Mansions of Chettinad

 These palatial  homes that we are about to  uncover on the blog today belong to the Chettiars.  Each of these homes represent the power and the social  standing of the Chettiars and are therefore designed with elements imported from various places.The Nattukottai Chettiars belong to prosperous banking and business community and in that respect they traveled extensively.The houses are grand and the architectural details are sure to leave you spell bound.

Karaikudi and the sorrounding towns together constitutes the Chettinadd region which is now known as Heritage town.  Kanadukathan is a small sleepy village wherein many of these mansions occupy the Pride of place

There are certain very distinctive features of a chettinadd home like huge teak and iron pillars, the Italian wall and the floor tiles,' thinnai' or raised platforms, eye catchy  Belgian glass chandeliers, intricate carvings on the Burmese teak doors and windows, colorful glass windows, the smooth wall plastering which seems to have been achieved with the help of a mixture of limestone, ground white sea shells and egg whites.These elements lend a very unique feel to these houses.

The Chettiars lived together as a joint family which explains the need for so many rooms. The central courtyard ensured good ventilation, light and shade. Most of these homes are now used as vacation homes or let out for tourists and film shootings.

As we make our way into their homes, you will discover how each element blends harmoniously with the rest, even though they were sourced from all over the world! The craftsmanship and the tasteful decor will make you gasp for sure!

Am going to show you around two mansions each unique than the other.As much as you can feel the grandeur of these houses, somewhere there is also this raw appeal with an old world charm that brings about a child like excitement within me, as I write this post.

Athangudi palace

The exteriors of the home...

Such a pleasing green on the metal grills and the glass arch

The ceilings are either brightly painted or tiled

Another Verandah with huge pillars

Patterns on the ceilings

Look at those embellishments in the form of wooden carvings on the pillars

The wall tiles are from Belgium

 Magnificent work on the ceiling...If you look closely the centre depicts a wedding in progress

Sit out by the window

For a very nominal fee, we visited this palace and spent some good time absorbing in all the finer details.

Chettinad Mansion:

Built with the concept of a central courtyard flanked by rooms on all the sides, this place houses more than 100 rooms.I was thrilled to realize,  that the entrance to this home was on one street and the exit or the back opened onto the parallel street. Imagine the vastness!!! For now, only a portion of the mansion is well maintained and the owners let out the rooms for tourists.

Brass ladies welcoming with deepams

Facade of Chettinadd Mansion

This mansion has been converted into a hotel...Photo frames of the current generation adorn the corridors.

Teak doors...

These metal frames lined on the entire periphery created much drama with their shadows

The chettinadd region is also every travelers  and gastronomist's delight ! I highly recommend the place for your next vacation.

Glimpses from the abode of Veena Murali

I have always maintained that every home gives out the personality of the home owner. When you enter a home for the first time, the feel and appeal of the place says a lot about the people residing in there.A warm and welcoming space can give you positive vibes like none other! To soak in that energy a complete house tour is not necessary. A certain peek here and a glimpse there can do the needful.And that's what precisely we are about to do today.

This home that we are about to enter belongs to Veena Murali and her lovely family!

This is her take on Home and interiors...

Home is where we all feel comfortable. According to me, it shouldn't be considered just as the place you sleep at night", but should have a theme and  neatly arranged irrespective of  whether the home is big or small. Design your home on your own to make sure it caters to your needs. For example I like lot of natural light in the rooms and also try to keep it simple in terms of the way I organize my rooms. I always strive to keep my house neat and clean (this is not easy when you have a toddler in the house) rather than stocking expensive artifacts and showpieces. A neat and well organized home spreads a lot of positive energy. 

So, so true isn't it?

Veena loves the traditional Indian style of decor which can be very much seen in every corner that she has designed.We are going to see her home in bits and pieces but at the end you will have a clear picture of the beautiful home she has created for herself and her family!

My heart swings along with the brass hanging!

Intricate jaali work on the seater...

Get a close look...

Appreciation for all things Indian is so so evident. Another aspect that I wanted to stress upon is, this is Veena's rented place and you know rented places can come with a lot of limitation.But as it is said rightly there can be no limitation to one's own creativity and ideas!

Have a look at the arrangements on her coffee table and consoles...

She encourages you to bring nature inside.In her words,"Do keep lot of greens, make it Eco friendly. There are some indoor plants available in the market which can give a very natural feel to the whole set-up. Be a keen observer where ever you go. Observations and creativity results in new ideas and designs."

The presence of  wood in her decor is ubiquitous. The dining table, the cot in her bedroom, the furniture in the living room are enriched with  Indian craftsmanship.

Once again the work on the chairs has me enthralled!

I loved the coziness that fills her space, that comes only when you put your heart and soul, while you design your home.I am glad she opened her home for me and the readers of sajavat.Hope you loved her home too!

Veena worked as a telecom engineer and resigned when her son was born. But now that he is 3 years old, she is lucky to find some time to work as a freelance interior designer, share ideas on to her blog on her travel experiences and all about decor & art. You can find more of her work on her Blog and Facebook Page  

Prameela Nair's home part II

Prameela's AbuDhabi home is stunning to say the least! What, You haven't taken the tour of her abode yet? Head straight here

Now, for those of you who can't wait to barge inside, let's take a look at some of the other thoughtfully laid out spaces!

I loved her dining area.I can imagine the space becoming live with love, laughter and of course food ,as the family gathers together for a meal.The shade of yellow on the walls is just the right one to fill the air with  warmth and happiness. Bright, yet making a cheerful presence.Come, see it for yourself!

Many artifacts placed on the console but doesn't feel cluttered at all! Were you able to get a peep of the  multi coloured fabric upholstered console? That's a good take away idea!

 Yes, I can see, that you are trying to soak in all at one go! But one at a time we shall cover... The kettle collection on the console, the wooden swing with the kutchi embroidered rectangular cushion, the blue pottery and a glimpse of the wall mural all are just too good!
The design elements make the space cohesive with none overpowering the other. Isn't this true?

 Prameela feels, that the mural or Madhubani paintings done directly on the wall add a lot of character and aesthetic charm to  the room. She says,"The earthen pots or Bharanis I have grown up admiring. These were used my grandma and mom to make yoghurt and store pickles which is why I carry these in various sizes each time I visit my home in Palakkad, Kerala.

 I have come to realise that I don’t have much time since I have a hectic work life but that in no way has restricted me from pursuing my passion for interiors and decor. I infact use it as a means of therapy to unwind and to channelize my creative interests. "

These madhubani murals have been painted by Prameela's dear friend.When I saw them for the first time, I was curious why the major portion of the madhubani's have not been coloured as is usually the case with all madhubani but I guess for the very same reason it lends a very unique feel.

Let me just try to make the orientation of the mural walls clearer for you guys. The fish mural is on the swing side of the wall and the peacock mural on the dining side. One wall with murals on either side! Well conceptualized, I must say and easily a conversation starter!

The rest room is no less...Have a peek.

Leaving you with some more images of the various paintings,her library and frames that adorns her wall...

India captured in its true essence!

 I thoroughly enjoyed putting together this post for all of you. Prameela's home is a visual delight and is a testimony to the warm and endearing person she must be! I am truly captivated by all the images of her home and I sincerely hope that you find inspiration from these as well!

See you all real soon with an easy DIY...I hope you have  bookmarked sajavat for your daily dose of decor inspiration. Keep yourself updated with the latest happenings here by following sajavat on facebook as well!

Home tour - Prameela Nair's AbuDhabi abode part-I

Let us start the first post of the year with an amazing home tour.Today, we shall cover the lovely home of Prameela Nair based out of AbuDhabi. I came across some images of her home in a common community of which we are members of! I could gather from those few images that her home is one which belongs to decor magazines! To be precise, absolutely stunning, drool worthy and inspirational! You will soon see this for yourself! I requested her for a home tour on sajavat, and she sweetly obliged !
Be aware, this is going to be a picture heavy post and you are going to spend a lot of time on each image, am sure about that!

Prameela says,

"My home is the place that I call my “inner space” which is an extension of who we are as individuals. My husband Rahul and I have created our home with  lot of care since we both have equal passion for decor and art.  we seem to have collected many pieces from our various travels to different parts of the world. We always bring back something from our travels to remind us of the time we shared together.

My home in Abu Dhabi is truly Indian in every sense and the decor style I would like to call it as vibrant, eclectic and warm ……very much and true to the way we are as individuals. UAE is such a welcoming and beautiful country….and with so many Indians living here it is truly a home away from home. I have always wanted to retain the Indian aesthetics as it is my way of staying bonded to my place….and my roots."

There are statement pieces to the house right from the furniture which are all made from rose wood and bought from stores bought locally in the UAE. This sofa as you can see has lovely hand carvings These are made in Pakistan by a very reputed furniture store who deals in quality furniture which are unique with intrinsic work that stand apart.

If you carefully observe the above pics, you will notice multiple seating arrangements created in one room! This is such a thoughtful space and perfect for entertaining. Isn't it?

 Collecting traditional art has always been her passion. The Tanjore paintings are antique pieces which she carted with a great deal of effort from an  art collector  in Palakkad that works on restoring and maintaining old art pieces from the villages of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.


"We have always bought our items with the view of owning them for life so the plan is to take these back home when we do move back to India one day. I love adding colour using silk cushions, brass artefacts and some green elements."

Lets shift our focus to some close-up shots...

Do you notice the red door frame there? I fell in love with it...

She tells me that the  red door is  done by a renowned artist called K R Santhana Krishnan
http://www.doorpaintings.com .(Check out the link folks)

Prameela's plan is to buy more doors in various sizes and colours and have one wall only of different doors...That would make it a gorgeous wall Prameela!

Such a beautiful assortment of brass and bronze artifacts!

The home is a melange of colours! I love her use of embroidered cushions & textiles and the brass artifacts interspersed in the decor creates a very ethnic vibe to the space.
I have a weakness for traditional decor and I love the fact that Prameela has so beautifully created a very Indian space for herself and her family outside India!

There is more to see ofcourse! and that I have saved for another post which will cover her dining area, the murals painted on walls and other spaces.
Stay tuned in..We shall see each other soon!