PAINT COLOR

NEW COLOR FOR A FAMILY ROOM

For a while, dark walls were all the rage.  Furniture looked amazing against them, as did artwork.

They were dramatic and fun.  A whole room could be dramatic - or just one wall. 

 I noticed lately, that there are less and less 'accent' walls, 

and that dark walls are giving way to lighter, fresher colors.

Sometimes how we feel is reflected in the smallest of ways.  Like paint color.  

Things have been a little tough - economy has been down - we want change, 

we want something new and fresh and we want our burdens to be lighter

Could that be why things are lightening up around the house?

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Indian Architecture and Art-The Bohras of Sidhpur,Gujarat

I thought I had been posting regularly last month and then took a break due to lack of time.So much to write and then left with no time.A visual journey of Ahmebdabad  is still not over anfd I take you today to visit the Bohras of Sidhpur.Being in Ahmedabad ,i wanted to so see the Town of Sidhpur,having read about it extensively about the Bohra households in the Henry Wilson Book "India,Decoration Design " and in the anniversary issue of Traveller ..I was wanting to see the magnificient buildings which were once upon a time built and deserted...

We reached Sidhpur at around 4 o clock in the evening ,travelling by car to the town of Sidhpur via Patan..It was hot even if it was in the month of October.We visited the Suntemple of Modhera on the way,the step well of Patan and then reached the magnificient town..The delicately ornamented building blocks in colurful play of muted colour tones,colourfully lined,almost all of them locked up and I looked up at them with sigh..beautiful is the word for each ornamentation and each of them is distinct in its own..no work is similar,but as a whole the neighbourhood developed on its own with ease in the twentieth century..we gazed at each of them and stood hours looking upto each work which has been beyond perfection and could imagine the ambition in which  they had been built.Emptier the streets and i could see among the 200 odd  houses,only one of them housed a doctors clinic which they denied permission inside to shoot..there where some of them that were occupied in the streets down..

The Bohras are an old Shia Muslim trading community,with a distinctive economic,social and cultural background

" A very small ‘grilled’ shaft of open air, called the chowk, runs up through the central room of all the floors bringing in a controlled amount of sun (and when the gods so decree, rain) and provides visual connection across the different levels. Decorative wooden extensions of the upper storeys often project out from the building line, in the older vohrawads particularly, and together with similar projections on the other side of the street, help keep the sun out from the street floor. Even by day, then, the street is a cool, shaded space. No wonder the otlas, or extensions of the high plinths, are carefully designed to be lounging spaces, particularly once the sun weakens. All this is, of course, much like in any other old settlement in the hot and dry landscapes of the country(excerpt from "Traveller ")

So much has been said and heard about the town that I had no idea how many images I took and you please have your time to look at the images and take your time to read them..

the first scene as we got out from the car

on to the left of us where the magnificient buildings stood

towering buildings and ornamented glasses

lovely roofs

looks straight from a movie set

loved the long railings,much more Brtish influences could be seen here

this building has the maximum number of windows

the locked gates and creepers over them

some kind of board ,gujarathi on the doors

the back doors of the buildings..

lovely grills

ornamentation and look at the year mentioned

rows and rows of beautiful deserted houses..

loved the roses on them..imagine the time taken to build them and then they got abandoned

loved how M,A and P is written 

lovelier

loved all the muted colours used

closed windows

a street at the end of the road

loved the peacock...a night lamp could have been there..a lovely decor idea

lotus on the windows,loved them

loved the light

these shadows

i spotted a dish on top/....wonder who has put it??the house looks deserted though

i love this idea of a box window projecting out...

the lonely traveller among the house

windows and designs

windows  and their work resembled some of them in south

the only one house which i saw was opened..the great Zainab Mansion

Below are some of the amazing images taken by the world famous photographer Henry Wilson for the Book "India,Decoration,Design"I am a fan of his photographs and books.

All images copyright:Lakshmi Arvind,Henry Wilson

Images from the Book India Decoration Design by Henry Wilson

HELPING MARIA

BUT FIRST... RELAX

Feeling rejuvenated after a mini vacation in La Jolla, California

breakfast at Cody's = *amazing*

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OVER THE BED

A FOCAL POINT

The bed is the natural focal point of a bedroom

it should draw the eye

beautify the room

and invite...

because who really wants an 'uninviting' bedroom?

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Aspen Beauty–An Imaginary Dream Tour!!

Finally we have some snow on the ground in Boston. It’s getting me excited for our ski trip to Aspen this year.

As you know Dave and I are always scanning the real estate listings and we happened upon this gorgeous property for sale in Aspen. Of course at $39 Million USD, we couldn’t even get in the door, but its fun to dream. I thought you would enjoy a cyber tour of a home which caters to the rich and famous. So lets pretend it actually is my house and I am taking you on a personal tour. I would first bring you to our stone wine cellar to have a yummy glass of wine, before we started our imaginary home tour!

We would then make our way to the extraordinary great room. I would point out the antique hand hewn beams and we would admire the craftsmanship of the stone work. Notice the arch in the fireplace and the how it mimics the entry arch to the left. We would also take in the spectacular view of the slopes.

Next we would make our way into the kitchen, I would point out the floor and how we used limestone and antique wood for a wonderful effect. We would laugh about which center island to stand at because of course there are two!!

Then we would head into the dining room. We would talk about the gorgeous faux paint techniques and we would compliment the artist on his excellent fresco work. I would point out how the faux painting really enhances the arch in the dining room, making that architectural feature even more impressive. You will say how you love how it mimics the arches in the great room and I will be so impressed that you noticed.

Then we would pop into the pantry – You know I love pantries and this one is spectacular. Notice the beautiful wood ceiling.

Then we would meet the boys in the Billiards room! It would be so cozy and inviting! Notice the wood work and the stone arch entry – love the juxtaposition of those two materials.

We would head to the master bedroom and you would “ooh and aah”. We both would love the beamed ceiling and the faux fur throw on the bed! You would ask about the big ottoman. I would say the kids love to lay across it!

We would head outside to enjoy the sunset – I would point out how much I love the herringbone brick patio – You would tell me how much you love the interesting mantel around the fireplace which mimics the ceiling. We both would laugh at the animal heads and antlers. I would say they creep me out, but Dave likes them!!

We would head to pool area and take in the spectacular mountain views. We would both say how we didn’t want to put our bathing suits on in March!!

You would say the exterior is breathtaking and I would agree! Then we would head back to the wine cellar for another glass of wine. Of course this was just a pretend tour, but if you want to see more of this exceptional property click HERE to see the real estate listing. The new owners are going to be very lucky people!!

(All content copyrighted by Willow Décor and not to be used with out permission. All photos Sotheby's)

At home,these days...

Hello All. I have been so very busy lately that I haven't had the time to blog. And I am missing it.Thanks for all those who have written to me . Just thought I would put in some snaps of the season gone by. The dilli sardi, the burnt oranges and reds of winter giving way to the earthy hues of spring.Each travel we made has been close to heart..Some travels have been just for fun,some for photography and some helped learn a lot... Each travel has associated memories with it and our house has been filled with little memorabilia and those remain as memories for the future .They remain  to shine in all the frames that i photograph..

mellow yellows that brightened our winter

a breezy corner

my favourites and our restored bench

love how the cups matched,a recent buy form the surajkund mela..(later abig post)

a special kind etched lotta from gujarat,loved this decor idea

 2

a buy from ahmedabad,House of MG,their inhouse design ,boatshaped candle holders,to be hung

Akhanda diya form House of MG,Ahmedabad

an old biscuit tin from the bylanes of Ajmer

the lamps get lit in the evening

ektara from dilli haat,,an old blue pottery cup and floating rose petals

some book always add character to the room

a turban which we bought for my son.,from the lanes of pushkar sits on the centre table

flower come in my way of life.,floating or other ways....the fragrance of my life

image :lakshmi arvind.pl do not copy image