An Intimate space as fresh as the Spring Greens

Today's bedroom in focus is a beacon of visual simplicity. Balancing the abundance of white and neutral shades in this bedroom are the pops of cobalt blue and cheerful fuchsia. With no dearth of windows and a view of the trees at all times, the light from the window bounces off the whites in the room making it bright even on a sunless day. This gorgeous room is put together by Pratiksha Tandon, an Architect and Interior designer, currently living in the bay area. Here's what Pratiksha had to share about her design aesthetics, "My design aesthetic has evolved over the years from living in different parts of north India then travelling to the east coast and now finally the west. Having lived in apartments throughout, I realized the value of having limited functional pieces of furniture which are versatile in their use. I personally like bright, clutter free spaces. I believe one can make any space beautiful by using things one already owns without indulging in expensive decor pieces, with a little bit of creativity and an eye for good composition. In addition to that I love layering different colors, textures, prints and fabrics in my styling."

Simple clean lines and a clutter free organised space allows the eye to travel unimpeded, bringing an instant calm and serenity that every private sanctuary should explicitly communicate.

As you can gather, Pratiksha believes in the art of mixing. Be it textures, colors or patterns she has a way with them. For the current bedding, she has effortlessly managed to intermix pieces from 3 different bedsets! A wicker basket from a thrift store finds a cosy spot on the nightstand as a plant holder. A few books and other tchotchkes complete this functional yet personality filled corner.

I'm not surprised when Pratiksha tells me that her favorite spot in the house has to be this little reading nook. Propped up with cushions in blues and whites, this corner allows one to be insync with the outdoors despite being comfortably seated inside.  

A bunch of very healthy succulent cuttings from a generous neighbor adorn the empty planters and vases. Prathiksha says, "I cannot imagine a home without plants. They infuse a space with so much life." I couldn't agree with her more.

With that we come to the end of this no fuss private sanctuary. Hope you took away some cues to see how you could infuse aesthetic charm and visual interest in an all neutral intimate space. Thank you Prathiksha for sharing your decorating tips and a slice of your haven with us on TECD. Should you wish to follow along with her on her decorating journey, connect with Prathiksha on Instagram.

(Image Credit/Copyright: Pratiksha Tandon. The images may not be used for commercial or non-commercial use without the prior written permission of  Pratiksha Tandon & TECD.)

Indie-Bohemian Inspired Summer Soiree

My word for this year has been “Collaborate”. Everything for the past six months seems to revolve around this word…….and boy! Am I glad a lot of wonderful things seem to be taking shape because of this. One of things that I’m very excited about is that we have our first ever guest post here on TECD in collaboration with Deepa of Aalayam. Aalayam needs no introduction. But if you are new to the blogosphere or to the world of Indian décor blogs, Aaalyam is one to bookmark! I keep going back to dip into Aalayam’s diverse repertoire as India Inspired topics reign supreme. Deepa and Supriya bring their nontraditional approach to design, décor, parenting issues and Indian festive occasions. It’s the well put-together features, experimental attitude and unique voice that is refreshing. Today, Deepa has put together an extraordinary outdoor-scape that orbits around jewel tones, pattern on pattern, textural layering and nonconformist décor choices that rightly connotes the free spirited Bohemian style. If you are looking for boho-chic, summer soiree inspiration, you are in the right place! Over to Deepa ……..

"Hello TECD readers! 
Picture gypsy bohemian and see what comes to mind? Bright colors, bold patterns, scattered chotchkies and maybe some warm-hearted Arabian lounge music wafting through the air! Now, how about you picture gypsy bohemian with an Indian twist? And what comes to mind then is an earthy, kaleidoscopic visual with layers of

colorful bohemia. It is a celebration and a happy exposition of colors, patterns and textures! And that’s all I wanted for our backyard patio one evening -to create an inspired wonderland in which to enjoy a beautiful evening and relax with the family.

Summer evenings in the Midwest are to die for and we love making the most of our treed backyard. We spend many an evening outdoors- grillin’ an chillin’! Lingering summer evenings are the perfect time to make some beautiful family memories, don’t ya think? And one evening, I decided to turn this outdoor space into an extension of our home and literally took the indoors out – pillows, end tables, an area rug, decorative accessories and even a Radha – Krishna painting to hang on the trellis! 

I love our weathered pergola. It works well with anything I want to transform this space into and has been the anchoring feature of many backyard celebrations! And the creative potential that this outdoor space holds excites me but I haven’t fully capitalized on that yet. Eventually, I will invest in some durable outdoor fabrics and accent pieces. After all designer outdoor spaces are all the rage these days!

This time though, creating this table scape meant re-using things I already have. And what fun it was too – to go shopping around the house! Bringing in bits of bohemia meant not being too rigid about the colors and combinations and so I just went wild with the patterns and the colors and let it play out on its own! The end result was vibrant and playful - a perfect backdrop for some cozy conversations, wine and cheese and a game of chess! Of course, this could work very well for an evening of alfresco dining with friends as well.

The challenge of bringing a creative vision to life gives me such a high! So, as much as I wanted to sink into the season with my family, I also wanted to create something beautiful. Being able to add a few images of an India inspired outdoor space to the repertoire of google images seems to be another purpose that Aalayam is serving. And I hope you all have your best backyard summer this year!!

Once again, I cannot thank Sruthi enough for allowing us to bring an Aalayam offering to her fantastic blog. I love The East Coast Desi. It is simply my all time favorite design/décor resource staple. Kudos Sruthi for this beautiful and inspired blog that you have worked so diligently to create and maintain! And as always, it is fun to bring our collective audiences ideas and life style inspirations that we know will be appreciated! Thank you and I hope that East Coast readers will follow this post back to Aalayam where Supriya and I have been brainstorming on some great posts for the rest of the year.

Have a wonderful summer everyone!

Cheers!

Deepa (of Aalayam)"

Deepa, thank you for putting together this wonderfully vibrant feature! It's always a pleasure collaborating with Aalayam and I so look forward to more of such wonderful opportunities.........As for you my lovely peeps, get out there and make it a bohemain inspired outdoor party when the sun shines:) 

(Image Credit: UJ for Aalayam. The images may NOT be copied /used for commercial or non-commercial purposes without the prior written permission from Aalayam and TECD)