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 !

Diwali themed decor

Hi lovely people, gearing up for the most awaited festival of the year? Confused on how to give a festival vibe to your home! 

Well,  I have created a simple Diwali theme for you all, mostly using elements I already had! 

Hope this will at least give you some ideas for your own home. You can always add new elements to what I have suggested and create a happy space this Deepavali.

Firstly, gather all stuff related to the festival that are considered auspicious like Idol of Lakshmiji , Ganesha, earthen diyas, lamps, candles, rangoli stickers, kundan rangoli, kalasha , bright runners etc.

You can design this theme on a shelf, console or a table. 

 Here, I have used a duppatta as a runner. It is a bright pink, yellow and golden one  with beautiful embroidered motif of a flowerpot.The other personalised addition are the earthen diyas that I hand painted. This way I choose my own colour scheme for them.

Apart from these, Diwali is incomplete without sweets but instead of traditional sweets I have kept cupcake moulds filled with chocolates. This arrangement is specially for the kids. The cupcake moulds also lend a colourful and cheerful twist to the theme.

At night with just the lights on...

Ideally, you can create this decor in your entryway welcoming guests and Goddess Lakshmi blessing them with health, happiness and  prosperity .

Hope you get ideas from this post and yes I would really love to see how you have come up with your own versions...

Happy Diwali my sajavat family! Enjoy and have a safe one!

A simple makeover (gone wrong and then rectified )post coming up soon...

Role of deities in Indian decor

As I sat one day lazily sipping coffee and watching an ad on t.v, I happened to gaze around my home and a sudden realization came upon me. How much we Indians love to have decor around our favourite deities!

Every corner in my home had an idol of Gods and Goddess ranging from Ganesha, Hanuman, Rama, Krishna, Durga and the likes. And to tell you, we really love it that way! Deities are omnipresent in our decor scheme.

Some of the Gods that we have are purely because somewhere we have a special attachment with them, some are so cute that you got to display them, some are considered auspicious, some because a certain God has a deep connection with an Indian art form, that you so much love and so it goes... Ah! the reasons are many.

Anyway sharing some images from my home.I know for sure that most readers will instantly connect with the point am trying to make.

Ganesha playing the flute is a little different because generally Krishna is seen playing the flute.

Lord Guruvayurappan, another form of Krishna is the main deity in Guruvayyur in Kerala This is special since it was a  gift from my aunt for my wedding

My home is blessed with the presence of Ganpati, in frames and idol form

Rama and Krishna among the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu on my coffee table

Hanuman in Kinhal craft which is a  traditional wooden craft local to the town of Kinhal, or Kinnal, in Koppal District, North Karnataka, India

Here Maruti is depicted as the courageous one (Viramaruti) ready for battle and thus tail in the upright position.Sometimes he is shown as the servitor,paying obeisance  to Lord Rama (Dasmaruti) where his tail rests on the ground.

This is a Ganesha  carved on wood, have been hugely inspired by Chandan Dubey to frame it this way by providing a backdrop with an orange hued silk fabric.The small motifs are handpainted.

These were some of the spaces in my abode, influenced by the divine power. How about you? Do you also gravitate towards the presence of the supreme being in your home.

Coming soon on the blog is a review and the interiors of a lovely resort in Karnataka. Stay tuned for more!

The art of making Pottery (Part II)

In our last post we discussed the basic form of pottery making & had a walk with Pooja Subramanian through the lanes of Kumbharwada.If you missed  this post, read it here.

This form of art, of molding clay into various shapes, includes various styles of pottery. Glazed and unglazed pottery, terracotta and Wikipedia even  includes Papier Mache  under the various styles of pottery making.Never knew that!

Let me give you a detailed description of Terracotta and Blue Pottery in this post.Both the styles are very close to my heart and the versatility of this art will sure leave you amazed!

Terracotta:

Terracotta is ideally a type of fired clay, typically of a brownish-red colour and unglazed, used as an ornamental building material and in modelling. The term Terra cotta is derived from Italian phrase which means baked Earth. It is the art of lending enchanting shapes to clay and then firing them at the right temperature to make them stiff and strong

Crafting an object from terracotta includes several stages such as clay purifying, idol or sculpture making, drying and baking. Some sharp edged tools such as knives and blades are used to create pattern and decorations. Moulds are often used in idol sculpting.

The first step involves procuring the purified clay devoid of any impurities. The processed clay after purifying is soaked in water for 15 to 30 days to enhance the suppleness and also to avoid cracks and damages during firing process. This gives the clay products a special characteristic and unique identity for its supple texture and rich natural red color.

Now according to the requirement of the finished products, the product is either handmade as in case of idols and jewelry or the potter’s wheel run by electricity is used to make pots, bowls, huge containers etc.

Drying is a very crucial step after which necessary embellishments and colours are added. In case of household utilities, these items have to be baked at high temperatures in the kiln to make them hard and resistant.

A very remarkable feature in Terracotta is that it uses all the five elements namely fire,water, earth, Air & ether. It is a process that requires precision, skill and the judgement to finish the products at the right temperature.


Drying is a very crucial step after which necessary embellishments and colours are added. In case of household utilities, these items have to be baked at high temperatures in the kiln to make them hard and resistant.

A very remarkable feature in Terracotta is that it uses all the five elements namely fire,water, earth, Air & ether. It is a process that requires precision, skill and the judgement to finish the products at the right temperature.

Bankura horses of Bishnupur, West Bengal are the finest example of Terracotta art.These are a part of a 300 yr. old tradition, specifically considered for village rituals; they have now gained popularity and access into the Indian living rooms. They are known for their symmetric shape and rounded curves given to their body.The Bankura horse has distinctive unique features set apart by the long ears, stout body, small tail, long neck and intricate decorations carved on them. It is believed that the four legs, the full neck in two parts and the face (seven pieces in all) are turned out separately on the wheel for the horse and later joined by hand.

Let me also take you through some fascinating Architectural wonders made of Terracotta  that are significant in history.






Pinterest Image

These astonishing images are from the temples and mosques in and around West Bengal.The temples were built during 16th and 19th Century.All along due to Islamic influence, geometric patterns and designs were created on the panels.With time Bengali artisans too contributed towards the ornamental designs derived from folk art.Thus a unique distinctive style emerged.
These designs speak of excellent craftsmanship and forces you to ponder that something as basic as mud or earth can be transformed into a masterpiece!

Blue Pottery:

 

Image: Pinterest

Although it originated in ancient Persia, the art of blue pottery was brought to the craftsmen of Jaipur in the early 18th century. Blue pottery derives its name from the distinct use of Persian blue colour. Indeed, the precise hand-painting under a transparent glazed surface, makes blue pottery stand out; but there is lot more to blue pottery than what meets the eye. It is the only form of pottery in the world which is made without the use of natural clay or mud. Instead, a special combination of powdered quartz, glass pieces and other minerals is used to make the clay-like mixture for making blue pottery. Our skilled crafts-men make molds out of Plaster-of-paris, and press this clay like mixture in the molds to get the basic shape of an item. This basic form is usually made in two or three parts depending on the complexity of the shape of the product. Once the parts are dried, they are joined together with the clay, and then rigorously rubbed with sand-paper to get a uniform smooth surface. But before the surface can be painted upon, it has to be further treated with a quartz based coating to get paper-like finish. Then the craftsmen draw and paint on the surface with free-hand patterns. The item is then coated with a transparent glaze and dried, to make it ready for firing in a hand-built furnace. Interestingly, Jaipur’s blue pottery is also the only form of low-temperature glazed pottery which is made with a single firing process.

(Inputs about Blue Pottery gathered from  Designer Roopal. Watch out this space for more details on  this wonderful enterprise from Jaipur.)