Tuesday 28 July 2009

Rang Decor Readers' Creative Spaces: VII

Today Anaheeta Pinto shares her beautiful home in Bangalore with reader's of Rang Decor.Teak leaves pressed on a plaster of paris wall at the entrance and then removed once dried, gives a beautiful texture and feel

Anaheeta
says, "I love stories. I think every moment has the potential to be a story and everything we possess becomes precious if it has a story to tell. Our home is a collection of many wonderful stories that we love to recall and share." Lovely wooden stairs with her Grandmother's wooden plank on the right-side wall.
"Our home reflects our travels, our love for nature and our fascination with all things Indian, traditional, handcrafted and creative. That's the other thing: we don't care for the obvious. Deepak and I enjoy the process of discovering a new use, a new shape, a new colour - so much of what you see in the pictures is our take on looking at the obvious with different eyes, on giving something a little twist and just trying a fresh way of using an old thing...its fun!"
This lovely painting in the living room is by Bharati Prajapati.
This antique chair has been restored and upholstered by Anaheeta herself with mirrorwork cutouts and rawsilk upholstery.

Anaheeta says, " The materials we have used in our home are mostly natural: Kota, Jaisalmer, Slate, Terracotta and Wood. We enjoy juxtaposition: old and new, contemporary and traditional, texture and plain....a lot of the way this apartment looks revolves around this evolving contrast."
The painting in the dining room is by Yasala Balaiah.

"For us, our home has been an exciting journey of discovery and it continues to grow fuller with stories and memories that make it the warm, inviting and happy place it is."
The blinds in the study are Anaheeta's dupattas from college days.
"An heirloom created by us in our lifetime! This is my all time favourite piece in the house: five precious old sarees that were already in tatters, were gently stripped and rewoven into this stunning tapestry."
An original Parsi Heirloom Cupboard with Belgian Glass and Glass Painting.The Children's Room with circular wall stickers from Japan and decals by Surya Sajnani.
Anaheeta's lovely terrace garden.
Hope all of you enjoyed the lovely space shared by Anaheeta. Anaheeta thanks for sharing this lovely space with us:-)

Any questions for Anaheeta do ask in the comments section.

Thursday 2 July 2009

Monday 15 June 2009

Mallipoo story...

Right now this beautiful painting by Kalyani Ganapathy called Ponnuku Mallipoo Asai translated 'A little girl likes jasmine flowers' adorns the orange wall in my daughter's room.

The story~
Last year when I featured Kalyani's work here, I fell in love with this little girl called Mayuri in the painting, she so needed to be in my daughter's room. We were in the process of moving to our new home and I had already visualised how the painting would look in my daughter's room. Kalyani has used acrylic on canvas and has really made the little girl come to life:-)

Will post more pictures from my daughter's room, which still is work in progress.

Do visit Kalyani's site Surfkye, to see some of her gorgeous work.

Sunday 14 June 2009

My foray into product photography...

Things have been rather quiet here at Rang Decor and I am sorry about that. Thanks to all you lovely readers who come back often to check on the blog.

Many of you know about my love for photography, I post regularly on flickr and occasionally in Rang Decor. When a beautiful opportunity came my way, I just had to explore it:-)

I have recently started shooting for a Luxury handcrafted Bedding & Linens store~ Saffron Marigold.I have been styling and shooting the gorgeous products for Saffron Marigold. The recent one being the Morning Dew print that they have recently launched.

Here are some of the frames from the shoot. Hope you like them.Morning Dew Table Runner
Morning Dew European Pillow Sham
Morning Dew Table ClothMorning Dew Sheer Curtains

The behind the scene experiences, the styling and other photographic features I will be sharing soon on my other blog~ Rang: The Colours of Life

Have a great day!

Monday 18 May 2009

Jew Town, Cochin.

Jew Town in Cochin has a lovely old world charm, brightly painted walls with interesting Hebrew inscriptions, narrow lanes leading to one of the oldest Synagogues and streets dotted with spice and antique shops.
It is one of the oldest Jewish settlements in the world dating back to 700 B.C. when Jewish traders came to the shores of Cochin seeking spices. Now only a handful Jews remain. You can read more about their history here.
Intricately carved spice boxes over-flowing with aromatic spices displayed on the streets.
The antique shops got us excited, but we were also a bit wary considering it is one of the prime tourist spots.
It was wonderful walking and exploring the lanes of Jew Town. An old shop selling hand embroidery and textiles.Some of the pieces we picked up from Jew Town, Wooden Padukas ( slippers)Seasoned wooden kitchen utensil.

Useful tip: Look around many shops and bargain hard;-)

Wednesday 22 April 2009

The Old Courtyard Hotel

On our recent vacation to Fort Kochi, Kerala, we stayed at an old Portuguese heritage hotel called The Old Courtyard Hotel on Princess Street.
As we entered the huge wooden door, we were immediately transported to the elegance and beauty of a by-gone era.
This restored heritage building now offers 8 rooms, that overlook a charming courtyard.
You can enjoy a cup of cardamom tea sitting under a huge mango tree in the center of the courtyard, or dig into their wide variety of desserts that are so very popular!
The white-washed walls, the arches, antique furniture, the old switchboards and the attention to details makes this quaint place very special.The dining area faces the courtyard. We were torn between enjoying the view and devouring their delicious breakfast:-)
View from the first floor balcony.
The terracotta tiled roof and the fresh green leaves of the mango tree make a lovely combination.
Top view of the Old Courtyard Hotel
Magical light filtering in through the window as we were shown our room.The patina of the seasoned wooden floor with my cup of tea:-)
The owners have retained the original floor and I am so glad they did, the feel of the smooth wood against the feet is something else.The rain-gods decided to shower their blessings on us that evening and the Old Courtyard took on a magical feel.We just stood there watching the rain beat down while sipping our Masala Chai this time;-)
If we traveled to Fort Cochin again, we would surely return to this charming 17th century abode.

Wednesday 15 April 2009

Rang Decor Readers' Creative Spaces: VI

Anuradha Varma

Lives in Seattle with her husband and two little ones, she shares few corners of her warm and inviting home with all of us today...



Anuradha describes, 'To me, my home is like a favourite classic book – full of warmth and character. It’s a home for my family and a place to hold treasures that have a special place in my heart.'

'The Indian looking candle holders made of printing blocks were a discovery here in Seattle. When lit they give me and my home a warm glow' says Anuradha.



Her style is eclectic with heirlooms passed down from her parents and mementos of travels from around the world and India.

Anuradha has great fondness for antique brass pieces. She bought these pieces in Kolkata and Delhi. The dragon incense holder is her personal favourite.

A special corner where she has her morning chai.

'A touch of oriental decor. These chairs are replicas of chairs used by the bride and groom in a traditional wedding in China. I love the simplicity and elegance of these chairs.' says Anuradha.



A collection of Murano glass from Italy, Czech crystal, pottery from Mexico and Spain, knick knacks from flea markets and antique stores around the globe compliment each other. An Indian ethnic motif ties all of this together.

The living-dining area is minimalistic in style and has furniture with clean lines.

She loves entertaining. Here is a Christmas dinner arrangement for her family visiting from India.A bright breakfast nook with her prized photograph of Mt Ranier

The foyer area has a collection of family heirlooms and her own shopping ranging from places like Hawaii to Chandni Chowk. Her Ganesha collection displayed here. Every trip to India has her coming back with her good luck charm~ Lord Ganesha.Diyas lit for Diwali ( The festival of lights)



'I appreciate things that are simple yet elegant. I am always experimenting with new ideas and use my home as a canvas for my thoughts to come to life. I am interested in interiors, photography and love to travel and my home reflects that.' says
Anuradha.



Thanks for sharing your lovely home with all of us.



Anuradha is a new blogger and paints her interests in her blog~ My Dream Canvas



P.S~ If you have any questions for Anuradha about her home, please ask in the comments section so she can reply to you.