Going Back to the Roots (Home Tour)

Our next home tour takes us all the way to Edmonton (Canada). A couple's yearning for their roots, transforms a mundane builder grade home into a haven with a traditional Indian aesthetic. Pavitra and Siva's home "Anugraha" (translating to mean Divine Blessings) is everything that you would want an India-inspired home to be. Having worked in the financial services industry for over three years, Pavitra is currently taking a break to enjoy some downtime. Being a creatively inclined person, she keeps herself constantly engaged in DIY  projects, home styling and painting. Siva on the other hand is an Electrical Inspector and in his spare time is always happy to be Pavitra's handy manny for all her decor projects. He is also equally passionate about photography and Classical Indian Music and Dance. 

The couple tapped into their Indian roots for inspiration to tackle their interiors dilemma. The result is a home that is warm and welcoming with oodles of personally meaningful style. Pavitra had to say about going the desi way to decorate her home, "Our tradition and culture being very important to us, we wanted our Indian-ness to be reflected in our beautiful abode. Another reason why this was so important to us was to educate our future generations and leave behind a legacy so that they do not have a lost sense of identity when it comes to Indian culture. For example,  instead of the epic stories being restricted to only pages in a book we made the effort to convey it in the form of art through the Ramar Pattabhishekam Painting in the dining room.We also absorbed fragments of inspiration from my mom, Pinterest and The East Coast Desi to create a space that reflected us."

Come right this way to begin our tour...... In the entryway, a mango wood bench from Pier I Imports offers guests a place to sit comfortably as they tug off boots and shoes. Adding welcoming vibes to the space is a tall wooden standing Buddha, a pair of Thai angels and an urli that is always filled with fresh floating flowers. A touch of South Indian flair is added with the Eka Padha Lakshmi Tanjore Painting, embellished with brass bells on either side.

Every corner of Pavitra and Siva's home is steeped in interesting stories. Pavitra tells me, this lovely traditional Indian corner is the most adored corner of the living room. A collection of glistening, hand picked brass artifacts, potted plants and one of a kind Krishna statue pays homage to the traditional South Indian roots of the home owners.    

A closer look at the most revered piece in the house, lovingly called "The Laddu Krishna". Dressed in a short dhoti standing atop a lotus, this statue as you can see has the most intricate details to it. The Krishna Sculpture is a handmade Panchalokha cast by the artists of South India using the lost wax process, a skill passed on for generations since the Chola period. This statue exhibits the full beauty, elegance, grace and high artistry that is trademark of chola era molds.

Beside the Krishna is the ‘Ashtamangalyam set’ purchased during the couple's visit to Guruvayur Temple. (More on the Ashtamangalyam set - it is a portable tray holding sacred objects some of which are the lamp,  traditional Kerala kindi – vessel with spout for water, mirror replica, camphor/vermillion holder, bell and urli. All in all, it is believed to be auspicious and bring good luck to its owners.)

More from Pavitra, as she talks in depth of the influences on her decor style:

• "Our backgrounds and our personalities influences the decor style in our home. Hailing from Bengaluru with traditions from Thanjavur, I wanted keep the 'Indian-ness' intact depsite us having to adopt a new country as home. As for Siva, he hails from a Palakkad tradition family, so we made sure to introduce the Kerala aspect too into our decor.
• Color is an integral component of how we experience the world around us. As we conceptualized  the interiors for our home, we were sure of the fact that color would play a vital role in the interiors. 
• I've always been fascinated by my mom’s decor in our Bengaluru home. Brass was always an essential part of the decor. And now I am here in Edmonton taking cues from my mom’s style. I am more than fortunate to own heirloom brass artifacts passed on to me by my mom. 
• Last but not the least, I love vintage decor. I often go shopping for vintage brass and antiques while vacationing in India. I'm also all for handmade and hence a lot of the pieces at home were collected during our travels from local artisan markets." 

The living room is the couple's favorite room in the house. After a long day at work, this is where they unwind. Being lovers of classical music and dance, the couple wanted this passion together with their undying love for Indian culture and tradition to be reflected in the interiors. Imparting symmetry is a pair of floating shelves flanking either side of the fireplace, with a collection of brass Ganesha playing different musical instruments and the other shelf displaying the majestic Nataraj and the enchanting Narthana (seen below in the picture). Color creeps into this space by means of colored cushions and cut blooms in vases.

More brass vignettes from around the home - A close up of the the divine ‘Oonjal Vinayagar’ paired with the glorious ‘‘Annam Vizhaku’ and a collection of tradional Kerala brass vessle called the Kindi. 

The Traditional Tanjore Painting of ‘Vastu Krishnar’ is engulfed in the warm glow from the crystal light from Pier 1 Imports. Another wonderful touch to this corner is the hanging brass lamp. 

In the dining area,  the magnificent Ramar Pattabhishekam Mural Painting steals the show. This particular painting was a custom order that Pavitra and Siva got made from Babeesh Aneela (a leading Mural Artist). They had an original painting that graces the walls of the an ancient Shiva temple at Kottayam, Kerala replicated by the artist. The original painting in the temple is several centuries old. Balancing the painting on either side is a corner shelf, showing off more of their brass collections and a golden pothos, cascading the entire length and breathe of the window. To add more Indian flair to the scene, Pavitra brought out her Copper collection.

Sigh!All that glistening copper!!! 

There is something so wonderful about a Pathos that has gone wild!

A closer look at the brass collections adorning the shelf in the dining space. 

Here are 3 decor mantras that Pavitra swears by: 

• "A little sheen never hurt anyone - include brass, always classy and timeless. 
• “Happiness is watching your plant grow”- Adding plants to the decor, adds not just beauty but also gives inner joy as you watch them grow. 
• “Handmade items are made with love and have their own story” - Yes! I love anything that is handcrafted. The biggest inspiration to my decor was to use handcrafted pieces. I make sure that I buy handicrafts and support craftsmanship in India."

A corner of Pavitra's kitchen with more heirloom brass treasures occupying a place of pride and making the otherwise unexciting kitchen scene shiny and lustrous:) 

The kitchen island too has the special Indian touch! Bharani (pickle jar) is used as a vase.  A terracotta mini-hut, lamp and a colorful tie up add the necessary color and whimsy to this space. 

The other favorite room in the home is the "bonus room" that is just off the landing. Diwan style seating and sunny hues make up this a happy informal space. Pillows in contrasting shade of blue, add the extra punch of color. The couple spend their time here either chit-chatting with friends or making the most of some "me" time to catch up on reading with a steaming cup of coffee. Other finishing touches to the space include the colorful ottomans, the Chanapatna collectibles and the embroidered curtains.

More prettiness (clockwise from left): A hand-painted Madhubani vase holds a few fresh flowers; a brightly colored hand-painted pashu mask from Kerala; And a blissful Buddha dressing up the pathway to the home.

It is absolutely delightful to see people  stay connected to their roots despite the distance from their homelands. The little extra touches goes a long way in making our everyday living enjoyable. What a joy it's been to collaborate with Pavitra on this feature. I wish the lovely couple the very best !!! 

Happy decorating folks until we meet again!  

(Image Credit/Copyright : Pavitra & Siva. The images may NOT be used for commercial or non-commercial purposes without the prior written permission of Pavitra & Siva and TECD.)

Masterful Mixing (Home tour)

Antique Indian décor elements, contemporary furniture and paintings by new-age Indian artists find their collective groove in the Bangalore based residence of Giri and Sangeeta Subramaniyam. Innate passion for their Indian roots integrated with their laid back personal style has translated into a space that is both aesthetically engaging and is a haven for relaxation and comfort. 

Surrounded by lush greenery, the entryway to the home is as impressive as the interiors. The main door is flanked on either side by antique finds that creates an arresting first impression. A distressed window panel draws you in to take a closer look. The weathered texture of the panel creates an almost abstract art in itself. On the opposite side is a Kalakuruchi Ganesha fastened to the wall and bordered on either side with traditional Indian style wooden corbels with brass diyas hanging from them. 

On entering the home you are met with a delightful personal scene. The long hallway is brought to life by a collection of favorite family photographs.The frames though disparate in terms of color and style all come together to make a perfect display of happy memories. 

Sangeeta says that she often finds herself stealing a minute or two every morning to look at these beautiful photographs. The other side of the wall is adorned with an antique ornate mirror that magnifies the effect of the display.

The Subramaniyam's living room is a space used for many different pursuits - it serves as the lounging room, media room and the family room. Their two sons are often caught playing video games or wrestling in this space. Giri points out that no room is off limits to the boys, "We strongly believe that a home should not be treated like a museum. But that being said there is no reason why one should compromise on style."

The Subramaniyams have introduced vibrancy to the neutral backdrop by welcoming pattern and color into their decorating scheme. India Circus cushion covers, patterned rugs and paintings of monks (sourced from a vacation overseas) present an opportunity to introduce offbeat hues in the living room.

Giri does not shy away from the fact that he is house proud. He says that his design aesthetics have been heavily influenced by his dad. Having grown up in a home where traditional Indian design elements had a significant role to play in the decor and architecture of the house, Giri found himself gravitating towards ethnic Indian style for his own home but has intelligently mixed  it in with a touch of the contemporary. 

Just off the living room is the formal dining. A space that is both functional and warm - the perfect place for entertaining. Adorning the windows are custom made natural woven roman shades that have been given an ethnic feel by using borders from Sangeeta's mother-in-law's sarees. I think that's a fresh and original way to use remnants of vintage sarees !

A section of the dining room has been dedicated as the pooja corner. An antique wooden Ūyala (cradle) has been innovatively used as a pooja shelf. 

With the carved spindles of the cradle providing an opportunity to house glass slabs, Sangeeta came up with this brilliant idea to transform the cradle into a wall mounted pooja unit. The family's deities are lovingly placed on the shelves and decorated with fresh flowers everyday.

  

Making the most of this wall space, a marble top carved pedestal console is married with an ornate metal engraved mirror from Saharanpur to create a one of a kind furniture piece. A serene looking brass Buddha and fresh palms in terracotta pots bring this corner alive.

The kitchen is utilitarian, bright and uncluttered. Giri's perspicacious eye for antique finds and his ability to put a personal spin on things has resulted in this delightful unit that helps define the kitchen area from the dining. He used a 100 year old grain storage unit (a family heirloom piece) together with a shelf that he scored at an antique store and had it restored to create this unit that provides additional storage. 

We are yet again introduced to Giri's unique ability to rummage for pieces that have had a previous life and turn them into functional pieces or architectural elements. Giri decided to frame this niche with 3 different antique wooden panels, making it an eye-catching architectural feature.  

As a tribute to Indian Mythology, an imposing piece of art titled "Krishna" by Avik Chakraborty brings mystical drama and a shot of color to this space. Fitted with a low-lying chest from Sunri, the bar also provides a display surface for a Manjushri weapon from Tibet, an antique wooden corbel now serving as a plant holder and the lucky bamboo bringing in a touch of green to this niche. 

A Realistic Oil on canvas by artist Anand Bedrala  takes center stage in the master bedroom. A calm and quite retreat with neutrals and dark wood tones balancing out this space. Splashes of red is used but in a very restrained way to add interest to the off white tones. The rolling secretary desk is more than a 100 years old and has been with Sangeeta since her college days. Being sentimentally attached to it, Sageeta has it adorning her master bedroom corner. Working her magic again on the roman shades, Sageeta has added zari borders in shades of red to the natural roman shades to tie it in with the rest of the room.  

The guest bedroom is deliberately kept simple with a  Rajashekar Parameshwaram painting  titled "The Real Beauty" as the key anchor. Placed on a console that also serves as the night stand is a Madhubhani painting sourced from a local Arts and crafts sale.  An antique bench with  an inlay of Chettinad tiles graces the guest bedroom and provides a quick seating nook for the guests to put on their socks or glance through a magazine before calling it a day.   

A floor to ceiling study unit in the children's room was put together by re-configuring a number of cabinets and a desk. Now that's one unique piece of furniture that brings a whole load of personality to this space !

Before we conclude this home tour, a few snapshots of the lush green corners of the balconies......

The Subramaniyam's home is a testament to the fact that if you are looking to create a home that is an authentic  representation of your personality and style, then don't be afraid to make unlikely alliances in your displays. As you can see, their home is the result of their creative instincts and outlays in terms of  time, energy and imagination. I'd like to thank this wonderful and gracious family for letting us tour their beautiful home and wish them luck, love and health !

I'm sure this home tour has got your creative adrenaline pumping. So go ahead and decorate with confidence and don't hold back on those unique ideas - they are what make your house a home!  

Photography : Sruthi Singh,  Images belong to Giri and Sangeeta Subramaniyam and  may not be used without prior written permission from the home owners.

Sophisticated Simplicity

Prrithviraj and Uma Singh's Gurgaon (India) residence perfectly resonates with Leonardo Da Vinci quote, "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." Carefully chosen ingredients like antiques, heirloom treasures, travel trophies and diligently curated art integrated with the effortless chic personal style of the home owners has resulted in a home that exudes tranquility and timeless elegance.  

Being the Director and co-founder of "EastBound Travels" (one of the premium Destination Management Companies in India), Prrithvi's work requires him to travel extensively. The globe trotter fancies coming home to a place that is seductively peaceful and provides a restorative background to his jet setting lifestyle. His wife Uma, with her discerning eye for detail and keen design aesthetics, is the perfect accomplice in hunting down exquisite and rare gems to create a home that is simple without being stark and is sophisticated without being punctilious. Talking about their sense of style, the couple says, "We were not drawn to any particular genre of design or style. The only prerequisites that we listed out before we started furnishing our home was to forge a look that was uncomplicated and relaxed yet chic." 

The checkered entryway is adorned with a beguiling combination of family treasures and new finds. It aptly sets the tone for what lies ahead. A plethora of lit diyas (in brass and terracotta) cast a warm glow, while blushing rose petals in brass urlis glamorize the entrance to the home and incontestably announce that the Prrithviraj residence is all decked for the upcoming festivities.

A cornucopia of brass artifacts displayed in the entryway introduces us to the couple's penchant for brass and antiques. Uma further asserts this love by saying, "Faded treasures and antiques are great not only for their excellent craftsmanship and beautifully aged patina but also because they impart soul to a home with their inherent sense of a bygone era." Uma's signature style of housing fresh potted plants in antique brass containers can be observed in every vignette in the home. 

Once in the foyer, you can tell of the couple's love for books and art. Uma has a weakness for antique fabrics. A treasured piece of antique fabric from Rajasthan has been framed  and displayed in happy conjunction with other favorite Tanjore paintings.

The juxtaposition of an acrylic on canvas by eminent artist Jagdish Dey, the antique statues - a travel find from Malaysia and the crimson glass vases on a contemporary style console, make for an appealing display.

The living room is unburdened and is given an opportunity to breathe with greater ease, in sync with the gusts of wind that freely waft through large windows. With a neutral color palette serving as the backdrop, splashes of color are added through paintings, soft furnishings and other decor accessories. The couple's zest for entertaining also played a key role in designing a space that echoed an open floor plan. Having considered various seating options, they finally settled on the L-shaped couch  that  perfectly optimizes the use of space. 

When wintry Gurgaon weather rolls in, the couch is a perfect place to take afternoon cat naps and offers a seductive inducement to settle down with a good read and a nubby throw.

Uma's decor mantra that she lives by, "A style like ours requires judicious editing. Though I love all my pieces, I bring out only a few at a time. This process of rotating my treasured pieces not only gives me an opportunity to mix and match things and come up with new vignettes and displays every single time but also keeps things looking fresh and interesting." That is one important decor advice, as one needs to know when to stop adding pieces to a room or may even require subtracting a few pieces to achieve the perfect balance to a space. 

A close up of some of the simple Diwali touches that Uma has put together for this festive season.

The couple is also passionate about collecting antique silver artifacts. Most of these are sourced from Rajasthan and Gujarat, while the others are heirloom treasures. Every festive season, Uma brings them out from storage to add to the celebratory ambiance in their living room.

A few close ups of the treasures that came home with the couple from their various travels: Clock wise from left - An intricately carved Buddha statue from Ladakh. Top right hand corner - A woven antique bamboo box from Bhutan (it's more than a 100 years old). Uma fell in love with it and had it brought back to Delhi and got it professionally restored to its original glory. Middle picture on the right -  A few brass heirloom treasures displayed in the kitchen. Bottom right hand corner - Prrithvi unearthed this antique metal jewel box from a shop in Jewish town in Cochin.

Adding a touch of Indigo and red to this corner of the living room is Prrithvi's find, a Krishna painting by Suva Prasana. 

Form and function come together beautifully in this dining room. The minimalist design concept adopted by Uma and Prrithvi is yet again effectively put to work in this space. Prrithvi says, "We wanted good food and great company to be the focus of our dining. We deliberately did not include too many elements that would vie for our attention." 

And finally a peek into a few other corners of their beautiful home :

Fresh cut plants in vintage brass containers make a decorative statement.

A collection of  semi-precious stone Ganesha Statutes, an antique brass Kamakshi lamp and an exquisite Tanjore painting of Radha and Krishna completes this vignette.  

A Buddha statue from Srilanka and more potted plants, makes for another charming and tranquil display in the entryway to the master bedroom. 

With that we come to the end of our tour of Prrithviraj  and Uma's charming and serene residence. I was excited beyond words to showcase this home as Prrithvi and Uma are none other than my wonderful uncle and aunt:) Their home not only encompasses their warm and wonderful personalities but is also a manifestation of the fact that form and function can come together to create a space that is both stylish and refined. I'd like to thank them for being such a sport and throwing their doors open to the readers of TECD! 

Images: Clicked by Prrithviraj. The images may not be used without prior written permission from the home owners. 

TECD has been featured on "THE CURATED MAGAZINE"

ELATED............OVERJOYED............ECSTATIC...............AND COMPLETELY OVER THE MOON !!!!

Why this reaction???? Cause "THE EAST COAST DESI" has been featured on " THE CURATED MAGAZINE", April 2014 issue !!!

We've known Priya to bring the most beautiful images and  bohemian Chic inspiration to us through her blogging adventures at "Once Upon a Tea Time". But what some of you'll may not be familiar with is that she is also the chief curator of the new digital magazine "Curated". A monthly publication that makes for a captivating read and leaves you begging for more!!! With a strong mission statement, CURATED sure lives up to it's promise - "Our mission is to delight, engage and inform you and in addition to bringing you a visually stunning and engrossing read, we want to serve as a platform for inspiration by showcasing individuals who are powerhouses of positivity and creativity. We want to help tap into that well of potential that is within each one of us and bring out the very best." 

Having read the first 3 issues of "The Curated Magazine" I was completely hooked. When Priya made a call on her blog for the home tours segment for her magazine, I wrote to her with the offer to tour the TECD casa. A couple of emails later, the outcome is finally here to share with you'll. 

The entire process of shooting the TECD casa for Curated has been an unforgettable experience for me! I've had so much fun putting this together. Playing decor stylist is something I revel in and Curated let me do just that to my heart's content. I've become quite an acrobat I should say, climbing on chairs and anything else that I could find to get the angles right;) 

Here are a few sneak peek's of what's instore for you....... 

The issue also features Bhavana Bhatnagar of "An Indian Summer", Deb Trombley of "India pied-a-terre", Ami Gandhi (Executive Director of the South Asian American Policy and Research Institute), loads of beautiful images and inspirational quotes.Want to see more, click right here. 

It's been a wonderful experience getting to know Priya through this entire process and am so glad we had a chance to connect. Priya is one talented woman and her new venture "The Curated Magazine" is going to go places.........I'd like to thank Priya for this wonderful opportunity and wish her all the very best !!! 

Images: Clicked by me. Please do not use without prior written permission.

Images are the property of Sruthi Singh and subject to copyright.