you’d need is comfortable footwear to walk on the sand. Flip-flops are the footwear of choice for the beach. If you’re a girl, you can also bring a pair of flat sandals or wedge heels in case you decide to go to a restaurant in the evening. But avoid any kind of high heels. These are a disaster on a beach holiday. Sunglasses are another beach requirement. These not just look stylish but also protect your eyes from the glare of the sun which can at times be very harsh on the beach. In case you plan to make a splash in the sea, you would also require swimming goggles and a cap to safeguard your eyes and hair from the sand and mud in the water. Another accessory you’d require is a hat made of straw or cotton to guard against the sun and also to shield your hair from becoming a mess in the strong beach winds. Beachcomber’s towel Regular beachcombers will advise you to carry a good quality towel. This is different from an ordinary towel as far as the length goes. Since a number of vacationers also use it as a sheet on the sand to lie upon, it has to be at least six feet in length. You would require a cool beach bag to carry all the stuff. Those who frequent beaches regularly must also invest in comfortable chair-come-lounger and a seaside umbrella. The first one, as the name suggests, is to relax and spend a lazy afternoon on the beach and the second is to protect you from direct sunlight that could lead to sun burn. But do not balk at the idea of lugging the chairs and umbrella. There are plenty of foldable ones available in the market that easily fit into your luggage. But in case you still get a rash of sunburn, don't forget to carry a good quality skin cream with you. If you are travelling with kids to carry loads of beach toys like sandboxes, beach wagons, brightly coloured buckets, miniature shovels, hand rakes, watering cans, beach balls and a shell-collecting bag which will keep the little hands busy for hours. And finally, the most important beach essential is a camera. It could be a professional camcorder or a high-end gizmo fitted with complex lenses or just a point-and-shoot one. The idea is not just to click pictures but to carry back loads of memories of an unforgettable holiday!
SEA SHELL HUNTING
SUN-SAFE YOUR SKIN
TRENDY FLIP-FLOPS
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She listens to the sounds of silence Ruma Roka, founder of the Noida Deaf Society, began with a handful of students and now reaches out to more than 1,000 students in five centres Swati Rai Recipient
of the Hellen Keller Award for exemplary work for helping disabled people, Ruma started as someone whose interest in the sign language while watching the news on DD made her study the language in detail. “I realised that there were complicated issues faced by the hearing impaired in the country, such as the paucity of resources, lack of education facilities and hardly any avenues for holistic development. Most importantly, there was no access to quality training leading to sustainable livelihood.” She began her dream project from a small two-bedroom flat belonging to her husband. “Our missionis to focus not on the disability but the ability of the hearing impaired because we believe that we can do everything except hear. We provide vocational training to enhance their employability quotient and enable them to become contributive partners of society.” Amongstour main aims are developing life skills and building employability amongst the hearing impaired. Thereby, we will create a pool of trainers and develop teaching and learning resources from within the community. Ruma was the interpreter for International Abilympics (Olympics of Ability) held in Japan in 2007 along with her trainers provides training at her centres that is based on market research and is job- oriented. Training is provided inIndian sign language, basic English communication skills and computer skills to give the students a basic knowledge of computers. To create awareness and sensitise people, she delivers lectures all over India. “We actively engage with the industry and community through workshops, mentoring programmes, employee volunteering and sign-language orientation.” NDS has a tie-up with industry for employment and conducts pre-employment training. The are given an orientation on the work profile, life skills, family counselling, contextual work-place vocabulary building and exposure to work areas. “We prepare our students to expect no sympathy because of their inability to hear. They are trained to come up to the expected industry standard and before they join any organisation they are made to go through rigorous on-site training and evaluation.” NDS facilitates the screening process for employers and helps with on-the-job training for the hearing impaired. Over 900 of her students are now working in fields such as information technology, graphic designing, retail, hospitality and packaging, among others. Skilling the youth according to industry standard is a time-consuming and fruitful process. Companies such as Scholastic India, Tata Indicom and Maruti Motor Sports have recruited her students. As she says, “We are always open to volunteers and people who can help strengthen the cause in any way they can. My days are packed but I see the smiles on the faces of these learners and everything else is forgotten as I smile at the beginning of another long, rewarding day!”
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Bling it on
BAGGAGE FROM THE PAST
CHECK INTO A BOEING! TIMELESS DESIGNS
CREATING BLACK MAGIC
ART & A COMIC ICON
STEP OUT IN STYLE
DROPHEAD WITH DROPDEAD LOOKS
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URBAN migration has caused the dwelling size to shrink from small to micro; bigger the city more is the space at a premium. With studio apartments becoming the new bungalows, everything is being downsized and appropriated to be utilitarian yet stylish. Everyone from furniture designers to gadget manufacturers are dedicated to the cause of enabling you to max out your space without compromising on style. As Leonardo Da Vinci said, “Small rooms or dwellings discipline the mind, large ones weaken it.” It is not how much stuff you buy but how the little stuff that you own can go a long way. 
storage and stackable goods as imperative, we tend to overlook the possibility of expanding the existing space by shrinking the goods, literally. Real Space Bag is the perfect solution for those who love to buy loads of stuff and then wonder how to store it. It is a bag that can be vacuum compressed using an ordinary domestic vacuum cleaner. It makes sure that the same load of clothes and blankets take three times less space. Jinesh Shah of Indo Abridge, Ahmedabad, that owns Real Space Bag says, “These are efficient and add years to your products as these bags save your clothes from mildew, odours, dirt and moisture, keeping these from spoiling during storage. These can easily be reused and save a lot of space.”
In larger spaces like bedrooms, hall and dining areas, opt for a colour palate that is light and neutral. Tones of white, beige and grey work wonderfully as a foundation for more colourful accents like cushions and art pieces while luxurious fabrics, natural stone textures and creative lighting add a lavish feel.
Seychelles
STYLISH EYEWEAR
HEAD FOR STYLE
UNDER THE SHADE
PLUMBING THE DEPTHS
INSIDE THE WATER WORLD
BEACH THEME TOWELS
HIP BEACH BAG
SWIMSUIT YOURSELF
LOUNGING ON THE BEACH
SHOOT LIKE A PRO
It is very important to protect your face from the damaging effect of the sunrays with a good quality sun block cream. There are plenty of good creams to choose from though experts say that it would be best to stick to established brands like L'Oreal, Lakme, Kaya, Garnier, Neutrogena, Coppertone and other top names. 
PLAYING BALL
Proper footwear is extremely important for a beach vacation. Get yourself a pair of good quality pair of beach-ready flip-flops that are made from water-resistant material and have a quick-dry lining. When buying the flip-flops, make sure these cushion your feet well and are comfortable to walk on the wet sand. 
One of the perquisites for those who travel in style is trendy luggage. So, if you are a part of the happening crowd take a look at the new Saint Laurent’s new monogram luggage line before you plan your next vacation. Crafted by renowned French designer Hedi Slimane, the luxury collection pays tribute to the iconic Yves Saint Laurent logo designed in 1963. The logo has been transformed into a stunning monogram print on the new luggage collection. Crafted from leather and canvas, the new range comprises 30 items, featuring a variety of bags, duffles, totes, wallets and briefcases which capture the sleek jetset style of the high rollers of the heady 1960s.
The next time you are in Costa Rica, don’t book a room in a hotel. Check into a Boeing 727 instead! The Costa Verde Hotel recently refurbished a real Boeing and turned it into a luxurious suite. The fully outfitted fuselage is perched on a custom-built pedestal, 50 feet above the ground. At this height, it sets its guests on a flight of fancy —offering views of the scenic ocean and jungle both from the airplane windows and the handcrafted deck that has been built atop its wings. The suite is part of the Costa Verde resort. To top it all, guests can also enjoy a glass of wine on its terrace in the company of pet sloths, monkeys, toucans that inhabit the property!
In French, paillonné enameling is a marriage of azure and gold, a design of infinite delicacy. Over the past century the artisans of Swiss watchmaker Jaquet Droz have excelled in this ornamental technique making dials adorned with gold paillons placed with surgical precision. This technique is on display on its three limited-edition watches with each paillonné enamel dial is limited to eight pieces. The motif has been reinvented on each timepiece and plays with more circular forms to evoke the floral theme. The dial has grand blue paillonné-enamelled 18-carat red gold ring and plate and
has an individual serial number engraved on the back of the case for complete exclusivity.
From a Bourbon-filled, working model of a steel train to a balloon dog and basketballs floating in distilled water, the works of America’s best-known living artist Jeff Koons mingle the sacred with the profane. His latest creation has recently been auctioned by Sotheby’s and attracted passionate bidding from around the world, before being sold to Las Vegas-based hotelier tycoon Steve Wynn. So what was this work of art that so caught the imagination of collectors? It was an immaculate, gleaming, seven-foot tall statue of the spinach-eating comic character Popeye. Made with high chromium stainless steel, the sculpture, say art critics, evokes a child-like nostalgia which has made him a pop culture icon for over eight decades.
DATE WITH DAD
It’s a riot of colours for French luxury footwear designer Christian Louboutin. A part of his Spring/Summer 2014 collection comprises stunning multicoloured spikes, glittery lace-up shoes, court shoes, pumps and shiny sandals. The designs are simple, youthful, and fun. Not only is the use of colours a bold choice, the multicolour mix suggests the freshness and vibrancy of the new warm season. The colours seem to be even brighter when seen against the clear white background of the shoes. So, if you want to look daringly different this summer, go for this extravagant footwear and set yourself apart.