1 Line your serving trays with a sheet of cork (you can get it at any upmarket departmental store) cut to size - this prevents condensation from making glasses slippery.
2 A quick-and-stylish summer dessert: use an icecream scoop to make icecream balls on a baking sheet. Stick an icecream stick into each scoop and put in the freezer till frozen. Take out, roll in toasted nuts, liqueur, syrup or crushed candy, and put back in the freezer on a tray lined with a baking sheet, till the toppings set.
3 Buy a few yards of patterned outdoor fabric and get your tailor to make outdoor-friendly covers for your floor cushions. You've got temporary outdoor seating for rare pleasant evenings.
4 Keep buying fresh flowers only to have them wilt in a couple of days? Get the "floral" effect by hanging framed prints of florals, or framed floral tapestry across the home; including bathrooms and guest powder rooms. Even a stunning square of floral gift-wrap paper, when framed, can become a piece of art.
5 If you get strong sunlight direct on your windows, get a layer of UV film on them (the stuff you use on your car windows). You will find a noticeable reduction in the intensity of the sun's glare.
6 Clean all the glass in your home - from windows to cabinet doors and mirrors. If you don't have storebought glass cleaner handy, a mixture of vinegar and water is effective. Clean glass adds a noticeable fresh sparkle to your rooms at zero cost.
7 Rid your home of musty winter smells by placing half a cup of vinegar in open bowls in different corners of each room. Vinegar absorbs strong scents, including one of the hardest smells to rid of - cigarette smoke!
8 With airconditioners on and windows firmly closed, ridding your home of strong food flavours can be tough. A useful trick, especially when expecting guests, is to put a pan of water on the gas, add some whole cinnamon and cloves, and boil for 10-odd minutes. Throw in some lemon and/or orange peel, if handy. The spices will release their strong fragrance and mask "tadka" and frying aromas. Also try essential oils in water.
9 Use kites to add an unexpected dose of colour, pattern and fun to your space - you can have just one, or a collection, perched above a WC in the bathroom, lining a staircase wall or taped to the wall in a row above a teenager's bed. This makes for cheap and light summer décor!
10 Paint the inside of a bookshelf or storage cupboard with fresh colour. Lime, sunflower yellow, orange and leafy greens look "cool". And the unexpected burst of colour on the inside - rather than exterior - of the shelf, will become a talking point when entertaining guests.
-- via Payal Puri - www.yahoo.com
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