Stylish and Edgy with a Touch of Tradition (Parikh's Home Tour)

There is something intrinsically pleasing about today’s post. Unlike our traditional home tours, this beautiful and opulent home tour will raise the spirits of contemporary and traditional lovers. Come along to a very stylish and edgy home tour of a power couple who are popularly known for their diverse design sensibilities and who love to be in the presence of beautiful ambience. While carefully and tastefully decorating their home, they have won to keep the elegance and simplicity with a touch of tradition. 

A wall decal in the family's kitchen

Keeping it sane while getting adventurous with bold color combinations and quirky accessories, this fashion forward home of Kishan & Sejal Parikh perfectly captures couple's charming qualities and One-Of-A-Kind décor style.    

                                        
Kishan, a technophile IT professional, has dotted geek gadgets throughout the home (There is a home automation (smart home) done through music system and Alexa  
App, which can play the music the family wants as well as controls smart lights and thermostat - freaky isn't it?) and Sejal an ambitious corporate lady and a glamorous diva, who thinks outside the blueprint and maps out every detail when it comes to peaceful & pleasing decor that couple envisioned for their home! The empty nesters whose son is now in university are enjoying their new phase of life with a positive outlook.  

Parikh's excelled at the shopping part and have ordered custom pieces throughout the home. Standard furniture or accessory wasn't their suit, instead they settled in for impeccable materials that created quirky vibes to style their space. And one can definitely nod in agreement when they land to this chic, urban entry way dotted with a modern setting. The eye-catching pedestal and bright chandelier bring a bit of subtle sophistication and striking appeal to the entrance of the home.

Monochromatic color schemes might sound the easiest palette to execute, yet it can be so challenging to get it right. With muted tones of bold and brilliant color duo of black and white, the couple opted to go with a color combination that is always hip and works well with any theme. As told by the duo: "We remember the origin to this idea was a visit to a model home setup at one of the home shows we attended years and years ago. The first project therefore turned out to be the family room with a black and white theme. Numerous visits to furniture shops resulted in us acquiring the main furniture anchor pieces in both black and white - a set of trendy black and white chairs, a white Italian leather Daybed, a majestic white quartz top bay window sitting area and a matching carpet with a futuristic high gloss center table complete the look. The smaller decor pieces keep on arriving as and when we find them. Circulating these keeps this room fresh, dynamic and agile."

Totally, the soft washed family room is a place where one can feed all your senses, enjoy the touch of textures and visual treat of favorite art pieces of the family. With plenty of comfortable seating the space is perfect for solo brainstorming or entertaining a crowd of people. To maximize the sitting area the custom-made bay-window is included in design scheme which makes the beautiful planted backyard part of the room from giant windows, where they convene, entertain and enjoy each other.

After playing with absolutely fail-safe black and white combo, the couple let their imagination run riot with the most brazen hues in the living room. It is drummed into us that color is the greatest way to convey personality and this room without a fail is a fabulous reflection of couple’s style where there was no fear of big bright splatter of color and playful prints. Totally opposite adroit mix of vibrant tangerine and green apple imbues the room with energy while making it a juicy conversation zone for their guests.
What the couple has to say about this room: "We went all out and took the boldest route. Intense internet browsing sessions followed to identify the combination. We zeroed in on an orange and green combination - one high on the boldness scale! A living room does not give as much flexibility in decorating options as a family room. The approach was cautiously bold. We decided to bring in the walls before we proceed on to the furniture and wall art.  The wall when colored gave an A+ look. That brought us the confidence to match the color of the furniture pieces to that of the wall." and oh boy, modern they went!  The bold C-shaped ouches are entirely made-to-order befitting the space requirements of the room. Small visual echoes - such as the graphic rug, abstract art work and the black accent wall ties the room together and makes the look perfectly balanced instead of overwhelming. By mixing the hot hues of vibrant tangerine and apple green with taming neutrals like grey and black gives this room an entirely new spin. Captivating natural black accent wall with stones is an immediate eye catcher. With accent lights overhead the charming wall creates an enchanting effect at night. 

A thoughtful evaluation process has helped the home owners to hone the game plan of their kitchen. Their kitchen is a hefty financial investment where they put their own stamp and design including the flushed in refrigerator and dishwasher. As they coined out about their fuss-free, minimalist and chic kitchen : “Both of us also love a modern style of decor which you will find as a constant across our home and lives. A bunch of ideas in the kitchen here also came from what we missed in our previous home’s kitchen”.
The strikingly clean and undeniably stylish kitchen at Parikh’s does not play a role for the preparation and dishing up of food but this place is amalgamated into a multipurpose zone. The island offers an extra ordinary chance to make a spectacular statement. Parikh’s are the confident hosts and love to entertain friends with their culinary activities.Consistent modern style of decor is carried forward in most of the rooms except their temple room where they let their Indian traditional roots to take over their modern perspective. As told by the couple:"Taking time out to tastefully decorate is a challenge in our highly engaged lives. However, we do not compromise on quality or the outcome. Projects are taken up one at a time to do proper justice and obtain full satisfaction be it a kitchen, a backyard, prayer room, family room or the living room. We like to be bold and trendsetting.” 

Trendsetters indeed! A Meticulously adorned temple room of Parikh's is a visual treat with devotional art and geometric patterns on the wall. The ever enchanting effigy of “Lord Krishna’ is transported via courier from India especially for the temple room.  Sharp features and sweet smile on this figurine makes one completely mesmerizing. The couple treasured those kutchhi embroidered pieces that once belonged to their parents and framed them to keep as a memory. The altar where the ‘murti’ is placed is a DIY weekend project that couple took over. Not settling for anything usual, the couple decided to make-over this corner with few clever touches on a simple IKEA TV table. With the help of white sheer drapes and red backdrop they won to create a perfect temple like ambience in the room.

As I am concluding the post, anyone can easily belt out that the home owners are high performers when it comes to home decor; their wild working lifestyle didn’t put them away from achieving a warm and inviting space that says ‘Welcome Home’ every time anyone walks in the door. Thank you Parikh's for opening your home and heart for us. Wishing the family all the very best of the world.

I am pleased to be launching this unique and modern home tour on the blog that’s been in the works and kicking around my mind for months now, hope you all my readers enjoyed it as much as I had fun putting it together, until we meet again, have a great rest of the week, toodles!

(Images are taken by Pinkz. Please do not use the images without the prior written permission of the home owner and Pinkz Passion however, you may re-pin them from Pinkz Passion's Pinterest account) 
  

Home Obsessed!

Everyone has their own version of homes; our home is an extension of our selves. An outlet for my creativity, a source of pleasure and comfort. You may also call it a bit of an obsession and a culmination of all the best décor thoughts that I had stored while throwing in some curve balls.

 

Though, this home, which has been a work of passion, will complete four years in May…and what a perpetual journey it has been. Our home has been pampered, valued, twisted, often spoiled and above all loved. My mind was crowded with mystical million thoughts when the process actually begun. How I wish it was as easy as a click of a finger. My husband and I together dissected every décor thought constructively with our chosen theories, that often lead to hot discussions also ;). Looking back at it, we feel proud to have a home that is filled with the welcoming warmth that reflects our personal ethos and style. 

Somewhere in between this home philosophies and aesthetism, my blog took shape. A blog that has not pushed but has gently opened that door to expand
my passion for the creative abilities. A blog that declares my love for home out loud. I am a décor junkie and this little passion of mine just satiates my heart’s desire but when I hear from you all… be it for our Ganesha collection, our home décor or brimming brass, I feel I've done the right job. We all just need a gentle prod to credence our vision and I feel elated when I see sent in pictures by my readers, that my posts are just doing that for many of you out there. Thank you all for being on this journey with me.

I have seen people with fitness obsessed, food obsessed, fashion obsessed but I am home obsessed...I said it. It is very important for  me the way my home looks...whether there is a crowd or just me, I want my home to feel intimate. But wait...if you are here, I believe you are also mildly into it to...;).So let's together make a place that is warm, inviting and beautiful...a place that you are proud of...a place where memories are made. Until we meet again, have a great weekend and bump around on Instagram and Facebook, toodles!

The charming abode (Celebrity home tour of Irrfan Khan & Sutapa)

In our celebrity home tour segment, get whisked away as we step in to a home with oodles of character and expertly balanced interiors.  The impressive look has been achieved in Actor Irrfan Khan's new home, by infusing and pairing the charming elements of unique and timeless accessories. The actor, who has already created his mark in Bollywood & Hollywood, is now all set to woo away his fans as a passionate and classic home owner to this beautiful apartment which is a brief respite from the busy “Mumbai” life.

 

The brightly hued entrance is a jumping off point in the apartment where color plays the key role and juxtaposition of new and old makes you thoroughly smitten. Frames and carved panels are sourced from a craft heavy region of Rajasthan, whereas the artefacts on the wall are from the private collection of the Khan couple.

Shabnam Gupta, the head honcho at Peacock Life Design, who designed the interiors, has taken deliberate care for each and every nook. The spacious living room is suffused in natural light. And the pond & swing in the middle of the living room are not easy to miss as they both were ticked off as ‘MUST’ in the home. Cute and quaint use of ‘charpoys’ are brought back to life here with a modern avatar. Strategically placed frames, plates and urns are the couple’s private collection.

The Khan’s private chamber is kept minimal choosing the right accessories to make the maximum impact. The floral motif and Gond art on the wall is done by the in-house artists of Peacock Life Design. Khan had developed an ‘eye’ for old things since long and these rare and vintage finds of chair, rug and stand in the room are  from Irrfan and his wife Sutapa’s personal collection.

I, unflinchingly, fell in love with the indispensable look in Khan's home, which describes how brilliantly they have bring together old and new. Head straight to the link here to read and view more. Until we meet again, stay connected, toodles!

(Image: Architectural Digest)

August is like the Sunday of summer

Nothing beats jamming at the cottage in the pleasurable company of favorite friends, I am back and snuggling in the warmth and comfort of “Home Sweet Home” after all day’s work.



New loot of votive candle holders from Yankee Candles 

Ignoring few moments of displeasure we had another hit year of cottage stay where hilarious conversations, strong connections and team work with few favorite friends made it a huge success. Beside all the perks of cottage life we excursed sandy beaches, scenic caves and abundantly lush green Mother Nature. We put on the tune and woo away life’ stress with few leisurely games of cards and late night chit chat ‘chai’ parties to officially authenticate our absolute madhouse stay at cottage. Kids chuckled and giggled leaving behind memories for us parents to relish in our empty nest syndrome.  Though the compulsive long stroll after their “Pokemon Go” adventure definitely made them a lot more overexcited ;)

Even though, we Canadians are blessed with the richness of nature, we don’t have fairly enough hot days to enjoy outdoors and August being the typical hot month we have plenty of sun to soak up in the sizzling hot days. With the spilling long list of “things to do” in summer, for now, our disciplined 9 to 5-er life is far eluded. And with overflowing guests, I am always in the "hosting mode".

Though, until we meet again, you stay connected lovely peeps for few lined up posts up here and enjoy August. Don't forget to take a chill-pill as August is like the Sunday of summer J toodles!

Tulip Touches!

You are familiar with my décor chronicles now, one treat I always have is fresh flowers in my décor. Nothing puts a shine on my face like flowers; their captivating presence spreads a childlike glee within me.  Decorating trends come and go but flowers will always be a hot look to suit any style.

                                 

There are quite a few flowers which tick me off but tulips are something I have to add in my décor as soon as I spot them at the florist, they unavoidably land in my shopping cart (of course after lots of struggling to pick the perfect colour)  

With warmer days approaching,  image that spring to my mind is only tulip. Let me walk you through some luxe touches of tulips around our home. These carefully constructed vignettes are reflecting the spirit of spring, which seems like a dream after yesterday’s massive snow storm that completely changed the direction of Mother Nature’s idea of transporting spring here. Outside is still chilly and damp but inside everywhere ravishing tulips are brightening up our rooms capturing the ethereal beauty of spring.

My compulsion to add brass in any vignette and fondness of tulip emanates warmth on this eye catching display on my coffee table affirming flower power can never go wrong.

 

Speeding up spring by infusing tulips in every corner. Along with flowers, personal treasures like this German silver pot links you to a visual story. A proud possession like this brings soul to any room which is very hard to feel or form when you start everything from scratch. 

Take a step back and run an eye on what you already own to attire your flowers. Flatter the style by carrying their glow in beyond a standard vase. Let your imagination flow and carry their glow in something unexpected. 

Extraordinary blooms like tulips festoon everything with ease on this globally hallmarked vignette. Beautifully compilation of warm and cool colors is cementing in every sense. Corner like this, melts away all our fatigue when we surrender ourselves and catch a breath after hitting the rough day.  

Though we are pretty much blanketed in snow for now, so, you can see spring, you can smell spring and you can feel spring phrase seems completely nonviable. For now, I am hugging the possibilities of spring and refocusing my attention on positive moodiness of this post. Hope you all are inspired to bring little spring touches around your space and brighten your home with some tossed in warmth of tulips. Until we meet again, stay connected on Facebook or catch my feeds on Instagram or plug in your email address and subscribe for all future posts, toodles! 

P.S. If you are an avid tulip lover like me, you may lead your read right here for more tulip factoids.

Oriental Splendour (La Sultana Marrakech - Boutique Hotel)

Stepping our feet today at the door step of exclusive, La Sultana, a boutique five star riad supremely located in the very heart of Marrakech, Morocco. Where ancient culture, deep texture and rich colors cohabitate. Unique traditional architecture and authentic riad style property creates a feeling of an exclusive refined decoration.  I was bowled over by the traditional muse with modern touches and hence here I am to take you on a virtual tour with me.

Every square inch here is infused with whimsy and glamour bringing the cheerfulness of Moroccan artistry. The riad is totally empowered with vibrant lively patterns and fine artisanal workmanship.

Silky ethnic fabrics, colorful flirty rugs, carved wood furniture, large antique mirrors and forged metal Moroccan lamps bring these suits alive and engaging.

Strictly limited color palette frames this suite. Traditional intricate Moroccan stool and upholstered plumy velvety chairs pull the scheme together. Handsome giraffe here frames the door smartly, while the large patterned mirror draws your eye towards the fireplace.

Carved cedar wood ceiling, complicatedly carved marble brackets, dark salmon hues on walls with a mix of African accessories scream the traditional riad style décor. Loved the rare fusion of style and culture in this suite.

My personal favorite is the bedhead in this elephant suite, bordered by two carved elephant tusks. To unify the punch of pattern, exquisite embroidered quilts and blankets are carefully placed. Vintage styled Moroccan lamp adorning as chandelier adds the soothing and exotic mood in the overall ambience of this suite.

Luxurious pink marbles play a key role in this breathtaking spa. Wall, columns and floors are throwing a bold show here. Charismatic lined up Moroccan light fixtures are well-edited here. I wouldn't mind being treated with Moroccan traditional therapies in this glamorous elegance.

The terrace is bettered by unique lanterns employed perfectly for stunning evening effect. Dinner at this striking terrace over looking the old town with skyline will be the perfect end of the day after all the pampering. 

To see more of this unique and timeless "La Sultana" you can visit right here. Signing off today, but until we meet again, stay connected, toodles!

Image courtesy: La Sultana Hotels

Home is where heart is... (Home Tour of Shweta)

The adage “Home is where the heart” beyond doubt demystifies this infectiously cheerful, make-you-smile style, homey home tour of today.  Dash of soul and deepest passion of D-I-Y are the ingredients that brilliantly blend the comfort and style of our today’s home owner Shweta Markandeywar.

Nestled in a cozy town of Arizona, the décor and DIY packed home has some envy inducing homemade to hand me own treasures tailored to family's own style and preferences. As we weave the space together,  join me with all your ears (or eyes, rather) to delight your eyes and trigger inspiration.

Shweta’s pompous testimony of being her home “an ideal mix of color, patterns and somewhat eclectic” is spot-on, as her entrance positively hints out what’s yet to come. The arrival attracts our attention and envelops you in an arresting take with two flanking elephants used aptly for placing her greens.

The couple is plugged into a vast source of creativity and have achieved more than a mile long DIY projects through out their home. Driven purely by DIY ethics, the homeowners outline and shape the place sagaciously by building this low sitting “Baithak” with little bit of elbow grease and lots of love. The hardworking piece of settee now takes the lead in her living room.  

To fine-tune this creation, Shweta gushed about adding a playful spin with few foam cushion and throw pillows to keep things fresh in the room. Now friendly presence of this piece uncannily echoes championing a successful DIY mission.

Buddha anchors the main wall taking the central look in her airy open concept layout where chuckles and giggles are boundless, when couple enjoy “Harry Potter” nights with their 2 young boys.

Just like many of us, Shweta uses her coffee-table as a vehicle for an ever changing display of things she loves. Little hand me down pieces are always attuned to their surroundings, being their personal favorite. She chimed in with me declaring heirloom pieces like brass flower carrier and "paandaan" are the top picks for both.

A touch of luxury and oodles of nostalgic drama radiates from little corners of her home. Stenciling an ordinary lampshade here gave a striking difference turning it into an unusual piece. The Krishna frame at the head of the table is an old calendar, which Shweta’s father in law framed and gifted the family on her last visit. The orphan alcove is now a focal point with other clusters of hand me downs.     

The tight arrangement of a cohesive collage wall spreads the moments of memories on her staircase. These haphazard arrangements of loved ones, journeys or special events dominantly tip-off family’s time lapse moments to cherish every single day while running up and down the stairs.

DIYs are promoted throughout the home and couple’s fantastically glamorous bedroom delivers a bold testimonial where Shweta didn't shy away from giving her bedroom a brave treatment. She has hesitantly flirted with this hue of blue in her bedroom and to add an extra kick she stenciled the accent wall. This ingenious DIY creativity of stenciling is a real turn for anyone like me, who has ever considered pursuing it.

Moving same things in different spots keeps the same bed room feel fresh and new.

Visual moments are waiting at every turn of this home. The master bath wall is framed by Shweta’s beautiful drawings of cherry blossom branches in aqua and punctuated by tiny swinging metal cages making the place look noticeably exquisite.  

The right storage in right spot adds style. The attractive “bling” storage and double digits of shoes collection here is displayed skilfully in Shweta’s closet for finding it quick and adding a little personality in a space.

Wrapping and stapling small pieces add a dose of pattern on the walls of her Guest Bedroom. The softer shade of misty teal in the room is suited to delicate nature of a guest bedroom. Who wouldn’t love to land in a soft place like this after a journey?  

A budget friendly “wow” factor is also added in the kitchen. Another clever DIY secret of backsplash turned out a rescue mission to remodel the kitchen. Shweta loves how the copper tone backsplash blends in beautifully with her black granite counter tops. Ditching out the old ugly ones, the couple also replaced the handles of the drawers with lion head copper pulls and maple leaf pulls for the closets.

Funny decals and organized space makes the mundane task of laundry more fun for her. An old frame pinning her son’s baby clothes are to the rescue in her laundry room. These small tweaks mark a world of difference in this tiny space as well.  

Now, as we come close to this tour, taking you lastly at the darling little space of home. The backyard, a perfect spot to retire in the evening after a hectic buzz of city life. Shweta chimed in with me that living in Arizona have its perks, as they can use the backyard all year round (I declare my official envy here). She proudly maps out creating different nooks in her garden, “I had some left over shipping pallets which I turned into a day bed and completed the "baithak" for our patio with throw pillows, which is now a centre of our relaxation being perfect to lie down, reading a book or day dreaming on lazy days.” This compact place also has another inviting nook with two concrete benches and an adorning Indonesian Buddha statue, where Shweta put a playful spin (with another DIY) on a fire pit with curved bricks and a metal bowl.

The couple has advanced their home with sharp wit and offbeat charm. DIYs throughout this home express home owner’s personal knack and inherent quality for elitist projects in the home. I truly hope that the wealth of DIY experience in this home tour gave you a nudge you needed to kick-off your own projects.

Sealing off this home tour with warm wishes to the home owners. Interacting with this bubbly and cheerful lady has been my utter pleasure and I wish to record her warm thanks for letting us in and around her home. You may join her equally inspiring posts on her Instagram account here. 

Until we meet again, stay connected, toodles!