It’s silly to do a “best of” post for such a baby blog, yes! This little baby isn’t even a toddler blog yet, it’s so young. But what I’ll do here is gather in one place the inspiration found over the last few months for basic elements that surely will make it into our India pied a terre.
The Current State of Things
A sorry state right now, for sure:
Since this photo was taken, we’ve had the builder move electrical outlets closer to the floor, so they’re not seen, and also consolidate many switches. There were 11 switches spread throughout the living and dining area for turning lights and other things on and off! Everything had its own individual switch. That’s a little much. Those have now been consolidated into fewer switches. Which also leaves more clean walls. We’ll also eliminate one window in the living area. I can’t remember if it’s this one or the window on another wall. The living and dining area is all open area and there are already two huge openings onto balconies so we didn’t think two additional windows were needed. It wouldn’t hurt to eliminate one window and have more wall space for a TV or to provide a corner for a desk, or just for artwork. Having another expanse of blank wall gives us more flexibility for layout of the public area. At any rate, we will have double-paned clear glass windows lined with wood tone, not the window you see above.
Front Door (original post)
Our apartment is on the top floor, so you go up three flights of stairs. Once you reach the top, you will be faced with an open space with iron railings in front of you, and one of the rooftop terraces just beyond. And to your right, you will be greeted with a beautiful door. My husband found an intricately-carved front door at Muthu Handicrafts in Chennai:
Here is his sister Shanthi posing with it. She and I are about the same height, about 5-feet tall, so you can see the door is quite low. Anyone taller than 5’6″ would need to bow while entering through the door. It’s a very thick door, about 6 inches thick. The door has been completely refurbished and it’s now wrapped and waiting in Shanthi’s place until it’s a good time to install it. My husband found new doors for about the same price, but lacking in the detail, charm and quality of this old door.
Foyer
When entering the apartment, there is a 10-foot long foyer space with a long wall that could be lined with shelves and storage. With 10-foot ceilings, we’re thinking of having very tall units built, with a library ladder (original post):
Kitchen
Once you pass through the foyer, if you turn to the right, you will see the kitchen on the right. It’s tucked behind one of the walls that forms the foyer. We are planning a Tuscan kitchen with a Tuscan style hood (original post) and wood beams (original post) like those shown here:
And a farmhouse style sink like this hammered copper sink (original post):
Dining Area
Just outside the kitchen is a space for a dining area in front of a 7-foot wide opening leading to a balcony. There will be french doors in this opening. The daytime views from the dining table extend down the street and include one of the original coconut trees on the property that the builder was able to work around and keep. I picture a big indestructible dining table here, like a farmhouse table (original post)
Because the table will be a prominent feature in the room, I’d like something unique about it. I especially like tables that mix wood and metal.
I have an inspiration file of chairs to be shared soon. I’d love to do a major mismatch! Chairs and table that shouldn’t go together, but do very well. I’m studying how the professionals do that.
Over the dining table, there will be a chandelier (original post). I love this one, and when my husband perused the post, this was his favorite too:
Check the view when you’d look up at it from below:
That’s where I got thus far for inspiration for public spaces. Now on to the more private spaces of the apartment …
Bedroom
I will be experimenting with do-it-yourself blocking printing like this Les Indiennes bedding set (original post):
I’ve already found a large paisley block for printing and am seeking more pieces.
At night the room can be lit with dancing shadows by a lantern such as this (original post):
My overall inspiration for the master bedroom is to convey a feeling like this, a restful retreat:
But there are two bedrooms and because we don’t have children, the second bedroom will be a guest room/office/hobby/sewing room and I have very different ideas for the appearance of that room! Those ideas are percolating and will be shared in the coming months.
Bathroom
The guest bathroom has some accent tiles with metallic elements and I’m envisioning a mirror like this (original post):
And possibly storage in a silver chest like this (original post):
Overall, the effect seems to be a mix of elegant and rustic? I’m not sure of the words for it yet, but there is definitely a contrast of some opposites here. I seem to like metals and old wood a lot!
My husband has wondered aloud if this blog concept is “sustainable.” (He uses a lot of MBA words and business concepts for regular ol’ everyday life.) Well, he should well know by now the endless capacity women (and some men too) can have for seeking “inspiration!” And that capacity has certainly benefitted us in the past when doing renovations that turned out well. The difference is, he really likes researching things like boiler systems that heat both your water and your home’s heating system (that’s for our Chicago home’s radiant heat system). And doing cost-benefit analyses on them. I suppose that’s more important, in the end, than my research of chandeliers and tables. And if I could do a cost-benefit analysis that showed positive results for these things, I would. Anyone have any ideas?! But that’s not what this is supposed to be about. It’s supposed to be about having moments for beauty and fun. And that most certainly can be infinitely sustainable. After all … there’s still cabinets, faucets, hardware, rugs, chairs, couch, beds, wardrobes, night tables, so much left to still have fun exploring … oh yeah, the terraces, they will need gardens, and places to sit and relax and hang out and enjoy the flowers … yeah I will be here for awhile …
