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) 

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)