Tag Archives: India

Out of My Mind: India pied-à-terre Room Designs Part 1

Posted on February 10, 2013 by | 4 Comments

The conversation always goes like this:

He: So do you know what you want to do?

Me: What? I’ve been blogging about it for years. Haven’t you looked at the blog?

He: So what do you want to do? (notice he avoids answering the question)

Me: It’s on the blog. It’s in my head. You know, like stencils on the walls, old-looking walls, older style furniture, a global mix, you know …

He: Um, it’s kind of hard to see …

Me: I know but it’s all in my head. Trust me. Remember when we re-did the master bath? It’s beautiful! That was all in my head too. I even had all the  measurements perfect! Then it all kind of tumbles out.

He: Well, can you tumble this all out on paper for me?

We’ve been through this before. I speak in pictures. I’m much more visual than verbal. How do you describe what it’s going to be? But I know exactly how it will be. I work these things out before going to sleep when it’s dark and quiet and there are no distractions. I map every corner and detail out in my mind.

But because no one else can see what I see, I’m putting it together on Olioboard to show my husband. This is the year to turn this mythical apartment into reality. It’s about time, I’ve only been blogging about it for 2 1/2 years! Sometimes life gets in the way. I think “India pied-à-terre” is now more a frame of mind than a place.

Here’s a few mock-ups so far …

ALCOVE BETWEEN THE BEDROOMS

A little alcove sits between the bedroom doors and it’s visible to the entire public area of the apartment. Cabinets hide the clothes washer and dryer. I blogged previously about the inspiration for this little space, the Buddha hands that will be cabinet door handles, and the paprika color. And oh, the Buddha that I wish were mine. He is not, but he appears here because one can wish.

Sorry this mock-up is a bit crude, but you get the idea.

Alcove-Decor-Plan

MASTER BEDROOM

Previous posts have talked about plans for the master bedroom. I’ve always envisioned a low bed with Indian block print bedding, with round Moroccan tray tables at the sides. I already have stencils for the wall design behind the bed. There are no closets, which is customary in India, so we’ll install wardrobes along one wall. There’s a hook for a baby bassinet but we’ll hang a chair there. Best to keep things off the floor for easier cleaning. It’s dusty in India’s cities!

Master-Bedroom-Decor-Plan

SECOND BEDROOM

A few years ago, I got colorful things in pinks and oranges for this room: a shocking pink silk pillow, a kantha quilt, a big ceramic elephant, and very tall pink candle lanterns. I’ll make suspended lighting with pink and blue sequined laces, and twinkling beads and silken tassels will hang from them. It will be the one room in the apartment with brighter colors, but still a bit subdued. This apartment is supposed to be an oasis of calm and quiet amid the city’s chaos. Too many energetic colors would fight with that idea.

One thing I love about the guest room is the placement of a window. It’s perfect for building storage around it to create a window seat.

Guest-Bedroom-Decor-Plan

Now that I look back through the blog, the vision for this room has changed a lot. My first idea was antique and rustic looking. I still love that look but don’t want to get too attached to special things in an apartment I’ll rarely ever see. I’d rather bring them home to Chicago. The second idea was more cute. This final vision, I love, I wish I could jump into this moodboard!

Although the photo includes Madeline Weinrib rug and Shumacher fabric – which I think helps make the look there — but I wouldn’t put such pricey things in this apartment unless they were easily washable. We’ll need inexpensive substitutes.

I’m not looking for much stuff. We don’t live in India full-time. The apartment is for short visits by us or others, so not much is needed, and the rooms may lack some conveniences you’d want in a place where you live 24/7. Such as, instead of a big upholstered cushy chair in the master bedroom, there may be a hanging chair.

Individual elements in the moodboards above are linked at Olioboard:

Coming soon, the result of more things pulled out of my head and put onto moodboards …

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Posted in Bedroom, India pied-à-terre Decorating

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The Patterns of the Cholas, Part 1

Posted on October 23, 2012 by | 4 Comments

You don’t need much knowledge about India design to know that India is bursting with color and pattern. Widely varying patterns too, did you know? There are so many regions and peoples across India, and their histories and cultures are reflected in the patterns in their architecture, homes, jewels and clothing. Their patterns tell their stories. From the chunky tribal designs of Nagaland in the northeast …

… to the fine gold and silk weaves of Kancheepuram in the south …

But honestly, I’m a very elementary student in this world of India pattern. I grew up in a suburban Midwestern U.S. home devoid of noticeable patterns. (Well except for the Fair Isle sweaters … and some crochet square afghans made by great aunts in the 70s.) No criticisms, it’s just the way it is in many homes here. Having traveled through my adult life and seen everything from bold  Acoma Native American pottery in the Southwest to shimmering red and gold Thai palaces … wow, there’s a whole world of pattern out there. It’s time to bring it closer to home.

In my attempts to “bring it closer to home,” I’ve paired some Indian patterns together that my husband looked at and said, but you can’t do that. Okay well first of all, if you say that to me, doing what I’m not supposed to do is the first thing I want to do! Just enough of a streak of rebelliousness there. Doesn’t he know that by now?

Second of all, if it looks pleasing despite bringing elements of North and South India together, or Chinese and Japanese together, or Christianity and Islam together, frankly I really don’t care about the manufactured divisions us humans have created for ourselves. In fact my philosophy is that they should be purposefully brought together to live harmoniously in a single space.

For the India pied-à-terre, we’ve chosen some cool patterns. But something is conspicuously missing: South Indian patterns. The Mughal patterns of the North are far more commonly shared worldwide than the designs of the South (same thing with Indian food, too!). And so I’ve been exposed to patterns of the North much more, and feel more preference for them. The book Taj Mahal and its close-up photos of the Taj is one of my favorites on our shelves. These patterns flow all across the Middle East and North Africa. Particularly,  Moroccan patterns are really hot right now — I love the pattern and color in the book Marrakesh by Design.

But our apartment is in Chennai, in India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, and it would be ignorant to not have the region’s heritage and culture represented. Just because I’m not familiar is no excuse, it’s time to go on a design adventure! I’m first exploring the Chola Period of South India and its design influence. I’ll unroll what I learn plus some design inspiration over the next few posts …

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Posted in India pied-à-terre Decorating, Travel in India

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Grace Under Fire: Finishing the India pied-à-terre

Posted on October 22, 2012 by | 2 Comments

Our butts were lit on fire recently. Stressful times. There are demands to finish the apartment or it will be rented out, in rental circumstances not under our choice or control. That’s all I can say here. I know it sounds weird, like, how can that be possible? Isn’t this a place we’ve invested in, we thought was ours? Yes, and I thought some people would be proud; instead there’s a lack of patience.

Why should impatience lead to this? Or is the issue really something else? It’s a complicated situation. Involving questions that people really don’t want to ask, and answers people really don’t want to hear. Aren’t those the stickiest situations in life?

Wooden question mark from etsy seller HopeFarmHunnyB

I haven’t always been graceful under this fire.

Holding Onto Anger from etsy seller ColourMeHappy

The few people on my personal Facebook (honestly I’m not a fan of Facebook, yeah I’m one of those people), they know what I’m talking about. I apologize for how I said some things. I apologize to my father-in-law for misusing Facebook.

But people should never have to apologize for how they feel. It’s what we do with how we feel that matters.

I’m saddened by what this situation is making people do and say to each other. I’m saddened the situation was initiated in the first place, because it’s so unnecessary. It’s a problem manufactured in the mind.

Vintage 70s Sad Clown from etsy seller PalmSpringsPickers

Soooooo … that confusing half-baked explanation is a foreshadowing of future posts about finishing the apartment. We’re still figuring things out, like what will really happen. I’ve been thrown off-kilter. There’s a major shift in plans that affects our vision for the apartment. I’ve learned this isn’t just about a place, it’s about people too. And people are really complicated.

Before, it was only about us and what we wanted. All the last few years of inspiration-seeking and planning and shopping – and the work already completed — was just for us.

It’s All About Me Wall Art from etsy seller FUNctionalArt4Kids

Now we may rent out the apartment. If so, we will need to significantly scale back some ideas because of that. Rather than choosing materials and designs based on very light use (at best we would have spent only a few weeks a year in the apartment and it would be unoccupied most of the time), now we must think about more frequent use. I’m already nervous about what will happen with the copper farmhouse sink in the kitchen, if someone else is using it daily. I’m nervous about the antique carved wood main door. I’m just nervous all around now when thinking about the place.

Worried Wendy by etsy seller mizkatie

If we don’t want this situation to spin out of our control, we must finish the apartment quickly, during our next visit. So our plans will be scaled back. Over the coming months, you will see how this all unfolds! We’d like to have the end result be smiles for everyone involved and everyone touched by the India pied-à-terre.

Smile from etsy seller rawartletterpress

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I actually really would like to share the India pied-à-terre. It shouldn’t sit unoccupied and lonely. We’d just like to have oversight of the rental. If you or anyone you know has experience renting out properties in India for either long-term lease or vacation rentals, can you please contact me? If you have experience with any property management companies in Chennai, can you please please contact me? My email is india.pied.a.terre (at) gmail.com.

We’re talking with everyone we know who have built second homes in Chennai and elsewhere in India and are leasing them out, so we can learn as much as possible. We live half a planet away in Chicago, and we really need professional management in Chennai to represent the apartment. Any help & advice is much needed and appreciated!

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A Dash of Moroccan Design

Posted on May 9, 2012 by | 2 Comments

It makes sense that I would wind up immediately inspired by the long-awaited book Marrakesh by Design by blogger Maryam of My Marrakesh! Her blog’s global style and riot of patterns had already inspired me to get a bunch of stencils from Royal Design Studio for the walls of our India apartment. (Alas the walls weren’t ready to paint during our last trip so I don’t yet have anything to show. Very impatiently awaiting our next trip!)

While reading the book, I’m seeing many design similarities between Morocco and India. The love of pattern, color and handiwork. The embracing of embroidery and bold textile embellishments. Sequins and mirrors. Even the superstitions, and using objects to ward off evil things. Heavy carved wood doors. Latticework on windows. The open Moroccan courtyards remind me of the open centers of vastu shastra rooms. And of course Persian and Islamic design influence can be found throughout India, although not as much in the South as in the North.

The book already made me add a dash of Moroccan style to our dining room:

I didn’t have to go far to get it. Just a flight of stairs to the basement. Finding these Moroccan lanterns buried down there took more time than the journey there:

We found these lanterns in Uptown Minneapolis. I suspect they’re from China, but Moroccan in style. This book made me remember them, packed away since we moved to Chicago eight years ago. They now join the mirror in the dining room, which was needing some sconces to make it feel less lonely and less … square:

I put battery-operated flickering tealights in them so there’s no worry about flames or mess. I once thought fake candle flames were a crime of the worst kind, but now with cats in the house, they’re safe and practical:

To hang the Moroccan lanterns, I found little hooks at Hobby Lobby. But they were brass color and I wanted them to coordinate with the lanterns’ copper color, so I colored the hooks with a Krylon copper leafing pen and then dabbed some color off with gauze to make the hooks look not-so-shiny. Then I hung them with shiny silver screws and dabbed copper color on those too. The copper leafing pen is wonderful — it dries fast and durable enough to withstand slips of the screwdriver while I was installing these:

I like mixing things up, so in this little corner of our home there are things from Cambodia, India, Italy, Thailand and that all-American of stores, Target:

Below the mirror, a gong we found at the shop at HanumanAlaya, a small hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia, with Diwali diyas from India:

Another Lakshmi to add to the ones posted previously, and behind her a celadon vase from Thailand:

I found this Lakshmi in Chennai, India. She is my favorite goddess:

OK, I don’t know how this post got from Moroccan inspiration back to India. But, well, that’s how my house is …

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