Designer Duo

Hi! I am back from my holidays and am a bit excited!

          In this post I will feature the house of a designer couple Chaitali and Anando Banerjee and their little son Dhruv.  This Delhi house of my sister-in-law Chaitali,  a textile designer, and brother Anando, a game designer, reflects an understated elegance. The furniture have been deliberately kept minimal to allow a lot of open space. The elevated ceiling, open staircase and low seating add height to the room.

A cozy corner

Lord Ganesha bestowing blessings from atop a hand-painted cabinet with an antique look

Do not miss the beautiful red and gold hand embroidered curtain

The focal point of the room, of course, is the bling staircase!!

An ornate mirror reflects the other corner, adding depth to the room....

The blooming garden on the rooftop...

 

     

            

The charming duo is very popular among friends and this terrace garden often transforms into a party venue in the evenings!!

  

          

           Chaitali's workshop overlooks her colourful garden. The bright flowers in the outdoors inspire her creations on textiles. Her specialities are printing, hand-painting and embroidery on sarees, dresses, t-shirts, jackets, skirts and even furnishings. She mostly retails from home, but one can catch her at exhibitions at the embassies and other such venues.

Fiery red flowers painted on a black and gold sari

Prints and paintings on Tussar saris

An elegant kurti 

 

 

Applique, print,painting, embroidery... you have it all here

Hand-painted skirt

Hand-painted Jacket

A Chiffon Sari

A Hand-painted Scarf/Dupatta

           
You may contact Chaitali to buy any of these  designer stuffs at mobile no: 919818884959.



Chaitali and Anando's artistic sense and an eye for detail could be noticed throughout the house-- whether it is their embroidered curtain, or lamp shades,door knobs or hand-painted cabinets.... 

A floral door knob

A painted shade

A painted cabinet acts as Chaitali's dresser!!!

    

I thank Chaitali and Anando for allowing me to showcase their beautiful house. Do feel free to leave a comment. We all would appreciate it!

      By the way, my fortnight long holiday was quite rejuvenating as I spent time with my parents, my brother and his family-- I specially treasure my time with my nephew. I went on a shopping spree with Chaitali and also bonded with an old school mate and some relatives! So what else do I need? 

Ciao....

Home Office

       When I was doing a regular job, my homemaker cousin often used to say that it is fun to dress up and go out everyday. Yes, to some extent it is true. But now that I work from home and at my own pace and pleasure, I am enjoying the benefits of  a freelancer. Though working from home also needs a tremendous amount of self-discipline, it is also great to watch the world rush by at office time when I do not have to worry about the traffic on the road,the train timings or the weather!  And yeah, a modest Home Office adds to the charm!

    First identify a place where to set up your office. If possible, avoid your living room or media room as you will get easily distracted or disturbed.

A study in crimson

             

  

Black and grey

      If one is lucky enough to have a spare room for office, there are lots of advantages! But many have small offices in their bedrooms, dining rooms or study. If you expect clients at home, you may consider setting up the meeting area somewhere in the living room as it would not entail taking them inside your bedroom. 

    Since I find space management a very exciting concept, I marvel at attractive small home offices that retain their individuality as well as blend with the decor of that room.

     
     Have a look!

An interior designer's office

An interesting desk

Aesthetic look

Modern look

Soft Look

A French style office

Floral Design

   

  Therefore, an office need not look boring and all serious! When you are designing a home office, experiment with colours, textures, prints and decor styles. A cheerful office will drive away the Monday blues.

          
  Images via Elle Decor, Style at Home, Ideal Home, Living Etc, House to Home.
 

Creative Gouri's Abode

I am starting the year 2011 by showcasing Gouri Chatterjee's Kolkata house. 

         Like a true Gemini-an, Gouri is multi-faceted. Be it crochet, acrylic painting, ceramic art, Tanjore painting, glass painting, jewellery making, ... you name any art form and chances are that she dabbles in it.

          A great advocate of recycling things, you will find that many discarded items have been given a new form in her house. Gouri's smiling face and winning ways have earned her many friends. She has a positive attitude towards life and is spiritual in her own way.

Low seating, a durrie and a galloping horse on the floor

A serene look

A graceful figurine in an alcove welcomes the guests

A relaxed look

An attractive corner

Her house reflects her refined taste. And as expected, many artefacts in the house have been painstakingly made by her, adding a very personal touch to her nest of love.

Gouri's glass figures

A Chivas Regal bottle converted into an attractive lamp

While the simple but tastefully done up indoor exudes a lot of warmth, the terrace garden and the balcony are equally inviting with blooming flowers. Even the staircase, leading to the flat, has been decorated with a lot of care.

A pair of singers welcomes the guests

I thank Gouri for letting us peek into her house, where she resides with her husband Sandip, daughter Daisy and son Bir.She has skilfully mixed traditional with modern while doing up her decor.


Gouri is versatile, witty, gregarious and like any creative person, a little moody! Here are a sample of her creative fingers!

A Dahlia in Gouri's garden

A Tanjore painting done by Gouri, her art teacher and her children

A glass painting

A ceramic pot decorated with leaves

A crochet top made by Gouri

 

A freshly baked cake

Ever-smiling Gouri

Feel free to leave a comment. Both Gouri and I would love to hear from you!