Indian Wooden Handicrafts

For centuries, Indian wooden handicrafts have retained a traditional place in ancient scriptures and mythology. There have been instances where instructions have been found in holy books on the process to manufacture wooden doors. Wood from India has especially been used for making utensils in several parts of the country and they are still used at many places for that purpose.

The famous walnut wood from Kashmir that is mostly used for carving small book racks, bowls, trays and numerous items of conventional use, have earned recognition and fame all across the world. Examples of Indian woodwork, influenced by ancient architectural styles, are in demand globally. There is also the famous sandalwood work of Karnataka which is recognized all over the world because of its distinctive smell. It is used for manufacturing intricate and eye-catching craft work. Another fine example of Indian wooden handicraft is the sandalwood hand-fan. When used, the fan spreads the fragrance of the wood all across the room. Meanwhile, in Andhra Pradesh, the red sandalwood variety is used by Indian furniture manufacturers for carving idols, deities, figurines, statuettes and dolls. Particularly valuable are the trinket boxes that are carved out of rosewood and ebony. These are mostly manufactured in northern India.

The western state of Rajasthan, known all over the world for its majestic forts and palaces, is considered to be the hub of Indian wooden handicrafts. The state itself boasts of a rich tradition and culture. It has gained all the more recognition for creating fascinating and native handicrafts. The woodcraft of Rajasthan is especially famous for the state's distinct art and design forms.

A very popular type of wooden handicraft of this western Indian state is the puppet. Wooden puppets are an integral artwork form of the famous Rajasthan handicrafts. Long strings are usually attached to these puppets which move and dance when the strings are pulled. There's a narrator who tells a story, mostly pertaining to history or mythology. This is a very popular and ancient art form, still very much on display in the state. It's a native form of narrating a story and extensively used to entertain tourists to Rajasthan.

Wooden handicrafts of Rajasthan, also sometimes made by Indian furniture manufacturers, are usually characteristically colorful. They carry intricate craftsmanship as well. Wooden candle holders, blinds, toys etc. are widely manufactured in Rajasthan. Interestingly, sandalwood too, is often used for manufacturing such objects. Desert caravans manufactured from sandalwood are attractive show-pieces of this place. In fact, key chains, trinket boxes and other similar items, manufactured from fragrant sandalwood, are hugely popular all across the world.

Indian wooden handicrafts made in Rajasthan, are not merely restricted to gift items. The state's creative domain has extended its influence over furnishings and furniture as well. Inlaid brass sheet wooden furniture is a signature woodwork style of this state. People here love to flaunt wooden coasters and trays on their dining tables that are handcrafted exclusively by skilled artisans.

No wonder that Indian handicrafts are renowned all over the world.

The Right Size of Bed for a Couple

There are things you need to consider when buying a bed for couples.

First is the size. You need to take into account the size of your bedroom and the doors of your home. The bed must be of the right size so you can easily get into the doors of your home.

Second is the comfort it offers. You also need to make sure that both you and your partner have enough space on the bed so you will both be comfortable in your sleep.

The king size beds include a mattress and two frames with box strings. You can choose from Standard King Size Beds and California King Size Beds.

1. Some call the Standard King Size Bed as the Eastern King. Its width is 4 inches more than the California King and 16 inches more than the queen size bed. It has the same height as the queen mattress. This bed measures 76 inches wide and 80 inches long. Each occupant gets about 38 inches of personal space in this type of bed.

The Advantages of Standard King

• This is best for plus-size couples because it has the largest width measurement.

The Disadvantages

• You need a large bedroom and large doorframes to fit it inside your home. This is also not advisable if you have steep and high, or winding stairs. It cannot be moved from one place to another easily.
• Tall couples may find it too short for them.
• The sheets are hard to find and are expensive. You might even have to hire someone to customize your sheets.

2. California King Size Beds, also called as the Western King, is sort of the opposite of the Standard King. This is the bed for very tall couples measuring 84 inches long and 72 inches wide. It is 4 inches more than the Standard King's height and 12 inches more than the latter's width. It includes a mattress, and 2 half-breadth box springs. It provides 36 inches of space for each person on the bed.

The Advantages of California King

• This is perfect for very tall couples providing them with extra space for stretching.

The Disadvantages

• This is only good for single-story home. This cannot fit in small rooms and narrow corridors.
• Like the Standard King, the sheets are not easy to find and may have to be customized.

The queen-size beds measure 5 inches more in length and 21 inches more in breadth than twin-size beds. Queen beds are 6 inches more in width and 5 inches more in height than double-size mattresses. This may be placed in the master's bedroom or the guest room. It gives each occupant 30 inches of personal space as it measures 60 inches wide and 80 inches long.

The Advantages of Queen Size Beds

• It provides more space than the twin-size.
• Furniture stores offer a variety of sheets for this type.
• You can match it with queen and standard pillow sizes.

The Disadvantages

• This will not accommodate plus-size couples.
• It is still too big for small bedrooms.
• Full Queen or Olympic Queen beds may give you problems when it comes to linens.

You should also consider if you are both comfortable on the bed. Choose one with thick and firm mattresses so they do not sag easily. Some are made of special materials where the other person will not feel the movement of the other. This means that they cannot disturb the peaceful sleep of one another though they move a lot when sleeping.

Your Home Office Furniture - Is It Tax Deductible?

When most people start up a home business, the first thing they want to know is whether their business purchases can be taken as a tax deduction. Sure, it's easy to figure out that business supplies like paper, envelopes, and pens all count as a tax deduction, but what about the bigger things? Is your home office furniture tax deductible?

In most cases, it is!

However, before you start taking deductions on your taxes, you need to make sure that you have done all of your homework:

• First, you need to keep any and all records relating to your furniture. If you ever get audited, you will have to be able to prove how much everything cost. And, unfortunately, when it comes to the IRS you are guilty until proven innocent - meaning that it is up to you to prove that you were right to take a specific amount as a deduction, instead of the IRS proving that you were wrong.
• You need to make sure that any home office furniture that you take as a tax deduction is only used for business purposes. The IRS defines a home office as a space that is solely devoted to your business. So if, for example, you use your file cabinet to store business and personal documents, it's not going to count as a tax deduction. Or, if you buy a computer desk - and your kids also use it to do their homework - you can't legally take it as a home office tax deduction.

If you do not run a home-based business, you may be able to deduct your home office furniture.

How can that be?

It all goes back to how the IRS defines a home office. If, for example, you have a safe in your home that is solely used to store important business documents, it counts - and you can legally take it as a tax deduction.

So, how do you actually go about deducting your home office furniture?

The IRS gives you a choice - you can either deduct the full cost all at once, or you can deduct portions of the cost over 7 years in a process known as "depreciation". If you opt for depreciation, though, you will have to follow specific IRS guidelines as to how much you can deduct each year; it's not as easy as dividing the total cost by 7 and calling it a day!

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