Rang Decor Readers Creative Spaces: X

Meena Sriram

Today Rang Decor Reader Meena Sriram shares few creative corners of her 1700 sq.ft town home in Ottawa, Canada.

Vintage art prints...

Meena explains, 'I wanted to create a light- filled home that is serene, relaxing, with an airy breezy feel and lots of punchs of colour'.

Living room view...

She has used a lot of different natural textures to bring a homey feel, sisal rugs, bamboo blinds, a lot of old art prints carefully handpicked from antique stores in Chettinad, reframed and hung in groups.

Dining area with her favourite blackboard and art prints...

She continues, 'I’ve also tried to keep it very simple, functional and clutter free. Plenty of plants and books are a must! Its been a year since we moved in and I’ve pretty much worked with what I had without spending much.'

Guest Bedroom...

Knots & crosses and books...

Bright Kitchen...

Meena feels homes don’t have to be perfect but they should be original and personal. She loves inspirational quotes, and blackboards, so they're all over her place.

She has a thing for old world charm, so she has tried incorporating plenty of vintage and flea market finds.

The old radio in the kitchen, the pickle jars and chettinad tiles...

She believes it is important to always choose things that are meaningful to you as opposed to what is trendy at the moment and feels you don’t need to have a lot of money to create a beautiful home, just a little creativity, quirkiness and adding that personal touch makes it your own!

I agree, your lovely home is proof of that. Thanks for sharing few corners of your home with readers of Rang Decor.

If you have any questions for Meena do ask in the comments section. Thank you.

(images by Meena Sriram)

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Rang Decor Readers Creative Spaces: IX

Mishta & Anirudh

Today under Rang Decor Reader's Creative Spaces, I take you to a colourful Goa-inspired home in Bangalore.

Entrance Porch...

Mishta and Anirudh are a 30-something couple, both designers, one a product designer and the other a graphic designer, decided to build over Anirudh’s family home’s existing ground floor bungalow on a 60 x 40 plot in Sadashivnagar, Bangalore.

The design of the house revolves around three courtyards and two trees.

Avocado Tree at the entrance...

Mishta explains,"A courtyard on the second floor at the back of the house is carved out to let a mango tree spread it’s limbs...

...and a main courtyard, also on the second floor, at the front of the house, is designed to pay homage to Geoffrey Bawa’s tropical style with a pond and landscaping."

The over-arching theme of the house has been heavily influenced by the couple’s love for Goa, a destination they run off to, to recharge, every two and half months.

Mishta adds, "The idea was not to recreate a Goan house, but to pick Portuguese influences, through colour and form and combine that with the sense of an open Asian tropical house."

The drawing room...

The dining area...

Balinese Lamp against coloured glass at the stairwell...

The Master bedroom...

Guest bedroom...

Second floor lobby...

Mishta adds, "The main colour scheme for the house is yellow ochre and dark green. The flooring is cool green kota stone with small floral tiles inlayed at intervals.

Common passageways are in black and white checks. Rustic tiles in terracotta and green have been used in the flooring of the courtyards. Ceramic floral tiles were sourced from Spain and fitted into niches in all the courtyards."

Custom-made nameplate tiles from Velha Goa...

Mishta & Anirudh~ Thanks for sharing so generously photos of your vibrant home with readers of Rang Decor.

P.S. If anyone has any queries regarding Mishta and Anirudh's home, feel free to ask in the comments section.

( Images by Mishta Roy)

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festive lighting...

Diwali is long gone and it's time for Christmas with reds & greens, cakes & cookies and loads of happiness....

...but festivity can never go out of style, can it?

I received a mail, few weeks back from one of Rang Decor's readers Rama Ananth and she wanted to share some of her Diwali moments with all of us. I loved the way she has used fairy lights and other traditional lamps to bring in festivity.

Here are few captures from her lovely home.

These are truly beautiful Rama, thanks for sharing it with readers of Rang Decor!

(images by Rama Ananth)

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Rang Decor Readers Creative Spaces: VIII

Wishing all you lovely readers a very Happy New Year, 2010! It's going to be a great year with lots to share with all of you. We just got back from a beautiful trip to Rajasthan, so stay tuned for loads on havelis, palaces, forts and sand dunes:-)

Lets get the ball rolling with a brand new post on Rang Decor Readers Creative Spaces.

Karthik Vaidhyanathan

Karthik Vaidhyanathan is from Chettinad in Tamil Nadu and having grown up in a typical Chettinad house with loads of kitsch and colours, he wanted to incorporate these elements in his 1420 sqft new apartment home in Bangalore.The Chettinad influences are the 7ft arched windows, that he found when St. Josephs college on Brigade road, Bangalore was being demolished. They fitted in perfectly into what was once a balcony cum utility area. He also made a small tinnai (seating besides the windows).

Karthik continues, 'I converted this to become a loungy relaxing sit-out kinda space for entertaining friends and family.'

Karthik picked up these ceramic chettinad tiles from a shop in Pondicherry and has used it for a coffee table. This is inspired by the traditional 'Mannai' which is used during wedding

ceremonies.

Karthik explains, "I wanted to convert the open dining space into a study cum work area and wanted to isolate it through the use of two pillars. Did the rounds of antique markets and shops but found them too expensive or too elaborate for a flat. Finally landed up at Vermilion House in Bangalore, wherein I saw two pillars with Yaali sculpted motif at the top

(Yaali is a mythical creature, that with the face of a lion, the tusks of an elephant and the body of a serpent or ‘makara’ another mythical creature. The Yaalis are prominent in many a south Indian temple as sculptures on the walls or pillars, since the 16th century and they are believed to guard the temple. They are supposed to be more powerful than a lion or elephant)

"I also saw two pillars in teak with a floral pattern at the top; these are typically found in Kerala Home. These again really appealed to me. I picked up all four. The remaining two ‘floral’ pillars became the entrance to my kitchen, right opposite to the study."

"I have opened up the kitchen on all sides. As a result one can see through the entire length of the house. Have kept the kitchen in contemporary white and steel to break away the colour all around.

Have converted one of the corners of the kitchen into a 'work' area with a table and a white bar stool from ikea. Helps me work on my laptop as I catch some T.V. "

The low-rise square dining table with a low hanging light is one of the first pieces of furniture that Karthik got custom-made around 6 years ago at 100ft boutique in Indiranagar. The installation on top is the ‘people tree’ from Mukul Goyal in Delhi.

The showcase near the dining table houses lovely antique enamelware tiffin carrier, teapot etc and some very precious family heirlooms.

The whole house has lovely handmade Athangudi tile flooring.

View from the living room

The two chairs in the ‘sit-out’ are of rosewood and were picked up from Bamboo Market in Bangalore, a place where one often gets to see old antique stuff of houses that have been demolished. All it took to restore them was some cane-work and polish. A dash of colour through the pillows from Good Earth and one in a similar ‘Rajasthan’ theme from Rattan stores in Delhi.

The workspace cabinets and shelves have been made by Karthik's local carpenter. The knobs on them in various shapes and colours are antiques.

A peek into his bedroom:-)

Karthik's love and passion for his home comes across so beautifully through these pictures.

All the best Karthik, enjoy your new home. Thanks for sharing these creative corners of your home with readers of Rang Decor.

P.S. If you have any questions for Karthik, do mail it to myvarnam@gmail.com.

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