Effortlessly Put Together (Home Tour of Arati Jani)

In the midst of the lush green mountains and beyond the cotton candy clouds is a home of our today’s home owners, who are very close to my heart. Hailing from Ahmedabad originally, the Jani couple’s life has been a roller –coaster. Migrating from India to Africa, Africa to Canada and now finally settled in the quite lane of sunny Texas, USA, the couple has spent a good chunk of life leaving good friends and wonderful memories everywhere they have settled.  

Meet my mommy away from home – Arati Jani. Even though we are not blood related, even though I have only known her for a slice of my life, I always feel like her own. A woman who built me up, kept me strong and who also took my mother’s place when she couldn’t be there. With a significant influence, she has loved me as if I was one of her own, and some days made me really believe I was. 

With the mutual respect and good attitude, the incredible power pair Paresh & Arati, is never quite on the same page yet their romantic admiration in each other with each passing year is quite inspiring for many, including us. 

Arati definitely isn’t one to get caught up in the typical rules of design when it comes to home décor or fashion. She is resourceful, creative and inventive with her own taste. Since the couple’s lifestyle is now carried on a smaller footprint where casual entertaining and friendly gatherings take front seats, Arati has created a space where their easy-breezy and carefree lifestyle can be accommodated without much fuss and with lots of friends.

Crowd-friendly couple’s typical weekend is spend having friends over for small bites and drinks followed by a gala dinner with Arati’s tried and tasted recipes. This perfect sized comfortable dining area takes care of the couple’s entertaining where everything from silver wares to napkins and from pickle jars to table-mats are placed on the table for easy reach. 

And the personal touches continue on the gallery wall. The collage wall for display is an affordable way to transform a wall and at the same time express yourself. The family pictures (including me) featured above the dining are an assortment of sentimental memories and pieces that Arti is drawn to. A visual history is paired beautifully with the right context.

No-fail trick is helping Arati here to marry pieces of various styles and eras perfectly. Arati has used the pieces that she loves the best and have created memories with them rather than letting them sit in a cupboard and collect dust. Every piece in this mismatched collection that feels like a perfect set has a story to tell. 

This is the brightest and breeziest spot in the house. With a beyond comfortable mix of seating they flop down on their designated chairs, revel in the she,
er bliss of stretching out or reach for that remote and turn on the tv for a movie or a favorite program. 

Everything in this sunny window lined room feels comfortably lived in and well loved. The living room packs an amazing amount of function into a perfectly designed space. So much attention is focused on being comfortable with perfectly controlled lights of side lamps, well-placed tables to hold that milk shake (for Paresh’s sweet tooth) at night and a soft blanket for the chills of ceiling fan - quite impressive. By the way, can you spot an art piece (gifted to Arati) by our daughter?

Gallery walls can pose a bit of a intrigue. One more collage wall with the rich mix of frames, shapes and styles delivers a layered look while disguising television in plain sight. She likes mixing things that don't really go together but it totally complements the style of her house.

Arati is an everyday feeder. With her magic touch Arati has turned a cozy, compact kitchen into a hard-working, stylish and organized space which keeps home-made food in check for the couple. The kitchen has always been “hospitality central” in Jani’s home, where everything you need is at hand without rummaging around. Placed all up-to-the-minute convenience, she has made the use of the space around the cooktop. 

Texans tend to take advantage of every dry and beautiful day they get. Sometimes that amounts to an impromptu party outdoors with favorite neighborhood friends enjoying cocktails and feasting on local fare. When it comes to stocking the bar Paresh has only have one rule: "Don’t run out." They always stock up on ingredients for a signature cocktail and a special wine or two. They have enough to accommodate the mood and need of everyone when party spills over until midnight.

Other times, it’s a relaxed home cooked meal or a walk to a nearby golf course. Their big and beautiful backyard with dotted greens is their favorite place for their morning tea or evening drinks watching the stars curling up in their favorite chairs. 

Classic shape and neutral color are the best recipe that you can always update the look of the room by simply changing the accessories. Its truly Arati’s passion that made her builder basic space from plain to pleasing.  

Texas had never been on top of our travel list. We would take a light jacket and a chilly day instead fierce sun and tumble weeds but as soon as the couple moved there I had to reconsider my biases (we have been there already countless times). It turns out that alongside hot humid weather & cowboys, Texas has opened a welcoming home for us where we are always loved, pampered and fed lots of Mexican food ;).

Thank you Arati & Paresh for allowing us in your home virtually. Wish you the best of the world. Can't wait to see you soon.

With holidays approaching, hope my readers are ready to enjoy the most wonderful time of the year. I have one more home tour in pipeline so circle back and until we meet again here, stay connected on social feeds, toodles!

And we nailed it.....Our Mask Wall!

If only our walls could talk...while our walls might not be able to talk, we are surely making them a talking point in our home. I believe that walls in our homes truly have the power to speak volumes about our lives and our deep love of collecting pieces. 

With our overflowing collection of tchotchkes from around the globe, my creative idea of a “mask wall” had started brewing ages ago. Now that our basement is done, we had many more walls to free up our creative thoughts. And finally my vision could result into a reality with our own one of a kind wall! The wall was reserved, at the foot of the stairs, from the moment it caught my eye and it was a perfect canvas for showcasing the treasures of our masks.

After attempting one here in our living room and one here in our temple room, we were ready to tackle another one with aplomb. Though, I would be one lost woman if my handy husband wouldn't stand next to me for any decorative front at home. He definitely packs his patience and bears out my bold enough (read crazy enough) experiments with equal fervour.

And just because every new decorating project requires a brilliant fresh scheme I opted for a bright hue of ‘Bean Bag Toss’ paint from ‘Para Paints’ to make the masks stand out. While the rest of the basement walls are done in warm grey this perky shade flawlessly brightens up 'mask wall' display.

Our little wall is finally developing personality reflecting our passion. Each piece here tells a story of the places we have visited and sparks memories of interesting travel tales. The wall is also an ode to those beautiful years we have spent in Africa. In addition to those lugged away pieces in our carry bags from Africa…few masks from our tropical vacations to Cuba, Mexico, and one recently from my last trip to USA are also adorning the wall. Two large wooden panels on sides were shipped back to Canada from Africa.

These two little guys on the floor are actually stylish and versatile seats that I carried back with me when we moved to Canada 20 years back. They fold up perfectly to take on adventures or to move anywhere in home as an extra seat. The saddle leather on top is hand dyed and hand stitched in Africa.

Besides being a fashionable focal point while running up and down in our basement, the mask wall is now sure to kick fire a conversation with our guests. 

Hope this wall has inspired you to kick start your own gallery wall project. Don't stifle your creative thoughts and start tackling one because the best thing about gallery walls is....everything and anything can go!  There are plenty of more sites to scroll and surf through for your imagination. I would love to hear your feedback on my attempt, do drop in a line. Until we meet again, see you on Instagram and Facebook, toodles!