Color Crush!

Though I often find myself in the clutches of shopping tangle, there are the times when I know for sure for certain things I HAVE to, I MUST, I NEED to add to my décor. What thrills me more is that whatever new treasure I find, it magically expands to fit in my existing décor. When shopping God is on my side, I can’t help but collect things I love or catch my fancy (there…I said it…). This process though, makes my home ever evolving and interesting. 

Perfectly placed to catch the light

On few of such encounters, I happened to bump into a gaggle of these colored glass bottles and their perky and showy side, seriously made my mind to create a collection. For someone like me who doesn’t over-board on color and rather adds bits and pop of color in décor, these were just perfect. When it comes to our collection, we all are like little magpies ;). And today’s post is about roping you all into a saga of these uber adorable bottles and an unacquainted collection I happened to make.

I forked out these super cute set of bottles on a recent visit to “Hobby Lobby”, buried deep down in a clearance isle on 80% clearance of their original price….BINGO….there was no way I would have turned my back on them. The glimmer of an idea to bring them into my “custom styling” was good enough for me to become the catalyst that gave me the direction. Now they are happily layered to grab some playful use of color along with other things I love. Wouldn’t you agree that seeking out diamond in rough and seeing the potential within rummage is a great skill ;).

As you all know me by now, my coffee table is my fertile ground for my experimentation with pattern, color and presentation of my eclectic collection. Here are the votive candle holders from “Michaels” that came home (again on a clearance for $1 each). Entangled in the grips with the fact, I often find myself that leaving behind something that appealed to me is inevitable. Thus, after an inner battle between 'Love it' or 'Leave it'... these candle holders came home. Now every time I walk into this room, they instantly transport me back to my favorite store and that moment. These cups/candle holders will be now mixed and interpreted in myriad ways for positive results :).

Certain finds put me to the test…how far can one go for a deal? These vibrant mini bucket sort of candle holders from “Yankee Candles” are also a great deal and a recent loot. They turned out to be a real satisfaction score. Embraced with mix and match style, they make a statement piece placed anywhere begging an invitation for a closer look. Injecting them meticulously in a unique way and mingling them with the other accessories, completely erased the flat catalog feel and translated them into a personalized design.

 

From every story of my shopping gaga in the past, there is always something I picked or found with their future in my décor. Now they all happily co-exist in a diversely collected style which thoroughly defines me and my style. It is important to find out what moves you and let it tailor your personal style. Hope this post will inspire you to be the ‘Brand Custodian’ of your own style, in creating a successful and inspiring collection.

Until we meet again, stay connected with Facebook and Instagram for your daily dose of décor inspirations, toodles!

Kaleidoscope of colors (Home tour of Mallika Sinha)

With the right amount of chutzpah, our today’s home tour is a giant step away from any ordinary one where; the ability to look at things differently has work in our home owner’s favor. A home where esthetics are defined by its youthful energy and bursting bold colors, that will leave you audibly gasped, just like me. 

I, for being one Buddha fan, fell in love the moment I clapped my eyes on family's brilliant collection of Buddha and decided to kick start the tour with their grand collection curated from around the globe. 

Our today's feature is on the Bengal native “Sinha family” who now calls Abu Dhabi their home with two darling daughters and a grand mom. Mallika Sinha, a bundle of talent, leads the pack of homeowners and takes us through the journey of her home, which is a treasure trove of memories of their distant travel and bringing their adventurous personality to the fore.

The Sinhas are globetrotters, and there is nothing more exciting for them, than to travel and explore. The touch of their well versed travel life is intact and evident in their slice of heaven. Wondering what they bring in their backpacks? Keep an eye on as you start reading to discover what fun little trinkets they have curated from their travel.

Mallika, an art and DIY pro, is also a head honcho at jewelry line “Agomoni” where she has a knack of creating one of a kind jewelry inspired by colors. Similar fervor can be seen throughout her home, where she has debunk all the myths and upped the game concocting her own design fundas. Her own art creations, vividly patterned bright cushions and an African chest from her dear friend greet you upon arrival at her entry way.

The lady who marches to the beat of her own drum revels in colors. Colors absolutely thrill her and her unique and daring décor choices with interplay of color throughout the home, very much dictate her flamboyant personality.

Sinha's art passion overrode home is loaded down with the masterful use of colors, patterns and textures creating a calm, carefree and expressive space that blends arts and souvenirs.  

The bold and brimming living room is willingly given a lick of vivid emerald green accent wall to hang Mallika's art work. She takes hint of pride declaring about that lamp which is a DIY from a tripod stand. 

Mallika, a shopping freak and an avid antique collector, draws inspiration from her travel life and has managed to pull together polished look not only in the corners of her home but also in her personal jewelry collection.

Mallika effortlessly alters the look of this open concept living room by using removable covers for sofas.

Striking color palette and interplay of different tones makes her open concept living room alive and engaging.

The influence of ART has steered her interest in kicking up quite a few projects under her belt as she channels her talent through various art forms.

The jetsetter family latches on the idea of exploring local markets on their every vacation and many memories of their travel life has been scattered around home. Mallika beams that her fetish for collecting is often rewarded with some new and unique pieces by her daughter or husband’s distant travel also.

Mallika comes away enchanted by her travel vibe and has collected pieces from Indonesia, Africa Japan, USA, Thailand, Malaysia, and of course India, which her home truly reflects! 

Art maven lady is poised for success in her home life and often loves to loose herself in a world stitched together in art and DIY. She gives new spin to old bottles by coloring or painting on them. Few of them are given the creative freedom and set as a lamp also.

Mallika opted for the bank of windows that frame the beautiful sea-facing view outside, where nature can be observed in its complete glory throughout the day and breezy evening.

Before we conclude today’s home tour, I have to share few more corners of style savvy Mallika’s previous home. Her husband Sanjiv’s work has made their life evolving at many different countries which permits her plenty of more opportunity to play around with her decor. As you may notice many personal treasures have followed her from her previous home of Kuala Lumpur, displaying her life.

Sinha Family's previous residence in Kuala Lumpur:

 

And as we wrap up this home tour cribbing few notes from her steer clear decor, hope you would also take a leaf from her tasteful and generous collective home. Thank you Sinha’s for graciously allowing us in your home and sharing your personal treasures. Leaving you with an apt quote of Fashion Designer Carlos Miele which fits perfectly for our today's home tour.
"I don't see boundaries between styles, such as modern or contemporary. I've collected each piece from a different experience or period of my life."

Until we meet again stay connected on facebook or Instagram for your more décor inspirations, toodles!

(All images belong to Sinha Family and can not be used without prior permission)

Holi - The colorful celebration

Puttering “Holi” pictures on the virtual world has sent me in the same vein as you, if you are also nurturing "Holi" blues with a twinge of envy just like me, for being detached from all the festivities back home. These festivals graciously allow us to remember old days especially to those who are far away from India, where any celebration of any festival is always at the peak.

Few thoughtful, few silly and few heartwarming honest moments evoke fond memories of my childhood. As I recall the days vividly, where the hurly-burly on the road and vivacious friends on the street play with colorful tradition ardently. 

        

Briefly toyed with the “Holi” idea, I have attuned a corner to celebrate Holi this year unlike last year's fanciful décor. Charming amalgams of my antique brass diyas and yummy colors have brightened a corner, which compliments the festival in our home. 

And for your dramatic finale of "Holi" I have got you covered with this light, fluffy and of course creamy "Thandai Mousse" to please any size of your party crowd. Certainly an impressive dinner party dessert here is delicately flavored with thandai that really brings out the spice when mixed with wickedly rich cream.

 

Ingredients:

• Whipping Cream - 1 cup
• Regular milk - 1 cup
• Water - 1/2 cup
• Thandai masala & syrup (readily available, and if not, there are gazillions of recipes to make at home)
• Shredded almonds ( Few drops of food coloring for a dramatic display)
• Agar-agar powder (China grass powder or Gelatin) 1 spoon
• Sugar ( as per your sweet tooth)

Instructions:

·         Whisk the whipping cream till soft fluffs are formed;   keep it in the refrigerator until ready to use.

·         Dilute agar agar powder in ½ cup water and cook on low flame

·         Add 1 cup of milk to this water and keep stirring

·         Add 1 spoon of Thandai masala and 1 spoon of Thandai syrup

·         Add desired amount of sugar (thandai syrup is sweet so taste and add sugar accordingly)

·         Bring the mixture to boil until everything dissolves and milk is wee bit thickened.  

                     

Let this liquid cool down on room temperature. Once ready, place this liquid on top of an ice cube loaded bowl and mix vigorously, it will start thickening soon and to avoid any lumps, the mixing constantly is necessary. Add in the whipped cream and fold in until both are evenly combined.  Transfer the mousse in serving bowls or cups and garnish on top with colored almonds or any other dry fruit you desire. Refrigerate for about 4/5 hours and serve. The colorful array of almonds make it an enticing dessert. You may play with any flavor combo you may like to make this mousse.

(If you have opted china grass as a replacement for of Agar-agar powder, you will have to cut china grass into small chunks and blend it down into a coarse powder before using, you may also have to strain the liquid for left over pieces of china grass before mixing the whipping cream)

 

Okay party people hold on, as on the spirit of HOLI, Sonal Gupta, the culinary expert at Simplyvegetarian has rounded up with all sorts of deserts and snacks for you to toast your festival with. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to be a part of her festive collective.  To earn yourself more desserts and snacks head straight to her blog where she has oceans of other recipes to feed inspiration for your upcoming festive parties from rest of the fellow bloggers.

We, Torontonians, are spoilt here with many friends and this festival fever of Holi has gripped us firmly, hence, we are going to mark the day noisy way in our own neighborhood. If you celebrate sober way or smudge the beautiful colors on your loved one's faces, enjoy every bit of it as these simple pleasures of life light up our world, signing out wishing everyone very happy festivities at your end, until we meet again, stay connected on facebook or instagram, toodles!

Aurea...the exquisite blue pottery

“AUREA” denoting a resplendent beauty which holds sophisticated pottery designs of Jaipur tied with an efficacy. “Aurea Blue Pottery” is an exquisite pottery label of a creative force Roopal, who started this venture dexterously for not only modelling the brand uniqueness but also determining a new future of blue pottery in Jaipur, India.

 

Earthenware clay is an exciting material handed down since prehistoric times and the bygone era of a caveman. Ever since childhood, I have been always enchanted with the exciting material and the versatility of clay. The squishiness and a sense of touch endure an exciting journey of discovery and turn into an incredible creation. Though, to our surprise, Jaipur blue pottery is the only form of pottery in the world which does not use clay. The timeless collection of blue and white is put together without the use of natural clay or mud. The look is accomplished by blending powdered quartz, glass pieces and other minerals to make the clay-like mixture for making blue pottery. Jaipur’s blue pottery is created with a low-temperature glazed pottery with a single firing process.

 

Hitting all the right notes, Roopal embarked on a project with the target of bracing the traditional art of blue pottery and by all means supporting the local artisans. Roopal articulates about the launch of “Aurea”: “Aurea Blue Pottery was eatablished in late 2013, with a couple of artisans and a vision to revive the craft of Jaipur's blue pottery. Jaipur's blue pottery which was once in popular demand both abroad and in domestic markets, has been losing its popularity. From my interaction with the artisans and buyers and reports on the Web, we realised that although much work had been initiated towards improving the quality of materials used and processes involved, there were a few areas which still needed improvement. First, being the need for design intervention, so that the village artisans could keep their products in tune with the trends of modern households. Second, was the need for well planned marketing efforts, so that these products could reach their intended buyers. And most important was, the need to restore the quality of craftsmanship which had been dwindling due to the artisans trying to compete with low cost mass produced ceramics.”

The Turko-Persian originated blue and white pieces boost sophistication, glamour and pizazz. The classis, timeless and stylish wild scheme of blue and white will  never fail to take the center stage or spark a conversation in your home décor. The amalgam of designer style and traditional art will merit any colour scheme.

 

Aurea swots the trend of the globe for a best product and collects the information from a diverse sources for a better appreciation of the products. Roopal squarely accentuates on their theory of upscale product motto and a signature design strategies of Aurea:  “A beautiful blue pottery item stands out because it speaks for itself in terms of the neat hand work and free-hand yet precise designs. But the artisans were producing hastily done low quality products so that they could sell them for less, not realising that it was leading their craft to a long term wreck. Our objective was simple - to spread awareness about the marvels of this craft and work on designs which automatically appeal to the contemporary connoisseurs. And our goal was to make each specially designed product with the care and skill that this craft deserves, so that the superior quality fetches the right value.” 

With the festive season approaching, sparkle your home with this trendy yet affordable antiquated designs created with peerless expertise. Aurea assures to provide the tasteful yet trendy souvenirs, a thoughtful gift for your office, or a great arty, stylish addition of the traditional accessories for your home.

Aurea caters from the facebook page. Or better, next time, when you step your foot in Rajasthan (India), do visit Aurea’s retail outlet in Hotel Rangoli, M.I. road, Jaipur.  To get connected online or order, head to their website here. I would like to thank Roopal for reaching out to Pinkz Passion  and showcasing our readers an extraordinary features of Jaipur blue pottery. We wish you all the best for all future accomplishments, until we meet again, toodles!

(Images: Aurea Blue Pottery)

Fashionista Fiesta - A celebrity home tour (Manish Arora)

Designers undoubtedly choose the language of color to communicate. Freedom of dipping in the pool of possibilities to foster the perfect color choices is deep seated in designers. They haul around hundreds of shades of color to pick the perfect one. Today's post gives visual record of one such designer. 

Manish Arora, the fashion aficionado, is the most renown and inspiring fashion designer. The Indian designer Manish is branded for his high-class stylish and trendy play on colors.

 

Along with his designer clothing, the bizarre color palette in his color rich home reflects his frisky logic, opulent mind and of course his Indian affection. Color is often forerunner to fashion for these designers who marvel at having good eye for it.

A designer who seems to justifiably known for bold and brave colors proudly claims that he is not afraid of colors. A monochromic color scheme all the way through the apartment involves the use of different hue in varying tints, tones and shades.

 

Keep your eyes and heart open as we head into Manish Arora's colorful world.

 

 

A neon pink poodle and a robot dog greets his hot pink entrance. Quirky and fanciful tones are set from the entrance for you to seek out unexpected.

 

 

 

Lush and dazzling arrangements make the entire space glow. His collection of Persian dolls at the entry way and few sacred and epic figurines beautify his engraved fireplace mantel. Hot pink had to be slapped six times more than regular coatings to achieve this bold look in the room.

  

 

Hippy black and white rug and threesome of rimmed aluminum lamps above the wooden table look stylish to serve the meal elegantly. To take a note, extensive mishmash of chairs were scored from Paris flea market.

 

 

The designer chews on only cheerful entertainment hence, ‘Tom and Jerry’ takes frequent rounds on his home screen projector. The second hand sofas are also refurnished in Manish Malhotra’s signature print textile. Drama and excitement completely set the stage in this room. 

The kitsch and retro look decodes the designer's style mantra. These perky tangerine trims mixed with bright mint green define the space brilliantly. The kitchen is the smallest part of his apartment as the designer never cooks.

A thread of the same bold minty green color is continuously curving through the visible space to create a connecting link. Few of his playful manga comic characters are mimicking on the shelf along with peculiar collection of clown hats.

The eccentric arrangements of several souvenirs fetched on his travels are worth mentioning. Tiniest pieces of his collection enhance the charm to the décor and depicts the stylish personality of the designer.

 

Multiple bold colors and patterns are all jumbled together on the bespoke wall of prismatic glass panel, a statement piece created in India. It doesn’t only reflect the changing nuances of color but inordinate amount of natural light is also flooded through. Don’t forget to glance at the big strike - the rosy pink claw foot tub parked pretty on these elegant Parisian tiles.

Designer’s slumbering “adda” is rather calm and quiet. Posing above the bed is stag skull and antlers add the countryside hint in the room. The floral beddings are again from designer’s own collection. Grouping of trinkets decorates the fireplace mantel of the bedroom. Repurposed movie theater seats and taxidermy oddity of a parrot completes the designer’s personal sleeping quarter.

Wasn't it a flight to fancy? The designer revels in color using it in every nook and cranny of his apartment. Psychedelic swirl of colors states the story of designer’s joy and personality.  Carefully chosen unusual hues of bright colors beg you to stay and play all day. Concluding the kaleidoscopic tour with designer's happy go lucky words:

“My design aesthetic is all about happiness. You can feel happiness when you enter. People smile when they enter my place and smile again when they leave.”

Until we meet again, stay connected and have a splendid weekend!

Picture Source: Via Lonny