Exchange of Diwali Creativity

Diwali is time to decorate with absolute abandon and our homes are the highlight of the festive season. My feverish state of ‘impatience’ is cured and “feel good” phase is back as Diwali preparations at my end are perfectly falling in the rhythm.   

Diwali is a wonderful time for creative expressions. The herald of festive season has not only me on a massive decorating mode, but also the mammoth virtual land of social media, which is also brimming with festivity fervor. To bring some inspiration for my dear readers, I reached out to few of our readers and fellow bloggers to share their creative inspirations. They graciously shared their outrageously creative ideas for Pinks Passion, doused with a generous does of glitter and dazzle to match the spirit of Diwali. Preserving the traditional bone, they all have enlivened their dwellings in their own unique style, that reflects a perfect applaud for the festive season. Jump on the bandwagon and enjoy the visuals from their festive homes.

  

 Neha from A Cauldron Full of love  

Neha, an avid gardener, a home decor enthusiast, a self-confessed food connoisseur shares her well thought out vignettes.  

Ganesha Vignette: Every new beginning, everything auspicious in our home and in many Indian households is celebrated with the blessings of Lord Ganpati. This vignette conforms to the same with Lord Ganesha on a peacock throne, tiny elephant diyas, and my favourite Golden pothos. I loved the details on the elephant diyas and instantly bought them for Diwali. 

Buddha Vignette: This Buddha statue holds a special place in my heart for 2 reasons - first, it’s a lovely gift from my MIL and second, if looked closely, it depicts the entire life of Lord Buddha from being a prince to an ascetic to the enlightened one in the form of detailed carvings all over the body. The Buddha symbolizes inner peace and serenity and hence is a focal point in my home. The little bird diyas, an impulse buy from an exhibition and the lotus tea light is from The Purple Turtles, a lovely store in Indiranagar, Bangalore.

Peacock Diya: If there's something that creates a warm, fuzzy feeling in my stomach during Diwali, its the amber glow of the terracotta diyas. As kids, and even now, we light up our oil soaked diyas immediately after our Diwali Puja in every single corner of our home. I loved this beautiful brass peacock diya the moment I set my eyes on it. Here, its set against beautifully woven white chrysanthemums and red roses on my favourite chakki table, which I must add is a versatile canvas for all my vignettes.

 

Shalu From Temple Bells

Shalu, (whose plethora of fantastic treasures we shared here) is a decor enthusiast, shares her  warmly traditional corners where brass, Diyas and flowers are the tag team that make this festival come to life.

Stitching the thread of memories, an eclectic mix of silver and flowers are adding the glorious touches of celebrations at my end. Silverwares are my mom’s handed down heirloom pieces that evoke nostalgia as and when I bring them in my décor.  

Nothing else can beat the gentle glow of flickering diyas and home grown flowers on my brass settings. After rolling up my sleeves and getting my hands dirty on some brass cleaning, finally my console table is adorning few of my priced possession.  

Diwali is a much-loved festival of mine & I think, eat, drink, & sleep decor ideas during this festive season :)! I am a traditionalist of Indian decor and always try to emanate with new ideas every Diwali and this year is no difference, I have used an antique wooden ladle holder to display the flowers & lamps as my table setting for festive spreads.

  

Jayeeta Chakraborti - A reader of Pinkz Passion

 

Jayeeta Chakraborti is a fitness lover and a home decor enthusiast, who also happens to be a loyal reader of Pinkz Passion. Her décor and style are equally inspired by the traditional vibes of India.

Home decor is Yoga for me. This gives me immense joy, motivates me to create something new, helps me release my stress.

Being a Bengali, our main festival is Durga Puja. But we try to celebrate almost every festival whether it is Ganesh Chaturthi or Diwali. I especially do this for my kids so that they learn about our culture. Also when I decorate my home for a festival I feel my home becomes a peaceful place where we all can live happily!

"Less is more" - I try to follow this simple rule when it comes to Diwali home decor. I try to keep things simple yet elegant. I read Indian as well as Western home decor blogs regularly and these are the sources of my many new ideas for home decor. I try to incorporate my own ideas with that and the end results become a whole new thing!

 

Paddy From Decomania 

It would have been a total amiss if I have not asked Padmaja Rama, aka Paddy (whose home we recently show cased here in our home tours segments) to share her festive flavored home, where essence of Diwali is loudly felt. Tucking in the well wishes for the festival, Paddy shares some portraits from her Diwali ready home.

Welcome to the bedecked Rama home during Diwali. Diwali is hands down my most favorite festival, just as it is for millions of other Indians around the globe. Living in the US, there certainly has been a moderation in the way it is celebrated. Nevertheless, we Rama's make every effort possible to keep the traditions alive and make this festival authentic and exciting for our kids. This is the time I try to bring to life, my nostalgic memories from life back in India and re-enact the rituals and the fun activities that I have experienced. I test the limits of my DIY endurance around this time, be it cooking or cleaning or festival decor. 

During Diwali, our home decor gets enhanced with an extra drama quotient, both inside and outside. Kolam/Muggulu, clay diyas, external festival lighting, tea lights, lanterns, flowers, brass, more brass...the house is decked up completely, like a new radiating bride. 

That being said, I do believe in staying green, minimizing the efforts, curbing mindless buying as well as keeping the home safe and kid friendly.

Ultimately, the most important thing, festival or not, is to cherish life, celebrate and create best memories with the true lights of our lives - our beloved family members!

 Dolphia from Story of Cooks

 A bubbly and cheery food blogger with an infectious smile, sends beautiful corners from her contemporary home, brought alive with dramatic Diwali decor.

Diwali meant much more than Durga puja to me. Everyone has their own way of decorating their nest for the festive season. And this is mine, I like cozy, compact settings, because every time I enter it gives me a warm embrace.

I am not a fan of colorful, bling-y products so it’s a tad bit hard to shop for me. I like white and golden when it comes to festive décor, so I invest some golden and earth colored props and perk them up with white flowers.

And as we conclude the post, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to all creative divas, who contributed their Diwali adorned homes for this festive special post. I greatly appreciate this lovely exchange of creativity and hope you dear readers have been inspired thoroughly with the decor ideas.

 

Circle back with me this Thursday for another Diwali Tour of our Living room. If you missed the entrance tour, head straight here for some bite size ideas to adorn your corners. Until we meet again, stay connected on Facebook and Instagram, toodles.

Decked up Entrance - (Diwali Special Part-1)

As we approach Diwali, I cannot help but get nostalgic about my best childhood memories around the festival...the aromas of wonderful traditional food, the spectacle of colorful decorations, the glow of lights in every corner, the thundering sounds of fire-works, oh the euphoria!

Fast forward many years, although the grown up rat-race has subdued my bubbly childhood cravings, the pent up anticipation for Diwali still manages to surge; and I do my best to tackle the feat of earnest celebration with panache. This year is no exception. Welcome to my entry way that is currently brimming with Diwali preparations and inspirations.

On festivals like Diwali, I suffer major transformational moments and for me, nothing heralds Diwali like the eternally elegant brass. This year, a dominant shade of deep red with a lavish dose of sparkling brass is sprinkled throughout our home, fostering a classic traditional palette. Our entrance that usually wows every guest, has been elevated further in style quotient with an extra dose of color and bling.Akin to my changing seasonal wardrobe, I also rotate decorative pieces around the home to complement the passing season and moods. For special festivals like Diwali, some buried treasures are unearthed from my treasure chests and displayed around my home for that extra festival oomph. Like this old fashioned "Jharoka" that adorned the entrance in our old home now comes out for special occasions like this.

Unconventional pieces like my antique brass ice bucket used as a vase here, added that depth and dimension to the shimmering decor here.

The bold palette created with a personalized amalgamation of sparkling brass, colorful flowers, Diwali diyas and the patina of some well-loved pieces enriched the festive look I wanted to orchestrate. If you are visiting first time here, take a glance at the paintings above the console, they are creations of our artist in the house, our teenage daugher.

Our glittery, shiny and gleaming entry way is all set with the spread of festive accessories.

Diwali is the time to spruce up any dull corner begging a zing. Remember, those often forgotten corners offer that unlimited décor prospective to impress your guests upon arrival. The niche beside our staircase also offered a potential of more decorating opportunities and grouping of few metallic accents here, with varied heights made this darling little space a show-stopping alcove.

If you are eyeing those urli stands, they are the our new additions for Diwali this year. I could not pass on the 50% off offer on these awesome pumpkin stands at Pier 1 and they now elevate and display my urlis beautifully at varied heights. Also friends, this is the same treasure chest where all  my goodies jumble when they are not in use ;).

The heirloom piece here with intricate work is an antique brass lamp, displaying a subdued glint through layers of age-induced patina. The brilliant craftsmanship and elegance of this beauty draws attention to its aesthetics and an intrigue for the bygone era.

If you are looking to pep up your decor for this festive season, browse through your collection and build a scheme. You will be surprised at what you can come up with. For the festive punch, diyas add that rich glow and flowers, a freshness in any décor. The combination of both is surprisingly effective. I didn't shy away from using the vast collection of my clay and brass 'diyas' that I layered together, perking up the corners with a bold radiance. 

The wooden engraved box is also another recent addition from Home Sense Canada. The rich gold details on the box with some diyas perched on top, adds some visual drama to this corner.  

As a concluding visual, here is a bird's eye view from the stairs, where the lit diyas in a dramatic setting brings to life, our dull nook that has now become a highlight of our entryway.

Hope you all get a good boost out of all the sparkling ideas in the post and will now spruce up your place with this inspiration. I do have a number of more posts including a Diwali tour of our Living Room planned for you between now and Diwali, so I better get busy! And for you lovely peeps, stay connected on Facebook and Instagram for more decor sagas to celebrate Diwali with me, until we meet again, toodles! 

A Dash of Glam on your table ( Diwali Tablescape)

Come of Diwali season and I get into the décor mode with the frenzy. Décor mania has gripped me very hard just like every year and I have started weeding through the best of my décor pieces to reflect Diwali cheer at my end. Along with delectable array of Diwali feasts, treat the eyes of your guests on a dining table laden with loads of sparkle and glimmer. Adding a festive interior spice will make that royal-on-going festivity of chiming cocktails, devouring Diwali delicacies and delicious tête-à-têtes into a memorable one.  

If you haven’t yet given a thought of your festive tablescape for this year, let me help you construct one with the kind of things you use all year.  The series of such small pieces at my end have created a larger impact on the table occupying as layers for the festival. 

The Diwali table is one place, I love to play and plan even before deciding the menu. A fine idea was brewing in my mind to use these brass coasters (recent loot from Home Sense) on my Diwali Tablescape and 'ta-da' they look fantabulous. 

For that extra little glittering effect, I went overboard with the self-adhesive ribbon from Michael’s. It was super easy to peel and paste on my bare table runner. To add more interest, I also tried the ribbon on some ordinary looking candle votive. And I think I got lucky to achieve that richer look on the table, what say?  

Along came the “Navratri” bangles as candle votive on the table. These bangles are a token of love from a dear aunt but they unfortunately didn’t fit me and I didn’t have heart to pass it on to someone else. With their flashy color, I decided to let them join us on the tablescape :). They befitted perfectly with my golden theme.

 

For a festive look, choose metallic colors such as brass and silver, they are not only timeless but they never fail to cast a spell to bright up a space.

Try a hint of red, it always works for me. From flowers to candles to tablemats, few thoughtful touches of red can go a long way with your any decorative style.

It doesn't take a lot of time or money to create a beautiful table....just a bit of imagination. Muster up some table skills and run with this as an inspiration to build one with an easy, cozy vibe so you can wonderfully smug about having it all done for the crowd of your favorite people.  You may also refer to my last year's 'Diya tablescape' here.   

We have couple more Diwali Inspiration posts lined up next for you all, so, until we meet again, stay connected on Facebook page and Instagram feeds of Pinkz Passion, 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)

Shades of Autumn

Mother Nature’s color palette is incredible this time of the year and I love transporting few shades of outdoor colors inside.  Though, summer started bit early and ended late in our part of the world, I am ready to bring on some subtle transition to welcome the cooler weather and festive time of the year. Once September rolls around, I look forward scheming for fall theme around the home with vibrant fall colors to take over this season.  To make it feel like fall in our home, this year a side table is elevated with a dash of fall makeover.

For altering any seasonal look, I likewise shop things around my home and bring in the things I already have on my hand. My overflowing drawers, cabinets and basement bins are the victim of my décor madness (I think many of you can relate) and they get re-shuffled every season to bring in the those long-forgotten accessories that blend my scheme beautifully.  Seen here is my ‘faux’ fall floral arrangement placed on top of a copper tray along with my brass dancing idols (tossed in with a bit of my brass addiction).

 To bring in that rustic feeling, few dry stems from our ravine are employed here in a similar rustic jug I happen to fetch from Michaels Store last year on a clearance for $3.

 

All the shades of orange and red votive candle holders are called in for service to bring in the luminous effect on the table. Fall 'mini' wreath is positioned as a candle votive holder to bring in the few more splash of color.

 

A season appropriate look this year has been incorporated by packing lots of color, details and without breaking any bank. The corner now eludes perfect mood and ambience at dusky fall evenings. 

Create a modern take on the fall décor, the variety of such arrangements is boundless and you can modify it any way you like it. You can choose inexpensive apothecary jars filling in with little pumpkins, acorns or even dry fall leaves. Chalkboards with great fall quotes are also great. Get inspired and bring in the fun elements in the corners of your home to welcome the season.

Until we meet again, enjoy this transition and  circle back this month with a lined up posts for the festival of lights, toodles!

 

Royale Rama Home Tour - Part 3

We are parking ourselves today, at the final juncture of Rama family’s home tour: Part three, covering the kitchen and library. Just as I fell in love, so did hundreds of you lovely readers, who swooned over this stunning home and expressed your open admiration for part one and two. Now you will be glued to part three as well, with equal adoration. 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.

The Library:

Paddy is a voracious reader from as far back into childhood that she can remember, a quality she says is inspired by her mother. Reminiscing the days of her childhood, she recollects visiting the local library regularly since the age of four with her mother. Regretfully, she had to abandon boxes and boxes of her book collection when she moved to the US, but her love for reading remained. Needless to say, when Rama family bought a home, they needed a designated space for their keepsake books.   A look out area, overlooking the foyer is dedicated as the family’s reading nook. Although Paddy does not get enough time now to read, due to the fact that her kids are too young, it did not stop her from creating this darling little reading space. She creatively curated her ultimate book collection along some knick knacks and décor accessories.



Cozy reading nook in the upper level, overlooks the foyer.

The Antique book shelf came to their home along with the tall mirror that the family have in formal dining. This teak hand carved shelf is made out of architectural salvage from a traditional south Indian door frame. Of course, like rest of the eclectic pieces in the home, there is a story behind this piece too that triggered Paddy to bring it home. “The thing that instantly attracted me to this book shelf was the yellow paint at the bottom, symbolic of most south Indian door frames. Applying turmeric and kum kum as many know, is an ancient Hindu custom and painting thresholds in yellow and red paints in various rangoli patterns, was a modified practice adopted later, reflecting the same symbolism. Growing up, this threshold art was one of my favorite chores that my mom used to give me during major festivals. When I saw this book shelf with a yellow paint retained at the bottom, it flashed very vivid memories from my life back home!"

Apart from books, the shelf is peppered with interesting Knick knacks, toys (kondapalli, marapachi), and other figurines.

Adjacent to the shelf on the wall, are three ornate mini picture frames that are garage sale finds. Take notice how she fixed them to the wall with a mini brass bell inside each frame! The bells again.... now let's whistle! :)

The floor seating channels a wonderful cozy area to laze around with a book or a chai.

The very comfortable, personal and unique “baithak” area is created for practical reasons keeping family’s young children in the mind, who love climbing over furniture and jump around. Canny use of colors via vibrant cushions brightens this dramatic setting. 

A kathakali painting by Paddy peeks from behind the dancing kondapalli toy in the shelf. Tabla set is perched on a vintage trunk here (yet another garage sale find).



Wonderful collection of Buddha in the reading nook

The brass stand seen in the picture (seating the Buddha statue) is originally an antique brass tray, a gift from her aunt to which paddy had gotten a welder fix brass legs to make it a stand. Another brilliant idea!

The lovely space is used frequently by Paddy's husband Vinod, for his tabla practice or meditation

The Kitchen and Family Room:

The kitchen and family, held as the heart of Rama family are done in an interesting contrast to the rooms in the front area of the home. The décor diva, who likes to throw an element of surprise into everything she does, considers the styling of these rooms to be the surprise that eschews the expectation of the décor trend set in the front section of her home.

The styling of the open plan kitchen and family display a perfect balance between pleasing aesthetics and practicality.

As per Paddy, a considerable thought has gone into this design decision: "As much as I like the traditional Indian decor, I also love the fuss free, minimalistic and serene ambience provided by contemporary designs. While the front part of our home is done in a traditional style, where we embraced color, patterns and bling with abandon; the heart of our home i.e. family and kitchen have been done up in contemporary style. The main reason for this decision being we needed a clutter free space for my kids to run around. As such, there is enough mess to cleanup every day (from my kids and kid's dad), so making this choice made my life easy and manageable"

The arresting feature in the family room is a giant crystal chandelier, complimented by a row of  more crystal light fixtures all the way to the kitchen. A Howard miller two sided clock throws an unexpected vintage pop into the otherwise glam room

A Howard Miller double sided clock mounted on a pillar post, midway between family and kitchen lends a practical, yet stylish solution for checking time from any side!

The pops of color come from the floral and fruit display in the room done in neutral palette. The lighting fixtures are like the sparkling ear rings for the beautiful, serene face of the rooms!

Though minimal, the choice of furniture and accessories from the off-white Natuzzi sectional, the Gray leather Nuevo Living bar stools, custom made coffee and dining tables, the radiant light fixtures, all together make a stylish yet practical family retreat for the Ramas.

Air plants and succulents by the sink window compliment the style of the room. 

Paddy created a mini-world full of lush, beautiful plants by  making her own terrariums above the sink window.

Their custom made low dining table is a big hit among her visitors who love to 'sit down' literally for a meal or tea on this simple yet lovely table.

The kitchen dining is styled in a contrasting theme to the formal dining, where the family got a low table custom made through Amish craftsmen. Paddy wanted their family to have a 'cross legged sit down meal' in the traditional Indian way. So she opted for the Japanese style table that accommodates this idea in a contemporary setting.

The fruit that is always there on the side bar adds a splash of color to the room. Paddy is famous in her circle for her French press coffee that she makes, by grinding beans fresh for every brew.

Her red clay pots and accessories add a hot glam factor to the kitchen. The red delicious apples in the picture above are from their own apple trees in the yard.

We all know by now, that every visible corner of the Rama home is meticulously designed and expertly arranged. The same also applies to the areas that are not always visible. A peek into Paddy's pantry and cabinets shows her sense of order and organization skills that are as impressive as the visible areas of her home. 

All the containers are labeled with re-usable chalk markers. Seen above are re-purposed baby food jars.

Says Paddy: "When it comes to organizing, I follow the same motto I do for decor. The inside has to be as pretty as the outside. This includes inside the cabinets and all enclosed spaces."

A peek into her meticulously organized cabinets

However, Paddy credits her mother for this habit, who herself had organized kitchen shelves and often made Paddy responsible for the organizing chores.

A look at her highly organized pantry and some more cabinets.

By her own admission, Paddy declares that she is a messy cook (Nope, I refuse to believe that ;)). Paddy says: "I have a ton of clean up after every cooking session.  Keeping the cabinets, pantry and kitchen organized is a way to help myself. In general, I prefer to know clearly, instead of resorting to guess work as to what is inside a container :)"

As we come to a glittery end, we officially end the Rama Royale Family home tour here. Though I relished the entire process of writing, editing and blushing over the sprinkle of applause by the readers, the best part was to bond with the décor diva Paddy. I thank her for showing great faith in me and giving me an opportunity to feature her heavenly home.

For final closing, passing the baton to Paddy who signs off, stating: "Our home is evolving and growing, well nurtured by our love, interest and the memories we are creating in the process. I am not sure if I will ever stop and say it is completely done; for my passion for decor is insatiable. As long as my very grounded husband willingly provides wind beneath my wings and allows my creative flights of whimsy, I guess I will keep flying and continue the jaunts :). And you Pinky, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for narrating my home story with as much love as I have had in decorating it. Thank you for presenting with such aplomb and poesy, all the corners and frames of my home; and in the process, also making an amateur photographer out of me!:)"

And a final treat for you all as Paddy lovingly made a video clip especially for the readers of Pinkz Passion summing up all three parts of this home tour. Enjoy!

 

You can connect with Paddy and her inspiring feeds on Instagram here or Facebook decomania here.

What a wonderful journey it was....hope you all enjoyed the part one , part two, and this last part three as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you. We thrive on the love and encouraging feedback from our lovely readers. Take a moment to leave your comment. Also stay connected until we meet again dear readers as with the month of festivities we have beautiful posts coming your way, toodles!

(Image Courtesy: Padmaja Rama. 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)