Mayura's Farmhouse styled home

We often try to run away from our urban chaos, to a quieter locale probably a farmhouse that we can call our own for the couple of days that we stay put there. But, what happens when your home itself is farmhouse style inspired ( with or without the farm animals! )? That is exactly how it is with Mayura.

Her insta stories propelled me to establish contact with her and request for a home tour.
Her home that we are about to uncover is 80 years old, though it is renovated, the basic structure is preserved. Mayura lives with her hubby, kid and her Mil here.All of them being decor enthusiast, they were clear from the start that the ethnic charm is not lost upon as they renovate the home!

 I feel the beauty of such spaces lies in openness of the plan.  The indoors merge easily with the outdoors creating vastness of space.

The interiors have been done in dark wood tones.Many traditional elements like the jharokha, brass artifacts which are proud heritage collections rule the place.Apart from these brass bells & lanterns lend a rustic charm!

Unique in itself are these rows and rows of neatly arranged brass  cooking vessels like pots, pans,urns, plates which have been designated a separate place yet assimilating their presence in the interiors as well!

 A sitting area which I understand opens into the outdoor...

 Yet another rustic feature wall with dancing warli motifs and woven treasures. Traditional game like the pallankuzhi board that you see on the ledge makes me remember my childhood  summer days. Oh! What fun it used to be when all the cousins used to gather over the game!

 A peek into her well laid out garden space...

The warli paintings are done by Mayura.

Such lovingly created corners!

 And see I told you it's a farmhouse styled  home...Look at those lovely ducks enjoying a  bath in afternoon sun!

 This is the perfect getaway for me in summers. what do you think? Mayura blogs at thelifeinspire.com and you can have a look at her insta feed here. 
She would be happy to hear from you as well!

A traditional home in the heart of Vijayawada

The last post of the year and let me make it a good one! This post is after my own heart. It is a home tour from Vijayawada and is the abode of Asha Kiran.

To begin with, let me tell you, the home is built without any help from interior designers or architects. Asha had her home conceptualized in her mind in a certain manner and she went ahead with it and it has turned out perfect!
When it comes to decor, Asha is a traditionalist! Here she lives with her hubby, two daughters and a cute fur-ball!
Traditional Indian homes are synonymous with  a veranda and large open spaces, sit outs in the front, art work on floors and walls and you find all of that here! So far, I have come across homes that are a marriage of traditional with the modern but this home is purely Indian in all sense. I know, am doing a lot of build-up but Asha's home deserves this and more! So, let me just get started...

This is the entrance and notice how it stands out against the high-rise at the backdrop.

As you enter...

Flower beds, the concrete sit out and Ahh! how can you miss these grand pillars...

Look at the Tulsi' maadam' or the pedestal on which the Tulsi is placed! Indians have always considered Tulsi as divine and worshiped the plant due to its intense medicinal properties. And you can spot a niche on the yellow pedestal. This is with the intention of  lighting a lamp there!

In olden times, they would build these niches in the wall near the entry door for lighting lamps.The lady of the house would light them during evenings and that used to lend such a warm and calming effect! This entryway opens a bag of memories for me. For,ages ago when modernism hadn't caught up with our villages, the houses used to be adorned similarly!The ornate carvings on the wooden door and the painted threshold  are just signs of more beauty awaiting you inside!
The  threshold has painted motifs of elephants, kalash and lotuses ,all signifying auspiciousness and prosperity.

Now, as we step inside, you can make out the interiors styled with wood and brass. Asha's kitchen is a treasure trove of brass utensils.She says, she is very much fond of these sparkling beauties. Her favourite places for buying these antiques are Indian Antique Quest, an online destination for authentic antiques, flea markets, Lepakshi exhibitions and the old markets of Vijayawada.

I still have vivid memory of my granny's old home which had such doors that opened half way from top, served the purpose of knowing who knocked without really letting them inside!
This is the traditional version of our modern day safety doors. Isn't it?

The wooden bench like trunk that you see in the above pic serves well as a storage and a sit-out.

Being a brass lover, all those utensils make my heart, skip a beat!

Asha loves to decorate her home with flowers and that can be seen in the following images

 This is her prayer room..

Asha tells me, its been 5 yrs since they constructed this home and to me it doesn't look more than a day old!

The lotus incense holder creates the right drama at the entrance and of course you cannot miss the sweet bundle of  fur-balls who makes his appearance in more than one frame!

Now, a much needed tip for all brass lovers shared by Asha...

 The Original beauty and glow of brass vintage items comes after cleaning with  Pitambari powder  and swiping it with a dry cloth.The most important step is to then keep them under sunlight.This step is a must  to get the best glow. I wish this tip will be useful for all brass lovers.

Let me end the post with an image that left an everlasting impression on me...

I hope you loved this home tour. I felt so happy presenting it to you folks.

As we usher in Christmas and New year, I wish the best for all my readers.We shall meet again in 2018 with more styling tips and more importantly with posts that shall warm our hearts and bring happiness forever!

An office where fun and work co-exist!

I work from a home office operating from a small table that serves as my desk space cum my laptop space, writing table and what not.The only solace is that I face a fabulously maintained lawn outside the window.

So when I came across an office that has a space constraint but has been so  meticulously designed that what you see is a wide expanse of open area in front of you. It has a relaxing cafe or lounge like ambiance such that work becomes fun!

 Without beating around the bush,let me reveal the address of this creative office area.
Creative and digital agency, ColourCraft Studio, blurs the lines with its new Mumbai headquarters designed to reflect its identity, values and culture.



ColourCraft Studio is a 1600 sqft space in Prabhadevi Mumbai and true to their design philosophy of functionality,aesthetics and minimalism they created an office space within a tight budget and a record time  of two months! How is that and there is more to this ....

So many fine details that one may take for granted have been all well thought, planned and put into execution.

A creative environment needs open space.How did CCS ensure that? Well, they have lofty ceilings,nothing is concealed. right from exposed brick walls,pipes that run though out the office,no separate cubicles but one big open plan which ensures better interaction and exchange of ideas too!

What I especially liked at CCS and felt that other small offices and entrepreneurs can implement   are:

• Community table that doubles up as a lunch table
• Open deskspace without separators for flexible seating and collaboration 
• Electrical outlets on the table as opposed to below the desk where it is inconvenient 
•  Hooks under the table for hanging bags 
•  Moveable white and black boards for brainstorming anywhere 

Another great idea was to have conference room double up as bar or a lounge. After having tackled the space issue the next step was to have an aesthetically pleasing environment.I truly loved the quirkiness factor induced in CCS. If an area is too minimalist in structure it may hit upon as a cold and stark place to work at. But this was taken care with antiques sought from Chor bazzar.

The quirky appeal...

Old Switchboards...

I love the rustic appeal it carries...

The creative adult is the child who survived!... so so true

Nature in all its glory!

The employees can't ask for more what with features such as surround speakers with soothing music, a bar and a game area equipped with carrom,tennis and football and the topping on the cake with the aroma of coffee from an espresso wafting in the air!

The key elements to be noted from the designing of ColourCraft Studio

• Any space can be converted into a creative zone with proper planning
• Adding fun elements results in a productive environment
• Space and expenses can always be managed to our benefit, if the principles of Form function and aesthetics are in balance.

Do You work from a place like this?If so, share with me .I will be glad to feature it here.

And peeps we are into August from where all the fun and festivals begin.I have a simple DIY for you.Stay tuned!

Jew town-Fort Kochi

Some time back we had been to Kochi( Cochin) in Kerala.Today's post is about the shopper's lane in Fort Kochi area also popularly called as 'Jew town'.It is a paradise for the art lovers and shopaholics alike.The Jew Street itself has a very interesting history.Long back the Jews traded in these narrow lanes although now only a handful of them remain.
Jew town is a quaint little area that lends out an old world charm.

Kerala and Kochi in particular is still known world wide for their aromatic spices.The entire street is filled with antique shops replete with brass, bronze and wooden artifacts in particular. One can take their own time and go through each antique shop. They are like museums giving you a glimpse of an era gone by.Let me share  some images of  Jew town.

These are cow heads.Available in most shops made of wood and brightly painted.Used to be hung around on the outer doors to ward off evil and bring prosperity!

A stone Nandi standing guard!

Dwarapalakas...

I think this is a granary..not sure although

some old wooden vessels

Jew town was beautiful with shops lined on either side of the street selling, what I love the most-Antiques.After all the walking and sight seeing,if you would want to rest for a while, head to a cafe. There were so many of them at every turn and bend...so much to see and so little time.

More on the Kerala trip will follow soon.Some info on Kerala Architecture, a palace visit and a picture heavy post from-  A visit to Folk Museum.Keep visiting!