The stillness of summer

The temperatures here are edging into the late thirties. Even in our 250+ year old home, the high ceilings and the open verandah do little to cool things down. We're all in a stupor. Thoughts of cold, cold watermelon juice and chickoo ice-cream are the only things worth waking up to.

And thoughts of rooms like these...Rooms that are quiet, even when they are full of people. Do you have a room like this where you can escape this summer?












All photos Pinterest

Tiles that look like wood

Wooden flooring is suddenly back in style. The rarer good quality wood gets, the more it is in demand. Reclaimed wood is currently the rage now, with Indian home buyers willing to source wood from old homes, antique dealers or even from neighbouring countries. 

What's so special about having wooden floors? 

Wood under your feet is often equated to old-time charm and luxury. Imagine mansions with polished hardwood floors or even your grandmother's village home with teakwood floorboards in every room. 

Wood takes you closer to nature for sure, but the drawbacks are plenty too. Depending on where you live, wooden floors can be difficult to keep clean. You cannot use water liberally on wood, so put that mop away and think about polishing your floors instead. Wood is prone to termites, warp and discoloration over use. If you want to repair one little plank, you’ll probably end up ripping up a lot more than you planned. Then there's the ecological issue of sourcing fresh or reclaimed wood, neither of which is sustainable anymore. 

And it is terribly expensive. 

If you love the look of wooden flooring but are reluctant to use it for the above reasons, here's a 21st century alternative. The ‘Wondrous Wood’ range of vitrified tiles from NITCO offers soothing wood designs and beautiful textures that give one the calming feeling of being close to nature. This is part of NITCO's new 'Magnified' range of large format tiles that promises to make small spaces feel larger and more open. NITCO Magnified collection uses modern age 6 color prism printing HD Digital technology that provides an exact impression of colors and textures like stone, marble and wood bringing minute details alive. Imagine the grain of the wood, the knots and every little line and dip that goes into making an old piece of wood valuable.

Now you can find that elusive quality in tile too. The tile looks like wood but feels like tile. And you don't have to limit yourself to the floor either. Choose to use it on your wall, as a feature, as a replacement for a headboard or just along the perimeter. The range of patterns and shades available will work with every design you have in mind whether contemporary, traditional or rustic. There is even a bleached wood shade available which is perfect for a Scandinavian-inspired design. 



Inspired yet?

If you have a wood-tile floor, do share your images with us. We’d love to see them. 

Happiness is a Room without a Roof

My five year old and I have a new theme song – Happy by Pharell Williams. We’re singing it around the dining table, in bed, in the bath. We’re watching different versions of it on Youtube during dinner time or when a smile turns grumpy. ‘Happy’ turns the smile right back up (for both of us).

So it is inevitable that the song stays in my head, buzzing through my ears, stomping through my deadlines. And it creeps into this blog too, bringing sunshine, warm air, breezy curtains and starry nights. Because a Room without a Roof does not literally mean that – it means your happy place, where you feel safe, loved, creative, held.

These spaces would do that for me. They’re all from my fantasy-home folder on Pinterest and I seem to be drawn to shady (in a good way!), moody rooms.

Do you have a happy place? Send me images at frangipanidecor at gmail dot com and I’d love to feature it here!

New Year, New Beginnings

The New Year is always a good time to feel optimistic. It is the promise of a fresh start, of new beginnings that makes this month special.

What plans do you have for this year?

I plan to renovate some old bookcases…

…use this image as the colour inspiration for my new office/studio…

decorate the end of all our hallways and corridors with a focal point – art, a plant or something else

find a gorgeous photo from our travels for something like this …

and dig out my long-forgotten paints to create a simple artwork like this.

Do-able, huh?

Happy New Year everybody. Let’s get fresh!

All images via

Some Pretty

I’ve been missing, I know. It’s been a crazy few weeks, do you want to hear about it? Okay!

September-October was always going to be a bit mad. This month is my MIL’s 80th birthday and of course we have to have a grand bash to mark that milestone. The party was scheduled for last weekend (although her birthday is in the middle of the month) because Mr. R is off to the US for a two-week exchange program at Carnegie Hall followed by meetings around the USA for our music charity Child’s Play and he wouldn’t be around for a party on the real date. So, preparations for the big day have been on for weeks. We’ve been cleaning and dusting and polishing until the streaks of polish coat our fingernails and coffee begins to smell of Mansion House. But hey, our floors are gleaming (and a little slippery), the antique chairs and carved furniture get their annual dusting in advance (I have energy to do this only once a year) and we had flowers everywhere.

That was the good news.

The not-so-good-news was that our maid (chef, chief cleaner, housekeeper) walked out four days before the party. We thought she was being temperamental, but it turned out to be carefully orchestrated and plotted. So we did everything by ourselves. It’s not easy, trying to get a house of this size and age ready for a party all by yourself, with a three-year old who either wants to help or wants you to play with him, dusting be damned.

In the end, it went off okay. Thank goodness for caterers.

I’ve had no time to blog, or look at pretty pictures, or think of decor other than climbing on ladders trying to clean gigantic mirrors. (Who knew cleaning mirrors would take so much effort? I had to leave the room, squint and contort myself into various positions to spot streaks on our hall mirror. Sheesh.)

Add to this the usual humdrum of life. School-run, groceries, deadlines. Something had to give.

Now that the birthday bash is over and Mr. R is enroute to the USA, I can declutter and start to breathe again. My desk is clear, a fresh to-do list waits to be crossed out, new books are lined up for review. The inbox has three emails marked “Current Assignments” due by the weekend. Life finds a way to get one back on track. Now if only a maid would show up…

Enough of the woes! Here are some pretty pictures to lift your spirits. Hope your week has been better!

I luurve figs. They aren’t in the market here right now, but pears are. And chickoos. And the big grapes are just starting to trickle in. When life is dull, the fruit bazaar will bring in basket-loads of happiness. Yes.

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A reminder to have a whale of a time, everyday.

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Use a traditional toran in a different setting…

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Love this idea for gorgeous artwork. Simply enlarge and frame an old envelope or fragment of a letter. Or write your own quote and age the paper with tea!

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and another…

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and to my readers and those who faithfully leave comments or like my posts on Facebook, here’s a big fat kiss for you! Muah.

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See you again soon!

Palette

This.

This is the palette I dream of in our house. You don’t often see these muted shades in Indian homes. The blush pinks, the grey, the white painted wood…these get lost among the bright, vivid colours of India. I often think about what it is about interiors like these that appeal to me, make me want to pack my bags and scoot. I think the answer lies in what these rooms imply. They promise a quieter place, for one. Both visually and literally, there’s a soothing sense of calm. Double-glazing keeps the noise and dust out (we’d die here, with closed-off doors and windows). It speaks of a simpler way of life. I miss my years in  England for these reasons. Somehow our days there were…full. Even at home, just absently gazing at the garden with our friendly neighbourhood robin dropping in to have a drink was so relaxing. We certainly did so much more, even with our jobs. I miss being tranquil. What happens to time in India?

Back to my house daydreams. Yes, I’d like a room in dove grey, with a smattering of pinks and white. Lots of natural touches, too. A girl can dream, can’t she?

Image via Decora tu Alma

The new look Charpoy

Stephanie de Saint Simon fell in love with Indian design during her years at an event and party planning company. She now runs ‘Ouma Productions’ a gorgeous range of Indian-inspired products including shiny zinc trunks, matka lights and a delightful fresh look at charpoys.

We’ve all seen the quintessential charpoy around, though not many are evident in urban homes anymore. I haven’t even spied one of these for sale anywhere. Perhaps they are more widely available and used in Northern India?

In any case, this reinvention by Stephanie involved colour, comfortable seating (not the scratchy jute weaving) and modern design and colour. The result? Gorgeous seating that fits into any decor.

I also loved this charpoy table – so creative!

Apart from charpoys, Stephanie’s site is full of other gorgeous stuff. I really want this matka lamp

and what about these Gond cushions (I am fascinated by the intricacy of Gond Art.)

The ‘Tali’ (Thali?) stools are so innovative too – inverted steel thalis form the base for stools!

Visit Ouma Productions for more delightful discoveries and ideas to steal for using regular Indian stuff in your own home.

Images via Ouma Productions.

Guesthouse Porters

Guesthouse Porters is a little boutique hotel in Antwerp, Belgium. Created by interior designer Pieter Porter, the hotel has only three suites decorated in distinctive styles: English, New York and French.

 

I’ve lately been drawn to the traditional palette I see in Belgian homes. Neutral backgrounds, natural fabrics and lots of linen and burlap have caught my eye. Guesthouse Porters has furnishings in the style of each room including open fireplaces, drapes in rich fabrics and embroidered bed covers.  

The styling is impeccable, befitting a luxury hotel. With just three rooms, personalised service is a given.

Visit Guesthouse Porters here for more information and images.

Images: Guesthouse Porters

A hint of Turquoise

I love most blues but I must confess that I like turquoise only in small doses. It is a gorgeous colour and a little goes a long way. I was attracted to this image on Pinterest, mainly by that amazing planter. Why can’t we find something like this here?! (Solution: Paint it yourself!)

The chandelier and matching vases tie in beautifully with the little pops of blue in the painting and the peacock cushion on that lovely navy sofa. I’d love to see the rest of this home!

Image via Pinterest

The Sanctuary at Ol Lentille, Kenya

The Sanctuary at Ol Lentille is a boutique hotel 75 kms north of Mount Kenya. Located within a “20,000 acre private conservanacy”, guests can choose from four private houses all with stupendous views over the landscape. Each house comes fully staffed with a butler, valet and a guide. There is also a library and other activities that make for an interesting Kenyan holiday.

The lodges are elegantly designed with a mix of modern and traditional furniture. Neutral linen and dark colonial furniture rest easily against the pale floors and walls.

The Sanctuary seems like an ideal place to spend a holiday in the Kenyan wilderness. Read more here.

Photo credits The Sanctuary

Coco Shambhala

In a quiet corner of Goa, away from the crowds, is the village of Nerul. Popular for Coco Beach, the village has some lovely little restaurants known for the local food.

Coco Shambhala is a group of villas on Coco Beach. Each villa has its own pool and garden and is decorated with simple and elegant furnishings. 

See more here. Images used with permission.