So it is actually the onyx you are backlighting right. in which case the easiest would be to run LEDs under the counter in the cabinet just below the onyx.

I am so happy to see you here! I will have to go back and see if i can retrieve my posts... thought I would make them into a little book for my daughter, with photos. Quick run-down on the bathroom (not travels, no time) - The kitchen has a rather elegant sliding door with beveled glass panels. Painted white, since this was the original colour. GD's new bathroom has the doors I had picked earlier; i thought of polishing them but decided sprayed automobile paint (on a resin primer) would wear better. Especially since it is such a small bathroom, and she is so splashy. I have this finish in my kitchen and it has lasted 15 years now. A tad chipped here and there, but only needs a wipe down once a week. Same finish for the balcony doors, also split like the bathroom. We have a new wardrobe, a study table with built-in shelves, and a small chest of drawers for her odds and ends. I want to re-tile the tiny balcony, more as a little statement. Currently we are looking at Portuguese tiles, though I did think a mosaic with a funky cat might be nice. Let me see the costing. The room will be painted a neutral adobe, with bright white woodwork and an off-white ceiling. This means she can go wild with cushions and covers. Other changes in the flat; We have changed the glass in the master bedroom and living room from small cramped panes to a single pane for each section with a 1" bevel all round. Doubles the cost of the glass, but looks so elegant! The air-conditioning is being re-located. The compressors were all mounted in the bedroom and living room balconies, which looked terrible and meant the balconies (very narrow, only 30" deep) couldn't be used for anything. Not even plants. So they are being moved so that the compressors can be mounted at the rear of the building. two down, one to go. Now we can put in some nice plants, fishtail palms etc. The kitchen counter on one side came out intact and will be reused elsewhere. I am planning overhead storage, cupboards, and a draining cupboard for plates and glasses. Right now there is no dish washer, though a place is earmarked, but for now I will put in a cupboard with steel racks for cups, glasses and plates, all hidden behind pressed glass doors. This is all in the planning stage.... Pictures in a little while, they are mostly on my ipad and don't transfer well to the mac. They come without numbers... so I have to rename the or something. Somebody tell me how to do this!

Hello there, If you use water and oil on a daily basis for Pujan and plan for doing homa too nearby, it is best to avoid any paper and wood based material. Golden stencil is definitely good and you could draw a pattern as a backdrop. Else, more elaborate materials as glossy tiles, natural stones etc. could be beneficial too. Regards, Aurum Ideas and Spaces Bhubaneswar

Hi Payal, your space looks interesting and a beautiful mandir design can be achieved in low budget. 1. There are beautiful traditional wallpapers available in market in low budget. Check out Krsna Mehta wallpapers.You can do a backdrop of the wallpaper. 2. Once you create a backdrop, then you can raise a marble on it with inlay design or carvings. Backlight the marble to give a rich look. You can also cut the marble in shape of an arch to give a mandir feel. 3. In front of the marble arrange your the murtis. You can opt for also creating marble shelves and place your murtis (check the photograph attached) make sure that the murtis are of adequate height so that the designs on the backdrop do not hide. 4. Below the platform of the murtis you can have three drawers with the center drawer being a pull out tray extension to put Diya, agarbattis etc. Let there be a void below the tray where you can put your mandir pouffe or chair. On the two sides you can have shutters with traditional laminates. 5. Have a traditional chandelier in the ceiling just in center of the mandir to complete the look. Regards, deSigneR