Once Upon A Tea Time.... Design Stories

Happy Friday

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

This is how my weekend is going to look like- well, just replace the swing with my couch and the artwork on the floor with research papers! What are your plans for the weekend? Have a great one and see you soon!

Image credit: Anthropologie

A couch, some chai, and many conversations...

2012-01-26T07:28:00.000-08:00

Forgive me for the title but I couldn't think of anything else! For someone who loves upholstered furniture so much, I have a lot of leather in my house. The leather couches have stood the test of time and two soccer-crazy boys. But I have promised myself that one of these days, I am going to create a den in the house where I can get together with best friends and family for long sessions of chai and conversation. And for that I will first need to get a bright upholstered couch that begs you to sit down.....

Of course it would be awesome if I could have stairs that led down to my den. Or if the house itself was this charming duplex in Madrid, Spain with its courtyard painted in blue. A girl can dream!

See the entire house on MiCasa here.

Image credits/copyright: MiCasa

LexLuxe Jewelry

2012-01-25T13:43:00.000-08:00

Ladies, this Valentine's Day you may want to point your significant other in the direction of the LexLuxe store. Handcrafted jewelry by Alexis Russell- it has a very earthy and organic feel to it! This is jewelry I would love to wear (ahem!).

Images credit/copyright: LexLuxe, Jewelry by Alexis Rusell.

Lewis and Wood (and Peacocks)

2012-01-25T08:07:00.000-08:00

Have you noticed how the peacock motif is enjoying a comeback this season? I have spotted it on fabrics everywhere and to me it lends this Eastern exoticism to every design. Are you spotting peacocks too? This peacock fabric is from UK based Lewis and Wood who are my latest fabric-crush- visit their website to see some beautiful fabrics and wallpaper. I am so in love with this velvet number!

Image credits/copyright: Lewis and Wood.

A Subtle Bohemian in Paris

2012-01-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

There is something so alluring and feminine about a space that is tinted with colors that remind you of a luscious gelato shop- a pale pink, whites, browns and a delicate light purple. Add wooden beams on the ceiling, casually placed art, tell me it's in Paris and I am ready to move in.

It is the home of fashion designer Vanessa Bruno and you read about it and see all the pictures here. The photography is by the amazing Birgitta Wolfgang Drejer.

Link/Image credits and copyright: Link via Interior Magasinet, Norway; Photography by Birgitta Wolgang Drejer/Sisters Agency.

For Sale in Fez, Morocco

2012-01-23T21:21:00.000-08:00

This 2-story home in Fez, Morocco is for sale. I saw the listing in the New York Times. The husband and I were sorely tempted :). Does the idea of moving across continents and oceans to a place that is steeped in mysticism and romance and starting life as a grand new adventure tempt you? If yes, this house might be perfect for you!

*Are you familiar with the Palace Walk trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz? The story is based in Cairo, Egypt but I imagine the house to be something like this though on a less grander scale.

Image credits/copyright: Link via the New York Times. Photography by Ingrid Pullar.

Rustic Indian and Masai Pillow Collection

2012-01-23T12:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a heads up for you-- Anandamaya Design will soon be exclusively selling the most stunning pillows from Black Pepper Dessin- presenting the Rustic Indian and Masai collection. Go ahead, DROOL! Such exquisite pieces of art!

Contact Anandamaya Design to find out how to get one (or many) for yourself!

Update: They are debuting this collection this week in NY and you can visit the Anandamaya Design Facebook page to preview the entire collection.

Guest post on Gnaana

2012-01-23T10:07:00.000-08:00

Hello Monday! I was asked to write a guest post for Home Decor week on Gnaana, a great online resource and store for connecting kids to South Asian culture. I chose to write on gorgeous interior courtyards because to me they are the most romantic of all spaces (hello, Valentine's Day!). You can read my post here.

Image/logo copyright: Gnaana. Thanks, Leela!

Hand and Cloth Ltd.

2012-01-23T04:00:00.000-08:00

As you know, I am a huge fan of beautiful fabrics and especially kantha work. So I am starting the week off on the perfect note with these handmade kantha quilts from
Hand and Cloth Ltd., a social organization based in Bangladesh that helps local women who are victims or at risk of trafficking. The women sew these quilts using a running stitch or embroidery called kantha work, each of them appropriately called Give Thanks...

After seeing these beauties, as far as I am concerned, winter is welcome to stay! Visit Hand and Cloth Ltd. here.

Image credits/copyright: All images copyrighted to Hand and Cloth Ltd.

Bohemian/Maharani Style Jewelry

2012-01-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

I am so LOVING the Bohemian girl meets the Maharani vibe I am getting from these gorgeous jewelry from Bambibaby Handmade Jewelry!!

Visit the store here.

Image credits: All images copyright Bambibaby Handmade Jewelry.

Over A Cup Of Tea: A Weekend Affair

2012-01-21T16:23:00.000-08:00

It's a lovely weekend here in my neck of the woods- cold with occasional drizzles but beautiful nevertheless because the rains have a way of making the most ordinary objects shine and look bright and new. And this is the first much-anticipated rainfall of this season.

I had a crazy work week and it was hard for me to find time to be here. I have noticed that I blog best (and most) when I am relaxed. Is that true for you too? For me, it's something along the lines that the more relaxed I am, the more my creative side craves an outlet.

As the weeks get busier, I am hardly home. But on Friday evenings, I greet the house with an immense feeling of warmth and I can almost feel the house putting its arms around me. So begins a weekend affair. Of enjoying the pleasures of being home.

Today in the middle of sundry weekend errands, soccer games and visits to friends and family, we found time to savor the pleasures of being home amidst all our favorite things. To marvel at the ever-changing sunlight. Drink hot ginger chai in pretty new cups and accompanied by fresh shortbread. Old Bollywood music ( this is soul music to me!). And lots of laughter.

How have you been? I would love to hear from you.

Image credits: All pictures are taken by me.

Rooms that tell stories

2012-01-18T07:22:00.000-08:00

This Annie Selke-designed room is on the cover of Canadian House and Home. It is the bedroom of my dreams. I have only one request- someone lock me in here and throw away the key!

Royal Design Studio Stencils

2012-01-17T18:41:00.000-08:00

Have you ever tried stenciling on your walls (or the floor or the ceiling)? I am so impressed by these stenciled patterns from the Royal Design Studio and how they so beautifully conjure up the mysticism and glamour of Morocco. These designs/patterns were originally created and painted by Melanie Royals of the Royal Design Studio and her team for the boutique hotel Peacock Pavillions in Marrakech, Morocco.

Visit the Royal Design Studio here.

Image credit/copyright: Royal Design Studio

Home tour: Nivedita in Mumbai

2012-01-16T23:12:00.000-08:00

I am starting the week with a beautiful home tour all the way from Mumbai, India. With views of the Arabian Sea from every room and a collection of treasures from every corner of the world: a gorgeous brass Ganesha, masks from Indonesia, Thailand and Africa, artwork from India Nairobi, Sri Lanka, Vietnam. There are many precious stories and memories in this global style home. What I liked most was the happy mix of colors, prints, patterns and so many different textures!

This is what Nivedita has to say.."Narayan & I are collectors in a way: we collect craft, art, nifty pieces and traditional items wherever we find & during travel within & outside the country. Seeing all that we’ve acquired over the last 7-8 yrs. of homemaking, I’d say my style is traditional, traditional beyond just Indian. My home reflects our love for beautiful things, warm, earth and gold colors, books & curios, soft lights, green corners, beautiful niches - disparate items, all coming together either just in their beauty, uniqueness, symmetry, or sometime in color tones."

Visit Nivedita at her blog here.

Image credit: All pictures courtesy of Nivedita Das Narayan.

Support The Artisans: The Green Elephant

2012-01-13T10:32:00.000-08:00

Who: I heard from Amisha of The Green Elephant Designs, an organization that works on the principle of Fair Trade and collaborates with designers, artisans and local non-governmental organizations to bring beautiful products for you and your home. They have also teamed up with Craftmark (AIACA) to provide goods to the US wholesale market.

What do they do: They aim to produce items that are unique, handmade and good for everyone- the designer, the artist and creators, the environment and for you. They "encourage use of organic, waste-recycled and sustainable materials coupled with eco-friendly manufacturing processes for all ..products while ensuring fair wages, safe working conditions and personal empowerment to those involved in creating them."

The products they sell: Personal and interior decor accessories. There are scarves and stoles, wallets, purses and totes, cosmetic and jewelry pouches, pillows, journals etc. They have a great collection of gifts.

Support a good cause and indulge yourself at the same time. Email The Green Elephant Designs here to find out how to get your hands on these goodies.

Image credits: The Green Elephant Designs.

The Repurposed Life

2012-01-12T19:35:00.000-08:00

I am insanely attached to my book collection- the beautiful leather-bound editions, the old and new classics, the comic books, the tattered second-hand copies bought from sidewalk stalls and old bookstores, the romance novels of which I have way too many and the precious books that I have received as gifts- all of them are special to me and they live a completely democratic existence in my book shelves. As a family, we can't ever pass up the chance to browse at a library or garage book sale, a bookstore or the flea market in the hope of finding beautifully preserved books on subjects ranging from gardening to medicine to well-detailed DIY books on woodworking and of course, fiction. So when I read about the book The Repurposed Life, 33 Craft Projects That Give Old Books New Life, I was at first skeptical. Did I want to make my much-loved books into art projects? Even if they were old and sometimes tattered books that I didn't read anymore? I am undecided but the art that author and artist Lisa Occhipinti creates with books is beautiful and I am going to buy The Repurposed Life because I do have a collection of books on world records, obsolete hardbound science textbooks and of course, those romance novels :) that are begging for a new lease on life. Watch this video of the artist in action.

The Repurposed Life, 33 Craft Projects That Give Old Books New Life by Lisa Occhipinti is available here.

Lai Handcrafted Silver Jewelry

2012-01-12T08:28:00.000-08:00

I heard from Puja Bhargava Kamath, the designer behind Lai Handcrafted Silver Jewelry. The jewelry is exquisite and a contemporary and chic interpretation of traditional patterns. It is designed by Puja, an award winning gemologist and is handmade by craftspersons using age-old techniques. They retail through select outlets like Fabindia and at trunk shows and now the products are also available for order online. Visit them here to find what you like best among the different collections. My favorites are the repurposed vintage coin jewelry!

Image credits: Courtesy of Lai Jewelry.

Midnight in Paris

2012-01-11T19:30:00.000-08:00

Over the winter holidays, R and I watched the movie Midnight in Paris (and a ton of others!) and we were totally bewitched by Paris of the 1920's. Have you seen it? The entire movie is a visual feast that you shouldn't miss! It awakens the latent Francophile that lives in all of us. And then coincidentally, I came across the glorious vintage-inspired photography by Lupen Grainne of the Honeytree store and I fell even more in love- with travel, with Paris and with the beautiful colors seen in Grainne's pictures of old buildings, winding streets and sidewalk cafes taken in France....

Antique bookstores, bakeries and twinkling carousel rides- honestly, you can't resist the magic! To see more of Lupen Grainne's photography, visit the Honeytree here.

Links and image credits: 1.) Midnight in Paris from Sony Pictures, click here to watch a trailer; 2, 3, 4 and 5) Images copyright Lupen Grainne of Honeytree.

Krya Giveaway Winners

2012-01-11T19:06:00.000-08:00

I am going to make up for lost blogging time (entire Tuesday and most of Wednesday) by sending a spate of posts your way. You have been warned! But first, this announcement that is SO long overdue! This post should have gone up in December (totally my fault- my only excuse is I completely forgot.). The winners of the Krya Giveaway are Anu Gummaraju, Surabhi and Emreen! Congratulations! Please email me your mailing address, so that I can forward it to the folks at Krya. Thanks for taking part!

Winter Whites And Grays

2012-01-09T08:57:00.000-08:00

Hello Monday! Here in Northern California we have had a dry winter so far. In fact, there has been day after day of calm, crisp, golden sunshine albeit with low temperatures. We can't complain much (except some rain would be good right about now.) But sometimes it would be fun to have real winter weather- grey skies, fat clouds and flurries of snow. Which is why I want to start the week with these pictures from Bolig magasinet of Tina Buch's home overlooking the water. There are soothing whites and grays and if you look carefully, occasional glimpses of pink...

You can see the entire gallery of pictures here on bolig magasinet.

Credits: The original article is by Lise Septimius Krogh and Pia Olsen; photography is by Kristian Septimius Krogh.

Global Style+Rough Edges= LOVE!

2012-01-07T10:36:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, R fashioned a beautiful, rustic table out of reclaimed decking redwood. He intended it for his room but it looked so good that I convinced him that it would look perfect in the living room. I have always wanted a table that I could have a rotating display on- a broad console table-like surface on which I could keep favorite prints and photographs, books, a candle or two. The scarred table and old brick also provided a striking contrast to the otherwise smooth edges of my (suburban) living room. This has become my decorating mantra: mix it up. The old with the new. The glossy and the rough. And use the rooms in your home to tell your story. I had so much fun styling this!

I covered part of it with a vintage red, embroidered tapestry, placed my beloved ikat journal on it and then leaned our favorite pictures...

I wanted it to have a global feel, so in addition to the tapestry from India, I added a papyrus painting from Egypt that had R and my names on it- a 1st wedding anniversary present from my Dad, photographs from our travels and some that I had bought on Etsy, a handmade Christmas ornament that escaped being put away, an old silver tray.. you know, the kind of precious things that every family treasures.

The pictures are unified by their dark frames but I arranged them in a way that I find pleasing- randomly! The end result had that vintage charm that I love. It also brings a certain real world edge to my living room. The light was poor when I took this last picture but I included it anyway to give you an idea of how the entire space looks. What do you think?

All photographs are taken by me.

Connected Goods

2012-01-05T08:58:00.000-08:00

The first month of the year inspires all of us to get more focused, more organized and do away with clutter both in our lives and at home. For me, it is also the time to update my style/look - the idea being new year/new improved me! I saw these lanterns at Connected Goods, a Fair Trade initiative and I thought they were a great way to get that new look without breaking the bank (they are $28 each) and also to do the ultimate good of supporting artisans/craftspersons all over the world.

The best thing about these Beehive Handmade Pendant Lanterns is that they are made with a "collapsible rattan frame" that is covered in cotton- it is no paper lantern! I would love two of these over my kitchen island. There are lots of other goodies over at Connected Goods. I am also eyeing this handwoven Jute Area Rug..

Visit Connected Fair Trade Goods here.

PS: I was going to resist but I can't! I tend to obsess over and blog (too?) frequently about block prints and the wooden blocks used in the process and if you are like me, you will love this. A pretty bag with 4 wooden paisley blocks that costs $14 and would make the perfect gift for you or a friend! See all the wooden blocks here.

Image credits: Connected Fair Trade Goods.

Inspiration: Jennifer Rizzo's The Vintage Tea Collection

2012-01-04T20:02:00.000-08:00

If someone were to ask you, what ~~word~~ -okay, make that three words- what three words best describe you, what would you say? Young, old, creative, artist, chic, vintage, modern, geek, bookish, tea lover, traditional, traveller/nomad, Bohemian ? Would it be all of the above? There are so many adjectives that we assign to ourselves but what if you had to choose just the top 3? I want to share with you these dreamy images from Jennifer Rizzo's The Vintage Tea Collection because I felt they represent my three words: Books. Tea. Creativity.

Leave me a comment to let me know three words that describe you! For all kinds of creative inspiration, visit Jennifer Rizzo here.
Image credits/copyright: Jennifer Rizzo.

For the love of pretty words..

2012-01-03T19:43:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt that the lines in an ad spoke to you? To YOU? Like they were whispering right into your ear and it sounded almost like your inner voice? Well, today they spoke to me....

When I read this, it felt like someone had collected my thoughts and beautifully strung them into words. Does that happen to you? These words and the accompanying gorgeous pictures are from Serena and Lily's Spring 2012 collection and they along with Anthropologie are my two absolute favorites right now- even their catalogs are works of beauty. (In fact, quite a few pages have been used in my art journal!) When they arrive in the mail, I feel so charged- I don't want to rush out and buy something but I get all excited about the look or how something has been used or the colors or the amazing light. Does that sound familiar?

Since the retail world is already thinking of warmer weather, I have to tell you that this room with its wide open doors and windows, cool terra cotta (?) floors and it's summery rattan furniture would be perfect when hotter days arrive. It has a colonial/plantation feel to it, no? Definitely a look that I am partial to.

Image credits and links: Serena and Lily. Visit them here.

Made by Nanna: Handmade Dutch Design

2012-01-03T17:22:00.000-08:00

I stil have bags on my mind and I found yet another amazing resource for stylish bags: Made by Nanna: Handmade Dutch Design. These handmade burlap bags make such a chic statement. Definitely not your average suburban bag!

Visit Made by Nanna here.

All images copyrighted to Made by Nanna.