Once Upon A Tea Time.... Design Stories

Postcards From My Life

2012-02-16T22:43:00.000-08:00

I have had a stressful few weeks and I am deeply grateful that it's the end of the week. We have a busy weekend ahead but I am going to make time to sit in the sunshine, enjoy the garden which is starting to flower (almond blossoms are already here), play house and count every blessing.

Most of all, I am going to slow down and have some fun (all work and no play and all that!).

I know this sounds like the last post for the week but not to worry, I will be back tomorrow. The blog is the place where I store thoughts and make resolutions, so it made sense to write it down. See you tomorrow!

Image credits/copyrights: All pictures taken by me.

Delhi: a mirror to Mughal India

2012-02-15T22:09:00.000-08:00

I heard from the folks at the MoonRiver Store about this wonderful program they, along with the Asia Society, are hosting at the Asia Store, New York: Delhi, a mirror to Mughal India.
The fun (and I so wish I was not on the opposite coast) starts tomorrow Feb 16th with demonstrations by artisans of Mughal block printing and zardosi embroidery. You can get a great cultural experience as well as the opportunity to shop like crazy!

Get all the details here.

Thanks, Michelle!

A Rainy Season House

2012-02-15T08:24:00.000-08:00

We have finally had rain the last few days and our garden has taken on a tropical air. The rains of my childhood were warm, torrential and able to take on many different roles: hushed and seductive, loud and noisy and sometimes driving you to misery with their constant presence. Here in the SF Bay area, the rain is moody and cold and this winter, striking in it's absence. Rain is special to me and I cherish being indoors and watching it paint the world in different moods. So this beautiful garden cottage in Tangier (ah, the romance of it all!) that belongs to Umberto Pasti and is featured in The World of Interiors makes my heart skip a beat. If ever there was a house to be marooned in the rain, this is it.

The photography is by the always awe-inspiring Christopher Simon Sykes. If you aren't familiar with The World of Interiors, visit them here and I promise you every issue is a keeper. The story on the restoration of this garden cottage is beautiful!

Image credits/copyright/links: Via The World of Interiors. Photography by Christopher Simon Sykes.

Acacia Chair from Cisco Home

2012-02-14T21:20:00.000-08:00

Next time I am in the city, I am going to make sure I visit Cisco Home (in San Francisco). If for a minute I could pretend I don't have a budget, I would definitely snap up this gorgeous Acacia Chair..

A chair is never just a chair. It is your place of total comfort where you sit and daydream, travel (the proverbial armchair traveller), hold forth on your favorite topics- you know what I mean. A chair is so much more than a chair and this one is an absolute beauty. Just look at that gorgeous profile! The Acacia Chair upholstered with vintage kantha quilts from Cisco Home.
Image credits: Cisco Home

PS. My earlier post on Valentine's Day went missing due to some formatting problems. Hope you had a great one!

Gray Magazine

2012-02-13T23:02:00.000-08:00

Are you familiar with Gray magazine, an online and print mag based in and focusing on the design the Pacific Northwest? If you are, you know why I am blogging about them here! I recently found them and I am hooked on to the beautiful spaces and designs they feature. Take this Mediterranean beauty in Portland, for instance. The interior design is by Jessica Helgerson whose work I have long admired for its clean lines and the way she blurs the distinction between the indoors and outdoors: it brings the light in and the space takes on this luminescent quality....

Visit Gray magazine here. To see more of the gorgeous work by Jessica Helgerson Interior Design, click here and (to further add to the inviting links) visit the portfolio of AMAZING photographer Lincoln Barbour here.

Image credits/links: Photography by Lincoln Barbour. Link via Gray magazine.

Hilda's Home

2012-02-08T16:29:00.000-08:00

It is a very spring like day here in my corner of Northern California. All the windows have been thrown open and the whole house has been scrubbed clean. I cherish times like these...you know what I mean, the feeling of everything being just so. All you (I) need is a piping hot cup of chai, maybe accompanied by a tiny raspberry tart. And for teatime browsing, Hilda's Home, a Swedish e-magazine and blog of the same name, written by Sofia Brolin (Hilda was her grandmother). Sofia is a graphic designer, illustrator and photographer who runs her own firm as well as a store that sells her paintings.

Do read Sofia's beautiful magazine here and her blog- there is lovely eye candy, DIY's and really, page after page of deliciousness!

Image credits/copyright: All images from Hilda's Home; taken by Sofia Brolin.

Saturated Hues

2012-02-07T22:04:00.000-08:00

I am so drawn to the intense saturated hues of this pink room. It has a global yet ethnic feel and the vibrant patterns just pop against it. But while I admire it and think it looks gorgeous, I don't see myself painting the walls of my house in such rich colors because to me, cream colored walls have a lightness, versatility and long-lasting feel to them that is unmatched. Whose side are you on?

Image links and credits: Homes and Gardens (UK); Styling by Ali Brown and Photography by Adrian Briscoe.

Boho Bliss

2012-02-06T22:20:00.000-08:00

Going back to graduate school in my late-thirties has made me reevaluate what my personal style is and it is best described as boho casual. Which is why these gorgeous accessories from Free People really appeal to me...

Cate Chambray Scarf

River Run Tote

and the Saddle Leather iPad case

Visit Free People here. What is your fashion style?

Organization is Key

2012-02-06T15:42:00.000-08:00

The New Year always signifies a new beginning. You want to start with a clean slate and with your belongings pared down so that you go into the year, literally and figuratively, with lesser baggage. And all the stuff that remains is neatly organized- in dark, dignified linen closets, tall cupboards, weathered looking sideboards and credenzas, all holding the contents of our lives with utmost discretion (As you can see, I have a thing for handsome storage!)
I spotted all of the above in the Graham and Green catalog and I had to blog about them.

Don't even get me started on the possibilities of organizing alphabetically- K is for keys, M is for mail, S is for spare change. Total obsessive heaven!

Visit Graham and Green here.

Image credits: Graham and Green (UK),

P is for Peacocks

2012-02-02T14:51:00.000-08:00

Peacocks, as I blogged some days ago, are everywhere and I find myself quite attracted to the trend. Not only do they remind me of India and the thrill of suddenly spotting the regal bird, they are also said to foretell rain and I always associate them with the joy and glorious abandonment of dancing in the rain. If you have seen a peacock dancing in the rain (or a Bollywood movie showing a peacock in the rain!), you know what I am talking about. So today I have gathered a few of the more striking peacocks out and about in the design world....

(Folk Tales -Peacock cushion, designed by Vaishali Sinha and available from

Plum Chutney, UK)

(Golden Peacock Hook and Floral Peacock Shower Curtain from Urban Outfitters)

Peacock Citrine duvet set from DwellStudio

(Handmade Peacock Tray from Vineeta Nair available via Plum Chutney)

Is this a trend you see yourself adopting? Actually, I don't think I would call this a trend- there is something classic and timeless about the stately and slightly capricious peacock, isn't there?

Links/Image credits: 1. and 2.) Plum chutney; 3. and 4.) Urban Outfitters; 5.) Dwell Studio; 6.) Vineeta Nair via Plum Chutney.

A Calm Refuge

2012-02-01T13:41:00.000-08:00

There is something about country houses with their blurred lines between the outdoors and the interior that calls out to me. Glimpses of olive trees in the courtyard, cool shaded rooms, wooden beams on the ceiling are details I am always attracted to but add a neutral palette and minimal clutter and I can't resist. It is such a calm refuge. The design is by Sylvie Angelini and the house was featured on Cote Maison. See the entire house here.

Links & Image credits/copyright: Via Cote Maison (France); Photography by Pierrick Verny (click on the link for a most luscious portfolio!)

Hello February

2012-02-01T08:02:00.000-08:00

It's February already! It is hard to believe how fast the days are rushing by. I wanted this post to be for all those of us for whom the enthusiasm of the new year has dimmed just a bit. You know what I mean... first came the new year with all its brilliant promise and now its February, and you are wondering what the fuss was all about.

And..

Have a great day, folks!

Image credits: Found via the ever-resourceful Pinterest

Naomi Stein of Design Manifesto

2012-01-31T07:01:00.000-08:00

Have you taken a look at the latest House of Fifty? It is filled with decor inspiration and ideas but my most favorite article is the home tour of Naomi Stein of Design Manifest. I had seen it before on Design Sponge and loved it! Her gorgeous loft is contemporary and chic and incorporates beautiful ikats and suzanis. You can view more pictures of the house here and here.

Image credits/copyright: Via Design Sponge; Photography by Courtney Apple.

Friendship Birds

2012-01-30T17:29:00.000-08:00

I am on a Valentine's Day posts streak! Here is a lovely and simple gift idea for someone you love from Cox and Cox (UK)..Friendship Birds made of metal (I could have sworn they were made of stone). I think these would make great gifts...
a.) For a friend or for your sweetheart - Cox and Cox suggest that you keep one and give the other as a gift. What a totally adorable idea!
b.) For someone who loves nature
c.) For someone who is very hard to shop for
d.) All the above (*my husband)

Is it just me or has spring already arrived? In my corner of Northern California, there is sunshine, birdsong and the occasional tree with flowers. As I type this, I am looking at at least 10 robins sitting in my neighbor's tree which might explain why I have birds on my mind!
Image credit: Cox and Cox (UK)

Valentine's Day Tea Party

2012-01-29T10:20:00.000-08:00

February is almost here and if you are looking for Valentine's Day celebration ideas, this delicately beautiful tea party is a great way to show your love...

It is designed by Julie Murphy and photographed by Burcu Avsar (click to view a most luscious portfolio) and featured on Country Living- click here to view all the pictures.

Image credits/copyrights: Via Country Living magazine; Photography by Burcu Avsar.

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.