Back in 2017, I wanted a place of my own in Bangalore for the first time.
But when you’re an unmarried couple with dogs, you don’t quite attract houses like moths to a flame. Add requirements like “must have a terrace, should be in a good area, and close to all the action,” and it doesn’t help much.
So after months of house hunting, when a place finally ticked all those boxes – The house was around 500sqft, had a terrace and was pet friendly. That was enough. I
It wasn’t the house of my dreams YET, but I knew it had potential. I was fresh off two consecutive home makeovers in the years before, so I knew I could work my home-transformation magic, given some time, elbow grease and a complete suspension of other productive pursuits.
The challenges: what I inherited
- A horrible Barbie-pink colour on all the walls
- A tiny living room
- A kitchen inside the bedroom
I knew I could fix the first two, and the 3rd a bit, even if I couldn’t help with the last. So the project that started even before I moved into the house, and took months to complete, and continues to this day, looked like this.
The first set of pictures is what I inherited.
But a good challenge it was. What followed was intense days of obsession trying to turn into this Barbie house into a boho, liveable and rather desirable abode.
How I did the makeover, step by step
1. Paint the walls. Unwittingly, and trying to save money, I decided to do this myself. I finished one set of walls and landed myself with a debilitating condition called tennis elbow, which persists almost 10 years later. Safe to say I’ve never attempted wall painting again and now entrust the job to professionals.
2. Deep clean the house. I started by scrubbing the old-school mosaic floors of years of built-up grime and grease. I then brushed off all the windows and cupboard spaces. For as long as I lived in this house, I cleaned, organized and decluttered obsessively to make the best of the space. I truly think that most good looking homes are clean, clutter-free and organized. For a deeper dive into my patented deep cleaning process, check this out.
3. Source furniture strategically for a small space. I mixed pieces from Urban Ladder, thrifted finds and a few custom-made ones. (Here’s my guide to buying furniture for a studio or 1BHK with the pieces that worked best.)
4. Work on accessories and details (the most impactful step). I did a lot of DIY art, including a gallery wall, and bought cute pieces from IKEA, Chumbak and other online shops. Then I introduced plants, books and many other boho elements. Over a period of time, I painted the cherry-red cupboard into a much more soothing grey.
The after: my tiny boho rooftop home
Over the years, I lived here with my dogs, my partner and many roommates, and hosted parties and intimate get-togethers. I loved calling this place home and looked forward to coming back to it every day.
My little labour of love paid off, and how.
A rented house will never be yours on paper, but a few good walls, chairs and plants can make it feel like it is.
SO much so that even after I moved out after buying my own house, I retained the house and put it up on Airbnb and to this day the house is constantly in demand, much loved and usually very occupied.
