India Inspired (Home Tour)

Staying true to their Indian roots, the Kargupta’s have doused their home in Surrey (UK) with vibrant hues, traditional Indian artwork and curios and objects of desire that the family acquired from their travels and stay abroad. Siddhartha (a computer scientist) and Chandra (a performing artist) share their home together with their son and a brood of 3 canines. Work took them from India to South Africa (where they stayed for 7 years) and then moved to their current home in Surrey (a stone’s throw away from London) which has been their abode for the past 13 years.    

Chandra is quite the celebrity if I may say so! She is a singing sensation and has performed all over the world. Her most memorable performances being for Nelson Mandela and the Queen. When she is not juggling a full time job at one of London's busiest libraries or conducting musical workshops, Chandra indulges in painting, reading and decorating her beautiful home.

The most recent decorating experiment was painting a Warli in the entryway. The bright apricot hue not only creates a welcoming ambiance but also makes up for the sun deprived weather that engulfs Surrey most of the time. 

Chandra carries the apricot hue to other corners of her home too. The accent wall showcases Chandra's collection of art. Some of them being potraits of Durga and Saraswati in brass from Kolkata, a Jharokha from Rajasthan and Warli paintings that Chandra acquired from a tribal group in Bihar.

A collection of clay cooking pots from Bengal serve as the base for a coffee table. A silver Ganesh gifted to Chandra during one of her concerts in America is a treasured piece that finds its place aptly on the coffee table.  

Cocktail of color, pattern, art and hand picked curios create a personal style that's individualistic in every sense. Chandra says, "Siddhartha has a passion for Buddha statues, where as I love Ganesh. So our house has a collection of Buddha and Ganesh made from different materials."

A royal blue sari finds an alternative use as drapes in the dining room.  

More curios, books and art make for interesting conversation starters when the Karguptas have company.

The heart and soul of the home is Chandra's kitchen. Buttery paint color, brass utensils from India and a collection of wooden spoons from South Africa add that extra special touch to an otherwise white kitchen. 

Here is another one of Chandra's favorite corners in the house. Quoting Chandra, "It’s one of the favorite corners in my kitchen. I've decorated this corner with a medley of  handmade paper pulp Ganesh, decoupaged picture cuttings of Jamini Roy’s horse, Dokra Ganesh ( Dokra is a famous art work from Shantiniketan, the city of RabindraNath Tagore), wooden candle stands I collected from Kenya and a couple of my Terrarium pots."

Chandra also loves gardening but says that the weather in Surrey makes it hard to enjoy this hobby all year round. So she's created a mini indoor garden for herself !

Thank you Karguptas for letting us tour your warm and beautiful home! 

As for you my lovely readers, I hope you enjoyed how we kick started this year with a home tour! Coming up next, a little peek into my new home ......

Have yourself a great week:)

Image Credit: (Chandra Chakraborty The images may not be reproduced without the prior written permission of the home owners.)