Styled with warmth & passion-the home of Swetha Sajjalgud

 We have come to the end  of yet another year and let us bid adieu with a bang! How about a visual treat  covering the home tour of Swetha's home.

Swetha Sajjalgud and her husband Mayank, live in Bangalore with their 16 month old baby girl in a 3 bhk apartment. She works as a product manager in an MNC and states that with a full time job and a toddler, giving time to the house and its upkeep becomes challenging.

But, you will soon realize that Swetha has managed to create a cosy heaven for herself and family in spite of being time challenged and this can happen only when you have an underlying passion for decor.

The living area where we entertain guests and spend most of the time is the cynosure in Swetha's home is what I believe.

She has sent us some images of her drawing room over a period of time. Just a little variation in  the arrangement of cushions and decor accents, and you can make out how it never ceases to impress!

I loved the earthy tones in her home. The solid wood furniture and the warmth extended thru the various fabric shades keeps you gazing at the cosy set up.

Minimalistic , functional and user friendly furniture with the right dosage of decor elements thrown  around, in a brightly lit space is the safest route to a splendid home! And Swetha seems to have decoded this mantra!!!


Swetha says, "My inspiration for my design sense and aesthetics comes from my mom. She has always had this great taste when it comes to doing up a home and as a child i would watch wide eyed as she would go scouting for upholstery or knick- knacks for the home. Her design sense is mostly Indian and our home used to be mostly setup in bright earthy tones. Even today, when I visit my parents in Pune, i end up shamelessly stealing some brass knick knacks from my mum's place.

I would also like to mention that I am hugely inspired and in awe of some talented Indian decor bloggers Archana Srinivas (Rang Decor), Shruti Singh ( The east coast desi), Chandan Dubey (I am fortunate to own some of her creations), Shivangi Dogra  and Kamini Raghavan ( Saffron and silk) its a pity she doesnt blog as much nowadays, but she is a huge inspiration."

Let us hear what Swetha's has to share about her design sensibility...

"I have been very fortunate to have a husband who supports my passion for decor. He is the man behind the lens who takes these great shots of our home.We love travelling a lot and i make it a point to get something for the home wherever we go.Our home has a lot of pieces we picked on our various travels in India and across the globe. I generally lean towards warm and earthy tones, because that is the kind of setup i grew up in and it reminds me of my parent's home. My design inspiration is mostly Indian and we have invested in dark solid wood furniture sourced from Fabindia and Mother earth across the home. I believe it tends to give the home a warm and cozy vibe. I tend to keep the upholstery neutral, so i that i can play around with colorful accents. The antique bench at the entry way is from Oshiwara in Mumbai. It was a huge task having it transported from Mumbai to Bangalore given that it was antique and I had my heart in my mouth when the packers unpacked it as i was so afraid that it would have been roughly handled in transport and it would be damaged ! The Pichwai painting was a gift and i totally love the colour combination and how it makes a plain white background stand out.The pictures above the sofa are prints of the tholu bommalata ( leather puppet art) which i picked from Karnataka chitra kala parishat in Bangalore. The brass vessels belonged to my grandparents which i have converted into planters.

The hanging bell and lamp are brass which my mom gifted . The angels are from Netherlands and Prague . The Gouri mukut is from Chor bazar in Mumbai."



Every corner adds to the overall character of her space

 It is  relatively easier to collect beautiful, heartwarming knick knacks for your home but requires passionate effort to display the same in a manner that entices all.

wonderful addition to any coffee table

where reflections are captured...

Vignettes that have been placed lovingly in Swetha's home...

  The  white and blue bedroom is this guest room and the three small paintings above the bed are water color postcards from Pondicherry.

The master bedroom cum study is also blue themed with blue pottery from Jaipur above the side table and ceramics from Prague.

This is the third room which is work in progress where in Swetha is trying to create a fun room for her baby girl.

This yellow trunk in the patio is a DIY and it gives a nice bright feel coupled with the greens.

I have some more pics from her home that will be up on sajavat's Facebook and Instagram page. Are you following me there as well?

Now folks, what do you have to say about this beautiful abode?

Every corner is done up amazingly well and gives an overall cheerful vibe. 

The conclusion i make from this home tour is, that if one wants to have a traditional Indian inspired home, earthy colour tones and finish can never go wrong!

Thank you so much Swetha for being a part of sajavat.

We started 2018 with Snigdha's home tour  (click to view ) and conclude the year with Swetha's space.
Any decor related  resolutions that you have made for this year? I want to add one more permanent seating area to my existing space. Have to really brain storm in this regard. Let's see how it works out! Well, you tell me yours, its fun and interesting to note the changes and improvisations that others make. Isnt it?

Happy New beginnings my sajavat family.Let our tribe of creative people and ideas grow !

Small change,Big impact

We all have these so called unsightly stuff around home and sometimes you wonder how to change it to your liking.
Something that was bothering me for long was our bathroom window. Now, the problem was how much ever clean the windows were from the insides, I had no control on the other side and to add to it is the pigeon menace that most of the apartment dwellers face!

The windows are such that it is very difficult to clean the outer surface how much ever I try! One fine day, I suddenly felt I have a solution to this.

Let me first show you the Before pics...

Pigeon poop on the outside surface made it so ugly and the window is the first thing that one sees on entering the bathroom.

And these are the After pics...

I got a sheet of window film and it was quick and simple to adhere the film to the window. The concept behind this is static that acts as a self adhesive.To make sure that it doesn't come off , I have also used transparent tape on the sides, just to be safe!

 I bought the sheet from Amazon.in and there are so many wonderful designs available. I loved this design in particular  because of the stain glass effect that it creates.

Overall am satisfied with the result.It was an easy  fix at a reasonable cost! Do you agree as well? Let me know your thoughts.

We have reached the last month of this year and am going to round it off with yet another warm and lovely home tour! Stay tuned for that folks.

Ethnically styled home of Bhakti

One fine day, I spotted some amazing pics of a home styled uniquely on social media and I knew it had to make its way on the blog. This home belongs to Bhakti (Neha) Achara.
 She is an accountant by profession but soon you will see that her heart is all for decor.
For the observant, the home is full of styling tips that we can use in our personal space.

Bhakti's home has been designed by  Saraf Architects & Associates Nashik. It has a very predominant Indian theme inspired by certain Mughal design elements. Bhakti has decorated her space with decor accessories from some of the very well known entrepreneurs of our times, the complete list of which you shall find at the end of the post. Like minded decor enthusiasts can always benefit from this.

Lets get started right away!

The entry way is fabulous with the outer main door and a partition in the foyer area stealing the show! The door has ornamental pattern of jharokha not one or two but entire door has many such delightful jharokhas. This reminded me of Mughal architecture and how cleverly it has been incorporated in the designing of the door.

When you step inside her home a partition very much similar to the door has been modeled that separates the foyer and the dining space.
Another addition to the wonderful design of the screen are the multi-hued glasses in each jharokha.

I knew this place will be aesthetically very pleasing, the minute I saw this image. Brilliant use of the available space and the colourful glasses are a sure conversation starter, what say?

Am noticing the slight reflection that the partition makes on the wall. Do you notice that as well?

The other side of the partition has the dining area. Have a look...

 

A console in the dining room with all her crockery

Now, we step into her living area...The walls have been splendidly decorated with assortments that make you admire Bhakti for her design sensibility!

Chandan Dubey's distinctive Prabhavalis highlight her living room wall. Chandan Dubey is a master artist and her workmanship is beyond any comparison!

 The colours that come alive in Bhakti' s home is truly worth mentioning ! Keeping the furnishings in neutral colours, the various decor accessories used accentuates her space.

Another useful styling tip to borrow, is the way the curtains and the cushions are coordinated.The Jamini Roy inspired block printed cushion covers and the curtains lend a warm tone to the set up.

Peacock lamp and Prabhavalis, traditional elements paired with modern comforts

masks and busts for company...

 The delicate wooden panelling on the side of the wall not only highlights the area but gives it a well deserved definition too!

Vignette styled beautifully with Chandan Dubey's zari worked cushions at the backdrop. A very traditional &classy styling!

Each piece fashioned together to form a statement corner

Kaamdhenu...The holy cow believed to fulfill all your desires

A corner styled with Rajasthani puppets

Moving inside...

Bedrooms...

 The wood work on the head board is just the way it should be. Not very overwhelming, over the top kind but a very subtle feature creating a class of its own!
 Again a masterpiece in the form of paintings and the couple's portrait adorn the wall, the sources of the same has been mentioned at the end.

Into the cheerful den of her son...

Her Mother-in- laws room...

Again, here the headboard is unique. Hand block printed fabric has been used. Overall look of the room is very calm and relaxed with the use of light pastel colours.

I loved the fact that Bhakti has incorporated many traditional Indian elements in her abode.
The use of Brassware, block printed fabrics, appliqued bedspread and cushion covers, paintings depicting the Indian way of life gives a warm and fresh outlook to the entire home

Bhakti, thanks a ton for sharing your home with me and readers of sajavat. They are going to have a real good time going thru your home!

Sources of decor embellishments that caught my eye ! You can check out their instagram handle

Jamini Roy cushion covers and curtains M&R Home Decor
 Silk cushion covers and Prabhavalis
Painting in Bhakti's bedroom by Sabita Sahu
Paintings of birds in her sons room by Sujatha Arvind
Srinaathji painting by Yamini Soni
Potrait of her &hubby by Sandhya Vaidyanathan
masks and mukhalinga in the living room
Bull mask in the foyer
Kaamdhenu wooden piece by Anupama