Rang Barse...Holi Themed Party

First of all, a big bear hug on passing the mark on 20K followers on Instagram and almost 7K on Facebook. So far it has been surreal and exciting journey filled with glory and gooseflesh in equal measure. However, learning and exploring has never ended. While staying true to our roots, I want to push the creative envelope and provide with the best and distinctly unique posts (implying I have a wonderful home tour line up). I am so grateful for the phenomenal support over the years. For all the people who have looked through my passion to help them choose their home décor stories, I am humbled, touched and incredibly thankful.   

As you all already know that I’m a sucker for a themed party.  Maybe it’s because of the fact that I love decorating and designing spaces but I also think I’m drawn to this kind of parties because it brings out inner happiness, positivity and vibrancy in me. Think about it, have you ever seen a themed celebration and thought it looked boring?  I don’t think so.  You just can’t help but be in a good mood when you are surrounded by vibrant colors, good food and of course great company. So, given a chance again, I pounced on an opportunity to organize one at home for the upcoming ‘Holi’ festival. 

When it comes to this festival of vivacity which is so vibrant, cheerful, and festive, you can never be verve enough. I decided to choose the quirkiest and the most colorful ambiance I can go for!  I brought out all the brass pots & colors I had and played around with the setting and voila...the center piece was created in less than few minutes. 

When everything about Holi is as vivacious it could be, having a dull ambiance can make your Holi party a major disappointment amongst your guests. Keeping the same thoughts in my mind, I incorporated a whimsical set-up with the help of my traditional danglers and marigold garlands to create an aura that would be perfect for Holi celebrations. 

I opted for a multicolored theme and added in beautiful and colorful paper flowers that complement the theme well. These paper flowers have been collected over the time from Michael’s and have been used abundantly in my many other décor parties but they are just perfect for adding more colors. I think that’s the main key for a great party design. Don’t worry about every little detail instead work toward creating spaces that have a big impact. 

Adding a festive interior spice always makes the on-going festivity of chiming cocktails, devouring Holi delicacies and delicious tête-à-têtes into a memorable one.   

Tiny details add up to make parties truly unforgettable. These simple, on theme, quick, easy and cheap plates made a big statement on the overall setting. By adding a clear tape, I painted the foil paper plate to splash some more colors and it worked out brilliantly. It was a serious shortcut that I think anyone could use for adding more color. 

Be it Holi or Diwali, with the weather as appalling as ours, my whole attention turns indoors, where I take great pleasure in entertaining because there is no better place to be than home for any celebration.

My ultimate canvas of this bay window has taken on so many entertaining identities over the years, yet again won to bowl everyone over. When you work with creativity consistently, you are able to reuse stuff from project to project because items picked with versatility in mind. Just changing the accents they go with creates a totally different and new look.   

The ultimate party favor was my 'Thandai' flavored kulfi but oh, hang on, there was something else ;). You know that we go far and beyond the usual when it comes to theme parties hence the post can not be officially completed without inserting  our colorful selves here. I like to set the tone right out of the gate, which for me means, a beautifully dressed us in welcoming the guest on the song of “Rang Barse”. After all, it’s the first glimpse of what lies in the future and I like to give guests a taste of what’s to come.  

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. These little pleasures just make you forget your worries and jive to the inner rhythm of life, isn’t it? So, make a splash with these ideas for your next high voltage themed event and bag away all the applaud. Until we meet again, stay connected and enjoy all the festivities at your end, toodles!  

To see how I change the same space on different festivals, themed parties or occasions...see here for my South Indian Themed Diwali Party or here and here for Valentine Fun parties.  

Sticking With The Classics (Home Tour of Nikeeta Deshpande)

Be it old or new,  brass has undeniable star power. Shiny and new, it dazzles, commanding attention and if inserted properly in décor, it manages to hold the limelight indefinitely. I feel elated when I see young family instead hoping for the new fad, prefers and sticks to be with classic and finds their own truth in their roots without letting the norms of décor dictate it to them. 

Tucked away amidst the hurly-burly of busy Mumbai life is our today’s home owners Rohan & Nikeeta Deshpande’s brass loving cozy cocoon. The couple has tailored timeless space in their 800sq ft high-rise apartment in the Western suburbs of Mumbai by fashioning a more traditional envelope with old school colonial furniture details. 

Meet Nikeeta, a Vastu Shastra consultant by profession who has created her nest with a deep mind of comfort being surrounded by things that stirs her emotionally. Her leisure hours are spent tending time to her home and garden. Nikeeta also loves trying out new cuisines be it “desi” or “videsi” but only after decently spending time with her toddler. However, baring her heart out Nikeeta confesses that, as much as we unfold the joy and drama of his sparkly eyes and sweet smile, the frustrating zen of cleaning with a toddler always continues. Nonetheless Nikeeta, we must applaud your efforts for keeping the decorating wheels turning with your two years old.
Nikeeta also declares a weighty statement being thankful for her better half, who encourages her ideas with blind faith, nurtures her need of his presence despite of his busy software career and fuels her creative spirit by accompanying her to exhibitions, shops and flea markets.

Limited spaces certainly bring out the best creativity. Injecting an eclectic mix with some thrown in homemade character, Nikeeta’s foyer strengthens the point of focus. Being an avid ceramics fan, Nikeeta had started collecting ceramic knobs without any thoughts on their use. Keeping it sane, while going adventurous with their use, Nikeeta gave a fashion forward fix to those knobs and custom made the entry table with their use. Recalling the sources of their collection she coins: “They are from roadside stalls in Rajasthan, Chor Bazaar, Amazon India, and from ethnic stores in malls.

You may not feel the hidden depth in her décor but that impression goes for a toss when you move further down. A killer combination of jaw-dropping colonial style chettinad teak furniture and a dedicated collection of antique finds enhance the couple’s living space. Without being buried in whatever trend tolerance, Nikeeta follows her heart. Every piece be it furniture or an accessory has been picked and placed with versatility in mind. The colonial style teak wood furniture is purchased from handicrafts exhibition. The furniture pieces are designed by a pro craftsman from Delhi named Khalil-Ur-Rehman, who is also national award winner for his designs influenced by the antique style. 

The sense of history is very much alive in her décor with an affinity for traditional décor and unrelenting passion for the past. Her décor choices reflect new age vibe with old world sensibility. In Nikeeta’s words: “Most of the brass pieces are collected over the years. Some of them are our travel finds. They are mainly sourced from Tulsi Baug, Pune. Some are purchased from the handicraft exhibitions. Some are bought by weight from the kabadiwala. Few received by my mom when we got married. With the brimming collection of brass, I often get questions volleyed to me about the maintenance. Preserving the shine and sparkle is a herculean task and it requires a lot of muscle power to scrub and clean but once I place them around the home, I find all worth the effort :)". You sound so typical me, Nikeeta. The pleasure of gazing at shiny and sparkly brass is beyond measure ;).

When you have a wall that woes, the rest of the room doesn’t have to work as hard. Consistent style is carried forward in the rest of the corners also. Every wall in her pad is overflowing with a multitude of beautiful things. She has displayed and dotted her proud collection meticulously without bearing a hiccup.  

Her home is her self-expression but her huger for antiques and brass is often fed by her mom and mom-in-law who have been always very generous in giving her creativity a boost. The boat here is from Kerala. Center big plate is from turkey, the identical plates are gifts from her in-laws from their Europe trip & there's a Jaipur blue pottery plate. Rest are DIY’s and homemade with mosaic. 

When it comes to house plants Nikeeta doesn’t shy away going big and dotting them in every corner and every vignette. Her envious plant collection is a big fat eye roll for me who struggles to survive them with our colder temperatures. Nikeeta sums up the reason proudly: "We live in a city where fresh air being scarce, we have created our own green oasis. All my balconies are filled with plants, predominantly the air purifying varieties. We use homemade compost to feed our plants.  I'm happy that our house creates almost zero kitchen waste. Composting is a habit we all should adopt in order to save our mother earth and make her a better place for the future generations.” Such a great gesture Nikeeta.

Being so passionate about her home, Nikeeta finds maintaining her home is an easy task. She does not outsource any help and happily chirps: "I'm the Maid, Mali and Malkin of our home". 

Plants add sensory appeal to her cohesive and connected collection. Carved from a single piece of wood, Buddha wood plaque is from Thailand.  Splashed with juicy colors and infused with a hint of earthen tones her kitchen corner is a visual treat.

Necessity is not always the mother of invention- sometimes its innovation and creativity that lurk behind too. A firm believer in reuse and recycle, Nikeeta’s mosaic art on birdhouses is made from using old CDs. Those dragon flies are characters from my toddler's books while the planters on the wall deliver an unexpected flush of color. 

With right formulas of traditional décor and combinations of antique heirlooms Nikeeta has won to design her space with great confidence and originality. As we wrap up this tour on the blog, I would like to thank you Nikeeta for graciously allowing us to peek into your beautiful home. You have elegantly appointed interiors in traditional tone. Wishing you and your family lots of love, luck and happiness, today and always. 

Until we meet again dear readers, stay connected and keep decorating, toodles! 

(Images are taken by Nikeeta. 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)