Want some retail therapy?

Or just a little extra pinch of inspiration? I just stumbled across Vast Interiors, which serves the Australian continent. If you live in Australia (@KG?), this is one store you should definitely check out!! For those of us scattered elsewhere in the world...there's loads of eye candy and decorating inspiration for the taking....

In addition, they have a "man-shops-globe"-style travel blog, where their buyers recount their tales; as well as  a trends and design section that is a must see.

All pictures & copyright: Vast Interiors



PS: A new home tour coming up tomorrow!!.....

Found.......

.........Viva Terra, an eco-conscious store......and guess what they have for sale?.........this piece of gorgeousness!!!....

The 5'X5' panel costs $598....not cheap, but so obsession-worthy......made entirely of reclaimed wood panelling.

other beauties..........

recycled glass never looked so good...

Kalamkari bedding.

Antiqued mirrors framed in mango wood.......

Japanese "Imari" bowls

Want to see more? go check out their website.

Linked via.

Also wanted to mention that there are several giveaways this week: over at My dream Canvas, Mochatini, Rainbow-the colors of India, and Once upon a tea time. Enjoy!

Fair trade beauties.....

Recently came across several mentions of the online store "Bhalo". Bhalo is a fair trade organization operating out of Bangladesh, with a mission to provide affordable, handcrafted fashion and empower the artisans as well! Look for yourself...

Gorgeous "Jamdani" print silk scarves....

Love the colors! They're perfect for summer and will transition beautifully into fall...

Love this cotton tunic.

a closer look at the fabric and embroidery.....

Little black tunic anyone? Made of 100% rajashahi silk...

Bhalo's mission statement:  "Our cotton is hand loomed and hand embroidered by women in rural Bangladesh, not only giving them much needed employment and training, but providing them with simple things that we take for granted - education/childcare for their children, basic healthcare, and most of all, dignity. We oppose human exploitation and feel everyone should be given the right to fair employment terms, and given a decent price for their work. Wouldn't you expect the same?"

The ladies who make the magic happen!! :)

(In case you're wondering about the podium-- these ladies won the local "sports day" races- photos from the Bhalo blog).

Visit them here and here to find out more.

It's hot out here!!!

This heat is binging back memories of summers in India.....cool stone floors covered in durries (or dhurries, whichever way you want to pronounce it). I've been seeing images of durries all over design magazines, so I'm not the only one on this track.... here are some beauties.....

 

I love this lahariya-inspired rug.

Sky blue+ white. perfection.

This one's aptly named "lotus". :)

Classic blue and white- think marble floors and white wicker furniture.

How lovely is this coral beauty?

Soft, muted tones of fuchsia and olive green...........mmmmm.

  

Dhurries shown above available at Shyam Ahuja.

Another online resource for Indian dhurries is The Maharaja Tent Company. It offers a full line of custom, made-to-order dhurries...take a look at some of its designs..

Can you picture it....watermelons and mangoes, nimbu paani (lemonade), the neem trees outside....cool floors underneath bare feet.....If I may borrow a phrase from one of my favorite bloggers ..."Indiaaah".

A random collection of pretty things...

Fabrics and furniture that caught my eye this week....

Pillow and throws pictured above available at Lulu&Nat.

Loving these Jaipuri-quilts.... don't they evoke memories of soft airy warmth?

Available here.

Sang&Serena also carry a line of inlay-worked furniture and trays. my pick? This gorgeous tone-on-tone tray. Sheer opulence!!!

Available here.

Howz Tuesday treating you? I could do with a weekend to recover from mine. :)

Floor cushions

I'm on the lookout for some fun, affordable floor cushions. They're sure to add a touch of intimacy to any gathering -give me a few of my favorite people, steaming cups of "adrak-chai" (ginger-tea) and let the conversation flow......

Here's what a traditional "baithak" would look like:

Excerpts and features from Monisha Bharadwaj's "India Style". Photography by Bharath Ramamrutham. Via.

Via.

Via.

Image: Design Sponge 

Wow! that's versatile- I'd love me an outdoor space like that! Oh well ...a girl can dream.... :)

What I have in mind is a lot less formal, just a few floor cushions that can be stacked up and moved around to wherever we set up our "adda". Here are a few options off of etsy and the net...

Hand-screened organic fabric cushions. Buy here.

Via.

Buy these here.... 

No, not the pup, just the floor cushions. :)

Or maybe these will go down on my ever-evolving (and never completed) list of DIY projects. Get project ideas here.

PS: Happy Canada day to our Canadian friends!

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!

Still obsessin'....

....on ceramic elephant teapots*. I can hear them trumpet oh-so-gently into my ears... "take me home please".

Some cuties worth a look...

Images: Novica. Available here.

A slightly more affordable option. Available here.

*Sacrilegious confession: Though I am a tea drinker (more on that later), I still prefer to make my tea the Indian way- on the stovetop, with loads of ginger thrown in. The few instances that I do make herbal tea, are usually in the microwave- I have little patience with the functional aspects of teapots. Confession over.

India- wear your colors!!

So this post is like a little mental note to myself for our upcoming (fall '10) India trip (can you tell I'm excited- the planning starts now!!). Every time we visit, we come back with bags laden with stuff. These T-shirts are one of our must-picks. They make great gifts and my husband has his own little collection going- I can personally vouch for the quality of construction- after what feels like a hundred wash/dry cycles these T-shirts are still going strong. I'm talking about Tantra T-shirts.

My faves from the men's line.....

Anyone else remember the doordarshan days? (this one's definitely for Indian "men of a certain age").

  

Dilli- meri jaan........

 

And, I absolutely died laughing from this one..........

IMO the entire design team is male (which can be corroborated here). I have to put in a disclaimer of sorts here --Though I have picked the more "refined" shirts, guess which ones my husband's very male sense of humor will light on????

They do carry some tees for women and though its been a loooong time since I wore graphic tees, if I had to, I would definitely pick this one.....

You can see the entire line here. They ship worldwide.