Decidedly Desi home with a Global Whimsy (Home Tour of Priyadarshi Family)

Everyone has a personal design style and knowing exactly what it is leads you to make the most of your home. Our today's home tour proves that having design guts often leads to interior glory while infusing character and personality in spades. Join me as I walk you through a glorious home laced with a genuine reflection of its dwellers and triumphant musing of their personal style.

While creating a colorfully welcoming home that blends their Indian heritage with a new found global whimsy, this inviting abode is established with a decidedly 'desi' décor pallet. An extreme affinity for Buddha, Ganesha and elephants (glad to know that there are people other than me who have the same good taste as me :)) is full-on display all around home. The Indian traditional royal look with "Rajasthani' touch is well layered by extracting best of the pieces from HomeGoods, Pier1 & Cost Plus World Market over the years. 

Meet Priyadarshi's, a Rajput family based out of San Francisco Bay Area. With lavish sophisticated look and full on richness in their surroundings, this family picture is adding more power to the adage: "Home is where our story begins". So, lets begin with Rachna, the lady who left her heart in India has won to create drama and interest through juxtaposition of different style while infusing traditional and modern pieces. Guided by passion and artful eye of Rachna, her daughter Kanika is also foraying into her mom's footsteps as she embarks her own creative journey of design field.  

The scene is set as soon as the door swings open at Priyadarshi Family. Entryway is sort of a calling card of their style leaving the first impression about the design direction for the rest of the home. Two French empire benches are dotted with elephant pillows to enliven the Indian flair. Being able to perch while puling those boots on or off would be luxury in such a space. Placing a brass urli on a traditional handcrafted elephant table shows that Rachna has won to maintain traditional bone while infusing contemporary pieces.  

All the zing and wow of a grander entryway is well achieved with pop of red and glam of gold on the other side. Rachna played up with the opportunity in the smallest transition area which often gets overlooked. Replacing a typical console table, the traditional - hand crafted and hand painted tables here are put at their best use, who says there are rules?  An engaging and scene stealing intricate art piece is making a big statement.  A small temple with an effigy of Ganesha is poised with a fresh approach and a visual delight.  

With jolts of juicy hues and neutral canvas, the living room is a best expression of Rachana's global sensibility. The minimalistic path and neutral background has allowed her to jazz up the elegance by scattering rich color as and when needed. With a neutral starting point, Rachna has kept the door of changeability open, where she can always swap out old accents for a new pallet whenever the next wave of trend rolls in. 

If you have fed your eyes with the beauty here, draw your attention to the bench under the huge mirror...which is actually a covered fireplace. Yes, I knew it will get your heart racing as it did mine too...with the pleasant weather that Californians are blessed with, they do not need a fireplace hence family decided to give some decorative treatment to fireplace with few extra sitting for their social gatherings. The deceptively elegant bench built by Mr. Priyadarshi now serves as a focal point in the room.  

Considering the swarm of people this family expects while hosting parties, they have made the best use of a large room by creating distinct areas, zones and furniture grouping.  

Picking another handcrafted, octagonal Moroccan table with carved Moorish arches cut-out as a coffee table Rachna has won to flirt with the fresh interpretation of décor. Instead of a sizable coffee table, this table can be easily pulled up close to a chair for extra seating or can be used to settle down your drinks. While furnishings inject pops of color, the unique shapes of accessories balance the room's other vibrant components.  

Everything in this room is kissed with all the sparkle, shine and glamorous accents. Rachna, a thoroughbred decorator at heart who harbors a passion and follows the rhythm of her heart, has won to add traditional touches with fanciful and global attributes as room's reflective glamour. A pair of octagonal handcrafted red table infuse a dose of desi glamour, while the accessories atop bring a warm brassy hue into the play. The playful mix of patterns and greens encourage the eye to glance around the room to absorb multicolored yet cohesive design that flows throughout.

If your décor fundament veer towards maximalist - announce it to the fullest. Investing in all the traditional accessories and well curated items Rachna is able to express her evolving style in a unique way.                                     

The youthful family spirit that occupies the home with saturated colors and lyrical patterns continues in the formal dining room also. Unplugging from work and technology, the family compels their friends and families to delight with a spread of mouthwatering delicacies in a great ambience of this room.   

After laying the dining room in plush comfort and extra ordinary array of global finds, Rachana's designer DNA adds a pinch of her bright idea on table top also. Engaging their guests in good food and good mood the family celebrate many milestones here.    

With plenty of choice to satiate the need for everyday comfort, the good times actually roll in the family room where the teenager duo lounge and giggle freely. Leaning in a slightly more modern direction than the rest of the home, the family room is enhanced with electronic recliners to chill out, watch late night movies and make memories.   

The love of Ganesha and elephant is dotted around the breakfast nook also. 

Every time I look at Kanika's room, my inner princess is swooning. It is my personal favorite room in this entire home tour. With those fairy lights, I bet Kanika feels as though sleeping amidst the pages of a royal story in a palatial surrounding. A healthy dose of Kanika's favorite pink color is punched on the wall with that Rajasthani handcrafted hanging, which definitely makes waking up in the A.M. all the easier (or so I think).                                                                     

Little desk in the bedroom provides a quiet spot away from the buzz of the house in a peaceful environment. Kanika also begins her every day surrounded by a sea of good memories above her study. By those two velvety chairs Kanika goes on gossiping with her girlfriends when she is not preparing for her university exams. A decent size of window with a feminine touch makes Kanika's outdoor connection undeniably strong.

To jazz up the elegance, the fairy lights found their way to the sleeping quarters of the couple also, where they retreat to rest and recharge each day. The other side of the bedroom partially impart a masculine vibe with a desk for the man of the house for daily communication on unfinished business. Though, keeping a relaxing chair closer to overly populated collection of books, Rachna has also spare a spot for herself to wind up a day curling up with a book. 

As we end this tour, with all my heart I want to say a big thank you to the family and specially to the lovely women (Kanika and Rachna) for allowing me to share their home with my readers. As I always say, crossing the path with inspiring women with extraordinary homes and their stories help me shape my own life and creativity.  

Just like me, Rachna has also adorned nick name 'Pinky' since babyhood and her Instagram feed is named Pinky Interiors by her daughter. Be sure to connect with the creative duo on Instagram feed here for more décor ideas. 

Until you see me here again, connect on Facebook and Instagram for daily dose of décor, toodles!

((Images belong to Priyadarshi Family). 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) 

DIY Gallery Wall

The eagle-eyed among you may have spotted my DIY project on Instagram feed couple of days ago. It was one of those snowy weekends when I crack open most DIY decorating ideas. However, let me confess, I am really not much of a DIYer but my appetite for crafty projects has skyrocketed ever since this project yielded great results with little to no frustration. 

After going through many "foyer wall" dilemma that I had, this simple, cost effective with high impact idea suited my purpose.  Inspired by the framed 'prabhavalli' that I got it done from a local framing guy on my last year's India visit (see here), I took some creative freedom to do the same with old frames and extra brass accessories. Undertaking this project however did not need any special knowledge or expertise and moreover the result thrilled me. 

Here is the step wise process (luckily I snapped few on my phone) for those who are novice like me to help you understand better.

Few tips:  

• I used the left over frames (from Walmart) that I had in the home but the thrift stores are the best bet to score few frames for this project.

• You may use any kind of unused fabric (I used extra left over silk blouse pieces) However, intense color will elevate the whole look with brass. 

• I ironed the pieces before attaching to frames for an even and smooth look.

• I removed the glass from the frame and used Fevibond (Synthetic Rubber Adhesive) to attach fabric to the cardboard of the frame and the brass accent. 

• You may want to give extra support behind frames to hold up the brass weight.  

• If you don't have brass accents, plain colorful fabric in brocade, ikat, or just about any kind of fabric that speaks to your like or love will equally give you good results.

Now the wall shows my creativity through what I choose to display in my home. The brass bells (another great find of my husband from India) on far left has been with us since two decades but it never looked this attractive. The frames now add the much-needed color and style to this small nook. The pair of two carved elephants is a gift from our cousin from India that he scored from an antique dealer. 

The frames, behaving like a puzzle pieces, are now adorning this nook as if they were meant for it. With a reflective glamour, it now rivets attention to anyone passing by the foyer. And given an opportunity, I wonderfully smug about having it all done by myself :).

Hope this DIY post will bring your hidden creativity to the shore. Feel confident with your style and have courage to experiment. Mix and match - textures, patterns, color, shapes together to create a visual treat. I personally feel this is an excellent alternative to a costly painting or a print.

Until we meet again, enjoy your weekend and stay connected on my Facebook page or Instagram feed for your regular dose of décor, toodles!

Royal Tablescape - Just in time for Valentine's Day

Just when we thought we might head into spring mostly safe, this weekend’s snowstorm dumped snow supply of a year here in Toronto. When the weather is as appalling as ours, our whole attention turns indoors, where I take great pleasure in entertaining because every spirit need a lift (including mine) in this frightful weather. And if you are in with me to warm up your evening and surprise your guests or spouse this Valentine’s Day - take a cue from this post and give them a royal treatment with style, substance and oodles of sass.

I do not wait for Valentine's Day or special occasions because creating ceremony in everyday moments is something I do well. With few extra moments (just about 20 minutes to be precise for this set up) of planning and arranging you can make any evening even more memorable. In return of showing your love on the table for good food and good mood, you will be rewarded for your efforts and attention to details :).

Few basic but very elegantly appointed brass in traditional tone with fuchsia (instead of red for a change) seemed perfect for the occasion. Brocade dupatta is appointed as a table cloth for that royal touch on the table. Let me reveal a secret here…aside from traditional table clothes I have used shawls, curtains, scrapbook papers, gift wraps, paper doilies and many more such material to prettify and shield my table. There is no rule book that I walk around with...rather I take chances and play around with the possibilities ;).

Entertaining is far more than just serving three course meals, its about ambience, about putting guests at ease and about creating an evening that shall be remembered and cherished for long.  The meal you are laying out needs to be appealing irrespective of how yummy it tastes. And that's why before my food gets on the table, the table settings always excites my guests.

A little bit of forethought makes it simple to alter a non-friendly surface into one that is inviting, accommodating and perfectly falling in the rhythm of the season. With love you will have no difficulty in harmonizing your evening. Spare some time and throw some love to stage a festive get-together and make it a pleasant evening for your friends, family or loved one. Stay loved and stay blessed until we meet again on Facebook or Instagram, toodles!

Authentically South Indian Home (Gowda Family Home Tour)

If I begin by saying that this home deserves all eyes, I will be considered biased being an avid brass lover. But believe me, it’s not every day that you come across such homes to share with your readers that reaffirms and strengthens that the future of brass is indeed bright. Dig your heels in dear readers, and allow me a prediction! The next few minutes will have you gasped, surprised and all set to believe my above statement, ergo you stay unstoppable.

We are stepping into Preetham & Bhargavi's super luxurious pads in Bangalore  & Chikmagalur (two houses are featured in one post) to capture some incredible insights into a family that has a winning collection of brass propelled by passion, good luck and hand me downs. I am sure this post will somewhat ‘INFECT’ you with my obsession of brass.

Meet Bhargavi, a multitalented lady who effortlessly gives genius strokes in her homes while striking a perfect balance with her busy IT career. Preetham, the proud owner of the masterpieces, boasts that everyone loves their home, and it feels loved and nurtured due to his better half Bhargavi. Suffice it to say that she is the one who keeps their home aesthetically beautiful when it comes to their well curated collection.
Elegantly appointed interior in traditional tone truly personifies timelessness. And before your questions get volleyed to me.... yes, they are oleographs from Raja Ravi Varma Press. These rare and precious collectibles have been restored and reframed to suit family’s living room. Having an eye to both the past and present, antiques and collected objects live in eclectic harmony with reproductions and modern touches throughout the home.Gowda family pays tribute to pieces that have been preserved from one generation to the next adding a note of the past. As summed up by Preetham, some part of the collection is heirloom and most of it is collected over the period of time hence exact source of pieces is hard to recall. Few are bought in from antique stores, original owners, Sunday markets and art dealers but each one tells a story.

While using lots of interesting individual elements of brass  and art here the couple is aware of the fact that there isn’t need to add any dramatic color on the wall to create added impact. Rather they have left the room in neutral palette that allows the pieces within the space to shine. Adding raw elements such as classically styled wooden textural façade of an old house from central India is repurposed and used as a focal point on the wall to set the scene.

Before you get green with envy with all the brass I have many more glamorous pictures to share...so, hold on there! The age of the brass here seems to have merely brightened its sheer and the decades have only enhanced their dazzle. Preetham's mild interest in brass turned into something serious when he grew up. He is thankful to his wife Bhargavi and parents for their constant support and co-operation who contribute in his passion lovingly.

The family's chikmagalur property is equally pleasing and enticing, where the love of old things is at the core. You will find the mix of old and new and that’s the epitome of Bhargavi's design sensibilities which makes you happy every time you walk in the doors. Their love of brass and art has made its way into every nook and cranny of their make, making it a truly personal and one of a kind place.

                     

Bhargavi skillfully mixed old and new pieces create the impression of having been collected over time. The arrangement is done so masterfully that through there is a humongous amount of metal displayed, it does not appear over indulged and instead sparks hunger for more. It is also a secret to ensuring that a room won’t look dated in coming years. The family has enviably fused various styles and eras effortlessly by choosing neutral palette as an organizing principal. Now that is a beautiful display of a chess board but I personally, would not be able to make a move with all the dazzling distractions around me. If you are done taking in all the beauty from these Tanjore paintings....draw your eyes to that pot that is uniquely used as a book holder.

This image grabbed my eyeballs. Strikingly beautiful display of Paavai Vilakku standing tall and proud. One or two objects might catch your eye, but numerous pieces placed together heightens the effect, giving the arrangement weight and power.

The quantity and quality of the collection in Gowda family home is amazing, wouldn't you agree?

Distressed, matte and honed finishes are preferable to highly polished, reflective surfaces. Each piece is characterized by the extraordinary patina of generations. While perpetuating the creativity and dedication they honor the handiwork or artists and artisans of years past.

You sure can not over look even the smallest corner. The collection in their home has been given new interest and life at every nook and corner. There isn't any inch of wall space or a corner left bare, yet magnificently eye pleasing without being overwhelming. 

I am sure Preetham, who is constantly on hunt, must have had several eureka moments when he encountered that special piece and still couldn’t own it.  

Gowda family owns many masterpieces. And when it comes to displaying it: 'More is more" is the mantra for Bhargavi who otherwise plays safe. When the collection is displayed in a full view, the home radiates an air of quite effectiveness that doesn’t go unnoticed. By the way, did you notice those ingeniously exhibited 'dubbas' and that book holding pot?

Bhargavi has a clear design crush on ‘South Indian” style. Its often the identity and taste that end up being the spark that inspires the overall design of the home. Seen here are the antique coconut scrapers from Tamilnadu, once used in every South Indian homes , are now collected to adorn walls near kitchen. Collection can take so many forms and they speak volumes about the collector if displayed properly. After all, it all boils down to knowing who you are and what you like and trusting your instincts. One can glean so much from looking at this collection and the way it is displayed. By the way, this dining room reminds me so much of Paddy Rama's home tour where she has also used tall antique mirror in her dining area. Take a look here.

I am sure you all got a feel of having walked into an old world era until the reality hits you that we have come to the end of this home tour. I am grateful to Gowda family for allowing me to access to their extensive collection via my blog. Take a bow Preetham and Bhargavi for owning such precious pieces of history. I am also thankful to readers like Anupama Prasad who believes in my passion and points out homes like this one to be featured on the blog.

Here is a take away from today's blog story - be Bold, be unpredictable and most of all don’t be afraid to break so call decorative rules while displaying your collection. All that décor decisions you make about should bring joy to you and not some next door neighbour. Until we meet again, stay connected on Facebook and/or Instagram for more inspiration lovely peeps, toodles!

(Images are taken by Gowda Family). 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)