Have to share this....

for that warm fuzzy feeling... enjoy!

Lets talk drama: part deux

Lets talk drama in real homes. Homes that you and I create, live in, laugh in.....no designer/stylist/airbrushers/professional-anybodys involved! Just us-- you and I. Here's my question--how do you bring inspiration home? How does what you see in blogs, magazines and television translate to your home?

I want to take you on a small trip with me- we'll be journeying to some blogger homes for inspiration. But first I need to say something....this blog didn't just start itself- it was born of my need to join in the conversation with some very talented bloggers- in part, it was my way of thanking them and showing them how that little thing they did each day (posting pictures, talking about inspiration, just letting us into their lives) actually made an impact in ours. (In part, it was also the realization that my comments were getting to be the size of posts-in short I needed to get a room!!). So bear with me as we go through the "drama series" (yup, there's a part trois in here somewhere!-stop groaning, there IS a point to this.)

Magazines and design shows on television love to throw the words "focal point" at us. They also love to use color, and we're willing suckers for those gorgeous designer rooms; but, where do you draw the line-- how much color is enough? If, like me, you're drawn to the more saturated colors-how do you live with it? These lovely gals show us how ......

You amp up the impact like Patricia (Patty) and create a "rani-pink" wall. The perfect backdrop for her brass Krishanji statue. But those little strings-of-shells are the icing on the cake.

Another wall in Patty's (previous) home....

 

Note the glorious use of color.

The pièce de résistance....her dining room.

 

You can view past tours of Patty's home here and here. If you haven't already, I would recommend you visit her here. Some serious inspiration awaits....

It doesn't really need to be a whole wall....drama can come in all sizes... Case in point-Sanghamitra's wow entryway! That's focal point!

Again, if you haven't seen her home-tour yet, you need to go visit. She blogs over at Rainbow-the colors of India, and her blog really does live up to its name!! :)

I've already introduced you to Kamini and her lovely home in Seattle. Today, we're also dropping in to see some dramatic walls in her Hyderabad home--the rusty-orange dining room wall (such a sophisticated color!)

And then there's this glorious niche in her living room......

 

Another elegant color. Which acts as the perfect frame for her artwork. Lovely figurines and the spotlight. Bam!

You can visit the lovely and very talented Kamini here.

There was no way I could do this post and not include this picture from Archana's previous home in Bangalore....

 

That set of nine terracotta tiles, which she painted with graphic motifs, in that bold orange square....

Perfection.

This home has been featured in BBC good homes. Archana's blog, Rang Decor is the mother-lode of design ideas.

The part I like best-all these ideas were executed by these extremely talented gals themselves....they had an idea, rolled up their sleeves and went to work!!! I hope you enjoyed visiting with them as much as I did.... Thank you, ladies, for opening your homes to us.....keep on blogging and inspiring.....

Terrariums-the sequel

More terrarium/succulent love....

Now that's drop dead gorgeous...

Wait......there's more. Wedding boquet anyone?

How about these party favors?

Isn't there something inherently sweet and innocent about succulents?

Terrariums and all images: tendingtoit. Go check them out.

Lets make something beautiful....

lets add color to our lives.....





Read all about it here.

In love with these....

.....terrariums. Tiny self-sustaining ecosystems, as fragile and resilient as those in nature itself. I'd love to bring them home and nurture them....

Recycled bubble glass terrariums. Available here.

Available here. Inspired by a blog post here.

Some Etsy options....

$28 for a terrarium kit. Here.

Awww...

Availible here.

Some serious eye candy: jewelry designed by Dori Csengeri

When I first saw Dori Csengeri's work I was spellbound...the curves, the intricate embroidery, the colors-- they were all very familiar and yet, exotic. A quick search (oh, google! how I love thee..) led me to the Israeli designer's website and a major drool fest ensued....I'll stop gabbing and let the pictures do the talking...

Look how detailed the clasp is. I Like!!

 

To quote Emeril--"Ooh yeah, Baby!" Aren't they exquisite? So these are all embroidered, on leather and she uses semi-precious stones. They're not cheap by any means (even on eBay the sell upwards of $300- yes, I checked!) But they sure are droolworthy. Oh well, a girl can dream. I think what attracted me to her work was that it is somehow reminiscent of Zardozi work- what with the tight curls and all. Do you get the Zardozi-meets-Tibetan design vibe here??  And I can swear that I've seen some pretty ornate "rakhis" on the stands that have the same look (obvi. not as polished as her work, but still). Whatsay? am I the only one who sees the connection?

 
Images from: Charm & Chain; designer Dori Csengeri can be found here.

Happy Monday!!

Hello dahlings (*giggle*--that is SO not me- I'm the most unpretentious person I know (now, don't roll your eyes!!) must be the punju in me!!), but I had to sling it around...oh well! the sun is shining, the birds are tweeting, and all is well. Here's a bright jolt of orange yumminess to start your week off on the right note....

Image: Traditional home. Re-posted from here (go check out this post for some eye-popping eye candy) (yes I know- two eyes- ha. ha.)

I'm loving pops of orange this week. So be prepared to see lots of color and some drama this week. I'm hoping to bring you another artist profile, a mini-peek into some homes for inspiration, loads of bejeweled eye candy and another DIY project (if I can check it off my list of to-dos!)....so stay tuned and watch this space.

Some things that caught my eye....

at the Urban Outfitters website.....

A. O.K. TATA pillow.

 B. Tufted rug.

 C. Birdcage lamp.

 D. Bedouin Embellished Rug.

Love the okay tata pillow...its adorable!

Thrifty Saturday: Terracotta goodness.

Hellllloo friends, how was your Saturday? Mine was the usual mix of errands and fun. Did I mention fun?--Oh yes, and it involved thrifting!- I had some extra time to myself and went browsing in the local goodwill today. Guess who came home with me?

This little beauty....(click for a larger picture)

Terracotta with ceramic glaze on the inside, in perfect condition. For less that $2. Score!!! I should have taken some pictures from the side- it is shallow and shaped like an "urli". Now the question is...what should I use it for--any suggestions, oh great denizens of the decor blogosphere?

Paisley Friday....

Image via.

Today I'm loving the tranquility in this picture.....it must be the heat that's getting to me!! It sure feels like summer and I'm ready to celebrate it with some watermelon that's cooling in the icebox....so while I'm off to enjoy my weekend, what about you- what are your plans?

Here's to the power of doing.....

Industry: in·dus·try  \ˈin-(ˌ)dəs-trē\

n., pl., -tries.

1 : diligence in an employment or pursuit; especially : steady or habitual effort.

2 : systematic labor especially for some useful purpose or the creation of something of value............

What do you do when, after years of use (and some particularly sloppy eating), your dining chairs end up looking like this....

Please focus on that HUGE stain front and center!!!

Why, you roll up your sleeves and get to work...........

You grab one of these

And take it apart..............

Then you grab one of these.............

and some awesome-fabric-that-looks-like-leather....

(extreme close-up  ---my skills as a photographer are very limited people, so please trust me when I say this looks like a million $$$)

please check out this awesome fabric again...I held out for the longest time because I didn't have the right fabric to work with- I would have loved to go the floral/print/ikat/suzani/statement-y stuff route but hubs weighed in heavily on the matter (yup, there's two of us making the decisions and it had to satisfy both our tastes)......another thing that swayed me toward this fabric was that it is a classic and a neutral...which means I can switch up the decor in the dining room with table runners and the ilk--- enter gorgeous fabrics (i.e. my choice)+ if butterfingers drops stuff on it, (hopefully) it cleans right up. And it looks sooo good.

Aaaaand get to work! (no pictures of me working on it coz I had to keep the fabric stretched taut and didn't have any twiddly thumbs to spare!!)...In any case, I'm not much of a tutorial gal--you can find some excellent tutorials on re-covering chair seats here and here.

Voila! Finished product........

Okay all apologies for the poor photography- but it looks sooo professional -there are no wrinkles anywhere, and best part- no more ugly stains!!

Some tips-

1. Make sure to press down hard on the staple gun, otherwise the staples don't sit flat against the surface.

2. I didn't bother with removing the original fabric since there was no structural damage to the seat cushions.

3. Pick a heavy-weight fabric- it has to stand up to the wear and tear.

Two down, 4 more to go, but I'm getting there....I'm presently juggling several DIY projects that I hope to post up here as they're done.....its going to be another busy weekend for me.

Now I want need some suggestions from you- should I or shouldn't I use some scotch guard spray to ensure easy clean-ups? I haven't ever done so earlier (but you can see the result of that!!)- any advice will be appreciated!!

Designer Profile: Deepali Kalia

Good morning friends, I hope yesterday's sneak peek whetted your desire to meet the designer I would like to introduce you to--Deepali Kalia. Deepali is a textile designer who has been running her own business for the past four years; and judging by the testimonials posted on her site, she's pretty good at what she does.

If you're like me, you've been seeing these rad cushions with sea-creature inspired motifs cropping up everywhere....that's what led me to Deepali's store- Filling Spaces. Enter exhibit 1.......

Aren't they simply gorgeous? I'd find it hard to pick just one.

Oh, I'm not done with her utterly delicious pillows just yet......

Yup, there's more.....

Filling spaces carries an extensive line of home furnishings including throws and drapes.....

Fabric....

"Khadi"-work curtains....

A close up of the embroidery....

Sometimes, when you see pictures of pretty things, its hard to visualize the end product...

not in this case... the room pictured above was designed by designer Cheryl Janis, using textiles designed by Deepali. 

Deepali's store, Filling Spaces is located in Portland, Oregon. Stop in and say hi to Deepali- she blogs over at The Mood Board. Many thanks to Deepali for providing the pictures and inspiration for this post.

Designer profile sneak peek....

Dear citizens of the blogosphere (blogizens??--I love this word), please tune in tomorrow for a new designer profile...here's a sneak peek at one of her inspiration boards....

You're going to love her work. She retails at her own store, and will soon be available online...she does handle custom orders, so if you're on the lookout for something luxurious, this is for you.....

Home Tour: Kamini's home in Seattle.

Good morning, gentle readers-- how has your week been so far? Mine has had its share of pleasant moments and I'd like to share one with you today. I would like to introduce you to Kamini, who blogs over at Saffron and Silk, and at Zingara Girl. Kamini, an interior designer by profession, is also an artist, yogaphile, and enthusiastic gardener. Oh, and did I mention that she loves dogs?
Kamini's blog has become one of my daily reads-just what I need with my morning cup of chai....her voice paints the persona of someone I would love to know IRL--- I'll leave you to discover the many facets to her personality as you peruse her blog at your own pace.

I'm sharing with you today pictures of Kamini's waterfront condo on Alki Ave. in Seattle. They had glorious views of Puget Sound, of sunsets and sailboats. Those of you who have lived near any water-body know how awesome that must have been.....

Her living room-- you can see the waters of Puget Sound through the sliding doors.

This is how Kamini described her style in a recent post..."Those who know me and follow my blog probably know by now that I like rooms and interiors that have clean simple uncluttered lines. No little tchotchkes and things for me......some nice linear furniture, bold bright artwork, maybe a few accessories for the tables, plants, textured fabrics.....and lots of color by way of walls and pillows and rugs!"

  

The dining room. Love the dramatic red wall.

And kitchen.....I like her open shelving for books. Where do you store your cookbooks?

In her words "After my son left for college we downsized from a 5 BR home in the burbs to a 2 BR condo in downtown! Yes, we threw out a LOT of stuff, it was liberating!.......The dining room led to an outdoor patio.....our favorite place for dinner in the summer. We'd sit on the barstools and watch the ferries, joggers and dogs go by as we ate."

This view is to die for....

The  cozy guest bedroom  (love the bedspread, and the floor pillows)........

And guest bath.......

Kamini lived in Seattle for 22 years, before moving back to Hyderabad. She tells me that a home-tour of her current home is in the works over at one of my favorite blogs, Once Upon a Tea Time. I'm looking forward to visiting her again....Till then- thank you, Kamini, for opening your home to us.


All images: courtesy Kamini @Saffron and Silk