Please take a seat...

...relax,
make yourselves comfortable
and let me show you some interesting seating ideas from Incredible India... Beautifully carved Shekawati chairs from Rajasthan teamed with colourful embroidery cushions.
The planter's chair or the easy chair is my all-time favourite. How can you not relax your tired torso on the curve of this piece of art & prop your legs on the arm rests?

A folding easy chair with colourful fabric for those hot sultry days.

The cool swings, jhoolas or hichkars from Gujarat.The to and fro motion of the swing can put anyone into a state of bliss.

Chettinad style furniture from South India.
This eclectic piece from North India shows the mixing of Imperial, Empire & Indian style.
Lovely wood and cane sofas with red cushions.
A caned daybed from Kerala placed between two open doorways provides a breezy resting spot.
Look at this lovely 'Sociable' -this is a Victorian style furniture still found in some of the old colonial mansions in India.
An old Goan wood & cane divan.A Regency inspired Indian sofa made in Goa fills up an otherwise bare room.

I Love Bhaitaks -A floor level seating arrangement that comprises of thick soft mattresses placed against walls and loads of decorative cushions & bolsters thrown in to at a burst of colours.An Anglo-Indian influence in the form of a Victorian design settee.The humble Charpoy turned into a charming piece of furniture by Stringbedco, they make amazing charpoys with modern sensibilities.
The Rattan chairs and settees are excellent for indoors as well as outdoors.

Enjoy these while I curl up on my favourite sofa with a cup of chai.

( images from eruditiononline.com, Indian Style, Stringbedco, Inside Outside Magazine)

Read More

Adorn your walls....

Paint them, peel them, stencil them, plaster them, madhubani them, block-print them, hand-paint them, wall-paper them....Hand-painted elephant in Tibrawala Haveli, Bissau, Rajasthan. (See how the trunk forms the handrail)

Yes, I am talking about 'Walls'.The terracotta and white decorative patterns are inspired by houses in Magh.
Gone are the days when walls were plain and their purpose was to house paintings, today they are the paintings.

Bring in some rustic charm... Traditional wall decorations painted by the caftsmen from the Wadha community, Hodka, Kutch.
Interesting flat, stylised & geometric designs with birds & camel motifs painted on the outer walls in the villages of Baramsar & Roopsi, Kutch.
Family photosgraphs & religious images are embedded in the while plaster walls in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
(What a fantastic idea!) Terracotta tiles frame a niche in a house in Baramsar, Kutch where the cassette player is the only western amenity.Inlay work with antique mirrors & stylised flowers in Samode Palace, Rajasthan.
Lovely painted patterns in a private chapel in Goa. The trellised roof forms interesting shadows on stencilled walls in one of the homes in Goa.
Colourful Buddhist motifs in the mountainous region of northern India.

Or go contemporary/fusion with these design ideas...Bold colourful geometric patterns in Krsna Mehta's home.
Goldpainted leaf motifs on blue background in Krsna Mehta's residence.
Free flowing hand-painted design in film-maker Ram Madhvani's home.Feature wall with self gold floral print wall paper at Cafe' Penne designed by Payal Chopra. A sinuous bronze pattern on terracotta in Ram Madhvani's home.Foliage patterns in black & white designed by Tania Singh Khosla for Zanav Home.
Floral stencilled patterns in Mallika's room:-)

So what are you waiting for go wild with your imagination, the wall is your canvas, paint away...:-)

(images from Indian Style, home review magazine-vol6. issue3, inside outside magazine- july 2006, dec 2006 & jan 2007 issues)

Read More

Raja Ravi Varma's beauties.

Lady with Veena
Everytime I look at Raja Ravi Varma's depiction of sari clad, graceful & beautiful Indian women, I gasp!
In Contemplation
Raja Ravi Varma was an Indian king from Kerala who was also a great painter, during the 19th century.
His paintings are considered to be a fusion of Indian traditions with European techniques. He is considered to be one of the finest painters in the history of Indian Art.
The Milkmaid
He learnt oil painting from a British painter, Theodor Jenson. Whose techniques he used in his paintings. ExpectationYashoda with Krishna
He is famous for his paintings depicting scenes from great epics like Mahabharata & Ramayana.
Jatayu Vadha

Most of his paintings were reproduced as Oleographs and overshadowed the traditional Indian art form in the 19th century, for which he received criticism.There comes Papa
Raja Ravi Varma's paintings portrayed Indian myth with static realism.Lady in the moonlight
I absolutely love his paintings of Indian women and had to share it with all of you:-) Hamsa Damayanthi
You can see more of Ravi Varma's prints & oleographs here.

( images from cyberkerala.com)

Read More

Art & Crafts of India #5: Madhubani Paintings

'Madhubani' is one of my favourite arts from IndiaWould have covered this art sometime in the future, but on the suggestion of 'Rang Decor' reader Nivedita I decided to feature it today :-)

Madhubani Painting also known as Mithila Painting. Legend has it that King Janak of Mithila in Bihar commissioned artists to make paintings at the time of the wedding of his daughter Sita to Lord Rama.( Lord Krishna dancing on the head of Kaliya the snake)

Madhubani Paintings are usually done on freshly plastered mud walls of homes in Mithila. Vegetable dyes are used in the paintings and the skills are passed on from one generation to the next.
Goddess from indian-art.net'Midst the Ocean' by Bharti Dayal
Interesting simple black & white Madhubani painting on handmade paper.

Some decor ideas using Madhubani painting... A whole wall painted by artist Shivan Paswan at art connoisseur Rajshree Pathy's home. ( Lovely!)
Colourful bulls and red flower compliment the mutli-coloured Madhubani Painting in Mallika's room.
Group together small Madhubani Paintings

You can bring in this colourful art into your home not only in the form of paintings but also home accessories like magazine holders, napkin holders, lamps etc.
Paper-mache' Madhubani magazine holderMy favourite Madhubani Napkin Holder.

Today I am featuring one of my very talented Flickr friends arty_zen from Singapore. She does Madhubani paintings on mundane things and converts them into pieces of art.

A hand fan converted into a lovely piece of art
A plain lampshade gets transformed into a luminous glowing Madhubani art.
Colourful coasters that would enliven any space:-)
Wonderful colour combinations.

Another beautiful art of India that can bring colours into your lives...

(some images from indian-art.net, dayalbharti & arty_zen on flickr and the rest by Arch)

Read More