Boho-chic, eclectic, modern and dramatic (Home Tour of Manmeet Bassi)

The excitement is always palpable in every new home tour and this home is not an exception but opening the door to this one took a wee bit longer 😊. Nevertheless, here I am with a home where global details and pieces from various eras come together for a blend that is easy going and warm.  

Following the rhythm of their heart the couple has won to kept their style cool and collected with textured looks and chic accessories. The tour of this cool meets cozy home will convey the energetic spirit of the home owners while tossing you a comforting hug from every corner of the home. Come on in!   

Say “hello” to Manmeet, a seasoned traveler, an ex-hotelier, a self-made artist and a Punjabi Kudi married to  a hotelier Bengali babumoshai. 'Globe-trotter' is the word that best describes our today’s home owners. Being in the hospitality industry, the couple has been journeying in different parts of the world. Before settling in Kolkata, the couple had not only been located in Ireland and Hongkong but within India also they have moved around quite a bit - Goa, Hyderabad, Amritsar and Rishikesh to name a few.   

Travelling has not been only there to show the ropes but it also has paved the way for more advancement in the couple's lifestyle. Hence, the source of décor inspiration in their home, differs from each travel destination. Manmeet personally cannot put a label on her décor style...but why put it up when there are many possibilities to explore. Looking at her living room, one cannot deny that the slice of Indian heritage perfectly fits into her modern interiors with the unpredictable mix of objects. However, she confesses: “I am quite influenced by the latest trends and try to incorporate them in my present setting in small doses”. 

With an impeccable sense of style and passion for decorating, the home resonates most effectively to the couple’s memories of the places they have visited and loved. The couple has embraced a lifestyle more aligned with their travel. Manmeet points out that she picks up the local art pieces of every place they have lived in and visited. 

Besides decorating, Manmeet has also dabbled in art and is currently occupied with the new found passion to the fullest. The brightly hued paintings are proudly highlighted on the walls of her home. Manmeet shares this enriching experience with the rest of the world via Instagram handle of Lifescapes_by_m. 

Manmeet has not only dared to, but also succeeded in challenging and changing conventional décor norms by adding her own signature paintings around the home. Every corner in this artist's home is a trip with her insightful, intelligent and impressive take on life through the strokes of her paintings. 

Manmeet always approaches every project with ‘CAN-DO’ mindset. Blending her love of art with her love of distressed and vintage furniture pieces around every corner of the home is fine-tuned. She candidly mentions about it: “I personally believe in fengshui, so you will mostly see happy and vibrant colors in the house through my art and decor. I also feel my home gives a very holistic and earthy look and also it has a bohemian touch to it. It’s more like a mix of old and new with my choice of vintage stuff and distressed furniture dotted around the home”. Distressed credenza in the above pictrue and the cabinet in this picture are from Jodhpur. 

The couple loves to travel and has poured their creative energy in their home. This corner has a visible Goan influence with Mario Miranda artwork on tiles and a vintage - old bar cabinet. Manmeet has accessorized with personal touches and statement pieces to re-define the simplicity of her home with a dash of drama.   

To achieve a sympathetic blend in décor, Manmeet embraces old while ushering in to the new.  With a happy collision of different cultures Manmeet has created delicious visual stories using the heirloom pieces around the home. Emotions tend to run high for her when she talks about it: “The utensils that you see all over the house are very old and very Bengali. They are called Kansa utensils.  I have proudly inherited them from my mom in law and have used them for the decor rather than in the kitchen”. 

Manmeet harbors a passion towards plants and flowers and she confesses to be a flower addict. Her personal taste and preferences for plants and flowers are easily translated in her design goals. To keep the drama going she makes amendments in her plants and flowers on regular basis to excel the style quotient of home.  The wooden sculptures (MAA Durga) and wooden musical instruments in this collage are acquired from Bengal. 

Manmeet’s flair of drama towards her home is quite popular with her friends as well. And upon quizzing them about her home decor style, they chalked out good characteristics of the lady and her home. With a shine on her face, Manmeet shared the outpouring of appreciation with me. And her friends give a clear insight into her home and herself, wouldn't you agree?   

• “Your home looks like a house of a well-traveled person with a lot of exposure.” 
• “It’s an artist's home. An extension of your fine personality 'welcoming and warm’ to all. Gives very positive vibes” 
•  “Very much a reflection of your personality and inner self and ideology that you hold dear to your heart, it’s curated by self-for self” 
•  “Very classy” 
•  “Earthy and holistic” 
•  “Good earth vibes” 
•  “Boho-chic, eclectic, modern and dramatic" (This was an ideal statement to describe Manmeet's home hence I had to steal it to title this home tour) 

With ease being her priority in decor, Manmeet spills the beans about her design style:  

• I believe in up cycling things and hence have used the ladders and other old furniture pieces.
• To refresh my decor, I give a bit of a modern twist to old furniture by using trendy upholstery and cushion covers wherever possible.
• I love Fab India furniture so some pieces are from there.
• All the cane furniture is custom made in Hyderabad. Keeping our transitory life in mind, I have used a lot of cane furniture. It’s light and easy to move with. 

If you are someone who doesn’t like to play by the rules of the court, this would be the home tour you’re looking for. Manmeet has won to pull little bit of everything together creatively to make it a gorgeously fashionable and a very pleasingly decorative home. 

Thank you Manmeet for letting us visit your home virtually, as I wrap up this home tour, wishing you and your family all the very best. 


I have one more beautiful home tour in edit/write phase but I am planning to hibernate during this freezing cold Canadian winter ;), so until we meet again, stay connected on social medias of Pinkz Passion, toodles!

(Images are from Manmeet's home. 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) 

Perfect, Pretty and In Place (Home Tour of Kinnari Parikh)

Tell me…do you have a friend where you drop by for an event or pop in for an unannounced visit…any day...anytime…everything is perfect, pretty and in place? Why, you ask? With a current state of mind filled with anxiety and excitement taking you today on one such home tour of a very close-knit family friend who is not only known for an impeccably organized skills but also a warm hearted lady.

Nestled within a quiet and leafy lane off the bustling city Toronto, there is a home that has been under the scanner of my eyes since long to be featured in my décor radar - a home of Parikh family, lovingly known as “Parikh Parivar”. 

Kinnari Parikh, the lady of the home - whose perfection itself has become a benchmark …whose thoughts, feelings, and attitudes closely match mine, whose generosity is popular lore in our social circles and who clearly knows how to eke every inch of her home. Her home radiates warmth, laughter and love of the couple and their both charming girls that she dearly dotes on. 

Any well thought out home with just the right energy smells good, feels warm and looks inviting - you may instantly hit with these characters upon arrival of her entrance. Vibrant ingenuity welcomes you at the entry way, which is brought to life by a dotting different forms of Ganeshji falling perfectly in the rhythm with the core of her ethnically Indian home. 

An exquisite and visually loud effigy of Krishnaji, which the family bought from one of the local artifact store, compels you for your short stay in her foyer. Her home is a chock full of lovely architectural detailing and this niche is a part of it which sets the tone for the rest of her home. 

And here is the family’s darling living room which creates a warm space with contemporary details and a bit sprinkling of brass. The family has a separate dining room with an added convenience of walk in servery and a less formal family room completely devoted for their family time. Both the rooms are work in progress and Kinnari is still scratching her head tackling these rooms.

My collection has created waves amongst many of my readers, and she being my avid reader and follower, takes a leaf from our collection. My creativity has given her wings and driving inspirations from my vignettes she has pushed her creativity to another level. Shown here are the best of her collected pieces so far. The 'baby gannu' reading a book in a relaxed pose is my favorite and was bought on our Diwali visit from a local temple.

Soft pools of light via wall lamps and candles are making the living room feel much cozier and inviting.  Beige walls, dark toned hardwood floors and juxtaposition of vibrant patterns and colors amplify the décor quotient of the room.

Family treasures are not merely decorative objects, they remind us of the people who matter us the most. After all, these inheritances help us to plug into the past and keep us closer with nostalgia and history. Entrusting the same funda that I follow for my heirlooms, she has also learnt to put those antiques at the best use. The heirlooms in her home are dotted with a whole new perspective brimming with a new life full of emotion.

 The evening mood teases out a unifying colour of brass here. 

The multi-functional and visual anchor here is the kitchen island, which adds space and functionality in her most used room. Whether it’s a home work time for kids or they decide to pitch in to help for dinner, the extra land on island comes in handy for any additional use. The island is also a witness of our impromptu ‘chai’ (a Kinnari special) sessions and gossips ;).

Kinnari is genetically wired to have a spotless clean home and takes due care and attention to the quality of her surroundings. The ongoing delight of having a place for everything and everything on its place in her home, always makes me pick up tips on how to declutter on very visit. 

 

As we wrap up this home tour, wouldn't you agree that Kinnari has assessed the space with same gusto as per personality? Her home is a sign of their well-lived life, family heirlooms and favorite memories that lend a character to make her house a home.  Signing out, wishing all the very best to "Parikh Parivar".

And until we meet again, stay connected lovely readers, 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) 

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!

Half a year is gone..it's June!

As we welcome June, half a year is gone and even though we still have couple of weeks to announce official summer in my part of the globe, the scorching heat, since last few weeks, is painting a complete different picture of spring for us Torontonians. I gargled enough about unfaithful Canadian winter and now fairly earn to quip about the sunny days :). Seeing Mr. Sun shining splendidly intense here, every day, makes me nostalgic, reminding me of Indian summer where we grew up without a weather apps or having a glance at meteorological conditions.

 

Life is chiefly busy these days donning several caps at a time. As we unleash the long held idea of making room for summer fun, we are browsing through and running across the list of things to be taken care at home front. Struggling between my demanding personality and buffering thoughts, hubs dear, who is frazzled enough, is turning a blind eye and letting me cut and paste my dream projects at home front by waging a battle here with contractors and workers ;). 



To blur the trauma, “Keep calm and carry on” dictum is in effect with my ‘Zensational’ Buddhas on the coffee table. The beautiful snapdragons, my next favorite flowers after tulips, are adorning in a brass vase. Pop of red votive glasses add that color punch on the vignette. Accompanying also our new addition of darling li'l Buddha who constantly reminds us, "Not to dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment". 

Even though, I have my hands fiddled in many happenings, I have got you covered for June with:

· A hometour with enough eye popping wallop to keep you glued on the screen at the blog front.
· Few frames of my warmly traditional entrance, where I follow my own whimsy and alter the look as and when my mood strikes.
· Our urge to wander this month will land us at another exotic location of Indian ethnic hotels.

Everything bubbling this month at Pinkz Passion is worth pleasing , so stay connected until we meet again, toodles!