An Indian Summer

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Kingdom in the Himalayas
2007-10-14 20:06:00
Travel to an ancient landsome yaks and a moon away... Reach the Kingdom of BhutanGuided by prayer flagsArrive at our destination, Zhiwa LingShining like a jewel in the mountains Climb up the steep walkway as you admire the lattice work.. But wait till you see what is inside! Beautiful intricate work by local artisans With a painting thrown in for good measureLooks even more beautiful up close.. After the visual feast, rest yourself on the chairsOr the ornamental chaiseAnd get ready to slumberSo that you are awake to experience the magic of the nightWe all are waiting to hear from you..how did you like our kingdom?Bhutan,A kingdom in the Himalayas East of IndiaVisit here for more informationImage Credits:All hotel images: Ziwa Lingh HotelOther snaps from Trek Earth (Michael Perfilov and Michael DF)Map from Bhutan Tourism
More About: Mala , Alaya

Lay a whisper...
2007-10-12 20:03:00
...on my pillowleave the winter on the groundI wake up lonelythere's an air of silencein the bedroomand all around Touch me nowI close my eyesand dream away... It must have been pink .... *beep*!But it is Blue now...;-)[Image courtesy Marie Maison, Living etc and Mediterranean style][Song: It must have been love..Roxette for Pretty Woman. This one's for you, Affinity!]
More About: Whisper

Strippy Strips
2007-10-10 16:00:00
Who says we need curtains for windows...Give me this any day!And maybe the inspiration comes from the Tibetan prayer flags...[images from Marie Claire Maison and Voyage]

And I thought I had stumbled to an Indian village...
2007-10-08 18:58:00
... when I first came across an image with distinctive Indian daily use items on the eclectic blog fralenuvole bricoleuse. As I went through the link, I discovered Madam Stoltz! I am so delighted with what I found on this online shop! Such authentic Indian kitsch! Well, not everything is Indian; a lot of the items also have a very distinct french country look and feel, but what delighted me was that Madame Stoltz has managed to pick up the most day to day and mundane things and converted them into chic decor finds!Let me take you through a selection of some Indian delights! This paisley design is quite popular in Indian designThe 'center table' is of metal and an utensil that is commonly used in Indian homes for kneading flour! It is called paraat in North India... If you look at the floor, you will see slippers called the kolhapuri chappal (Kolhapur is the name of the place where these originated, and chappal means slippers!) A metal trunk, still used in traditional Indian home...
More About: Thought , Village

Circle of Life
2007-10-06 14:17:00
I chanced upon some stunning art work by Lindy Longhurst, an Australian artist, who specializes in Mandala art and design. Her online studio and etsy shop has an array of mandala designs and other beautiful paintings.I found the design quite similar to what I have seen in Buddhist and Tibetan paintings, and after a bit of research, this is what I found: man·da·la (n.) [sanskrit mandalam, circle.]Any of various ritualistic geometric designs symbolic of the universe, used in Hinduism and Buddhism as an aid to meditation. The mandala serves as a collection point for universal forces.In the West, mandala is also used to refer to the "personal world" in which one lives, the various elements of the mandala or the activities and interests in which one engages, the most important being at the centre of the mandala and the least important at the periphery. Depicting one's personal mandala in pictorial form can give one a good indication of the state of one's spiritual life. Through her s...
More About: Life , Circle

Truly Asia..
2007-10-04 20:00:00
Bensley Design Studio, focused on landscape, interiors and architecture, has executed multiple projects in Asia , primarily in the South East Asian countries.Bill, the man behind BDS and a dedicated Asian-phile, has traveled extensively around the region, and continues to study and adapt his work to the unique characteristics and cultures of these countriesPresenting selected snapshots of the design studio's work in the residential space: Aqua lovers - this one is for you! Imagine your morning cuppa or evening chai in this gazebo.. Quite like how three different light 'forms' play in this room - Sunlight, gentle glow from the candles and light from the chandelier Handy oars...you never know when you might need to row a boat in your dream! Chuck your food processor out! Time to grind and mince and roll in these stone urns...Dainty dressing corner The colorful table and the alfresco setting reminds me of summer vacations... Indian influence seen in the furniture Mmm...love the colo...

Painting Asia in Seattle
2007-10-02 08:15:00
Neece wrote an lovely email to me early this week, and also shared the link to her beautiful studio gallery -Neece Clark Studio.Neece, a Seattle based freelance painter and wall designer, works with acrylics, painting larger-than-life botanicals, figures and abstract designs. She spent most of her childhood in India and Southeast Asia . She attributes much of her inspiration to being surrounded, at a young age, by the abundance of colorful visual stimuli prevalent in those cultures....as is evidenced in these select paintings below:You can view more of Neece's beautiful work here and also shop online!
More About: Painting

Snap Post!
2007-09-30 14:08:00
Doing a snap post today since Mr. Shaking Head (aka my best half) has been unwell over the weekend :(My favorite store Good Earth recently sent me a sneak preview of their upcoming collection... sharing selected goodies with you!
More About: Post , Snap

There are photographers..
2007-09-26 17:52:00
And then, there is Janne Peters, whose photography, makes you hold your breath while your heart skips a beat or two glimpses of the orient simple flower arrangement - and so beautifully photographed The pink painting against the rough wall, wood and ceramic against the stone wall...absolutely adore these images.. I can feel the quiet of this chateaux, and can almost hear the drip of
More About: Photographers

Country roads, Take me home...
2007-09-23 18:24:00
..Hmmm...maybe not! Rather, Country boats, take me to Srilanka, ..To the placeI think I can belongIlluketia,boutique resort! [John Denver purists - no hard feelings, eh?!] Almost ancient garden The 'green' of the pool Fancy a lemonade in the veranda? Or, would you rather catch a quick nap? I can 'feel' walking barefoot on this floor Srilanka is south of south of India! No wonder,
More About: Home , Roads

Hand that Block!
2007-09-20 18:43:00
So that I can handblock! Hand carved teak blocks, painted in different colors, have been used to create these pretty pretty fabrics [From Anokhi, another one of my regular haunts]
More About: Block

Paper Art
2007-09-19 15:42:00
Leave me unattended in a paper shop And I can browse for hours Feeling the texture Smelling the unique fragrance of handmade paper Fingering the delicately embedded bougainvillea flower or a tree leaf Lingering over the translucent sheets Trying to decide what not to pick, what to leave behind And walking out with arm loads of delicious paper Promising to be back soon! Showcasing Art
More About: Paper

DIY Arrow with a Purpose
2007-09-18 19:46:00
Necessity, they say, is the mother of all invention...and creativity! I needed a nice looking left arrow. And I couldn't find one. So I created one with all those hep online tools you can find these days ! Am quite proud of it...umm...ignore the non-straight lines...that is part of the design (did i get away with this one?!) Now, I needed a left arrow becauseI want you to please look left, and
More About: Purpose , Pose

It's time to...
2007-09-17 16:31:00
...take out the new sheets,change the pillow covers, fluff up the cushion, straighten the bed, and be ready to get Ankasa to your home! The result of years of couture experience and hard work, Ankasa has been founded by the husband and wife team of Sachin and Babli, in the US. As they worked in the fashion industry, they longed to create a home product that would cater to the people who have
More About: Time

New Pinch!
2007-09-17 16:21:00
As you might have noticed (astute observers that you are), the yellow green brown dots on this page are no where to be seen. You can ask me 'Well, Bhavna, How did you make this happen!?"And I will tell you that I have changed An Indian Summer's template!You may ask me again "But why? We kind of liked the random dots all over the page!"And I will then launch into the story of the template messing

Not just another designer..
2007-09-16 07:45:00
Architect and designer, Sandeep Khosla, has a wide repertoire of successful projects. His firm's distinct style of tropical residential architecture uses local materials and concepts, but reinterprets them with an innovative and contemporary design sensibility Presenting some snippets from Sandeep Khosla's work: The roof uses the distinctive style of traditional homes in rural India Water
More About: Designer

Our very own contest!!
2007-09-16 07:07:00
Stan (of the amazingly creative duo - Stan and KuS), wrote to me about an exciting contest on their blog - "The 10 most influential design bloggers". The contest is for bloggers, readers and stumblers to design blogs, to nominate the 5 blogs that you think are the most popular and influence your design decisions. All you have to do is drop in an email here with your votes! Read more about the
More About: Contest

Technorati trouble anyone?
2007-09-14 04:40:00
Hello bloggers, Wanted to do a quick check - Are you facing any trouble with your technorati? My technorati seems to have gone into a suspended animation mode - no reactions or links getting updated and no response on helpdesk tickets or emails!! Am I alone in this predicament, or do I have other fellow blogger friends in the same boat? :-(
More About: Technorati

A quickie ;-)
2007-09-12 14:13:00
This week is a crazy week at work! Snatching quick two minutes before I step into my next call, to share with you an image I have been drooling over ... [From: Who else but Roche Bobois] *Talk* to you soon!

Today's Inspiration
2007-09-10 16:22:00
I like finding design that reflects a distinct 'east meets west' aesthetics. Amy Lau's design for her client in Manhattan resonated with me completely. I can live in this home without changing a thing! (Images from Elle Decor and Amy Lau) Global decor and furniture from India, China, North America, Germany and Japan
More About: Inspiration

Roughing it out at a Palace
2007-09-09 15:22:00
17th century, Baltistan PakistanA king - Hassan Khan, built a palaceThat he namedFong - Khar (Palace on the rock) 21st centuryAga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan, restores the palace Now called Shigar Fort ResidenceFor the discerning world travelerTo enjoy the luxuries of this centuryIn the glorious ambience of the past Middle of no-where?Somewhere in Baltistan The first view of Shigar

Don't tell me....
2007-09-07 17:31:00
...that you have lost your canvas again!! And, now you have this strong urge to paint?! No, no...Not the wall! Here, take this table and that chest And paint away! Gorgeous hand painted furniture from Rajasthan, India! Thank God for lost canvases! ;-) [From Bhagwati Handicrafts]
More About: Tell Me

Better hung or worn?
2007-09-05 18:49:00
Possible wall art? Love the play of colors against the fab wall! This wool jamavar jacket pattern is based on a 14th–century jacquard textile and has been created with fabric hand–woven in the small village of Kanihama in Kashmir (India) What uses will you find of this jacket? [Found on, of all the places, National Geographic!]

Opulence and drama
2007-09-04 18:50:00
After spending my weekend enjoying minimalism, I needed my fix of drama and opulence. And what a dose it turned out to be! A dose from an exotic country. A country that I have come to regard as India's 'next of kin', when it comes to richness and amazing variety of design, texture, color and tradition. Yes, you guessed it right - the country is Morocco! Take a deep breath and dive straight into
More About: Drama , Dram

Let's go shopping!
2007-09-03 17:47:00
I am in a generous mood today. Sharing some lovely lovely rooms... go ahead, don't be shy, take your pick!Subtle....and Gentle When I'm feeling blue....O God, stop me before I start off again ;-) Vibrant Sunshine Mellow Green Perfect for afternoon siesta Crisp black and white I can see you looking at me and saying "Hello! But do you know what it will take to ship an entire room?!"
More About: Shopping

Irashaimasu!
2007-09-03 15:23:00
Hakone Ginyu, overlooking a steep valley drop amongst the Hakone mountains is a modern ryokan set into the side of a mountain in Japan. Ryokan means 'Japanese Inn'. Designed with a mix of Japanese and Indonesian style, Hakone Ginyu offers peace and luxury on a platter. Inviting vistas Enjoy the outdoors during day, and at night Places to relax Glimpses of the bedroom And, what

Ohashi Design Studio
2007-09-01 13:38:00
Creating living spaces that are modern, elegant and timeless comes naturally to the team at Ohashi Design Studio . Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, Ohashi brings to each project a contemporary Japanese aesthetic that emphasizes the values of clarity and simplicity. I have always admired Japanese design aesthetics. Presenting snippets of Ohashi's work that I particularly found appealing:

Do I know you from somewhere?
2007-08-31 13:30:00
An Indian Summer in London! On Sunday 2, September, Regent Street - London, will be celebrating its annual festival which this year will be themed, ‘An Indian Summer.' The street will be transformed into India for the day with India's incredible colors, crafts, music, dance and creativity being showcased. I, unfortunately, have nothing to do with this 'An Indian Summer' ... I am just quite
More About: Some , Somewhere

Engineers to Designers?
2007-08-28 17:32:00
Prateek Jain and Gautam Seth met while studying chemical engineering at university. Good that they met since this partnership resulted in Klove Studio. Self taught glass blowing artists, Prateek and Gautam combine glass with different mediums like stone, metal and wood to create what can only be called Art! Klove Studio enables people to translate their vision of spaces around them into reality.
More About: Designers , Engineers

Time does fly!
2007-08-26 22:03:00
2 whole months! Wow!And what a journey it has been! marthastewart.com ♥ Came to know how good it feels to share! Share design inspiration, ideas and thoughts, beautiful images, great products.. ♥ Learnt to appreciate new and different designs and styles. I have started appreciating creativity more than ever ♥ Realized that work and hobby can go hand in hand. My day ends refreshed even after 12
More About: Time