Lavender Decor Provence Style

The Pacific Northwest comes alive in the summer and so do I :-) I love our short lived summer. I look forward to the many many fairs and festivals that take place during this time! Seattle is very big on farmers markets and organic produce and such markets come up just about everywhere! I am looking forward to July and the Sequim Lavender Festival. A short ferry ride takes you closer to the ocean, the snow capped mountains and endless fields of Lavender.

Provence, France is a major lavender growing area. Here are some delightful images from Provence bringing the beauty of lavender into decor.

Dreamy aren't they?

Here is a shot I took at the Lavender Festival last year. I adore that bike :-)

Image 1to 4 : via, Image 5 : Mine

An Heirloom and some History

Hello there! I cannot believe that it is almost June. The year seems to be flying by! I am looking forward to next month as it's going to be a busy, but fun time for me! My parents will be visiting from India and I am counting the days :-) My Dream Canvas will get a makeover both in design and content. The content will not change dramatically, but I plan to make a few changes which I hope you'll like! I hope to share the summer collection for my Shop by the end of June as well..............yay :-)! As you can see there will be lots happening!!! I hope you'll join me this June for all the fun!!


Flowers are a big part of my home. So here is a little picture to brighten your day.

Now for some exciting stuff. A couple of years ago I discovered this rug in my parents home. It belonged to my Great Grandfather. Apparently he had quite a few of these around his house. The rug is pretty worn out as it is very old, but I fell in love with it instantly and was curious to know more. 

For the past few years there has been a clamor in the design world for Uzbek, Kyrgyz,Turkish and many such antique textiles. This rug reminded me of the patterns I had seen from that part of the world. So I began to dig deeper.  I am happy to say I found some answers.

My mom did tell me that the rug must have been bought in the 1920's or so. I also confirmed its origins with an expert in Turkey who dates it to the early 20th century.  This whetted my appetite since the time frames matched. Further research revealed that this rug comes from Central Asia, possibly from Kyrgyztan. Rugs of this type are called Shyrdak rugs. They were made  traditionally by women for the simple purpose of providing clothing and shelter for the nomadic tribes and to keep them warm in the winter. Today these rugs are in great demand. A rug that dates back in excess of fifty years has a lot of appeal to collectors and is considered a sound investment.

You can imagine my excitement when I found out all these details. While I am happy to know that such rugs are in great demand and are quite valuable, I am really pleased that I have another heirloom that once belonged to my Great Grandfather! An heirloom that my mom is passing down to me :-)

Here is a shot of the rug. It is not a very clear picture and I promise you better ones once it gets here. I love the color. You can see how old it is and you can see the frayed edges.

I am still debating on how to use the rug in my home. It is too worn out to be used on the floor. Here is one image that inspires me a lot. I am getting a new study this summer and am considering hanging it on the wall. If you all have some suggestions, I would love to hear your thoughts.There are so many ways to hang art and tapestry on your walls these days. Hanging art can get extremely creative and there are so many innovative ideas out there!

Image One and Two : Mine

Image Three : via

Linking up with Tuesday Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia.

Linking up with Wow Us Wednesday's at Savvy Southern Style.

Nisanyan House

My first impression on discovering Nisanyan House was one of happiness. This place gives me the feeling that you are entering someone's well loved home. The courtyard itself looks like a delightful place to unwind and watch the peacocks go by. The charm of this property is that it feels like home, but it is really a hotel in Turkey. I can see myself completely relaxed here. A great place to get lost for a few days, read a few books, grab my favorite Rick Steve's guide book and plan the itinerary for my vacation in Turkey.

Nisanyan House Hotel is set in a remote rural village.  It is very close to Ephesus, one of Turkey's premier tourist hot spots. I quite like the story of this hotel. This property grew organically over the years with no planning. The original property only had three village houses. Today, there are two elegant inns, half a dozen rustic cottages, some  guestrooms, an extensive garden, a defense tower, a library, and much more.....

Intrigued?? I certainly am :-)

Image: via

Couleur Nature

Suzanis, Paisleys, Kantha.......this is a collection of French-inspired Indian woodblock-printed linens and accessories. I am drooling over almost everything at Couleur Nature. A fascinating selection of products that range from “Boutis,” a Provencal-style of quilting dating back to 17th century France to Kantha, a traditional type of hand-embroidery used to preserve and re-use vintage cotton saris, in small ethnic communities in Bengal, India.

Sigh! There is so much to tempt you out there! However I enjoy window shopping too :-)

Now for a bit of news......My Dream Canvas is getting a makeover this June. More details will follow :-) I would also love my readers' inputs on what you would like to see here! Leave a comment, send an email......I am waiting to hear from you :-)

Image: via

A Charming Vignette On The Beach

A beautiful walk on the beach on a balmy summer evening. Sounds perfect does it not? Now, imagine while you are walking, you stumble upon a market right on the beach! I would not be able to walk away :-) The distressed furniture, the vintage style French dishes, the stunning silverware........the exquisite flowers and the beautiful pottery.......all of it takes my breath away!

I love these images from a photo shoot that I found in the Spanish magazine Nuevo Estillo. It all looks so dreamy and romantic, a perfect way to begin the new week. I do know that the cushions are from Zara Home but everything else unfortunately is lost in translation :-)

Have a great week and for those of you in the United States, hope you are enjoying the long weekend!

Sending a virtual hug to all my fabulous readers :-)

 

 

Images: via

Pure Home and a Feature

A few weeks ago I heard from Pure Home, a Seattle based online home decor start-up company. I spent some time browsing their site and I came away very impressed with Pure Home's unique and cutting edge approach to online home decor.

To give you an understanding of what Pure Home is all about, here is some information about them in their own words "Pure Home is an online community of retailers, manufacturers,and shoppers brought together by the desire for a better home design experience. By providing members with the tools they need to create personalized color and style profiles, Pure Home is helping them focus their search and find products they’re sure to love. Bringing consumers together with previously hard-to-find retailers and hundreds of marquee brands, Pure Home serves as a marketplace that brings the individual touch of boutique shopping to the convenience of digital innovation."

The team at Pure Home reached out to me and asked me to do a guest post for their blog. I am very happy to have connected with a group of people who share a common love for design right here in Seattle :-)

My article is titled Embracing Summer in the Northwest. You can visit Pure Home by clicking Here and also connect with them via Facebook.

Thank you Pure Home!

Image: A shot of my Living room on a sunny afternoon.

My Day Today

I am feeling very cheated since I am stuck indoors this holiday weekend. The sun is out in all its glory and taunting me :-) I am nursing a sore throat and fever and I am bored out of my mind. I am spending my day sleeping or being my crankiest best.......ask my husband :-) The hours in between I think about all that I could have done this weekend.....sigh!!

All I need is a getaway car waiting outside my house and the open road :-) As I continue to grumble and groan, I would like to wish you a great weekend ahead!

Image: via

Happy Birthday Aporv

I recently heard from Sudip, the founder of Aporv. Aporv is an online destination for Indian handicrafts. It has just turned two and is running a special birthday promotion to mark this occasion. Launched in 2010, Aporv means unique in Sanskrit. Since its inception, Aporv.com has partnered with thousands of artisans across India to showcase their work to a global audience. Aporv also won the Manthan Award South Asia 2010. Manthan is an award that recognizes best practices in e-content and creativity.

Aporv.com ships to almost all countries globally and conveniently uses Paypal and Vesign secure payment gateways. Click Here to know about the special birthday promotion they are running.  This promotion is valid untill June 5th. You don't want to miss it :-)


To view their entire collection click here.  You can also connect with them via Facebook.

Images : via

Rain Rain Go Away

I am popping in to say a quick hello. My days are filled  with incessant rain and now I have the flu!! I do hope your week is going well? I hope to be back to regular blogging soon.  I need some sunshine in my life and  hopefully then all will be well in my world :-)

A corner in my living room on this rainy day!

Image : By Me

A Walk Down Memory Lane (Jodhpur)

I have been feeling so nostalgic ever since I noticed these images in Cote Maison, France. These lovely shots were taken in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. My parents were based in Jodhpur many years ago. Our stay there was very special and till date Jodhpur remains one of my favorite cities in India.

Jodhpur is a historical city, full of friendly people, amazing shopping, fabulous food and  old world charm ...........you can see I am quite smitten :-) I was studying in Delhi  and I made frequent trips to Jodhpur to see my parents. Shopping for my friends back in Delhi was a big part of my stay in Jodhpur. I got to know the city very well :-) I loved roaming the narrow alleys of the Old Town. At every corner there was new and exciting waiting to be discovered. I could go on and on...... but suffice to say that Jodhpur is a shopper's paradise.

Fabric printing dates back to many years in this part of the world. I love the manner in which photographer Jean-Marc Palisse  has captured the beauty of this process.

I need to plan a trip to Jodhpur and very soon :-) 

Images : via

A Bit of France in Australia

I am in love with these words by Ralph Lauren and I seem to be quoting it everywhere :-) “The most beautiful homes have a touch of history, of memory, of things that have been passed along, living side by side with the very modern. For me, this is the very essence of personal style”.

This home in Australia recently caught my eye where the owners honor their heritage by creating a home inspired by France. The home is in the Australian town of Geraldton near Perth. The owners Charlie and Isabelle used recycled materials, acquiring the doors, jarrah floorboards, beams and architraves from the demolition of an old Geraldton bank and a fishing factory. Once a container full of furniture arrived from Isabelle's parents home in France, they managed to create a little corner of Europe in Geraldton :-)

I am struck by the beauty, drama and old world charm of this home.........

Pages from vintage French women's magazines decorate Isabelle's bedroom. What a simple yet creative idea!

A 19th-century English mahogany cabinet from Charlie's family.

I love the color of the cabinet in this laundry room.  Old industrial posters from Belgium frame the wall.......so pretty!

You can read more about this fascinating home by clicking here.

Photography is by Sharyn Cairns. Images: via

A Cave Hotel

Hello Monday! I like to kick off the new week dreaming of faraway places and taking a virtual trip :-) This time it is Turkey! My week has begun with incessant rain and cloudy skies and I am not pleased! However, these images from the Hezen Cave Hotel  proves to be a good distraction. Unique eclectic interiors, a stunning location and unusual architecture makes this hotel one of a kind!

What do you think??

 

 

 

 

Images: via

Weekend Bliss and the Lake

Here's wishing you a beautiful weekend! This is a shot of downtown Seattle from Lake Union that I took a few weeks ago! I will see you back here soon. Till then keep on smiling :-)

Image: Copyright - Anuradha Varma. The image cannot be reused under any condition.

What Do You Love The Most About Your Home?

It is a beautiful day.....and it promises to be a beautiful summer! I am looking forward to my little ones being home. Hopefully we will have a few lazy mornings during the summer break. Though the noise level in the house will go up significantly :-) the monotony of each day, when everything has to get done in time and in an organized fashion can get to be quite mundane!! We all need a break to simply do nothing.......and a few days without a set routine sounds very appealing.

I was thinking today about what I love most about my home? Apart from the happy faces around me :-) It is most definitely the the things I have brought with me from India. The little bits and pieces of my childhood. They all come with  memories and stories that make them MINE!!! I smile each time I look at them :-) When I moved here twelve years ago,  my two suitcases were not enough for all my stuff. I was fortunate to have family and friends based here who carried stuff back for me. It took me a few months to collect all my belongings as they were in different cities all along the Eastern seaboard :-) A memory that I will always cherish is finding little handwritten notes from my cousins and friends between my clothes. The notes said, how much they will miss me or how pretty I would look in the sari they packed for me :-) I am so thankful to have such amazing people in my life.

Amongst the first things I brought back here was a painting from my parent's home. The minute it went up on the wall in my tiny apartment in North Carolina, I felt closer to home! Stuff from my room back in India......... family heirlooms and little knick knacks that have no significance to anyone except me, are all part of my prized possessions. Adding to these, are the things hubby and I have bought on our travels around the world.

I will stop rambling now and turn the focus on you :-) So what do YOU love most about your home? I would love to know.

Image : A quiet sunny afternoon at home!

Joining Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home.

Joining Inspiration Friday at The Picket Fence.

Joining Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage.

Joining Fridays Unfolded at Stuff and Nonsense.

Indianmyra (Treasures from India)

I recently heard from Veena of Indianmyra about their exquisite collection of Indian fashion & lifestyle products. They offer a varied collection of Indian jewelry, saris, stoles and much much more!  I can tell you that it is all very tempting :-) They offer great deals on shipping within the United States and run various promotions with many discounts options.


Here is just a sneak peek into what they have to offer! To view their entire collection click here.

Images: via

Heirlooms and the Canadian Rockes ( Featured on Prismma)

Prismma, India's First online Design magazine has featured two of my articles in their May/June issue. The first feature is titled " The Heirloom" The article traces my memories through antiques and family heirlooms that I own. I have written about how my heirlooms are a part of my every day life. You can read the feature Here. ( Pages 20-32)

 

The second article is an account of a family road trip we took last summer through the Canadian Rockies. You can read the article Here. Pages 40-54.

Images: Photographs are taken by me.

Photographer Enrique Menossi

There are some rooms that just belong to you! You get that lovely feeling when you know that you are connecting with it on so many levels. This first image makes my heart race :-) This is a perfect getaway in Ibiza, Spain.

I am so envious of Photographers who get to visit such places and take these fabulous shots. It would be my dream job. My camera and me......... and the world beyond!
Welcome to the world of Enrique Menossi, a freelance photographer based in Barcelona. His work has been published in major Spanish magazines. All the images here are via Mennosi Fotographo , from his collection on Spanish interiors.

I would love to hear from you. Which of these images appeals to you the most and why??

Images: via