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JUST A LITTLE 'BOO'

I didn't go overboard this year,

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Happy Diwali !

Wishing all my readers a Happy ,Prosperous and Beautiful Deepavali!May all your wishes come true!

Images and Ideas by Lakshmi Arvind

Thank you Prismma!

Thank You Prismma for the wonderful opportunity given to participate in Diwali Celebrations.You can all read about it here.

Images and Ideas :Lakshmi Arvind
Please do not copy or steal

Re-working My Home– From Conservatory to Library

You have all followed the décor of my Conservatory.

My wonderful framed intaglios, (Dave hanging them just right), my crystal and mercury glass holiday decorations, landscaping the gardens beyond. But, what you may not know, is how little this room has been used over the past year.

You see I believe this is one of the most beautiful rooms in my home. I used to love to sit with my children and listen to them practice scales and new songs. But alas, homework, sports and friends have distracted them and sadly I am giving up every Mother’s fight “You need to practice your piano!” – They have moved on to other things and finally so must I.

So what to do with this room? My husband has always wished for a library. A wonderful wood paneled space to work, read and relax. So we have decided to say goodbye to the piano and hello to a new library.

Here are some of my inspiration photos. This is Christie Brinkley’s Great Room of her Tower Hill home. Not quite a library but I have always loved the light wood and the detailing on her crown molding. The room is beautiful, and with windows on two sides the light is similar to my Conservatory.

This has been in my files for a long time. I found this wonderful room on MLS. I adore the wood ceiling, leaded glass bookcases and glass arched door.

This room, from Mrs. Howard, really shows the type of wood I want. I love the paneling, although this room has much higher ceilings and is much more grand than my smaller space.

These light tones are perfect, but I do not like so many knots in the wood. This room also from Mrs. Howard.

I am sure you remember my adoration of David Easton’s library in Aspen. This light wood is limed and then washed with grey antiquing glaze. This is interesting as my painted doors will need to be stripped and a glaze may make the new wood and the old wood much easier to match.

If you look closely you will notice I only have one wall for bookcases to the right. It is also very narrow from wall to door molding. The Conservatory is very open to the Living Room right now, so I will need to add some doors. I want to keep the light coming in and do not want to lose too much space with swinging doors. I love pocket doors but I am afraid it will close off the room too much. However, it would give me another area for more bookcases. Hmm – lots of choices to make.

These glass does are similar to what I want. They slide over themselves so I won’t lose any space, but I prefer them to have glass to the floor.

I like the arch over the bar in this library. It mimics the arches of my French doors. I wonder if my wall with the intaglios should have an bookcase with and arch.

Here is a wonderful arched window in a library just being built down the street from me. The bookcase is straight, even though the main window has an arch.

I love the niche in this library for the couch. If I create a niche I think I would place Dave’s desk in front of it but should the niche be arched? I think this niche would have looked great with an arch.

This Library from Fairfax and Sammons is a bit closer to what I was thinking, but the arch is much too deep for my space. It would definitely need to be scaled back.

I am hoping to have the sketches done by the end of November, but as you can see we are still in the design phase, so let me know your thoughts! Light wood or darker wood? Stained or Glazed? Glass sliding doors or closing in the room a bit with pocket doors? Arched bookcase or straight? This is turning into such a fun project! Excited to hear your thoughts!

Bask in the glory of warm hues....

Loving all the warm hues and the magic of the simple decor..

Images and Ideas by Lakshmi Arvind
please do not steal nor copy from the site

Light up your Special Corners

Brighten your space and light up your corners this Deepavali.Let that create the mood ,style and feeling to the home.Let them enhance the beauty of the corners 

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Images Lakshmi Arvind. Ideas Gayatri Arvind. Please do not copy.

Celebrations Special 18/10/2011

A visually pleasing way of lighting lamps this Diwali.BE it be on a painted tile or by adding a bling extra to the handmade Diyas or by  adding that special touch by adding designs underneath the Diyas.

Diyas and a painted tile

inside icecream cups

the special touch with little beads

a handmade box and tealights in kumkum holders

patterns and paisleys

intermingling them with tealights and paisleys

that special touch to the decor

tealights  in silver glasses and some jewellery to the shine

Diyas and some handmade glitter coasters

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patterns in black chart paper

in the night only the patterns will stand out






As Sri stays in US and earthen and  brass diyas are not available easily,she has come up  with out of the box ideas.Thanks Sri for Sharing these.
Aren't we glad that we live in India?


Will come up with my Ideas for this Diwali...stay tuned...lots more..


Images courtesy Sri

Stunning Aspen Home

Last Spring when we were in Aspen I was flipping through a wonderful local, mountain magazine and spied the most incredible home. Built by a Connecticut couple, it was not your typical heavy, dark wood and stone fireplace mountain retreat. Designed and decorated by the famous David Easton, I immediately tore out the pages to keep in my inspiration file. Fast forward to September and again I spy the same beautiful retreat. I am even more smitten with new images in Veranda Magazine. Of course this house is worthy of 10 magazine shoots so I wanted to share it with you in case you missed it.

The entry is stunning! All the wood in the home was limed, brushed to bring up the grain, and then washed in a pale gray and antique glaze. The effect is a lighter Scandinavian feeling – and it is a stunning change from the usual mountain décor.

The dining area is beautiful. Notice the gorgeous hand painted wallpaper; it was carefully recreated from a palace in Stockholm. The crystal chandelier adds just the perfect amount of elegance and sparkle and the limestone fireplace completes the room.

The Great room is a stunning mix of soft blues, creams and taupes. The view is as spectacular as the room décor. David Easton reminds us how to design a room where the decor compliments rather than competes with the view. Very few designers could orchestrate this as masterfully as Easton. This room is breathtaking.

In the library we see a better close up of the wood tones.This particular room has been an inspiration for me in my home. I am in the process of creating a room with a very similar feeling in the near future so stay tuned.

The master bedroom is another spectacular space. The iron bed, Chelsea textile linens, antique rug and limestone fireplace just make me swoon. What do you think readers – would you love to ski all day on the mountains of Aspen and then return to this gorgeous home. I am not sure I would ever even get to slopes!

I own and love Easton’s book Timeless Elegance. You can order it HERE. To see more of David Easton’s work click HERE.

(All content property of Willow Décor and not be copied with out permission – Photos: Laura Resen/Veranda)

Celebrations Special 17/10/2011

The sparkling festival sesaon rolls in again bringing along with it the fresh flowers, overflowing silks, candles,  floaters, vases, marigolds, zari bordered cushions and  knickknacks in silver, bronze and ivory tones.

Set the stage and turn the house into a cosy setting for the gorgeous evening..Let the home take a classical look on one day, a house in style on the other and let fun unfold everywhere.

There are innumerable ideas everywhere to get inspired, there are no dearth of ideas,but even then easy to replicate ideas with everyday elements are always a welcome. Come get inspired and travel with me to the world of rangolis, diyas and lamps. Let me showcase some traditional and contemporary and do it yourself inspired ideas from my favourite magazines to brighten up your home.

The first of the series is from my dearest flickr friend "Sri" who always stands as a source of great inspiration for as a person a  friend.

Rangoli painted on a tile

Inspired by Geninine:rocks can also be coloured in glitters or gold painting and display them in trays

Spool dolls,inspired by wundercraft

 spool dolls covered by ribbons to give them a festive look

spool dolls on the crochet

 on the side table,intermingle them with diyas or floating flowers or candles

Antique mangala board/palanguzhi painted

Antique palanguzhi,display your candles and beads and flowers

A festive cheer

decorating ideas continues with a slate tile drawn with tic tac toe squares.display your candles,diyas and flowers.use this as a centre piece.

finally float some flowers in jam bottles recycled

See you with more inspirations tomorrow..hope all of you will enjoy this series.

Images courtesy:Subasripillai

please do not download nor save nor copy from the site