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A message to my readers about the new purpose of this blog-The Start of a Book

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In 2009, I started this blog to focus on a specific niche—Art and Design—while my other space remained dedicated to life’s broader observations. For a long time, this blog has remained largely inactive, as I struggled to give it the attention and clarity it deserved. If you are returning to this site after a gap, you’ll notice it has received a facelift. The reason is simple: I have found a new purpose for both myself and this blog—I am writing a book. I will be using this platform to draft and share the manuscript—presented as evolving chapters or parts of chapters—in real time. I will be adding to it at least once every week. To keep things organized, I’ve added two new tabs to the menu: “The Book” : Where all posts related to the manuscript, its chapters, and the technical roadmap will live. “Design Slices” : For my earlier posts and new anecdotes from the profession that don’t fit into the manuscript but are too relevant not to share. So what is this book about? As my professional ...
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My Encounter with Japanese Gardens (Part 3): Styles, Forms, and Final Reflection

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 A kaiyu-shiki or strolling garden at Ritsurin Garden in Takamatsu, Kagawa By the time we reach the question of styles, something important has already happened. We are no longer looking at Japanese gardens as an abstract idea. We begin to recognise them as lived expressions—different responses to the same philosophy of nature, balance, and impermanence. Each style carries its own interpretation of space, silence, and symbolism. In this final part, I will explore the major styles of Japanese gardens, and how each one reflects a different way of seeing the natural world. Types and Styles of Japanese Gardens Zen Rock Garden Style Tsukiyama Style Hiranaiwa Style Chaniwa Tea Garden Style Chisen Kaiyū Shiki (Strolling Pond Garden) A. Zen Rock Garden Style: Precise and Meditative This type of garden, mostly found in monasteries, represents Zen spiritualism and is also known as a sand and stone garden. The garden is confined within a defined boundary, isolating it from external visual d...
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My Encounter with Japanese Gardens (Part 2): History and Essential Elements

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Famous-kyoto-Tsukiyama garden Brief History of Japanese Gardens The art of Japanese gardens dates back to the reign of Empress Suiko around 592 AD, though there is evidence suggesting it existed even earlier. The most significant development came during the Nara period (646–794 AD), when trade and cultural exchange with mainland China flourished. This brought subtle yet impactful changes to Japanese culture. Gardens began to include animals, birds, and fish, and were often used for private gatherings and feasts. During the Heian period (794–1185 AD), foreign influence reduced, and Japanese gardens returned to traditional values, often adapting to limited resources. However, the earlier Chinese influence remained, resulting in a rich and elegant blend. Garden layouts were often inspired by myths and legends. A major shift occurred during the Kamakura period (1185–1392 AD), when Zen Buddhist monks began designing gardens for meditation rather than pleasure. Decorative elements gave way ...
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My Encounter with Japanese Garden (Part 1): Where It All Began

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Karesansui garden at Ryōan-ji in Kyoto Introduction: Once not long back in the recent past, I was faced with the task of preparing a scope of work for a Japanese Garden. Not being a landscape designer, it was a rather daunting task to define the scope and review the design thereafter. Until then, I had no idea that Japanese gardens could be such a vast subject. To be honest, I did not expect that it would be such a difficult thing just to figure out what a Japanese garden ought to look like. The more I tried to get a grip on this subject, the more lost I found myself. As I started my research, I got inundated with detailed information. It took a lot of effort before I could build some basic understanding. In the few paragraphs that follow, I have documented what I learnt about Japanese gardens. I would have loved to call this post “Japanese Garden for the Dummies,” but decided otherwise, as this is not as comprehensive as the title would suggest. The Japanese garden embodies native va...
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Everyday Spaces

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Interior Design is all about people. The whole idea is to create an environment within a space that sets the scene for the next act. Every space is designed for a specific purpose—and most definitely,  designing the space itself is not the purpose . Design has the potential to evoke different emotions depending on how it is conceived and executed. It can make you relax—or, for that matter, make you restless. A waiting space could invite you to lounge for hours, like a hotel lobby, or make you edgy, like waiting at a bus station. One doesn’t have to be formally trained to engage with design. We have all grown up watching our mothers arranging spaces with intent—creating zones within a home without ever naming them as such. And now, we see the same instinct in our children, setting up their own worlds with toys and imagination. The real question, then, is:  what makes a “good” interior design for a particular space? The honest answer is—no one really knows. There is no single so...
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Boutique Hotels and a Few Other Hotels

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How do you impress a traveler who has seen it all and had it all? Being pampered every morning is routine—it no longer excites him. To delight such a guest, you need to offer something beyond the predictable. Something more than the run-of-the-mill. In 2008, I stepped away from my routine life in Kuwait and moved to the bustling city of Dubai. The brief was both exciting and unfamiliar—to be part of a team managing the design of a themed development. At the heart of that project was a boutique hotel—an equestrian-themed property envisioned as a destination for horse lovers and an experience for the adventurous. It was then that I was confronted with a simple but fundamental question: What exactly is a boutique hotel? This question led me to explore what was then a relatively new concept—the “Boutique Hotel,” which first emerged in the early 1980s. The first boutique hotel in the world opened its doors to guests in 1981: The Blakes Hotel in South Kensington, London. This was the creatio...
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