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INSPIRATION

Style your space like a pro: 4 ideas that really work!

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Kaizad Dinshaw’s work ever since I saw how he magically transformed his bachelor pad into a visual treat. How much can you accomplish in 691 sq.ft of space you may ask? Take twenty steps from one end to the other, and you hit a wall. But, that’s how small or rather big is Dinshaw’s apartment, and we saw, how with a clever utilization of space, he didn’t compromise on aesthetics, functionality and most importantly, lack of floor area.

So, after a long gap, I browsed Nitido Design’s residential portfolio. Kaizad’s verstaility comes across in decking up small spaces predominantly in white. I often get e-mails from readers asking how to conceal a dining area from the living space, or what would go well above a weathered cabinet, or how could a old mirror fit into a space. It’s good to see the portfolio of experts and learn a thing or two to see what works and why, and how to complement furnishings and furniture.

Here are a few favorite picks of mine from Kaizad’s portfolio.

The weathered cabinet becomes the focal point of this room. So, before you discard that old cabinet, think again. You can re-purpose it to make it the star of the room. A simple DIY of painting with one color, sanding, and painting another coat of a different color will give it the weathered look. A mirror or large artwork above the cabinet works well. But, if you are thinking an assortment of small photo frames, not so much!

We have a huge collection of books at home. Of late, most of the reading happens on iPad, Kindle and my Nook color. But, I cannot emphasize more the lure of real books and having one library at home, especially around growing kids. A dark backdrop, or any contrasting color, makes the space stand out.

STORES

Designer spotlight: Purple Backyard

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Hello everybody! It’s Friday and time for Shopping Friday post which will be up tomorrow as I have an exciting designer to showcase today. During one of my many FB wanderlust (which has been cut short this week because of Chrome Nanny :(), I came across images of a beautiful, breezy, street-side cafe kinda setting. Digging further, it turned out this pretty place was a cafe in Mumbai called Bong Bong.

Bong Bong is a restaurant in Bandra famous for its plus-sized portions and hard-on-waistline food. It was designed by Purple Backyard, a multidisciplinary design firm founded by Kumpal Vaid and Aditi Kotak in Aug. 2011. A glimpse of Bong Bong set the standards high and left me craving for more. I wasn’t disappointed; Purple Backyard’s portfolio is as resplendent as their name. The restaurant, in its new avatar, opened its doors on November 7th.

A view of Bong Bong by night. This image spells warmth to me with its deep colors,hanging pots, casual seating in the verandah – in a word, welcoming! A place that looks like home and hopefully serves great food. Mumbai readers: just curious to know if you’ve been to this awesome looking place?

I got hooked onto Purple Backyard the minute I saw the picture below. It’s as if casual and sophistication got together in an effortless and unassuming way. It’s breezy, chic and rustic at the same time, intense and casual, and thoughtful with a couldn’t-care-less attitude to it. But, most of all, the soft play of colors brought images of a Nordic street-side cafe to me. I don’t know why given that there are so many rich colors on exhibit here something one often doesn’t see there.

Uncategorized

Play Clan

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What do you do when something catches your attention? I’d blog about it, how about you? Play Clan is not new to me but it resurfaced on my radar again this Saturday night while flipping through the Aug. issue of Good Homes magazine and during a rendezvous with a time waster called FB. Play Clan passes all the tests that a modern design lover looks for. Kitschy. Tick. Eye-catching design. Tick. Tickles your funny bone. Tick. Shop online. Tick. Affordable. Maybe. A few of my favorite picks. I’m going to be honest here when I say that I L.O.V.E.D the design of events and announcements on their FB page much more than their products. I mean who wouldn’t love these? It’s all about perspective – who gives shit and who takes shit? Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post and I cannot vouch for the quality of the products or…

GARDEN

Nursery Tour: Vriksha in Mumbai

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This is a virtual tour of Vriksha Nursery in Mumbai.

Every store owner I’ve spoken to has exhibited that one quality that sets them apart and keeps them going day after day: passion. But, at Vriksha, it was a tad different. The e-mail exchange was full of life, energy to go on, and enthusiasm to do more – it felt as if I were there in Mumbai amidst the greens. I felt happy knowing Vriksha. Yes, happy, was the word I was looking for to describe my virtual experience of Vriksha.

I wrote to Shaan Lalwani, horticulturist and nurturer of Vriksha nursery. His parents created this green heaven in Mumbai 34 years ago. Yes. 34 years. Gardening is close to my heart and I know for many of you too. There’s tons of priceless information, here, in this post from Shaan, that comes with experience. So soak it all up and let’s put it to good use in our gardens.

Snippets of my conversation with Shaan:

A little background about Vriksha in Shaan’s words: “Vriksha has 100 different herbs fruits and vegetables (local and exotic) all for sale at the nursery. The idea here is to make gardening interactive: carnivorous plants, insect repelant plants, edibles, aroma plants etc. I’m 26 years old and thankfully have a team of 45 people willing to try (sometimes fail) new things.

Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. Mom is into the 6th year and next year she heads to japan to give her teacher level exam under the grandmaster in japan. She arranges flowers in offices, hotels, events in mumbai and thankfully she still after 25 years in the line still wants to do something diffrent…”

1. What would be the ideal potting mix – soil and cocopeat and in what proportions for a balcony?

Every nursery has their own little concoction when it comes to garden soil ….some say 50-50 some say 70-30…our soils at the nursery are a family recipe 30-mud-30-cocopeat-30-coal-10 sand(leached). Reason we do that is it keeps the soil light and airy…also I’ve been playin with the idea of wood chips in india for a while results are awaited …

INSPIRATION

Ultra-luxury Apartments in Mumbai for Sale

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My internet connection (Airtel 4G that boasts of 15 Mbps speed) is awfully intermittent and slow today, so I closed all the other open windows to shamelessly flirt with the pictures below. How did I end up at these properties? You know those annoying ads listing the most expensive things on earth from lobster to glares; one such list boasted of the seven most expensive homes in India. No prizes for guessing who made it to the top – yea, that floor-jutting Antilla of Mr. Ambani. With all due respect, it doesn’t matter how much billions went into the making of this 27-floor Mumbai mansion, the exteriors are an eyesore, at least in the pictures. So, I went on a mission to look around for what some elegant properties in the country looked like.

How much do you reckon would a 3-bedroom age-old apartment on a tree-lined street in historic Colaba with 16 foot high 100 year old Burma teak ceilings would cost? Throw in the old world charm of living spaces opening to verandahs, lots of natural light, open kitchen, stained glass windows and majestic Burma teak doors.

The flat has been restored while retaining the original structure including the mosaic, raised wooden ceiling and teak doors.

The living room opening up to the verandah.

Love the colorful tile backsplash.

HOUSE TOURS

Design lessons for teeny-tiny spaces from Ayaz Basrai of The Busride

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Minimalism is on the top of my list in everything I do. And I’m fortunate to have a like-minded family that believes in giving away stuff in excellent condition – be it toys, gadgets. Why buy, you may ask? Well, not anymore. I think twice before getting anything new into the house. And if something new has to come in, then something has to go. As a result, we don’t have overflowing closets or, toy boxes. It has also meant lesser trips to shops and malls and more to parks. Something my husband read out to me a year back on the paradox of choice and happiness has stuck with me:

*** Buy more experiences and fewer things. Material goods depreciate. The day after you buy something, it’s probably worth less than you paid for it. Experiences, on the other hand, appreciate. Your memories of the things you do—vacations you take, concerts you go to—tend to become fonder with time.

*** Buy many small pleasures instead of a handful of large ones. This one’s tough to hear on a personal level, because I tend to forego daily indulgences for big rewards. But, in the words of the authors, people are usually happier with “frequent doses of lovely things rather than infrequent doses of lovelier things.

Come to think of it, the whole process of redesigning our home a year and half back began when I realised my husband and son’s needs – space. The declutter journey began with replacing all our oversized furniture with compact ones. It’s been a BIG transformation that we are all happy about but still not quite there. So, I’m a little wary of homes that barely have space to walk around but it’s a personal choice.

I’m constantly looking at studio apartments to learn about maximizing space and innovative ways of storage. On one such mission, came across designer Ayaz Basrai. Ayaz Basrai is the owner of The Busride (I know a quirky name for a design studio). Even more quirkier is his home. Ever fancy living in a 160 square feet apartment? The smallest I’ve ever lived in a 540 sq. ft apartment in Chicago. So, this just hooked me on.

The design studio’s profile of impressive achievements includes The Smoke House Room, Cafe Zoe, informal The Chimp Kiosk, quirky The Channel V studio among a dozen others. But what stood out for me is his tiny sliding home in the Ranwar village. Fathom a king sized bed that splits to create a seating arrangement during the day, a walk in closet, full length mirror, changing area, a pantry and a workstation – all in 160 sq. ft?

Uncategorized

Guest post: Wall decals to deck your walls

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(This is a guest post by Sankalp Patil, owner of Kakshyaachitra Arts that produces wall decals.) Wall decals are a new and happening mode of wall decoration. With the right use of design and color, you can achieve outstanding results in your home. Decal designs can range into different areas like quotes, nature, kids’, celebrities, mythology and everything that can be converted into a design. This simple ‘Two Butterflies and a flower’ wall decal adds so much of charm and style to the wall. Also, this ‘Beautiful Blossoms Wall Decal’ effortlessly livens up any unnoticed corner of the house. You can experiment more with the colors and sizes of these flowers. Nature wall decals are favorite among the decal users. This simple ‘Tall Branch Wall Decal’ or the ‘Birds on Branches wall decal’ adds so much to the aesthetic appeal of the wall. Large size decals can be used to produce much more…

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Gardening: Landscaping ideas from Green Grower

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For all us avid gardeners, a trip to Green Grower in Bandra should be akin to a visit to heaven. From landscaping ideas for your balcony and garden to how to mix-n-match plants and what plants would make for a great gift, you’ll find it all. Started in 1998 by horticulturist N.S.Rao, the facility is supported by 25-acre nursery housing over 1000 varieties of plants in Karjat.

This tea pot will make you think twice before you cast away that old ceramic tea pot next time.