ADD A LITTLE DRAMA
In decorating its not the objects as much as the contrasts that make a room interesting. There are a million and one ways to decorate a room, but unless you have a little drama - a strong contrast - it can still be boring.Friday, July 27, 2012
CRAZY FOR COLOR
Indian Architecture and Art-Ajmer Town
Indian Architecture always amazed me and something that deeply interested me from childhood.Visit to cities and towns always gave us an opportunity to study the brilliant architecture of the buildings and the history of the town.Parts of Rajasthan are best visited in winter,so we visited Ajmer and Pushkar.
Ajmer city situated in a valley and ridge region and has an incomparable beauty.A walk through the town shows us the old world charm and beautiful buildings which is soon losing its beauty.I could see the absence of proper maintenance in these buildings..I gazed up and looked up at the buildings,walked through the town.
The old buildings of Ajmer had lots to say..the beautiful grills,the gorgeous windows and doors,some old chettinad type of tiles,stuck on to the partition region between two floors of a building.In the town we saw a group of houses inside a big gate,a neighbourhood type of houses and a space inside them for prayers ,something that resembles pols,the paintings on the gates ...alas,only if they could have retained the glory..the town famous for its silver..show you all my silver in the next post.
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Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Villa Shanthi,Puducherry
Villa Shanthi is a new hostelry set in the French town of Puducherry and it fuses the contemporary with the colonial style.It also has the chic and the street smartness.the tables you see here are by Tina Trigala and chairs by Martine Mallard(a French carpenter in Puducherry).All made locally.There you can see large calligraphic illustration in tamil by Murugan a painter.The head boards and side slabs re covered with chettinad tiles ,while the fabric lamp is from Paris.The smaller bundle of vetiver acts a freshener in the room.Rattan furniture is from Weavercraft,New Delhi.The entrance to the hotel has a brass knocker from Paris flea market and an old kerala carving.The tropical vertical garden has been designed by Jan Duclos,a French botanist working in Asia for the past 30 years.Circular mirrors found in Chennai Bazaar makes an arresting mural art on the wall.The courtyard also has a mural done by Murugan based on a work by a French graphic designer Elizabeth May.You can also see a detail of a flower drawn by Murugan.Crockery from Ocean,Lungis into curtains,Laundry basket from Livelihoods,pondi and handmade soap from Auroville...
Tina Trigala says,"my idea was to blend street fashion in a smart contemporary setting"
I think way too smart and chic..what do you all think?Let me know
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Contact Details:
14 Suffren Street Pondicherry 605001
TEL (+91 413) 4200028 - FAX (+91 413) 4210829
MOBILE ( +91 ) 8056481994
Email : reservation@lavillashanti.com
the website is not fully come up...
Text by Sonal Shah,Photos:Bharath Ramamrutham
Information courtesy:Elle Decor April May 2012
Photos courtesy:Elle Decor
COLOR CHALLENGED
PERSONAL COLOR PALETTES
Are you a green person or a blue person?
Do you like neutrals or whites?
Do reds make you happy?
Do you love pink?
Color is personal - It is individual
A look in your closet will reveal colors
you know you look your best in
and colors that make you feel good.
Why should decorating your home be any different?
Monday, July 23, 2012
REPETITION
ITS A GOOD THING
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| Cece & Co. (repeated shells, chairs, wood finishes) |
In design, repetition is a good thing
Repetition of architectural details
bring balance and beauty to a house
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| Atlanta Homes Mag (symmetrical home with repeated elements equally on each side) |
Saturday, July 21, 2012
WARM GREY
SO MANY GREYS
I read that this particular hue is spelled G-R-A-Y in America and G-R-E-Y in the UK. Looking at this manor house, I can see so many shades of gray in the stonework - warm griege, light gray, medium, charcoal and even a little bluish or greenish tint now and then - they all look perfectly beautiful together.
Friday, July 20, 2012
TODAY'S INSPIRATION: WALL ARRANGEMENTS
INSPIRED BY WALLS
A good wall arrangement goes beyond a pretty design
a good arrangement reflects the homeowner's personality
brings in their life, loves, and interests
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
CHARCOAL GRAY MASTER SUITE
LISA'S BEAUTIFUL BEDROOM SUITE
I am way behind on posting on the projects I currently have in the works, but here are some photos to catch you up on Lisa's Master Suite....
I posted about it first here:
We chose a palette of charcoal gray, white, pale gray and beige with deep dark woods - a very soothing, serene color scheme.
Read more »
Monday, July 16, 2012
And the Lotus Bloomed on our Wall
On a lazy afternoon,my brother and I had a heated discussion over home makeovers and how to give our home a personal touch.
Just to prove a point we started doodling on the wall slowly by slowly our scribbles gave way to lines,line to curves and eventually beautiful blossoms became apparent on the walls.
Here is a photo essay trip down the memory lane..over to the lotus pond.
The very first Lotus Flower blooms
Soon, the wall is covered with a cluster of them
Slowly, each one is given a tint and hue
Soon more, flowers start blushing
The work in progress, notice the shy leaves hiding below the flowers
Here's how it finally looked once completed.
My summer afternoon chair on the edge of the 'lotus pool'. I've read many a book in this chair.
Our 'personal touch Wall' did liven up our living room
Detail of a Lotus bud
Flowers blossoming out of thin air
Deft hands carving out the lines on the wall
Dreamy eyed and armed with a permanent marker in his hands, my brother, another creative soul in my family.
Little Gaya, who helped us immensely in coloring the art wall smiles proudly in front of our Art Wall. I am sometimes amazed at her refined choice of colors.
Finally, we won our argument and did succeed in giving our home an artistic and personal touch. A weekend and a few cups of tea were all that we needed while we indulged in this passion. I thought of sharing this with you all, just to encourage you to do something creative at your our personal spaces, a splash of color or a stroke of a marker can change the character of the space and speak volumes about the ones living there.
Do try it and share the joy of indulging in a creative pursuit !!!
You can read more about my bro's creative musings at his blog http://www.alley-of-dreams.blogspot.in/