Home tour - Saswati Hota

Today, we have yet another home tour on the blog which boasts of a unique personality. It's the abode of Saswati Hota from Goa.

Saswati is the food column contributor at Goan Espresso and the blogger at Delish Potpourri. She has traveled far and wide due to her husband's posting in the navy and that reflects in the decor of her home.

In her own words...

"A loving daughter, an incredibly proud naval wife to my man in white, a doting mother to two loveable girls, an avid food blogger, a home chef and many more other identities that define me. 

Being a defence officers wife for 19 years has taught me what is it like to live out of the box and the inevitable truth that nothing is permanent.This is our 16 th house in our 19 years of marriage!"

Are you getting the drift now, my dear readers when I say her home has a unique personality? 

It’s a crucial task when you are deployed to a new station and moving house every 2 to 3 years. And as they moved from one station to the next she realized housing wasn’t created equal everywhere. 

Saswati recollects her journey...

''Somewhere we walked into a comfy 5 room apartment and at times we were given a temporary barracks accommodation with one room and a kitchen and sometimes we just made the Naval mess our home till we got a house. And all these moving around and changing various houses has helped my creative juices to flow and aesthetic sense to make my home look bright and beautiful with the available amenities. Due to the continuous movement we cannot afford to overload our furniture but that has never stopped me to be a hoarder of beautiful artifacts. One look at my house and you will know where all we have been posted to, it’s a national integration of home décor. "

Love the way she has placed the puppets inside the jharokha. Very innovative I must say!

Regardless of the shape and size of your home , when it comes to carving out your own space..our homes reflect our personality and character.Staying in a Fauji house we have our limitations,there's nothing you can do to the structure or quality of the house, the walls, the flooring, the furniture ..so it's a challenge to create a personal space within the limitations. Nevertheless we always try our best to create a space which reflects our tastes and cultural heritage. 

This masked wall did it for me and I knew this home had to be featured on the blog.Her home signifies the amalgamation of various cultures within India and outside. 

I love traditional decor,I feel it promises warmth and welcome. We started off by collecting artifacts from different parts of India we visited on our postings and holidays . Our Russia posting helped us in adding some magnificent tapestries, decorative czar czarinas, multicolored matryoshkas ,to our collection.Right now our decor is an eclectic mix of The Egyptian Pharaoh to the crystal Cinderella shoes to our very own Kathakali and Durga  masks.

Folk art displayed thoughtfully!

Goddess Tara...The female Bodhisattva

Did you notice those crystal ballerina shoes?

This is an impressive cosy nook for a quiet evening chit chat and reading to your heart's content.I saw this pic and dreamt of Goa,(the place where Saswati resides) may be because it has such a calming and peaceful vibe to it!

The other areas in her nest are equally serene. She has created a space that talks about her life that is always changing and evolving for the better!

Let me share images of her bedrooms and the garden area.

The shelves are framed too!

Some takeaway tips for you readers from Saswati's home, is that the size of the home doesn't really matter.If you have the decor bug within you, each corner comes alive beautifully!

Those planter shelves on the wall are framed, did you notice that? Such an inexpensive way to create a statement wall! I can make out that her navy life has taught her the nuances of creating an impactful decor.

Be a little thoughtful, decorate it with souvenirs and pieces that hold meaning to you and the rest will fall in place!