Nidhi Chanani

I received a mail from Nidhi Chanani introducing her work to me and I thought her illustrations were very charming.

Veranda...

'At the veranda, above everything, she takes a break and enjoys the moment.'

Sari...

'I followed my mom everywhere, holding on to the edge of her sari. It was soft and silky like the comfort of her love.'

Nidhi, a freelance artist and illustrator was born in Calcutta and raised in California.

A Grand Adventure...

'What kind of fun will find these kids as they head out in search of adventure on top of a friendly elephant?'

The Gate...

'She stands at the gate and watched the world unfold.'

Do visit Nidhi's Etsy Shop for more of her lovely illustration prints.

( images by Nidhi)

Rang Decor Readers Creative Spaces: IX

Mishta & Anirudh

Today under Rang Decor Reader's Creative Spaces, I take you to a colourful Goa-inspired home in Bangalore.

Entrance Porch...

Mishta and Anirudh are a 30-something couple, both designers, one a product designer and the other a graphic designer, decided to build over Anirudh’s family home’s existing ground floor bungalow on a 60 x 40 plot in Sadashivnagar, Bangalore.

The design of the house revolves around three courtyards and two trees.

Avocado Tree at the entrance...

Mishta explains,"A courtyard on the second floor at the back of the house is carved out to let a mango tree spread it’s limbs...

...and a main courtyard, also on the second floor, at the front of the house, is designed to pay homage to Geoffrey Bawa’s tropical style with a pond and landscaping."

The over-arching theme of the house has been heavily influenced by the couple’s love for Goa, a destination they run off to, to recharge, every two and half months.

Mishta adds, "The idea was not to recreate a Goan house, but to pick Portuguese influences, through colour and form and combine that with the sense of an open Asian tropical house."

The drawing room...

The dining area...

Balinese Lamp against coloured glass at the stairwell...

The Master bedroom...

Guest bedroom...

Second floor lobby...

Mishta adds, "The main colour scheme for the house is yellow ochre and dark green. The flooring is cool green kota stone with small floral tiles inlayed at intervals.

Common passageways are in black and white checks. Rustic tiles in terracotta and green have been used in the flooring of the courtyards. Ceramic floral tiles were sourced from Spain and fitted into niches in all the courtyards."

Custom-made nameplate tiles from Velha Goa...

Mishta & Anirudh~ Thanks for sharing so generously photos of your vibrant home with readers of Rang Decor.

P.S. If anyone has any queries regarding Mishta and Anirudh's home, feel free to ask in the comments section.

( Images by Mishta Roy)

Chai Studio, Honolulu

Today I take you to the gorgeous Hawaiian Island of Honolulu to Chai Studio.

Amerjit Ghag, the lovely lady behind Chai Studio, Honolulu describes it as a lifestyle expression - casual, colourful and comfortable.

The store came into being in 2010, inspired by Amerjit's love for the handicrafts, the culture, the colour and the people of India. She believes that hand- picked products are a natural fit for the type of casual lifestyle they have on the Hawaiian Islands.

Love the warm pink...

The furniture pieces that she selects are mostly rustic and oftentimes repurposed - a chukki becomes a stool, a damchiya becomes a coffee table.

The textiles are rich with stories of traditional use, she has turned them into throw pillows and she includes hang tags explaining the past lives of kantha, phukhari etc.

Whether it is home furnishings , a piece of jewelry or a contemporary tunic, you'll find it all here, lovingly picked up by Amerjit during her many travels to India.

Lovely Rajasthani earrings...

Exotic fragrances... I spot my favourite 'Frangipani':-)

Colourful Indian Kitschy bags...

As far as the name of the store is concerned Amerjit Ghag, a chai-lover ( give me a hi- five;-) loves the fact that everyone has a different, special recipe for chai and Chai Studio, Honolulu is her recipe for a place that offers ideas for an inspired lifestyle...

I wish her all the very best for her venture.

Do visit Chai Studio , Honolulu on Facebook

Ladle love...

I have immense love for traditional kitchenware and utensils. The collection of ladles seems to be growing:-)

My grandmother's antique brass ladles...

Wooden ladles...

Regular stainless steel ladles, there are so many shapes and sizes for various uses...

Small wooden spoons...

What kitchen thing do you love collecting?

Hotel du Parc~ A heritage villa

Hotel du Parc ~ A heritage villa, is where we spent our Christmas Eve in Pondicherry.

Built in the 17th century Heritage Villa Selvom, which has served as the residence to many French governors now is Hotel du Parc.

Beautiful pale yellow and pastel turquoise has been used to bring in the feel of Provence, South France.

Loved the blend of colonial style and contemporary look in the villa...

The dining area with the view of the huge Mango tree that forms a canopy outside in the courtyard...

The deck in the night...

Elegant rooms with antique furniture...Silk drapes and porcelain lamps add a touch of elegance...

The best part about this lovely villa is that it is located at walking distance from the Aurobindo Ashram!

P.S. All the images are from Hotel du Parc's website, my battery died just on the eve of Christmas:-(

Hues of Pondicherry...

Happy New Year Everyone!

Our December vacations last year was spent mainly with family, doing absolutely NOTHING:-)

Okay, well almost...one day we decided to drive down to Pondicherry and enjoyed strolling through the various rues or streets.

Pondicherry being a former French colony in India still retains some of the influences. Here are some colourful captures...

Traditional door colored brightly...

The temple elephant...

Fabulous shade of orange...

Loved the huge doors...

...and the grills

The door-knobs...

The street signboards with french and tamil influences...

Hope you liked the various colours of Pondicherry, coming up next is a post on a lovely heritage villa where we stayed.

( images by Arch)

festive lighting...

Diwali is long gone and it's time for Christmas with reds & greens, cakes & cookies and loads of happiness....

...but festivity can never go out of style, can it?

I received a mail, few weeks back from one of Rang Decor's readers Rama Ananth and she wanted to share some of her Diwali moments with all of us. I loved the way she has used fairy lights and other traditional lamps to bring in festivity.

Here are few captures from her lovely home.

These are truly beautiful Rama, thanks for sharing it with readers of Rang Decor!

(images by Rama Ananth)