A Vintage Modern Home Tour (Shalaka Pingale)

It goes without saying that a home should reflect the personalities of those who live there, and their personal touches enhance the character of the space more than anything else. To create a home that gives the impression of loved and lived in, every decorator looks through their own cultural lens. In the diversified world of décor, myriad ethos and styles wildly differ for decorating a home and only few can marry cultural influence with modern design in a subtle yet profound way. Our today’s home tour of the Pingale family can certainly attest to this.  

Old lithographs of Raja Ravi Verma atop an old table with distress finish

In the urban surroundings of Pune, Pingale family’s home is a brief respite from the busy city life for Shalaka, her husband Shantanoo and their two sons. Shalaka, the lady of the home, has perfected the art of blending styles from different resources and possessions from a different era; making their four bedroom apartment a timeless yet sophisticated haven. The indispensable look in her classic and creative home defines how brilliantly she has brought together 'old' and 'new' by choosing the right accessories. Step into Shalaka's home layered with a unique combination of cultural identity and mixed with a modern flair. 

                        

When it comes to defining the chronicles of her beautiful home, Shalaka claims to be a fairly organized lady who breathes "a place for things and a thing in its place" motto. Shalaka deeply loves the rich Indian culture and exquisite craftsmanship that it has to offer. Her inclination and love for antiques is present all through her home, but by blending old and new pieces, she has aced the ultimate balancing act of choosing the best of both the worlds. 

Shalaka takes pride (and my envious look) for working at a leading décor boutique “Sanskriti” (which we featured on our blog here) where she started helping her mother-in-law with her lifestyle store shortly after her marriage. Shalaka had already developed an 'eye' for old things but after she was amply exposed to lot of beautiful things at Sanskriti, she learnt and picked up gradually creating her own décor taste.

Walking on a creative path, her passion for antiques and old items of historical significance continued to shine through as she declares: “Because of the line of work, I am spoilt for choice and end up picking up furniture pieces which are rare to come by. Even on our purchase trips for the shop, I inevitably land up buying a lot of "old" pieces and add to the collection."

The fusion of different era commands attention in different corner of the home

Shalaka, the queen of mixologist, has added a soulful flavor in her home with a unique approach of design. With an amalgam of all diverse styles, she has broken her décor trend from the very ‘Indian’ to contemporary pieces. Seen here is her various collections from stone, metal and wood.  Shalaka verifies, “Like all the statues you see in my home, the black stone Laxmi, the marble Buddha or in brass are all antique. The green glass jars are also from old British era.” 

Metal surfaces throughout in the home have a tarnished rather than polished finish

Indian antiques have always been on the global radar for decorating. In Shalaka's home, they claim a truly unique mélange of cultural inspiration from vastly diverse and ancient eras.

Her home is a complete extension and reflection of their store 'Sanskriti Lifestyle'

Surrounded by the opulent furniture at Sanskriti, Shalaka brings home the pieces that speak to her. Now they don’t only lend a space more timeless lived in feel but also make them part of their home’s ‘story’.

Interesting touches of mix and match. A Buddha corner, Sea green armoire and damchi

As it is said for antiques, “The catch of beauty lies in keeping it real”, and these real pieces in Shalaka’s home fit perfectly with the room’s established color palette. Rare finds and vintage scores are brought back to life with modern prints and fun color.

Great mix of modern elements, classic furniture and bold patterns that speak to home owner's personalities.

Shalaka titles all her cupboards, beds and major furniture as an antique and one of a kind, which are now getting even more difficult to get. To establish a sophisticated look with vintage accessories, she opted for an upholstered sofa. The zippy throw on the sofa is a jumping off point which signals that room is prepared to offer comfort. The brightly hued sea-green armoire is the accent piece that makes this room pop.  

Chaotic jumble of old brass ewers, oriental china ware, handmade cushions, contemporary art pieces, African masks what is not to love about in this room?

Someone like Shalaka, who is preserving the charming element of old and utilizing global accessories, has taken a deliberate care in creating a casual, relaxed & lived-in room. With all trials and plenty of her own ideas, Shalaka has put her best foot forward in layering her home with many global pieces. Her bold approach and brilliant play with the eclectic mix of global objects that have both modern and traditional detail have created an interesting mishmash.

Lively Global mix of Accessories

Shalaka muses: “I love beautiful things and feel why not be surrounded by them, it's a feel good factor. For me, I can think bold and like experimenting with the décor keeping very classic pieces which are one of a type. I think we Indians don't shy away from colour so  I use either a painting, colourful throws or coloured cushion/bedspread to add that splash of colour against the wooden furniture which otherwise can look rather drab however beautiful."

Lacquer Utensils adds feminine touch

Unmistakable global influence is apparent throughout Shalaka’s interiors. Her effortlessly collected home has amassed a vast collection of global wares that she likes to display in her home. Many pieces of her collection have history that goes back as far as the British era. Shown here are the lacquer utensils from Czechoslovakia, that sit pretty on her coffee table décor.

Eye-catching gallery display of English wall plates

Just like all the elements that Shalaka has brought into her space, the walls in the home also declare the personal statement of the design-minded lady.To showcase the collection of old English wall plates, Shalaka has created a gallery wall where the strategically placed cute and quaint plates achieve a balance and scale, clearly taking a center stage.

One-of-a-kind and great finds at Sanskriti has added some buzz-worthy Buddha collection in the Pingale family

Picking up the best of these pieces from the décor mecca ‘Sanskriti’ have not only enriched Shalaka’s repertoire but also enabled her to mature her style.  Wisely chosen and smartly blended Buddha statues allude a calming effect.

Green plants dot many corners of the home

Shalaka is a big fan of layering small pops of green into her space. Many of her vignettes and corners around the home are a happy fit for multiple plants. Just as dramatic as her art piece and as pleasing as her antiques, Shalaka seizes every opportunity to infuse plants in her décor.

Few more of her rare and statement pieces. 

Tireless quest for the ultimate vintage finds for the store leads the lady an opportunity to pack away with few of the most exotic pieces for her home also. Shalaka, who finds herself drawn to the sense of history believes that, these pieces offer most classic designs in furniture and never go out of style.  

Front Porch.

"Being fourteen years in the profession, one learns fast and you have an eye for things." says Shalaka, and I could have not let her go without spilling the beans on her experience and expertise of home décor.  Here are few tips from the lady:

·  So what if you fail while making choices for décor, we all make mistakes and get a better understanding of things by learning from these mistakes.

·  I hear this very often from customers at Sanskriti and in general that "Oh, our furniture is all dark finish or it's very modern or "A" particular type." "This piece is beautiful but will not "match" my home."  I personally feel there's no such thing as "it won't match", in fact, the contrast looks rather nice. If you place them tastefully and smartly then they bring out the beauty in each other.

·  If you can't change/afford to change your bed indulge in a great bed spread, for sofa either change the upholstery or even cushion covers, these small things can completely change the look on a very low budget.

·  I also love the use of indoor plants, which by themselves act as an accessory and add a colour.

Thank you Shalaka, I am sure your inspiring tips and home tour will encourage our readers to express themselves with a different approach in decorating. Also a big thank you for welcoming us very generously in your beautiful home. The home tour, we have been pondering over since August, would not have been done without your kind and patient indulgence. Wishing all the very best to you and your family.

And to all of our readers, thank you for taking this journey with us, hope you enjoyed the tour as much as we both relished putting together. You can connect with Shalaka on her Instagram feed here and the décor mecca Sanskriti Lifestyle here. And until we meet again, stay connected on Instagram and Facebook feeds of Pinkz Passion, toodles.

(Image Courtesy: Shalaka Pingale. 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)