An Indian SummerAn Indian SummerPresenting selected ideas, artifacts, and design which is aesthetic and inspiring, transforming a house into a home across the world, with special focus on India Articles
The art of shade
2008-03-05 14:00:00 Something that caught my eye today...gorgeous metal pergolas from Parasoleil. I am fascinated with the interplay of sun and shade, and a pergola covered with a flower vine just calls me to come and stand underneath...or better, sit and spend some time there!These images remind me of Robyn, who always brings lovely sun drenched images of gardens to us on her blog... And, a pergola can be magical in the night too...[image from firestonehp]
A zoo on my wall?
2008-03-03 17:41:00 Any takers for a pink elephant? Or, a green monkey? Or may be a couple of birds on your wall? Made out of vintage wallpaper.Oh wait! I can't count sooo many raised hands at once!Inke Heiland, the artist and designer of these wall decals lives in the Netherlands. She started with wildlife wallpaper for her son's room, and was so impressed with the result that she ventured into a many more such decals! I can so imagine them in a kid's room and maybe a flock of birds in other rooms! Above are also available in the shape of tree, lamps, chair, door and...click here to see for yourself! More About: Wall
Spring is here...and so is the Feb Bazaar!
2008-02-29 10:59:00 Ta da dum di da dum dum daIf there's anything that you wantIf there's anything I can do...Just click on the link...And the bazaar will send it alongwith love from me to you! 'Inspired' by beatles ;-)Happiness! As spring is almost here. And loads of happiness as An Indian Summer Bazaar just opened again for Feb-March, with a very different collection of hand picked goodiesClick on the images below to go straight to the collection!India ContemporaryIndia TraditionalHappy Shopping![while I catch up on my sleep! :-)] More About: Spring
Quick Peek into the bazaar!
2008-02-27 12:42:00 Scheduled to launch in another 2 days, An Indian Summer Bazaar has an unique flavor this time. The bazaar will celebrate metal and wood, under two distinct categories - India Contemporary and India TraditionalIndia Contemporary will feature the premiere international launch of some great products from Aline Design. India Traditional will feature some antique and some restored products that are earthy and rustic, but have rapidly gained ground as part of urban home decor.Hope you are as excited about the second month's opening of the bazaar as I am! :-) More About: Quick , Peek
Miniature paintings in a new avtaar
2008-02-24 09:47:00 Olaf Van Cleef describes himself as a traveller, an artist and an author. He is the scion of Van Cleef dynasty and is a counselor on high range jewellery at Cartier since 1982. Olaf first visited India, to present the Cartiers of Paris as a group that cherished its Indian connection and the Indian heritage, and was so enthralled by this culturally rich vivacious country that he returned to the sub-continent time and again ... and again...For, Olaf Van Cleef was seeking sustenance for his personal philosophy of oneness with the fellowmen and discovered, in India, decisive faith: that in the rich cultural soul of this country he would find the wherewithal to satisfy his soul.Presenting some of his paintings inspired by India and the art of miniature paintings below. Mythology and Indian iconography have been beautifully portrayed by Olaf using his style of painting using abstract pointillism and tachisme More of Olaf 's work in mosaics can be found here More About: Paintings , Miniature
10...9...8...7...6...
2008-02-18 16:17:00 Hello! Doing a quick post to share some updates with you..the great news and well, not that great (but not that bad either!) newsThe great news is that over the last some days, very interesting developments are happening on the bazaar front. An Indian Summer Bazaar will be the launch pad in the international market, for an upcoming designer from NID, who is already making waves in the Indian contemporary decor segment! I personally love his designs and products, and am very excited at the opportunity to be able to bring them to you through the bazaar. Will share more details on Thursday...The not so great (but not that bad either!) news is that given the above developments, I will need to postpone the Feb bazaar to 'end of Feb'. The bazaar will now open on Feb 29th! I know, you have been eagerly waiting for the 20th launch...but trust me, you will be glad that we waited and included the awesome products in the bazaar.In the meantime, sharing with you some more warmth as we bid goo...
Indian Kitsch!
2008-02-12 17:26:00 Unadulterated, unapologetic and fun collage, attempting to capture the essence of India! Multiple contributors have added to this collage, using images, tassels, sepia photographs, textile, product labels from daily life, jewelry, icons, mirrors, lace and a lot more of Indian kitsch. To be found at the very creative site Art-e-zineOnce you get over the blast of color that hits you, take a deeper look and you will find a good sample of Indian kitschAnd, what pleased me quite a bit, is that the collage is called Indian Summer!
Anything for a good photographer
2008-02-07 17:18:00 I am still laptop bereft, and am trying my best to keep up with blogging via my husband's laptop. His laptop is not 'me' friendly...i.e. it has applications that can show me live stock prices from Wall Street and Dalal Street (India's stock exchange), but can not do a pixel of good for an image!But when I came across Tim Beddow's stunning photography, I had to share it with you...even if it meant working on a non-creative laptop of an investment banker!So without much ado, here are some of my favorite images from Tim's 'exotic' and 'safari' collection...Isn't the door gorgeous? Though I am not too fond of lizards and like, I guess I can live with them if hard carved in wood! The metal figurines are so like the bastar art form from India.. Reminds me of my days of poetry and hookah ...The days as in daydreams... ;-) I adore planter chairs! But I have a sneaking suspicion that the planter chair designers thought that planters could only be men, and hence they designed the... More About: Photographer , Good
What to do over the weekend?
2008-02-01 17:46:00 Me:1. Twiddle my thumbs as I wait impatiently for my new laptop to arrive 1.a. Call the laptop sales guy 63rd time to ask him intelligent questions about laptop configuration and stuff. Most of the times, I forget what is bigger and better - MB or GB (and to think that technology is supposed to make our lives simpler!) [flickr image from Daveblog]2. Get some therapy2.a. I meant retail therapy :D. Afterall, I have the Feb bazaar to launch on the 15th!3. Steal my husband's laptop to 'talk' to you, while he sleeps ;) You:1. It's the weekend! Have fun!!2. The Jan bazaar closes on Feb 3rd (Sunday) at 6p India time. So go ahead and shop to your heart's content before it closes! More About: Weekend
Under the weather :(
2008-01-29 14:10:00 It is unusually cold in Gurgaon this week...Ideal time to catch those 'elusive' viruses and bacteriasHang on a second...Is viruses and bacterias grammatically correct?I mean, are they the words.....That remain the same whether singular or plural?I will find outWhen my dearest unwell laptop recuperates!Yes, all this cold has not affected meBut my laptop is down with some virusAnd hence the absence from postingMy laptop plans to return from its sick leaveIn another day or twoAnd that's when I will be back too!You take care meanwhile.... [and I hand over Mr. Shaking Head's laptop back to him before he wears out the floor by his anxious pacing! Apparently, "I can't handle sophisticated equipment like laptops"!!] More About: Weather
Bahut Shukriya...
2008-01-24 04:22:00 ... Katie, Bronwyn, Selya and BudgetCasa for showing love to An Indian Summer Bazaar! Striped stole in the winter sun, on my favorite rug, with my favorite flowerStriped stole: Available in the bazaarFavorite Rug: Similar can be made availableWinter Sun: Priceless:-)The current lot of goodies are available for another 5 days. Make sure you have picked up what you like before the bazaar closes to prepare for next month![Bahut Shukriya means Many Thanks!]
As straight as it gets
2008-01-23 18:20:00 I am setting up my home office [fancy name for work table ;-)], and have recently picked up furniture very similar to images below. This place, where I picked up my desk and rest, is quite interesting. While they source and restore old and antique furniture from the corners of the country, they also custom make straight line contemporary furniture with wood that has been treated to look old! The result is quite must-buy-licious!And as I set up my work place, I might as well pick up something for nap place... (interieurs)Ofcourse, I also need a new rug, a lamp, a pen/paint brush holder, chair cushions...among other things before I can start 'working' ;-)I will share the pics of my home office when it is ready![Psst: Let me know if you like the kind of furniture as shown above, or old Indian furniture...am planning to debut small furniture pieces in next month's bazaar! Email me if there is something specific you would like) More About: Straight
I Heart @ Bazaar...
2008-01-20 19:04:00 The bazaar has been up for five days now, and is getting a steady, good response :-)Readers, shoppers and fellow bloggers, have shared appreciation, suggestions, encouragement...hearing from all of you has meant a lot to me. Thank You once again!And a special thanks to Erinn, nay-k, Jo and Kim, Joanna, Linda, Barb, Shelly for giving a special spot to the bazaar on their beautiful blogs ~ Gracias ladies!Today, I thought I'll share with you some of my personal favorites in the bazaar... [From left to right- Code: D25-26; D06-07; P12; P13; D15; P21] I would love to hear what do you heart @ bazaar! :-) More About: I heart , Heart , Bazaar
Random/Weird...Me?
2008-01-20 18:39:00 I owe this post to Bronwyn [of the fabulous Smoke and Ochre] for quite some time now. She tagged me to list '7 random and/or weird things about myself, and I thought...only 7?!! I can come up with a good laundary list of these things! ;-)So, here goes!I can not stand the 'Arial' and the 'Times New Roman' font. Especially 'Arial'. People who have worked with me for some time know that any document they send me for review, will get back to them with its font changed!My signature is not consistent. There have been multiple times when I had to write a new cheque just because my signature came out to be so different that the bank rejected the last one. Things that impact my signature: kind of pen, surface I am signing on, my mood...I like Cerelac. Love it actually. Ofcourse, I am in no way close to being a toddler right now...if I had been, I would have been quite a prodigy...writing a design blog at the age of 1! ;-)There are two things that I do when I am stressed. One: I clean.... More About: Weird , Random
Getting ready for final launch today...
2008-01-17 11:30:00 First of all, a huge THANK YOU for the amazing response to the bazaar! I am overwhelmed by all the lovely emails and comments you have sent me...It truly feels like I have opened shop for my friends, and not an unknown virtual world :-)The update for today is:The bazaar would go offline from 11:00a till 4:00p IST. I will use this time to ready the bazaar for the final opening. From 4:00p IST (that is + 5.30 hrs GMT), you can start buying from the bazaar! ----------------------------------------- --------*Happy Shopping!* The bazaar is live now! More About: Today , Final , Launch , Ready
An Indian Summer Bazaar is Live!
2008-01-15 13:13:00 With a lot of pleasureanticipation and excitementI invite you to the soft launch ofAn Indian Summer Bazaar Click on the link above or on the left sidebar to travel to the bazaarAnd do tell me how you like it! :-D More About: Live
This is Bazaar Reporting Sir. And Maam!
2008-01-15 07:40:00 Update [4:00p IST]:Well, the quick update is that after finally posting everything on the bazaar site [its a wordpress blog], and doing a quick UAT, I found out that a lot of pictures are not visible!! I can view them as the author, but others can't view them! :(Appreciate your patience hugely as I figure this out! And, if there are any wordpress experts out there- Help!.................................... ........Hello!Right now, as of this very moment, I am working very hard [I'll be modest some other time ;-)] to get the bazaar ready for today evening (ie evening India time). I know a lot of you are clicking on the bazaar link but can't get into the site...that is because I am working on it right now and have disabled access.Please come again in another 3-4 hours and voila! the bazaar would be open!See you then! Back to hard work now! More About: Bazaar
Psst...Sneak Preview of the Bazaar!
2008-01-14 17:25:00 The bazaar is finally coming to town!Quick preview of some of the goodies you can buy from the bazaarThe Good News:I am getting closer to completing all the prep required to get An Indian Summer Bazaar online and running :-). Some %^&* logistics still need to be closed, for which my fingers and toes are all crossed and I am touching every piece of wood I can lay my hands on [while my best half works to figure them out]!If everything goes as per plan, and the Gods smile, and the birds sing, and all the good stuff happens, the bazaar will go online at 2p IST on Jan 15th! (yippee and yips!)The Not So Great NewsI am still waiting for the ^%&* licence that will allow me to sell within India. Can you imagine it is easier (relatively) to set up to transact outside India than within India! So, unfortunately, my fellow countrymen and women will have to wait for next month's bazaar :(What to expect in the bazaar?1. I have handpicked unique items straight from the craftsmen for the ba... More About: Preview , Sneak preview
And then Ivanhoe said...
2008-01-09 14:49:00 My dear Masha, you paint so well!Adorable water colors from Masha D'yans who is originally from Russia, and now stays in the US. She is a professional graphic designer, and loves to paint and illustrate She also has a product line of cards, bedding, T-shirts and prints!Cathoe says: "I so agree with you Ivanhoe!"Find more of Masha's beautiful work here
Take a deep breath and...
2008-01-07 18:42:00 Be Calm. I need to do some deep breathingand, Relax.As I frantically try to set up everything for the bazaarNew bottlenecks come upWhile my explorer runs some god forsaken thing called active scriptsand nicely jams up my internetIf I had my wayI would turn all the red tape in the world to green tapeDon't know if that would help too muchBut at least it would be green......and eco friendlyTotally random. I know.This burst of randomness happenswhen I am very happyor very stressedWhat calms meislooking at images like theseCoz, I too have white couchesAnd through these imagesI appreciate their future potentialWhere am I headedIf I feel calmBy looking at nicely done interiorsWherever it isThe one consolation I have isThat at the least, the place would beAesthetically pleasingHa![some of my favorite images from Marie Claire] More About: Deep , Breath
Rainbow colors for 2008!
2008-01-02 19:52:00 I wish 2008 , for all of us, is:V ibrantI nterestingB ountifulG reenY outhfulO ptimistic andR ewardingHope to see and hear a lot from all of you in this new year! :-)[images from Marie Claire, Mads, Mediterranean Lifestyle] More About: Colors , Rainbow , Rainbo
Pretty Pretty
2008-01-02 18:45:00 I just couldn't resist these charming patterns from Galbrith & Paul. Reminds me of spring and early summer!Do check out their site for more designs and for custom designing of rugs! More About: Pretty
1790 miles, 6 months, and a birthday
2007-12-28 20:25:00 The weary but exhilarated road warriors are back, after covering approx 1790 miles across ancient cities, hidden villages, historic forts, luxurious palaces and forests of Rajasthan. And yet, there is so much more to this enchanting desert state that even as we drove back home, we started planning for our next itinerary into the depths of Rajasthan..There is nothing more I like than planning for the next road trip :-)We stayed at some unique places....some images below:Destination: Ranthambore (Sawai Madhopur)And we stayed at: Khem VillasOur cottage The view from the bedroomAbundant mums and marigold in the cottage verandaBeautiful furnishing from Anokhi (who are co-partners at Khem Villas) Uniquely carved leg of an outdoor cot, and a niche adjoining the outdoor bathPaper lamps and lanterns lighted the villasAnd as you can imagine, we loved the view!Destination 2: Narlai (between Udaipur and Jodhpur)We stayed at: Rawla Narlai The 17th century fortress (a former hunting lodge) is rig... More About: Miles , Birthday , Months , Mont
101st post and other good things...
2007-12-20 11:00:00 Yes, this is my 101st post! It has been the most wonderful journey through the last 100 posts, and, I am already looking forward to my 200th post...in the very near future :-)Talking of journeys, a short journey/trip is getting me all excited! Wanderlust has hit again, and Mr. Shaking Head (i.e. The bestest hubby) and I are hitting the road to Rajasthan tomorrow :-)The national highway. Images of the road...during summer and during the monsoon :)We will be staying at an eco boutique resort in a wildlife sanctuary, and then, at a fort converted into a boutique hotel What I will bring back to you end of next week is a lot of images and experiences from the magical desert land of Rajasthan. Also, will bring back a lot of colors and traditions in the form of local art and craft for my home, and....for your home! :-)...Yes, I am going to get for you original craft straight from the craftsmen. These, along with other fab stuff, will be available through An Indian Summer's Bazaar!Do I he... More About: Post , Things , Good
Tiger tiger burning bright,,,
2007-12-16 16:57:00 In the forests of the night, What immortal hand or eye Could frame thy fearful symmetry?Jungle. Deep and dark. Place where you go to be one with nature. Try to survive. And rough it out.Did you say rough it out?Nah! Not any longer!If Taj Safaris had their way, Jungles would be the most luxurious places pretty soon! Here, let the national bird of India (see below) and the national animal of India (see below the first below) take you on a tour of Bandhavgarh wildlife sanctuary and Pench national parkFor the .001% folks who just went 'duh?'!: A Peacock and Tiger s! I am just wild about this lounge!hee hee...i am so p(f)un(n)y Watering Hole for the Homo sapiensWow! I never knew charpai's can make such cool lounge cots!And if you recall what a charpai is from one of my previous posts, please pat your back...I am so proud of you! Just in case Moi Lady would prefer a table and a chair.. I am sure the lovely burnt orange will not attract hungry tigers..um...yes..I think I am quite sure. T... More About: Bright , Burning , Burn
Vibrant Hues!
2007-12-10 17:04:00 How could I resist this? There was no possible way! :-)Julie Evans is a New York City based artist who has exhibited her work extensively around the world. Using Indian ornamentation and traditional miniature paintings as inspiration, Julie uses a Spirograph on wood panels or paper to come up with these exquisite paintings. She is a recent recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship to India and Nepal where she researched Indian miniature painting. Look out for her upcoming exhibitions in 2008!
The Wedding Story
2007-12-07 18:28:00 Late last yearTwo individualsdecide to get marriedAnd the rest,As they say, Is history!The Build up:32 weekends devoted to shoppingGuest lists tuned and fine tuned nth number of timesWedding venues seen, rejected and finally one selectedWedding dress all ready in August for a December weddingStrict instructions to the bride-to-be to maintain exact weight and measurements8 trips up and down Delhi, Mumbai and London'Project' plans created in excel sheets and shared across familiesCards specially designed by the couple in LondonGot printed in Mumbai and Then shipped to DelhiBefore they were finally couriered to the fine tuned guestsA week before the wedding :)Family averaged one minor emotional or logistical storm every two weeksEvery one week as the day drew closer...But, we waited in anticipationfor the..The WeddingLightsThousands of themFlowersWhite and YellowSatin and organza cloth streamersThe wedding venue looked like a dreamAnd the dream also hadUnexpected high velocity winds(... More About: Story
Will be back after a short break!
2007-11-25 16:51:00 I am heads (and hands and feet) down with the prep for my sister's wedding, hence the absence from posting new delicious stuff...I will be back next week once the wedding is all done...though, folks who know me by now, also know that I just might peep in and poke in a bit with a quick post during my break!In the meantime, why not view some whites with a dash of color?And, also visit this link for an addictive game designed to help end world hunger! More About: Break , Back , Short
Iran
2007-11-20 19:08:00 I came across this photographer's work on Flickr, and kept coming back to his intense images of his beautiful country - Iran . A country rich in art, architecture, poetry, calligraphy and handicrafts, among other things. And, Abbas has captured all this seamlessly in his photographs...Imagine such rich colors and craft in your home! You can view more of Abbas's work here to get design inspiration from the Middle East.
An ode to color
More articles from this author:2007-11-15 19:12:00 As we feel the nip in the air (and in some parts of the world, the nip must be quite nippy by now!), we are drawn towards warm colors. Possibly that's one of the reasons why I was so enchanted by Nikhilesh Haval's photography!Nikhilesh, an Indian based in the UK, specializes in travel, architectural, interiors and events photography. His work has appeared in many well known magazines, and his client list includes many Moroccan clients, as is evident by his rich portfolio.Such a good way to make a striking red wall even more dramatic Wall art that accentuates the room colorsCopper Samovar and painted trunk. Mud/plaster fireplace and lovely floor tiles Who could possibly resist a Greece inspired textured white wall? Warm tones of orange and yellowIsn't the chair quaint and modern at the same time?!! Beautiful shade of blue in the tiles Hint of color against whiteImagine having a cup of subtly flavored chai, while sitting on this diwan (day bed) admiring the gorgeous carpetHmm..Art ... More About: Color 1, 2, 3 |
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