Happy and prosperous Diwali to all of you🙂‍↕️✨️🙌💌

I don’t remember the ₹10 chai. I remember the trust. The muddy hands. The joy when the saplings stood tall. Sometimes, the smallest experiments can pay your bills & build your story. Ever done a free project that opened new doors? 👇 #CafeDesign #LowBudgetMakeover #DesignThink

3️⃣ Fail visibly, fix loudly. People forget failed attempts — they remember the one that stood tall. 4️⃣ Give free work a path to conversion. Make it spark referrals, not resentment. 5️⃣ Know when to stop. Free work is a seed, not a lifestyle. 🌱

Here’s what I learned from that chai & chaos: 1️⃣ Listen first, not invoice first. Trust is a bigger currency than money. 2️⃣ Start small, prototype fast. Don’t fix everything. Fix one wall. #DesignLessons #FreelanceTips

Soon, two property owners asked for my number. Three café owners called me. The project I did for free? Brought me ₹15,000 in three days. That’s when I realized: Free work isn’t the problem. Directionless free work is.

People didn’t just come for coffee anymore. They came for the wall. They clicked photos. Posted stories. Tagged the café. That one wall became the brand. #SmallBusinessMarketing #CustomerExperience

By Day 21, the wall was alive. 🌿 Green. Breathing. Beautiful. A vertical garden built entirely from waste bottles. And it changed everything. #GreenWall #SustainableDesign

Next day, I showed up with— → 50 bottles → A few saplings → And zero clue what I was doing. Attempt #1: collapsed. Attempt #2: roots fell. Attempt #3: it held.

We didn’t talk about budgets. We talked about feelings. About what he wanted people to feel when they walked in. Warmth. Calm. Connection. So I pitched a few small ideas. One made him smile. And that was enough to begin.

He looked down at his cup and whispered, “I don’t have the money to fix it.” I could’ve left. Most would. But something made me stay.

A ₹10 chai changed my career — not exaggerating. ☕️ No contract. No fancy client. Just a roadside chai and a worried café owner who said— “People come to my café… but they don’t stay.” #DesignThinking #CafeDesign

Coffee and balcony views mark a fresh start

Can Airbnb design be a remote job? 👀 Do hosts hire designers to get more bookings or just for looks? Any platform for this? (Didn’t find one 😩) If you know any platform/person/community drop it below 🙏 Maybe this niche doesn’t exist yet… or maybe we’ll create it. 💡

If you're interested in creating a functional, client attracting and climate-friendly Airbnb or Homestays.. Please get in touch with me.😌🤝 Myself Archana, and I'm an architect, space designer, & planner with expertise in budget-friendly and space-efficient makeovers. 🏡🍃✨️

Balcony Makeover vid is up 🌱 https://t.co/HRWQvowGae we shared where we bought our stuff & how we revamped it ✨

Your roof water harvesting checklist: • Calculate roof catchment area • Research local rainfall patterns • Size storage for drought periods • Install proper overflow systems • Direct overflow to garden swales One weekend setup = lifetime water independence.

Your turn 👇 What design trend needs to disappear in 2025? And which traditional idea deserves a comeback? Let’s rethink the way we design together. #Sustainability #PassiveDesign #Architecture #interiordesign

💭 Final thought: We don’t need smarter buildings. We need wiser ones. Ones that understand context, climate, and comfort just like our ancestors did.

Design is no longer just for architects. As a homeowner, builder, or tenant, you’re a stakeholder. Before your next project, ask: → Can this space adapt with time? → Is it energy-wise and aesthetic? → Are we building for 2025 or repeating 2005?

Example: A home in Rajasthan with mud walls & a central courtyard stays cooler than many “luxury” apartments with 3-ton AC units. 💡 Real intelligence = using climate with design, not fighting it.