Easy Living (Home Tour)

Adopting a freewheeling style of decorating, Suchismita and Indranil's cheerful, rental pad in London is truly an inviting refuge. Embracing color, comfort and playful combinations, the couple has created a home away from home. In Suchi's words, "Our home is our shelter, a space where we can just be ourselves, be comfortable & work, play and relax". An ex-International Development worker, Suchi currently is a full time food blogger at Kitchen Karma and has branched out with a small foodie start-up called London Chaiparty. Indranil on the other hand works in the digital advertising sector and plays the food critic to all gastronomical experiments that Suchi takes on. 

Let's start with the entryway. It exemplifies what the rest of the house has instore. Books, a host of potted plants and Indian artifacts, especially those from Bengal (India), fills the narrative for the home owners roots and interests. I especially like the set of colorful, hand crafted owls (traditional tribal art from the Burdwan district located in the eastern state of West Bengal, India)  and the traditional Bengali Sindoor Daanis’ that add the desi punch to this vignette.

The couple's way of giving visual direction to an otherwise sober rental apartment is by adding color via vibrant Indian textiles, framed art, stacks of books and plenty of greenery. The neutral couch in the living room is given a makeover every now and then depending on the season and mood by draping it with colorful throws and pattern rich Indian textiles. 

I like the fact that the TV doesn't stand out. It's cleverly camouflaged amongst Suchi's collection of plants and artifacts. 

Let's take a closer look at the vignettes around the entertainment center. An antique wooden container, Dokra artifacts, handcrafted leather lampshade and a bunch of sun dried baby's breathe come together effortlessly to create what is a melange of textures.

 A colorful coaster from Budapest holds a collection of bottles. The twine covered wine bottle was the outcome of a DIY project. Other knick-knacks include: a Madhubani painting that Suchi picked up from India and hubby Indranil framed it for her; a Kashmiri box that was gifted to Suchi by her aunt and upcycled bottles that house more cut stems.

Oh my heart! I absolutely love how the bookcase is bursting  with books, charming oddities and vines of my favorite Golden Pothos. Adore the urban jungle effect and the wonderful boho vibe in this corner.

Taking in more of the details that dress up that book case......A unique Dokra statue of Ma Lakkhi (translated would be Goddess Lakshmi) perched on a stack of books gifted by friends who know of the couples hobby of exploring London. Peeking from behind the stack is a circular hand-painted pattachitra design of Ganesha and an IKEA mirror that Suchi jazzed up with a little paint.

Decor mantras that Suchi swear's by :

• " Lots of indoor greens
• Mixing and matching handicraft pieces from all over the world
• Bringing in different colours and making them work
• Lots of natural light filtering in
• Throws, rugs, cushions a great way to dress up a stark space"

At the far end you can get a glimpse of Suchi's kitchen.  Also in the view is a little dining nook that gets a lot of use when the couple entertain every now and then.

No window sill gets spared in Suchi's home!

Top from left : A tray that Suchi scored from a charity store in London shows off her collection of perfume bottles. A Chinese porcelain lamp, some Dutch and Turkish artifacts complete this corner. A definite shift from the Scottish sceneries, Suchi is happy with her little classic blue and white fix. The mosaic glass mirror was a DIY project that Suchi completed with some very fine results. A miniature Eiffel Tower tuned into a ring stand paired with a Turkish soap box (that also serves as additional storage for her rings.)  

Finally, the Balcony - the couple's favorite feature of the house. She recently spruced up this outdoor space. The woven reed fencing not only adds texture but also imparts privacy that can be enjoyed while dining or sipping on chai.

With that we come to the end of our home tour. I hope you enjoyed it as much as we had fun putting it together for you. Thank you Suchi and Indranil for letting us tour your beautiful home. We wish you all the very best! 

(Image Copyright/Credit: Suchismita, The images may NOT be copied /used for commercial or non-commercial purposes without the prior written permission from Suchi and TECD)