Good Living with Wakefit: In Conversation with Anjari Ganguly aka That Yellow Trunk

“The pandemic made our homes the most important place in our lives. Earlier we used to shuffle between offices and homes on a daily basis. But now since we are staying a lot more at our homes, everyone is making efforts to make their homes more comfortable and functional.” 

In this edition of JOMO, we have Anjari Ganguly, the creator behind ThatYellowTrunk. 

Anjari is an architect, interior stylist, and a sketch artist. She was awarded Pinterest India’s Best Video of 2020 in the category, Home and Garden.

Since Anjari has gained a great deal of praise for her work with small spaces, we had to ask her regarding the factors she keeps in mind when decorating such a space.

She says that living in a home which is not very big, mostly discourages people from decorating it nicely. But small spaces have some advantages, she points out.

Firstly, it is easier to clean. And secondly, you need to invest in one statement piece of decor which then becomes the highlight in the overall scheme.

Tips for decorating a small space

According to Anjari, when decorating a small space,

• Buy minimum and compact furniture
• Opt for furniture which can be used  for multiple activities, such as a sofa cum bed or a folding table which can serve as a study desk and can also be used for dining 
• Using a neutral color palette for walls and decor items, to make the room feel lighter
• Use white sheer curtains since the filtered natural light through them always makes the room look brighter as compared to solid curtains

The don’ts when decorating a living space include overcrowding the room with decor items and going for too many interior design styles. Beware of these errors, and instead keep the room’s light and pick one design style, recommends Anjari. 

Since most of us are working from home now, we need to carve out a special corner for work where there is a minimal distraction. 

Tips on setting up a home office

Anjari’s five essential elements to pay attention to when working on a home office setup include:

• Declutter and purge the space, where the home office is going to be set up
• Choose the desk as per your needs, not too small, not too big, and always invest in a good ergonomic chair
• Place your essentials like laptop, desktop, printer, etc. 
• Organize your stationery and wire; visual clutter is cringe!
• Add indoor greens to the space to make it lively

If your workstation is sorted, but you need help setting up an entertainment corner for yourself, then Anjari has your back as well. She talks about the popularity of themed entertainment corners, and suggests decorating the nook with vintage movie posters, studio spotlight tripod lamps, and adding comfortable recliners that can enhance the TV viewing experience. The wall behind the TV unit is one of the best places to display your art if you are an artist, she adds. If you are looking for a TV unit within a budget, then be sure to check our new range. 

Anjari’s ideal home is one that reflects her personality. She tells us how much she loves colors and how indoor plants make her happy. What sets her home styling approach different from other decorators is the priority given to the function of the space over the decoration of it.

Sustainability is her other USP. Her sustainable home styling ideas include upcycling old furniture and decor pieces and usage of sustainable materials like bamboo cane, terracotta while setting up space. This is why she says that her own home can be best described as an urban jungle full of upcycled decor pieces. 

When decorating a bedroom, a good decorator will always ensure that the space is conducive to sleep. Anjari emphasizes the need to declutter to create a good environment for sleep. The other non-negotiable factor is bedding. We at Wakefit completely agree with Anjari. Our line of sleep solutions prioritizes the user’s comfort over everything else. You can browse our products here. 

If you have just purchased a Wakefit bookshelf, then Anjari’s recommendations on how to decorate them may come in handy. 

Arranging the books by the color of the cover is a popular trend today, she mentions. You can try keeping golden pothos with long branches on the top shelf to make the whole setup look very attractive. 

If you have invested in any of our wall shelves, then the dos and dos of decorating them, according to Anjari, include: 

• Use books and magazines as decor pieces and display them
• Add indoor plants in pots that match your theme
• Use frames of varying heights
• Display items that have a story, like a special gift, some memorabilia, etc.

We hope Anjari Ganguly’s home decor ideas help you create the space you have always wanted. If you need her to guide you personally, then get in touch with her on her Instagram page @thatyellowtrunk. Before you leave this page, be sure to read Anjari’s rapid fire answers to some fun questions we asked her!

• Current books on your bedside table.

Urban Jungle: Living and Styling with Plants by Igor Josifovic and Judith De Graaff

• Your favorite sleep ritual. 

Saying a prayer for my family!

• If you could sleep for an entire year and then not have to sleep for the rest of your life, would you take the deal? 

No! I love waking up every morning and smelling that coffee.

About JOMO

JOMO by Wakefit is a weekly newsletter that offers everything worthwhile around:

Sleep 💤

Lifestyle 🛋️, and

Design💡

Our curated content will make you realize that it is way better inside!

Think of this newsletter as a guide that will help you design a spectacular lifestyle & give you DIY tips on creating a home that supports your new lifestyle.

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