The Imperial Compilation - Hampi Inspired.

Diposting oleh Miras Jogja on Kamis, 09 Februari 2012

They say everything comes to an end....my recent trip to Hampi & Badami as well...what was left behind were we and many more in their ruins of temples, markets and palaces which once belonged to the great Kings and warriors....What was also left behind were my thoughts inspired by these majestic ruins. I came home, studied the pictures of the architecture, studied the metal used, the bold colours and the importance of water in this area. And then, it was time to use it in my work...



Mirrors have always been my favourite. I love to experiment with them and guess what? Most things look nice on them anyway. So, talking about the rich Vijayanagara of Hampi, there lived middle class people as well. The most important metal used during those times was copper or peetal. This place was also full of temples where spoons, diyas or lanterns were made from copper. Hence, I thought, I should dedicate my tall, green mirror to the temples and the common man of Vijayanagara.





This next mirror has a very profoud thought after the beautiful and intricately carved Pushkarni. A water reservoir shaped in a square with triangular steps, was made around Temples for bathing before visiting the Gods. The deep Blue of the mirror with a combination of Gold marks the riches of Vijaynagara..





Bali is my next mirror. The reason I named it such is, after the gorgeous women of Vijayanagara. All the statues of women, goddess, queens that I saw in the museum of Hampi, jewelry seemed to have a lot of importance. It looked like they spent a lot of time getting dressed very elaborately. So along with the mirror, I decided to make a wall dresser with golden motifs and pieces of circular mirror and named it Bali, meaning earring.





Round, rich and deep blue, one of my favourite mirror is Jaala, meaning water. Water being the most important element of life, civilization and prosperity had to be a part of my work. The kingdom survived and prospered because of the infinite Pushkarnis and water holes and a splendid water supply despite the barren land of Hampi. This mirror marks the infinite water reservoirs and the riches of the kingdom of Vijaynagara.



Storage of any sort has been one of the most important part of our lives. We need it all over. Nidhanika meaning shelf in Sanskrit - is a solid display and storage shelf for books or anything else. It has simple yet ornate golden wrought iron embellishments. The little motif in golden marks the literacy and riches of the era of the Saluva dynasty.



Last but not the least, after so much time, we saw the Milky way in the twilight that spread over Hampi. That moment was so significant for me, that Koshayi meaning drawers in Sanskrit is a piece inspired by the clear starry nights over the expansive strech of these ruins. The drawers are made blue with golden beads to imitate the shinning stars.
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Prismma & Lively-wood come together!

Diposting oleh Miras Jogja on Selasa, 31 Januari 2012

Prismma...an online magazine conceptualized as a platform for showcasing interior design, home decor and lifestyle. The features span various aspects of home living and interior design......and it featured me!! :)



My post on trunks and its usage got its place on the Prismma magazine.







The step by step feature on displaying art on the wall was the most welcomed post on Prismma



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A Teacher’s Philosophy & Dancers’ Delight

Diposting oleh Miras Jogja on Minggu, 01 Januari 2012

You might wonder, why I have such a strange name for this bedroom project for the Bhupatkar residence! Well as much as I like my friend Maithily & her dear mother, I loved working in these spacious, well-lit and clean bedrooms of theirs. I am glad I got to work on two extreme diverse concepts; one eccentric and eclectic while the other was contemporary with a smack of family heritage!

Now let me start making by making the title clear. When I say Teacher’s Philosophy, I simply mean the way a teacher thinks. The family are a bunch of extraordinary teachers. When I worked with Mrs. Bhupatkar, I was surprised to see how careful and observant she was. She didn’t miss out a single detail when it came to little things like handles, curtains, her picture frames, to the extent of switch boards! The first time I met her, she made it clear that she wanted something in straight lines, and it all had to look clean! That’s when I knew she wanted to go contemporary in her room.





Whites & greens, basic and minimalistic was her choice. Long curtains, patterned bedspread and bold pillows made her happy. We refurbished the existing wardrobes and built a little entertainment centre for her antique TV.





Since all members of this family are ardent readers, creating a corner where they can unwind was important. The advantage of working in this house was that the rooms are good sized. I did get a nice cosy corner to change the focus of the bedroom, which was previously unattended.



Well to my good fortune, they owned a 100 year old antique gorgeously made chair with an even better old trunk lying around. They certainly valued it but really didn’t know how it could be incorporated into their home. When I suggested it’s place, they were truly delighted and happy that these antiques could be a part of their decor. So, this unattended corner became a reader’s haven. I placed good amount of lighting behind it with a few abstract shelves which made the room look cool and contemporary with a splash of the old.



Lastly, I did want to provide a little dressing area. Even though reading was a highlight of the room, I didn’t want to forget that it was after all a bedroom. In a small space beside the bathroom, just on your way out, a simple peek-a-boo mirror cabinet was fixed.

Hence ending the story of the Teachers’ Philosophy, keeping it straight and simple!
Now let us talk about the eccentric dancers’ delight. My friend, who is an outstanding dancer, wanted her room to be eclectic and on one hand and on the other wanted to bring some form of dance into the decor. So let me start by explaining how we went about doing it.

The corner of this spacious bedroom was a bit neglected. I knew not much could be done with it since accessibility to the corner wasn’t convenient. But without doubt, I could make it a focal point of the room and yet give some functionality to it. Hence, we hung some kandeels or lamps from the ceiling and arranged a beautiful old cabinet to display her Natraj (God of dance) statue on it. The lower cabinets could be used to store her books and other brass items. The cabinet was refurbished and glass was put on 2 sides to showcase her collection of antiques.



The next very important part of her room was her beautiful dresser named Surya. We scrubbed and rubbed to make it look old, frayed and antique. The contrast of yellows and blues with ornate brass handles made the corner look brilliantly distinctive. Since that little dance element had to be added, hand-made handles with ghoongroos or bells were installed on the drawers. We also added a touch of golden wrot iron embossing on the deep, rich blue full length mirror with some ghoongroos to match the dresser below. Since all my products have a name, I call this mirror Lavanya because it came out very graceful! With ample storage of 3 drawers, the corner looks exquisite!





To match and balance colours, a similar side unit I call Turmerica was made. It stands next to the bed and has sturdy carved teak wood legs.



Along with these two features, arranging and refurbishing her existing bed and wardrobes, lighting and entertainment centre had to have their place. Below are the placement of the wall mounted entertainment centre opposite the bed and the overall view of the room.





Lastly, I want to thank my dear friend Vikrant for helping me take such wonderful photos of my work. He has been helping me do so always!! :)
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Dealing with Small Spaces? Trunks do it all!!

Diposting oleh Miras Jogja on Jumat, 16 Desember 2011

Sometimes we find some old treasures in our locked garage or may be on a loft above some store rooms...do you remember exploring something like that? And there...boom...we find a mysterious storage trunk!!! Whether you have this fond memory or not… there always has been and always will be a wonderful mystery and comforting feeling surrounding trunks!



A trunk is flexible enough to correspond well with any home décor, whether you prefer antique and classic or contemporary and modern. Obviously, you can use a storage trunk for storage… and there are many things you can do here. But in small homes, apartments, or dorm rooms you can use it as a decorative end table or coffee table.

Trunks in a Living Space



A decorative trunk can be used as a side table to place a lamp, coasters, and a book on beside your favorite chair. You can also store out of season items inside, such as curtains, blankets and sheets, or holiday decorations. When used as a table, a storage trunk gives you a quick and convenient access to storage without sacrificing style.



Or, you can also use a decorative trunk as a coffee table. You can store items that are used while entertaining guest such as board games, table runners, etc. This brings style and offers functionality.

Storage Trunk in the Bedroom



The best way to save space, make it look different and have a good amount of utility, make your trunk a stylish side table. If you drink water at night, be sure to place your glass on a coaster so you don’t cause any damage. Inside, you can store out of season clothing which are sorted out just once in a while.

Trunks for Gazing & Relaxing..



A storage trunk can be used as a rustic style seating bench by a window, perhaps covered with antique dolls and stuffed animals to provide a comforting appeal. It can be placed in your spare room or a study where activities like reading take place.

The Hidden Bar



Get that decorative box on casters and have a mobile bar anywhere in the house! In case you do not like to have your liquor displayed, a wine trunk or a mini bar serves best!






All that mess my child makes!



A pretty little trunk can be made to hide pictures, books, board games, or toys and stuffed animals for the kids. In one of my projects, I made a pretty colourful trunk with locking casters which could not only be used as storage but also served as a bench or a chair. It slid perfectly under the study table, consuming absolutely no floor space.
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GO GREEN with GoodHomes

Diposting oleh Miras Jogja on Minggu, 11 Desember 2011

I just love GoodHomes magazine! They seriously emphasize enormously on going green, environment, re-use, etc! I thought it was very nice of them to have people participate in contests which in some way spreads the word of saving our Earth in a small way.



So my friends, here goes their little play -

GO GREEN with GoodHomes Contest! (10th - 16th December)

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=287941917914342

Ronitaa Italia-Dhanu, the Editor of GoodHomes magazine shares a video of a Green Christmas!

Take inspiration and GO GREEN in your Home! Share a picture of a Green Christmas decor setting done by you in your Home. 1 lucky winner with the best setting will win goodies from GoodHomes!
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Travel, Inspiration & Art

Diposting oleh Miras Jogja on Jumat, 18 November 2011

A lot of times, I go clicking pictures of different things like fruits, a scene at a bus stand, or a shoe display...etc. Its incredible how many pictures I have of things which seem irrelevant and pointless! But for me, they are a constant source of inspiration. I have over 1000 pictures just randomly clicked, all intending to flood me with ideas. My post this month is about these photos and its implementation into my work, so far.

Persia comes to my Door Step

From the Land of the Turks came my little inspiration of a beautiful dresser I made for my friend. Most mosques in Turkey had these ornate taps in their courtyards which encourage people to wash their feet and then enter this religious place, clean and pure.



This old and ancient tap inspired me to make her dresser. If you notice, you will see the similarity in the shape and the ornateness in the design. The rich golden yellows and deep blues reminds me of my wonderful trip to the land of the Sultans.

A midst the Himalayas

A midst the Himalayas is this little state of Sikkim, heavily influenced by the Tibetan culture. I call it the spiritual, lost little paradise. Its simply gorgeous! I was so touched by how beautiful it is that I decided to use it in one of the most popular items I make, yes, a mirror!



The script on the mirror says "Tashi Delek" meaning May Good Luck come to You in Bhutia language. One of the most beautiful prayer rollers in the Rumtek monastery inspired me to make this piece!

The Zanzibar Islands in Africa

I was shocked to see the overwhelming intricate doors on all the houses in Zanzibar! I had to use it...the idea, the design! It came popping in into another deep green mirror I made, I call it Peacock Plumage!



Balloons of Cappadocia



Going back to central Turkey, I had this wonderful experience of sailing through morning skies in a hot air balloon. The view from the top was like a wonderland. A wonderland which I tried creating for a children's room and on multi-functional trunk I call the Balloooooni Balloon Trunk, made to store toys and use it as a chair while studying.

Jaatt Riksy after Whisky!



You might be wondering whats wrong with my title??!! Well the core of our country, the everyday scene which we hardly notice was brought on to my work. I have seen so many varieties of trucks, lorries or semi as they call in the USA but I have never seen one as decorated, colourful and funny, anywhere else in the world besides India. I always wanted to use all the gaudy designs and funny wordings! Hence Jaatt Riksy after Whisky!

Its all about Lights!



Going back to my Turkey trip, all over, everywhere were these dazzling lights hung from the ceiling. There were times when some of us has to duck down to avoid bumping against them. The warmth created by them was so kindling and cozy. I used it in one of my projects. It made the room look, warm and inviting.

The Fall Colours!



When I look at the trees during fall, a strange feeling of content and peace comes over me. The colours look so bright, warm that the rising cold feels so insignificant. During my stay in the USA, this beautiful patchwork was done by a very dear family member of mine. Its took effort, love and a lot of imagination to create it!

The Turkish Cat Story



I am still not sure about cats from Turkey. They are all over, everywhere, on the roof, in the meadows....on the chair!! I wanted to pet them all, cuddle them all!! I saw a beautiful, fluffy one sitting on a chair...that concluded it all. I recycled a used paint drum with pretty little cats on it and converted it into a stool.

Well...I think I can go on...and I know I have to stop! I would love to hear stories from you...little things that inspired you to create something. Please write to me about anything that motivated you, and made you build something...very close to your heart!
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GoodHomes & Fab India Re-Use aftermath....

Diposting oleh Miras Jogja on Senin, 10 Oktober 2011



I am sorry for not really writing about the aftermath of "The Re-use Workshop by Good Homes". Well I thought I should not leave anything incomplete. So here are some pictures and a little note of the happenings that followed...



Event was conducted by GoodHomes editor Ronitaa Italia-Dhanu were in she took the participants through different vignettes where we highlighted the whole ‘recycle and reuse' aspects of decor. The whole point in doing this brand building exercise was to establish GoodHomes as “decor expert” and encourage interaction with readers.



Conducted on Sept 23rd at the Kalaghoda store of Fabindia, 48 walk-ins enjoyed the "REVAMP" theme of the workshop, which meant utilize existing material which are available at homes and recreate things at home without changing the original format.



The workshop also ended with bright ideas and participation from participants. BBC GoodHomes also had a little contest with where 5 best reuse ideas won little gift baskets. Overall I think it is a very cool initiative taken by Good Homes to make all of us realize how waste or unwanted things can make a a whole lot of difference!
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