Summers are fast approaching. The heat in the atmosphere is gradually increasing and accordingly, the need for keeping environs of the house cool has increased. Hereunder, find some plants, which shall not only keep your house cool but will assist in inner environs pure.

Using space station technology to ensure the safety of your home may be easier than you thought. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration conducted the NASA Clean Air Study to demonstrate the effectiveness of particular plants to purify the air.

As homes become more insulated and efficient, they also make it easier to trap indoor air pollutants. Chemicals like benzene, formaldehyde, and ammonia can come from household items and pollute your home’s atmosphere without any visual warning.

Neglecting the quality of the air you breathe on a daily basis could result in serious consequences. Illness, allergies, asthma and frequent headaches are just a few of many inconveniences that come from airborne particles floating around your home. Air pollution is also one of the reasons the can affect your digestive system.

There’s no need to dish out hundreds of dollars on expensive appliances when you’ve got Mother Nature. According to NASA, there are plenty of plants that soak up harmful particles in the air and release fresh oxygen – all while adding a decorative touch.

Where does it all come from?
One of the scariest things about indoor air pollution is the seemingly harmless nature of its many sources. Listed below are some of the most common ways a home can become polluted.

• Glues and Adhesives
• Carpets (especially new carpets)
• Chemicals in household cleaners (instead of using poisonous household cleaners you can make your own natural household cleaners)
• Foam insulation materials
• Paint
• Pressed-wood products (plywood, particleboard, and medium-density fiberboard)
If plants are good enough for the pioneers of space travel than they must be doing something right. They also might spark a new found hobby of gardening as well!. The plants listed below are 10 of the most effective air filters Mother Nature has to offer.

1. English Ivy (Hedera Helix)

The English Ivy is ideal for pots because its invasive nature allows it to spread easily. The research found it to be particularly useful in eliminating airborne fecal-matter particles. The plant is also great for a family with smokers in it. Its ability to soak up carcinogens from second-hand smoke helps to purify small areas. It’s also versatile when it comes to growing conditions and doesn’t require much maintenance.

2. Golden Pothos (Epipremnum Aureum)
NASA considered this plant one of the most effective choices for eliminating formaldehyde. People that have struggled to keep plants alive can rejoice – this one is incredibly hard to kill. It doubles as an effective eliminator of carbon monoxide as well. The vines grow fairly quickly and look great suspended from elevated areas.

3. Boston Fern (Nephrolepis Exalta Bostoniensis)
This lush plant functions really well as a natural air humidifier. While it’s busy adding humidity to the environment it also does a great job eliminating formaldehyde. Its large feathered ferns span as large as 5 feet and allow just a single plant to have a noticeable impact.

4. Dracaena (Dracaena Deremensis)
The long striped leaves of this plant can easily thrive indoors with only small amounts of sunlight and moderate watering. It’s an excellent way to eliminate trichloroethylene that comes from solvents and varnishes. A single plant can grow over ten feet tall, but pruning will keep it short if you prefer.

5. Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii)
The Bamboo Palm can easily fit into smaller areas with indirect lighting. NASA found it to be one of the best air filters for benzene and trichloroethylene and a great humidifier. This palm is a bit smaller than others and easy to grow in shady areas. It releases a good deal of moisture into the air and is considerably resistant to insect infestation.

6. Dragon Tree (Dracaena Marginata)
This plant is a widely popular option for office spaces and homes for its attractive look and effective purifying power. It pulls xylene – a chemical released from car exhaust, paints, and cigarettes – from the air with little need for maintenance. It can also be potted together and trained to grow into a braid for visual appeal and added purification.

 7. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)

The Peace Lily is one of the most visually appealing plants on the list with its unique white flowers. It boasts one of the highest transpiration rates on the list as well. Use it to remove trichloroethylene, benzene, acetone, and alcohols from the air. Just be cautious of the plant’s high toxicity and keep it out of reach of children and pets.

8. Lady Palm (Rhapis Excelsa)
The Lady Palm requires a lot of watering during the spring and summer but makes up for it with its heavy resistance to insects. The lush leaves of this palm grow thick and with rich color without much effort. It’s said to be a versatile and effective filter for multiple indoor pollutants.

9. Spider Plant (Chlorophytum Comosum)
The Spider Plant requires natural light but shouldn’t be exposed directly to the sun. It thrives in moist environments with bi-weekly watering and grows at impressive speeds. Owners prefer to place these plants near the fireplace and kitchen where carbon monoxide may build.

10. Snake Plant (Sansevieria Trifasciata)
The Snake Plant is unique in that it sucks in carbon dioxide and releases oxygen during the night. Many people chose to keep it in their bedroom or carpeted living room. It’s simple to take care of and prevents the formaldehyde that leaks from your carpet and wood furniture from sticking around the air.

If you have pets then you should be aware that most indoor plants aren’t safe for pet consumption. If you plan on growing plants in or outside of your home you should be aware of their toxicity. You can consult with your vet and see how it may affect your dog, cat, or any other animal that may consume it.

Detoxifying your home is an integral part of the detox concept. This includes not only detoxifying your body but detoxifying your mind and the closest environments as well.

The colors in a home have a significant influence on its inhabitants. Hereunder is experts’ advice on selecting the right colors for the various rooms in your house

It is a proven fact that colors have a significant psychological effect on people. A home is a place where a person spends a major part of one’s life. As specific colors stimulate distinctive emotions in the people, it is important to have an appropriate balance of colors in one’s home, to feel fresh and live a healthy life.

Colors for your home, as per direction

The colors have to be decided, based on the direction and the date of birth of the homeowner.

“While each direction has a specific color, at times, it may still not suit the owner. Therefore, homeowners should adhere to the general guidelines for colors as per Vastu Shastra, which entails the following key points:

• Northeast – Light blue.
• East – White or light blue.
• Southeast – As this direction is associated with fire, orange, pink and silver colors can be used to enhance the energy.
• North – Green, Pistachio green.
• Northwest – This area is related to air. So, white, light gray and cream are the best colors.
• West – It is the place of ‘Varun’ (i.e., water). So, the best colors are blue or white.
• Southwest – Peach, mud color, biscuit color or light brown.
• South – Red and yellow.
• Homeowners must take extra precautions while choosing colors like black, red and pink, as these colors do not suit every person.

Color guidelines, as per your home section

Experts point out that each section of your home requires colors as per its energy requirement, size, and direction. The color requirement of your home section should be as per its usage. People living in a home should keep the following points in mind while coloring the rooms:

Master bedroom: Ideally, the master bedroom should be in a southwest direction and hence, should be painted with blue color.

Guest room/ drawing room: Northwest is the best place for the guest room/ drawing room and hence, a guest room in this direction should be painted with white color.

Kids’ room: North-west is the best place for rooms for children who are grown up and go out for study purposes. As the northwest direction is governed by the moon, hence, children’s rooms in this direction should be painted with white color.

Kitchen: The southeast zone is ideal for kitchens and hence, the walls of the kitchen should be painted with orange or red color.

Bathroom: North-west is the best place for bathroom and hence, the bathroom should be painted with white color.

Hall: Ideally, the hall should be in the northeast or northwest direction and hence, should be painted yellow or white.

Home exterior color: The exterior color of the house should be based on its owners. Colors, such as yellowish-white or off-white or light mauve or orange, can suit to people of all Zodiac signs.

Colors that you should avoid in your home

Experts suggest that light shades are always good. Dark shades like red, brown, gray and black may not suit everyone, as they represent some of the fiery planets likes Rahu, Shani, Mars and Sun. Red, deep yellow and black should be avoided. Generally, theses colors have high intensity and it may disturb the energy pattern inside your house.

Although women form a significant number of property buyers and influence the purchase decision, marketing campaigns revolving around them, remain rare. This Women’s Day, we examine the reasons for the real estate fraternity’s reluctance to focus on this crucial segment of home buyers.

Even though women have emerged as a critical segment of homebuyers, real estate marketers continue to view women merely as part of families. Not surprising, the marketing campaigns of real estate projects, continue to portray women in a stereotypical fashion – in fancy kitchens or with children. Images of women are either used as models or as a homemaker who is buying a house with the family.

Nevertheless, statistics suggest that real estate campaigns are far off their target, with this influential group of homebuyers. Women, today, control $28 trillion in annual consumer spending, as per a study. In terms of consumer spending, women drive almost 80% of all purchases. In terms of home buying, 74% women play the role of either a contributor or an influencer, as per a pan-India survey. This includes 32% home buying by single women across the top eight cities of India.

Why developers shy away from women-centric ad campaigns

Real estate professionals think that the problem lies in the mindset of most of the developers. It is not just the first-generation conservative developers, who reject women-centric marketing campaigns. Even the second-generation luxury developers do not want to risk market disruption.

It is tough to convince such builders that women, who are the single and a powerful consumer group in the housing market, do not need or desire validation of their life’s choices from your brand. It is your brand that needs to be validated by their choices.

It is a global phenomenon that women are used in real estate advertising, only to add an element of glamor. In the western property markets, there are instances of women being used to spice up ad campaigns. Home buying is still considered as a family affair, in our society. Hence, Indian real estate has shied away from using any form of sex in advertising, even though other segments overuse it, to sell anything from coffee to cars, with success. In a way, it is okay to not have objectification of women in real estate advertising, when your project offerings are not designed to meet the needs of women in general and the single women in particular.

Real estate purchase still viewed as a family affair

Experts point out that the thought of bringing women to the forefront of marketing campaigns never took Centre stage.

Home buying is such a family-driven affair that most of the time, the thought process revolves around how to tempt a family and not an individual. Some change is there in the mindset but we still have a long way to go, before we start thinking about women as buyers. For example, in south India, the focus is more on women buyers, even if the campaign is family-driven. However, in north India, the focus shifts to the male-driven family units. Women may be contributors today but so long as their independent buying does not reflect in numbers, the market’s orientation is unlikely to change.

Women in real estate and their portrayal

• Women play the role of influencer or contributor, in 74% of real estate buying decisions.
• Of this, 32% of buyers are single women, in the top eight cities.
• Use of women in advertising has generally been to add glamor, rather than talking to this target audience.
• With home purchase perceived as a family affair, developers still question why they need to talk to women, rather than how to talk to them.

While affordability is the most crucial factor, when it comes to buying a house, there are a few other aspects that homebuyers should not compromise on. We look at how to strike the right balance

When it comes to buying a home, the biggest dilemma for home seekers often pertains to affordability – where should one draw the line between what is affordable and what is not?

• If one opts for a big home, then, one may need to shell out a higher amount or opt for a house in the peripheral areas.
• On the other hand, if one is particular about the location, then, the buyer may need to compromise on the size of the house or amenities offered.
• If one opts for amenities, then, the buyer may need to compromise on size or location.

What is an affordable home?

An affordable home should have all the basic amenities, like sanitation, water and 24-hour electricity supply. It is also important to have security and social infrastructure, as well as schools, offices, parks and hospitals, nearby.

Experts point out that the amenities offered with affordable housing projects, also depend on its micro market. In tier-2 or tier-3 cities and other metropolitan cities, each location will have a balanced mix of affordable and premium homes in the same micro market. In such cities, the parameters that define affordability could be smaller-sized homes, standalone towers and fewer amenities.

Affordability versus amenities

Wherever a project is considered as premium, owing to its location, customers will have to make sacrifices on the amenities and facilities, However, at locations that are more affordable, customers have the opportunity to enjoy facilities and amenities, according to their desired lifestyle. Therefore, parameters like transport, support infrastructure, retail and entertainment, become prime considerations along with the project’s features, explain the experts.

How to choose the right location and project

While choosing a home, one should strike a balance, between the location and the projects’ features. Locations in the vicinity of office clusters are ideal. However, the property prices in such locations are likely to be sky-high. Hence, homebuyers can consider tier-2/tier-3 cities and other metros which offer properties with aspirational lifestyles and are also closer to the workplace.

Experts opine, affordability, in the first place, is a relative term. It varies across cities and from person to person.

The only thing that buyers need to prioritize is the ‘must haves’ and other non-negotiable factors, while they are searching for a property.

While affordability is no doubt a crucial factor, it is not wise to make it the sole consideration while buying a home.