Thursday, May 20, 2010

A home from the heart

I am back from my trip to the east coast and still a bit jet lagged :-) Today, I am delighted to feature Praba Ram's gorgeous home in the suburbs of Washington DC. A charming Victorian farmhouse with an Indian touch, the home has a simple elegance with an earthy and rustic feel to it. Step into Praba's world and enjoy her warm and inviting home.
Passionate about architecture and design, Praba loves many features about her home, both inside and outside. The wrap-around porch has a tropical feel and is her favorite architectural element in the house. The exterior of the house reflect her love for the Mediterranean & tropics. Painted in terracotta orange, the fish-scale shingles on the front and the sides mimic the tiled porch coverings of the homes in South India. Praba's husband, an avid gardener, lovingly maintains the front-yard.
As for the interiors, she loves her sun room and kitchen for the handmade Spanish terracotta tiles. For the rooms, the paint colors were inspired by the spices, nuts & herbs unique to India. Turmeric yellow in the foyer, henna green in the guestroom, cashew cream in the sun room, saffron orange in the living room. Bursting with colors, she is happy that the interiors feel like one colorful spice box.

I could not agree more!!

Doesn't this feel like a vacation home with all this lovely scenery around ? I am so envious :-)

The porch is my favourite.... it has an old world charm thats so beautiful.

The sun soaked sun room with the striking tiles.

Praba's immense talent and creativity is not limited to interiors. She is also a published author of a children's book. She writes for a blog/website called Saffron Tree. Praba, along with others, reviews and recommends children's books from India & the U.S. Praba's first book, co-authored by Meera Sriram, also part of Saffron Tree, was recently published by Tulika Books of Chennai. Titled, Dinaben and the Lions of Gir, it is a bi-lingual book for the four plus age group about Maldharis, the cattle herdspeople of Gujarat and their daily lives in the Gir forests, co-existing with the Asiatic lions of India.
Here is a picture of her book.
A few more lovely corners from her home. Thank you Praba for sharing your home with My Dream Canvas.

Pictures courtesy : Praba Ram