Whimsically Ethnic Home Tour of Poornima Murthy (Part-2)

After a string of applaud and wowing the readers in Part- 1 (in case you missed it, click here) we are back with characteristically quirky Murthy touches in Part -2. However, the only thing missing from this post is a warning label. Be careful while reading this post, as you might never want to leave this home. 

Just because Poornima's passion for decor bring a certain poeticism to everything she touches, let me warn you that there is no surface (in the home) is unadorned. Every corner, every wall will give you a visual pop. Being adventurous and classy in the same breath, with every stage of her decor voyage, Poornima continues to push boundaries of decor to exciting new corners.

Just because every successful home story begins with a carefully devised corner. I am starting this home tour with a bold yet a total knock-out corner of Poornima's previous home. Before she began to hatch new plans and welcomed new ideas for gallery walls, this was the very first gallery wall she did in her old home. Just like this wall and every other wall in Poornima's home shouts part of her individuality and evokes deeply valued meaning of her culture through her decor. 

With the cultivated taste and deep passion, Poornima had a clear blueprint of what exactly she wanted when they were hunting down for a place called "home". Poornima prompts: "We went searching for our home more than three years and finally found this (4400 square feet) home that we both instantly fell in love with. This is our happy place, where we did not have to compromise in any way. All the countless niches in this home, got my heart racing ever since I clapped my eyes on them..now, I proudly display my collection in each one of them".

With a good beginning and a focused mind Poornima lives with her own interpretation of decor. Masterful mixing is very much of her way of having the best of the both worlds. Gracefully designed with a traditional console table (that mimics the look of a damachiya) from Cost Plus World Market is the focal point here. Layered with clusters of eclectic and global treasures ensure that guests will certainly get a clue of what to expect ahead in Murthy's home.

Poornima is not a rule breaker, she is more of a rule ignorer and this attitude is what got her started making and decorating this home at first place. Poornima has brainstormed many ideas ever since the house was under construction phase. Poornima sums up: "Growing up in India, I was already a maximalist with whimsical vintage sensibility by the tender age. Fascinated with doors of a bygone era, I was itching to have one of those show-stopping piece in our home. When this house was under construction, I had visualized one of the niches to have Chandan Dubey's door panels. I jumped on it and reached out to her and placed the order. Unfortunately, we had to cancel the order after learning about the fact about the weight of the doors and hanging it on US walls was bit tricky. Later my accidental search on internet led me to the talented DIY queen Divya :)." Rest is history. The door was executed exactly the way Poornima had envisioned by none other than Desi DIY Sisters about whom I have shared earlier here. 

Hours are whiled away day-dreaming many of the corners she has created. Poornima is bound by anything but her own imaginations and she has wholeheartedly enjoyed the process. Each room has gone through an intelligent and a deliberate design process.

While decorating her walls Poornima was mindful of not wanting to overpower any visitor with her collection but all the rules went out of the window when she actually started to inject a heaping dose of her collection on the walls. 

                           

Poornima went full throttle and drenched every wall mixing with striking shapes, materials, colors and cultural references...that eventually turned out witty and refined. 

Mixing old and new, rustic and contemporary is a sure-fire recipe for an exciting and eclectic interior. Poornima's hard work, vision and the ability to take risks factoring in every possibility has paid off well on her walls. Having design guts often leads to interior glory can be proved in Poornima's case by looking at these one of a kind tweaked set of frames. She simply attached few accessories on plain black and white frames turning them into envy inducing pieces....brilliant, isn't it? 

Her cultivated aesthetic stroke and stylistic thread of DIY continues to run throughout the home. While giving small updates to this deceptively elegant and giant sized mirror from Pier 1 Imports she has given it a major statement. To jazz up the elegance of this mirror, she has used decal stickers imitating the Chetitnad tile look on the borders. Just in an attempt to see how-it-goes-with-what-I-have she personalized the piece and gave it a bold decorative treatment. 

Her youthful DIY spirit occupies many other corners around the home. Striking a pose in the middle of this collage is an up cycled old bench that Murthy couple manifested into a new avatar. Rest of the wooden frames are also adorned by the art work of Poornima which she fondly defines as trial and error art pieces.

To find the far eluded calm in this busy-ness of everyday life, Poornima has created “Yoga-room” within the house. To soothe and enrich the souls, she has added clever touches of Zen elements. Her practical requirement of doing yoga is well served here as declared by Poornima: “We have been practicing yoga for 8 years now. When we moved in to this house, we wanted to have a yoga studio at home. We felt that with a yoga room of our own we can spend the whole hour dedicated to yoga practicing. With the ease of excess to this room, we have no excuse of skipping yoga now. I personally think that dedicating a space to practice is a way to acknowledge our commitment to yoga.” 

People love color but are afraid to use it or may be not entirely sure how to introduce it into their space. In the case of Poornima, she loves the idea of shaking up her pallet and can commit to large scale color pieces in more daring shades. In a reply to choosing yellow shade for the living room, she replies: “Yellow is the color of sunshine that we very much miss in Seattle area for greater time of the year. Hence, we chose yellow as the color theme for our living area. It definitely helps to uplift our mood and bring positivity during the dark and grey days 😊" 

Combining chic style and femininity from fabrics to furniture to fixtures hunting in this home is all about vibrancy and comfort. She has left sleek minimalist look at the door and have opted for vibrant layers of texture, color and prints throughout her home but her living room inspires us to be bold while giving a jolt of excitement.

Some colors have power to transport you, yellow itself being an energetic color it adds lots of impact here. However, splashy Pichhwai was the starting point for going all yellow. Mr. Murthy who weighs in for every décor decision of Poornima believes in decorating with one focal point in the room, and following his decor mantra, Poornima made the Pichhwai painting a conversation starter focal piece in the living room. Sharing their sentimental attachment Poornima coins: "For a person brought up in India, it is uncommon to have grown up listening to the glorious stories of Lord Krishna. So, we decided on Pichhwai to have as a focal point and started hunting for it. We got lucky to have find an artist on eBay, who happily agreed to customize the painting to match our rest of the yellow theme.”  

Murthy family’s every room only augment the seriousness of couple’s admiration for our culture and traditions. With Poornima’s vision for the space, elevating a room doesn't mean breaking the bank or spending months under renovation. Adding colorful frames on your plain bare walls can make your home feel grander in a single weekend.  Poornima and her husband completed this room on a weekend like a pro and embellish the room.  

Her collection here is a manifestation of her lifelong interest in sustainable design and commitment to support ethical Indian art and designs. She collected these oleographs from the different sources in India and now they have transformed this space into Murthy family’s own private gallery of sorts filling it with the collection. She knows when the pieces of art come together, they tell a completely different story.  

Bold pieces and mishmash of furniture and unusual naïve accessories create a witty yet relaxed living space full of drama and narrative in this brightly hued living room. Supersaturated tones that leap from the walls and furnishings makes her happy and lifts her spirit...and she really went for it.  

Before we wrap up, sharing a richly layered corner in couple’s master bedroom which shows that every room is endowing with personality and soul in Murthy family’s home. This corner however lacks "desi" touch but I still sniff "desi" vibes here with her choice of accessories and decor. Poornima laughingly admits that they both are polar opposites when it comes to home décor: “I am more of an old-schooler who loves the classic look that never dips out of style and my husband likes modern and fresh looking-contemporary style. However, he encourages and nurtures my creative spirit and follows my ideas with blind faith. We have set boundaries with décor style to fit in both of our choices. Family room and master bedroom are the area that he owns and you can see very less antiques/brass artifacts there.” 

Poornima embraces imperfection, welcomes the charm of worn vintage pieces and prides herself on creating an atmosphere that follows the rhythm of her heart.... after all, the magic lies - as ever - in the mix. As we conclude this part –2 leaving you with a picture of family’s dining room as next we have lined up the heart of the home – Murthy family’s kitchen in part-3. 

This tad bit long home tour will be a memorable one and will inspire a purposeful living experience for many of us. After all, the home is a place to be celebrated and you deserve to live beautifully.

So, go ahead, jump on in, reinvent and refresh your style and to learn how to balance colors, how much and where to use it. I know, after Poornima's colorful home tour, I am at it.  

Until we meet again with part-3, stay connected, toodles.

Whimsically Ethnic (Home Tour of Poornima Murthy) Part -1

The month of February takes us just that little bit further into the year, while still retaining the essential freshness of new beginnings. That being said about beginnings, bringing you a brand-new home tour to kick start this year at the blogging front.  

With color and creativity at every turn, this home is a purposeful reflection of what the home owners truly love and how they live. Seeking balance between beauty, art and functionality with a touch of quirk this home tour will definitely strike a chord with you all. So, to make it up to you all for this admittedly long overdue home tour (and my absence on blog sphere), I have decided to feast your eyes and senses in three parts. After all, a home packed with tons of ideas and lots of guts deserves more than a single post. 

Beautiful homes always brim with multitude of beautiful things. Portraits of many lovely vignettes - all with diverse style, colors, accouterments, layouts and ambiance illustrate how small personal touches of Poornima has bring charm to every setting. With her impeccable style of displaying her collection and artifacts, I was not ready to let go any of the big or small picture that she shared with me hence this part - 1 will be all about an attention to detail look at her collection and vignettes.

Whether you like to go bold or subtle, I invite you to embrace the richness and radiance of this home where the home owners Poornima Murthy and Srikanth Murthy have adopted “The-sky-is-the-limit" approach.

With all the colors around her, I am sure Poornima has all the reasons to smile. Driven by sheer passion, this software engineer is an "all-rounder" when it comes to interior decoration and has crafted her home with a heartbeat. She excels in whatever she attempts and puts her best foot forward; be it a venturing into a new decorating project or humming along on a wonderful journey of raising her pre-teen boy. 

This Seattle home of Bangalore natives with deep roots of southern India encompasses both traditional and western ethos at the same time. A home filled with family heirlooms, vintage collections and fanciful finds pay tribute to Murthy family’s heritage and tradition.

Beefing up the colors, mixing and matching with splendid fabrics and cloaking every room in some-kind of eye-catching wall treatment is what Poornima excels at. But she credits some spirited ladies for fanning the flames of her decor passion. She loves the design sensibilities of few women who have top the bill in her book of decor and where she usually looks up to feed inspiration and motivation repeatedly.  

Spilling the beans Poornima declares: "I started collecting brass/art for almost about a decade now. Anu, from My Dream Canvas happens to be my first inspiration. Reading her blogs has rightly converted my passion of home decor stronger. Her blog is a major inspiration for me to start my love for suzani fabrics and vintage decor. It was via her blogs only, I learned about many Indian artists including Chandan Dubey. I proudly own many of her one of a kind frames and that Gauri head is also from Chandan's boutique. I personally admire another local artist is Meenal.  Art pieces from her PaintPotteryProducts are proudly dotted around our home. My anituqe collection is from various sources such as The Indian Weave, Indian Antique Store and few local Banglore stores". 

Poornima is the essence of this space, so her home reflects her life and personality. Poornima coins: "I love everything ethnic and bold decor in equal measure. I am the happiest when surrounded by bright colors. Due to the frequent transfers in my father's job, we could not keep any artifacts in our home. But it all began innocently enough when I used to enjoy and re-arrange whatever we had. Now my home is powered through reflecting my love and passion of decor that grew over the period."

"Go-big" decorating attitude is nothing new for Poornima. Playing with different colors combinations come naturally to her. She sees her home's vibrant colors as an antidote to her busy work schedules and school calendars and the blah gray days of Seattle.

The more personal your collections and displays are, the more of a unique character your home will have. Artwork, collections and heirlooms are soul of Poornima's home. When heirloom pieces are combined together with newly founded gems, they solidify a naturally integrated display. 

A sense of unexpected is always welcome in Poornima's settings. She experiments with ways to add her own personal flair to bring a touch of whimsy to make every vignette come alive. 

Poornima just like any other decorista, believes in the power of natural elements. Flowers and plants are added in most of the settings of her vignettes to get an organic feel.

Her every vignette in decor highlights an important design lesson: Contrast adds layers and interest to a space. By incorporating colorful accents with the softer background she has created a look that's equally striking and beautiful. 

Poornima's home has got a very Indian flavor to it. Her amazing collection reflects her globe-trotting life. Her walls are the best story-teller of her home with the capacity to communicate and capture the very essence of her home. 

Riot of color and pattern in small confined areas are masterfully mixed in every setting. For Poornima, the bolder she goes the bigger the smile when she sees it.

Brave hits of color and patterns beautifully collide in this happy-glam home. Modern design infused with the ethnic essence proves a winning combination. This zen setting here is a part of her Yoga-Room....I don't think I would be interested in doing yoga, my eyes would be too busy with my flirty glances to see all the beauty Poornima has created around it. Will reveal the bigger pictures of all rooms in next post soon, Pinky promise :). 

As we wrap up this part -1 of Poornima's home tour, here is a final picture to pique your curiosity. I personally believe the glimpse of this picture is not enough to prepare you all for visual dazzle that you will experience in next part. Come along on an adventure with me and Poornima that's full of exciting new decor surprises in part -2. There is lot more to appreciate but until I come back again, let your imagination soar. 

I would like to give a special mention to Meenal at PaintPotteryProducts for connecting the dots with Poornima. When the opportunity to showcase Poornima's home presented itself, I jumped and rightfully grabbed it....and I am so glad that I did. The beautiful new connection that has blossomed along my passion filled journey is just precious. Connecting with like minded souls like Poornima who shares the same great decor passion as me is -hands down- the best part of my blogging journey. Thank you Poornima for giving me this opportunity. 

For the link of part-2 click here.

Until we meet again, stay connected, toodles!

(Images are from Poornima'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) 

Bold and Personal (Home Tour of Vineela Reddy)

Decorating is a completely personal thing; you just have to be confident in letting it shine in your home. In many cases, the creativity of decorating goes way beyond the choice or arrangement of furnishings, some projects do take incredible vision and foresight – and not to mention determination. Our today's home tour is a testament of those skills and good judgement of its owners where each corner is peppered with museum worthy stunners and garnished with heirlooms making it a dream home for any decorista.   

Uncompromising, homey, inviting and full of both - small pleasures and big investments, our today’s home tour is a visual gluttony. I assure you that your eyes will not have a place to rest just because there is plenty to indulge the senses. 

Meet Vineela, beauty with brains, is a bold, influential and positive individual who loves challenges and with high-spirit accepts them. An empty nester of two young adults enjoys her home and time with her husband Mr. Reddy, where they both give a free run to their more adventurous design inclination. Vineela has generously opened the doors of her home that will inspire, inform and let’s be honest, give us some serious house envy...let’s jump in. 

Sitting snugly in the dramatic landscape of Hyderabad city is Vineela Reddy's home. Simplicity isn’t really the name of the game here at her home where almost everything is ornate including the outdoors. 

Using every possible surface to express exuberant creativity, Vineela has treated outdoor with the same consideration as indoor. The aesthetically engaging and beautiful decorative statement on her porch gives away the first experience of her personal style.  

While modern air-conditioning rooms may have made those porches of the past unnecessary but design savvy Vineela has decided to expand her passion through her porch. It is a clear indication for any visitor of what to expect inside. Vineela adapted her own style by adding lush greens in heirlooms, Buddha and Ganesha to welcome guests and a bench to enjoy a cup of tea or a book while waving to the neighbors.  

You will be left stunned with the visual extravaganza upon entering inside. The Indian traditional décor tone that was set outside her doors is carried forward indoor. Riot of repeating patterns and rich colors are all executed with her meticulous attention to detail. Every wall, nook and cranny are kept grounded by making sure each element is well edited.  

A connoisseur, a collector, an antique restorer and above all a very good old friend Osman Garu is the man behind major restoration work in Reddy family. Vineela counts on his artistic skills for any transformation. Most of the successful restoration projects around home are achieved under his keen eye. He owns a store named Wood Style Furniture in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad.   

In one bold statement, the couple is able to convey the philosophy behind the design of the entire home. Her masterly vision of seeing this giant Tanjore painting to its glory was gratified when they decided to make it a focal point by glossing the walls in tangerine tango shade. Going with her designer’s suggestion, they also added the wooden beams on the ceiling to give the space an unexpected jolt. If a genie will ever grant me three wishes...this painting will be the first on my list Vineela ;).  

Vineela gives the entire credit to her Pondicherry based sister-in-law Kavitha Veeraraghavan for hunting down this gem of a Tanjore painting along with many others for her home. This painting was acquired by chance some 15 years ago. It had giant doors which they removed to use as a frame. The painting is believed to be a century old piece that Vineela proudly possesses.  

With a breathtaking display of her astonishing collection, her every room articulately nods to the traditional emblem of a South Indian home. Skillfully incorporating pieces of her collection added another personal dimension to her home. Vineela coins “I have been collecting from a very long time. To make use of our masterful collection, just after buying this home, we hired an interior designer. After seeing all my collection, she suggested to follow a theme of ‘Chettinad’ throughout the home. That’s when all the collected pieces and paintings came to a limelight.” 

Vineela’s inclination toward the traditional décor started at a very young age. Her stay at her Grandma’s home in childhood, didn’t just give her a taste of home décor but it also shaped her appetite for decorating with heirlooms. Smitten and profoundly influenced by traditional décor style, Vineela has heighten and hone the creativity in every square inch of the home.   

Most of the dramatic pieces of furniture and columns around the home are made out of architectural salvages from vintage Indian homes. The couple sees the original grandeur underneath the holes and water marks. Through some remarkable restorations under the guidance of Osman Garu, the couple has promptly uprooted many salvage pieces around the home. Being said that, these two grand pillars of the swing are actually from Vineela's old pooja room which they re-used and made a swing...how brilliant!

There are a lot of things to love about her home but her common interests revolve around antiques. Vineela has amassed vintage pieces from every different  era. 

The creative brain and champion behind Indian Antiquest, Sridhar has also played a major role in Vineela’s collection. Sridhar's keen eyes for antiques and his addiction to hunt genuine pieces takes him to the sources like estates, homes, temple auctions, yard sales, renovation sites, government auctions from where he digs down the best pieces for homes like Reddy’s.  

These well edited touches of palatial furniture only augment the seriousness of couple’s admiration for our culture and traditions. Paying total homage to their roots, their little act of restoration is incredibly rewarding but it also includes their consideration towards the act of preservation. In the process, they both truly advocate to help save the environment in course by recycling/up-cycling the trash into treasure. 

Giving free run to her more adventurous design inclinations, Vineela manifested and updated the temple room with a personal spin. Pooja room is the beating heart of Vineela’s home as declared by her: “Me and my husband are both spiritual people and spend a lot of time meditating here. It just soothes and enriches our souls. For me, this room is very special or should I say the most important room in the house.” The story behind these handsome pillars is equally interesting. While hunting for old pieces, Vineela found these big wooden panels on the roof in one of the shops in Pondicherry and the pooja room idea planted the moment she laid her eyes on them.

Perfect balance of decor lives between two extremes: new and old, precious and found, humble and exquisite. Howerver, Vineela credits her sister-in-law Kavitha for hunting down such unique artifacts and vintage Tanjore paintings. 

You are greeted with yet another cheerfully decorated outdoor space behind the temple room. The space is grounded by distinct pops of greens paired with heirlooms that harmonizes with traditional theme of the home.

Unafraid to combine color, art, pattern from an old era, Vineela’s explosion of wit and confidence has resulted a space that reflects a truly compelling person that she is. This well-orchestrated collage wall of Ravi Varma oleo graphs is a testament - that if something makes your heart dance, you deserve to live with that delicious feeling every day. The wall should inspire anyone who has ever considered going bolder and breaking design ideas. Masterful use of frames proves the theory that all hues can happily cohabitate if just given the chance and the right placement.

Vineela celebrates her whimsy and personal style over predictable safe looks with this collage wall. Combined with a traditional mirror (another restoration project from a door) and perked up with stylized amalgamation of brass, the corner is perfectly balanced. Speaking about this collage wall Vineela says: “I am an ardent admirer of Ravi Varma and always wanted to have his collection. This wall took almost ten years to complete to collect so many oleographs and lithographs.” 

If given a theme, Vineela has a habit of going into miniature details of everything and that obsession is very much visual in the entire collection of the home. Of course, like rest of the eclectic furniture pieces in the home, there is a story behind this staircase railing that triggered Vineela to inspire a new design from left over project material. Vineela muses: “After completion of the house my husband and designers were so exhausted that they decided to use glass railings for the stairs but I didn’t budge. The railing was the toughest make over in the whole house. We used the old house main door panels for the railing. I literally had to sit for a week with the carpenter to implement my idea of using these pieces. Each piece is different and we ended up having this railing using 14 pieces all together.” I bow you lady for injecting different period and styles mixing with such a great effect.

Just like the rest of the uprooted furniture pieces, this dining crockery unit is also a very old piece which was acquired from a very rich family in Hyderabad, which was modified to befit Reddy family's needs. It now neatly hides all dining room necessities in this room. 

Options when embarking on a new design can feel over whelming but not with Vineela who loves the thrill of watching major transformations unfold. Another lying around window in a Pondicherry antique shop adopts a new avatar of a mirror. Rest of the furniture pieces are also promptly uprooted under the keen eyes of Osman Garu. 

Stunning and highly personalized pieces around the home reflects home owner’s explosion of imagination and creative confidence. Just like big giant pieces the smaller accessories are also given the tweak with Vineela’s wit. The round coffee table was actually a ‘chakki stand’ which is converted into a center table. The square stool was also transformed into a conversation starter piece by adding vibrant blue talavera styled tiles on the surface.  

Vineela has extended her experimental sensibilities to her kitchen also by creating a bold show. Vineela played with an unexpected hue in her kitchen highlighting her creative energy and artistic vision. Heirlooms and greens are distinctively scattered to create an aesthetically pleasing and practical interiors. I am sure it is a pleasure for her to be in and linger a longer while making those delicious dishes.

Placing values on the deeper ties Vineela says: “I love heirlooms and my love is very much in evidence in our bespoke kitchen. I have mostly been brought up by my grand mom in childhood and they used to stay in a village. The old house was huge and filled with brass and old wooden furniture that’s where my passion for antiques started. My husband is also from a big joint family. My husband’s great grand-father had started a small hotel with the above coffee filter and that was the beginning of their business. I am very fortunate to have this piece of family history with us. I believe, it is the main reason behind the family success and for starting of my passion of collection.”

Vineela is not shy in showing off her visually dramatic washrooms. With a smaller commitment, Vineela has achieved delightful payoff in these rooms. 

Elegance extends to the family bedrooms also. Striving for comfort and restfulness, Vineela played safe in the bedrooms. 

The family owns a business of theaters and to provide a true cinematic experience at home, family decided to dedicate a room specially for the theater.  The well equipped room has been built within the home for the purpose of enjoying movies, sports and gaming. As with everything, the devil is in the details in this room also. The room is religiously grounded by distinct pops of famous movie posters which have been played in their theaters. The last collage shows off another gallery wall of memories in Vineela's home. 

Having direct access to a terrace oasis is an investment in their lifestyle where evening life is accompanied by a gentle harmony of birds. I bet lounging here can be a particular pleasure. While the outdoors alone can create a wonderful atmosphere, Vineela’s special styling is an added benefit to this. Along with glass pergola Vineela points out to the doors hanging on the wall that are fond memory of her husband’s old home that he carried for years in his heart. 


As we end this glamorous home tour, my profuse thanks and admiration extends to Vineela for getting ready in a heart beat to feature her home on my blog. A big thank you from the bottom of my heart Vineela for showing us how to be bold and personal with our design choices.

The home tour was admittedly over due but as I said, the good weather in my part of the world is the culprit behind not completing the tour on time, but hey, I kept my Pinky promise :).

Off I go now to enjoy the Canadian summer, so until we meet again, stay connected, toodles!

(Images are from Vineela'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)