Hi drmdilip -- While I waited for my trumpet vines to fill in sufficiently to provide summer shade, I sewed three matching striped shower curtains together, using the button holes on each end to tie it in place. I did this because as the vine was growing new, each thin runner would drop between the rafters rather than grow straight across. After a few years now, those thin runners have become a massed layer of thick vines, all of the new growth is straight up and by the end of summer I'll be able to easily remove my temporary support and have a roof of vines. It's not rainproof though -- for that, polycarb is practical, and I love the copper above!

Hi Rahul Satija To answer your question, regarding which material to use for the outsides of your home Terracotta Brick - unless you have used bricks that are meant to be left exposed, ordinary bricks will take in a lot of water and leave the walls damp, and hence not a great idea. You could ofcourse cover it with a veneer of brick cladding but that is something we would not propose. Between wooden cladding and paint, it frankly depends completely on your budget. Wooden cladding looks extremely good but is quite pricey. Our suggestion would be to paint the majority of the home, with highlights in parts in wooden cladding.

@ Studio Not a big fan of false ceilings either. I am going for this purely for insulation purposes. The searing heat of hyderabad summers renders the long living space unusable. The vendor tells me thermocol filling will take care of this. Googled for this and learnt that the temp drop can be upto 5 degs. Exposed concrete painted dark is totally my thing but the ceiling is plastered anyways... Does saint gobain do the channels as well? Any tips for me to supervise this and ensure the guy is doing a quality job? Thanks,

Dear Mr. Venugopal, Since your space is limited and you want to optimize the walkway as well, some tweaks maybe followed: 1. faux turf/ synthetic moss turf / grass turf 2. Conceal spiral staircase with a pergola and wooden slats 2. Create a cozy corner by installing a gazebo, creepers and couple of swing chairs (30-50 sqft) 4. A small vertical garden alongside the stair room walls. 5. Ambient LED lighting. 6. Stone paved walkway Regards, Aurum Ideas and Spaces Bhubaneswar