Chettinad Inspired Villa (Home Tour of Deepak & Swapna)

The rise of social media seem to have replaced my blogging journey but after my typical “Yes-Yes” & “No-No” thoughts I finally decided to open my blog for this home tour, which deserves to be here and cherished for long just like the other showcased several homes previously.

Subtly accentuated rooms with splendors of classic architecture and discerning aesthetic strokes of designer Nehal Shanghavi at Caasa Mia are just a few of the many highlights of Deepak and Swapana's cultured and curated home.

Easy going yet undeniably stylish home today is a vision of designer Nehal, who is drawn to things that have history, character and soul. And while reading this please don’t take your eyes off the images. 

Interior Designer Nehal has rightly converted her passion of decorating into work through her design. Nehal’s work is powered through reflecting her love and passion of traditional Indian décor that she was secretly harboring. Nehal strives to push the creative envelope when it comes to providing her clients the best. So far it has been a surreal and exciting journey for her filled with tremendous experience.

Nestled on the outskirts of Bengaluru, away from the hustle and bustle of the city's chaos, is this Chettinad inspired villa which is an embodiment of tranquility and chic design sensibilities. Designed by Nehal Shanghavi @caasa_mia, the home owners, Deepak & Swapna's 3,800 sq.ft. home is lovingly named ‘Kamala’ translating to mean the seat of Goddess Lakshmi. 

 

A pair of rustic and gigantic 100 year old pillars spotted in an antique store at Pondicherry was the starting point to their design idea. The pillars bring in a Chettinad touch and paved way for other ornate design elements like the hand crafted teak wood swing, couch, bench, coffee table and a unique triangular 2 seater sofa. 

A good beginning with a focused mind led Nehal championing a fresh and an unconventional approach to those pillars. Her wit of using these traditional pillars in a modern way very much sums up the core of her style. 

Enticing display of silk cushions along with brass idols and green planters accentuated the overall look. Every detail draws the eye and creates the flow. The colors and accessories compliment one another adding a bit of a zing to the interiors.  

The architectural quirks of those pillars are well extended in the dining room. Through careful research and with love for every detail Nehal has merged art and luxury together. A unique round dining table with cane work under an eclectic chandelier was placed alongside glass doors that opened up to an intimate green sit out.

Nehal's stylistic touch runs through out the house. The collage of rustic frames, rustic storage shelves and the rustic looking handsome yet chic desk here simply compliments the entire surroundings. 

To lighten up the walls and accentuate the overall look, a mustard wallpaper with a clay like finish, a blend of ethnic stone plates, wooden carvings and a Ravi Varma art on the feature wall were used. 

The doors of the pooja room in their home has a welcoming vibe and strengthens the point of focus here. Pooja room, being a powerhouse of divine energy, they decided to retain the charm of an old temple with intricate carving along the doors and stone work inside. Meticulously designed traditional pieces like this door never go out of style. The door here breathes elegance and simplicity.

To keep the game going, visually weighty swing is inserted with well-edited elements in the background. The careful placement of each and every piece infuses every square inch here with whimsy and glamour. 

Chiseled to perfection pieces are sited and placed in the most unexpected places. The confident mix of modern and antiques are conversed brilliantly by Nehal creating an impactful effect in her interior choices. 

Each corner around the home has gone through intelligent and deliberate design process by Nehal. She brilliantly inserted this cozy reading nook along the stairway put the space to the best use.

In Swapna's words - "Thanks to our designer Nehal Shanghavi, we were able to style our home to perfection and have a space where we can relax, meditate and introspect after a hard day’s work. A few minutes at the swing with spiritual music at the backdrop, catching a book at our nook or coffee at our sit out with occasional conversations over the dinner table is our idea of a day well spent."

I agree with every word you narrated here Swapna. Your home is an innately nourishing space with a remarkable visual appeal! Nehal has nurtured every corner of this home lovingly and filled with things that Swapna's family will treasure for long. 

Concluding this home tour, wishing Nehal many more accomplishments and accolades for her artistic designing journey further. You can connect with Nehal on her Instagram feed right here.

Stay connected on my social media feeds for the upcoming festive decor, unitl than toodles!

Be my guest! (Guest Room Reveal)

 The world is being challenged with fear, frustration and anxiety with the sudden pangs of social withdrawal. As we face the unexpected circumstance during this pandemic, our life feels chaotic and seems it will take an eternity to see the end.  

During these difficult times, it's very important for us to recharge and focus our energy on other positive things. Channeling all our energy on creativity is the best upside of our quarantine – since we have both - time and incentive to knock out some of those projects that we may have put off. While doing so, we will keep ourselves grounded (and probably remain sane) throughout this chapter of our life. 

With the onset of summer on the horizon, I am dreaming of a back to normal life, where we will be hosting again too! Being said that, we actually had a long list of guests this year on our agenda from friends to family who were planning to visit us. I don't see that happening in near future but I am glad that we completed this long-due project of our guest bedroom done in time. 

We have a designated guest bedroom with an attached washroom and a walk in closet. Yet, we wanted to erase the visual clutter in the guest room when there are no guests around. So that we also can have an extra room on hand empty for more space that can be used for a variety of other functions aside from sleeping. We decided on a customized Murphy bed or a wall bed, which adds space and flexibility in our guest room. 

This built-in Murphy bed is both practical and stylish. It transforms the space into a welcoming guest room in a snap. We bought this Murphy bed in the early beginnings...about 6 years ago but today’s fold-up beds are becoming even more functional often incorporating a desk or even side tables. Besides it’s perfect for small space solution.   

We also customized the queen size bed with lights above for ease of excess for older guests like our parents or keeping in mind those guests who like to read before sleeping. Two side tables are from Bouclair store here in Toronto because things don't need to match it has to be mixed :). 

The opening space of the actual bed was quite tricky to add or hang anything since the bed had to be lifted away when not in use so I ended up stenciling the wall. I will save my painful stenciling story for some other day as it took me forever to complete this small portion inexpertly about 2 years back. Nevertheless, I am very happy and proud of the results ;).

Our guest bedroom has always been ready but now with new finishing touches (and my DIYs) it breathes new elegance. The full size mirror in the guestroom from Ikea is a great addition, not only for guests but also for me to check my final look in that mirror when the room is empty. 

For us, whether we’re expecting guests for one night or for one week, we always strive to make guests feel comfortable and at ease in our home. Nobody likes to watch their hostess scramble around to get things done after they arrive, so I take care of the guest room beforehand. I ensure to have things around for them by putting the things they'll need throughout their stay right there in the room. Some examples include books, water bottles, and towels. If you want to go the extra mile, have some flowers or plants around (yes, their addition is a heart warming gesture).

No room of our home is too small for grace notes of beauty. I aimed to keep useful and beautiful both things around in our guest room. From an antique looking four drawer Chester to an eye catching ikat lamp that improves a short stay of our guests. 

My creativity has soared in this lock-down phase and while achieving some great DIY results, I have been entertained, distracted and amused in equal measure. Also my fetish of kutchhi handicraft found a new perspective. Instead of hoarding these batwas (purses) in drawers, I decided to appreciate them on my walls. The kalamkari lamp is a DIY project, that you can check out on my Facebook here.

DIY projects aren’t always about the end product, and how useful or practical they will be. These DIY’s are very often about the process, which I have enjoyed tremendously in these days. Carrying forward the same theme of kutchhi batwa I DIY these frames too and they were an absolute delight to indulge into. Shall you decide to make one for your home, check this video. 

Here is the final look of how our room looks empty when the bed is stowed away. The space is perfect for my teen's friends to play board games and for me also to do my extra craft activities. But for now, until we have guests rolling in again and until I go on another vacation again....this room has been my 'stayacation' adda :) during this quarantine.

Adding on to an existing home is a long process that takes a lot of parts coming together. And if you are like me who is trying to get exactly what you want from the project, it takes forever. But I am glad that my forever has ended and we have completed our guest room. 

Here is the short video clip of the room, enjoy!

May this long weekend be filled with peace, health and restful moments for all of you. Until we meet again, seize the day and hang in there, toodles!

Sources:

• Custom Wall bed: Eco Wall Bed
• The quilt and the curtains - Home Sense Canada 
• The side tables : Bouclair
• Tall lamp: Walmart
• Mirror: Ikea
• Antique cabinet is from one of the furniture warehouse here in Toronto while they were closing down the business.

Whimsically Ethnic Kitchen Tour of Poornima Murthy (Part-3)

Part 1 purely moved you, part 2 raised your spirit but part 3 will feed all your senses literally and laterally. Welcome back, with PART –3 of Murthy family’s heart of the home....kitchen. If in case you missed part one and part two, you may head here and here to tour this envy-inducing, richly layered home, where every corner is exquisitely adorned. Mind you, just like the rest of the home, their kitchen is also a high style status. Since there is lots to bite and chew, do stay a while.

 

Design guts often leads to interior glory but her Kitchen is the epitome of her design sensibilities. Kitchen, being the magnet of the home, Poornima collated the top kitchen design ideas with a confident mix of traditional and contemporary trends.

Trends are exciting and who doesn’t want the latest things in the kitchen. Poornima (who respects the craftsmanship and fine detailing of traditional elements) is also inspired by the pared-down approach of contemporary and decided to go with a transitional kitchen. Transitional style is usually a marriage of traditional and contemporary designs that resulted in giving a clean classic look for her kitchen. 

Along with getting swept up in the latest fads, Poornima goes for a good fit for her family’s personal needs in her kitchen. From the earliest phase of the kitchen project, Poornima wanted the kitchen to feel good and be functional. However, she confesses that they played blind on the kitchen floor plan as the builder had no model house for the kitchen. She is happy that they both inclined to their instinct and they could balance the beauty with functionality in the kitchen.  

There is no denying that countertops take the brunt of daily food preparation. Still, given the fact, that they are major players in the kitchen Poornima wanted them to look fabulous. Striking quartz countertops along with marble look alike backsplash in her kitchen adds the seductive good looks. I love the fact, how this decorative marble look alike tile up to the ceiling creates a handsome cabinetry and high-tech appliance stand out even more.   

If the kitchen is the heart of any household, the island takes one step further...it’s the core of the kitchen. Beyond its visual beauty this kitchen island is another appealing attribute in Poornima’s kitchen. Island doubles up the storage space while the small style sink turns her island into a handy food prep area as well.  

There is no hard and fast rule in Poornima's kitchen that everything has to match. In fact, contrasting colors are on the rise and her kitchen highlights the trend beautifully. The eye-catching contrast here between the color choice of island and cabinets is much refreshing.  

The oversized island in Poornima’s kitchen is an entertainer’s dream. With its perfect size, it expands the entertaining possibilities within the kitchen. While Poornima prepares the meal, her guests enjoy drinks and hors d’oeuvres in the same room.  

From large dinner parties to more intimate gatherings, the open-concept island makes this kitchen an inviting one for entertaining groups of all sizes. This functional island gives an opportunity to Poornima to interact and enjoy the company of her guests within the kitchen. Here are some glimpses of  Poornima’s ‘CHAT-PARTY” that she hosted in the comfort of her own kitchen island.

There is something warm and wonder about sunshine streaming into the kitchen literally. A great view is an asset to Poornima’s kitchen. Not only it adds to the room’s natural appeal but an overview window visually blurs the boundaries between indoor and outdoor. Don't overlook those colorful cups with succulents, Poornima does not give up any space to show up her style.

Surrounding yourself with familiar and favorite things not only give you something pleasant to look but is also uplifting where you spend hours to cook. Her quirky approach to aesthetics is carried forward beautifully in her kitchen as well. I am sure you are ogling at her colorful serving collection...that's where my eyes also landed when I saw it for the first time :)

Long gone are the days of an in-store purchases were your only option. Shopping online puts a plethora of choices at your fingertips all in the comfort of your own home. Poornima’s kitchen towel is surely one of the things that I will be adding in my online shopping cart from Cost Plus WorldMarket. Her other colorful kitchen accessories are also collected over the time from Home Goods and WorldMarket. Her collection is a statement of exclusivity, high taste and her impeccable choice. 

Given the amount of time spent in the kitchen comfort and style are always a high priority. And at the end, it all comes down to what speaks to the home owners and what the family will be comfortable with on a day-to-day basis. Above all, proving that fashion and function can go hand in hand Poornima’s kitchen can tick off all the boxes of a dream kitchen. 

That's it folks, this feature brings the conclusion to our exciting tour of Murthy family's home. This home definitely exemplifies creativity beyond our imagination. I wish there are part 4 and part 5 (what say, Poornima).

I want to extend many thanks and my appreciation beyond words to Poornima for the confidence she showed in me for tackling this home tour and putting her energy into cracking photography. Thank you again for generously sharing your home with us. Sending the best of the wishes for you and your family. 

Stay connected dear readers until we meet again, toodles!


(Image Courtesy: Poornima Murthy. The pictures can not be used without a consent  from the home owners, however, you may re-pin them from Pinkz Passion's Pinterest account)