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When I was invited by Isprava to view their lovely villas in Goa

Sorry for being AWOL for the last few weeks. I have a very good reason for it though. There are some good folks working behind the scenes to get a fabulous new website ready for An Indian Summer. I have been neck deep in layouts and mock-ups and have been advised not to put any new content on this site till the time the new one is ready to roll. We are aiming for mid next month and till that time, I will continue to share fresh inspiration and all that I love, on Instagram and Facebook. The images in this post are from my Instagram account, so if you like them, please do follow @AnIndianSummer there! And that's not all. Beginning tomorrow, in a run up for Diwali, Facebook is where the action will be when it comes to inspiration for the festival of lights. You don't want to miss that, my lovelies!

My work corner in my Goa studio, featured in Elle Decor

From my luxury wildlife project. I shared images from the completed project on Instagram the entire last week. Go look and tell me how you like it!

Exploring heritage homes in Goa

Meeting old friends in a gorgeous B&B in Goa

The quaint parlour at my hotel in Stockholm. A bunch of other pretteh pictures from the trip on Instagram.

When I was invited to experience the beauty & the hospitality of Kayal Island Retreat

In the hills, at the home of my friend, who is a brilliant painter and interior stylist


See you back here, in a shiny sparkling new avtar, in a few weeks!

Make sure to catch daily inspiration from me on:
Instagram
Facebook


[All Images: An Indian Summer on Instagram. All images clicked by me]

When Ikea Calls

You pack your bags

And say

Hold the plane,

I am coming.

An Indian Summer has been invited by Ikea to attend the two day fun and collaborative event - Democratic Design Days, in Almhult, Sweden next week. Ikea has been an intrinsic part of my early design appreciation and education and I am chuffed to be a part of the first ever select group of media editors from India to be invited for the event. The interactive event will give us a ringside view of Ikea's new product range, collaborations and an insight into the design and product development process at Ikea. I am also looking forward to talk to Ikea insiders and get the scoop on Ikea's grand launch in India next year! And if you are at #IkeaDDD too - do come and say hello!

I will be sharing all (mostly live) on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Make sure you follow @AnIndianSummer to tune in! 

~ An Indian Summer Travels ~ 

Once I am done with the event, for the rest of the month, I will be solo-tripping through some of my yet-unexplored cities in Europe. Readers in and from Sweden {Stockholm}, Denmark {Copenhagen} and Czech Republic {Prague} - holler and let me know if you are there and what would you recommend I do, I see, folks to meet, what are the must buys, the little known secrets of these cities, the experiences that I must not miss (oh, and also what I should definitely avoid), the day trips around - tell me all! I would love to hear from YOU!  

And needless to say, my wanderings and finds shall be duly captured and shared on Instagram. Do travel with me there!

Before I fly out, I will pop in here again on Monday, with the latest from one of my favorite brands and set of people. 

And then I will see you from the other side!

[Image Credits: Ikea Today and Ikea Ideas. Travel: Stockholm, Copenhagen, Prague] 

Usha's Home In The Hills

 The steep path up to the cottage, lined with fruit blossoms

Thanks to Thanksgiving, this month has that air of counting your blessings and sending a quick mental thank you note to the stars above for all that is good in your life. For the things that seem destined and for those events that are serendipitous. For chance meetings and instant soul connections. For the dreams, wishes & hopes that finally got actualized. For having the courage to let go of things, people & places not meant for you. And for me, more than any year, I also feel a deep sense of gratitude for the work that I have chosen to do and for this now-not-so-little blog of mine. Apart from the happiness & the amazing creative opportunities it has given me, it has also made it possible for me to know and meet some incredible people over the years. Complete strangers, many of whom are now an integral part of my life. Usha, is one such special person. I had blogged about her lovely studio & apartment a few years ago, and since then we have been in touch. From appreciating each others work and aesthetics, to finding common ground in our love for animals, we also bonded instantly over our passion for the mountains.

Usha's painting in progress, in her sunlit studio 

This corner of the living room, overlooking the valley and distant snow clad ranges, is my favorite corner!

As Usha started building her beautiful cottage in the Himalayas, I followed her daily joys and trials that come with following your heart and building a dream home ground up. She had invited/cajoled/scolded me many a times to make a plan to visit her, and finally, during my visit back to Gurgaon this Diwali, I spent an absolutely brilliant weekend with her. The exhilaration of driving on my own, for the first time, on those curves and bends and the highs and lows of hill roads, is an experience to remember! Crossing tiny villages, asking for directions every few kilometers and keeping fingers crossed that I don't take a wrong road, for if there came a moment where I would need to reverse on those narrow uphill roads, I basically would have no option but to abandon my truck of a car and walk the rest of the way. Yes, I had that scenario all planned out in my head. Thankfully, apart from a few minor hiccups [like ignoring the cut off from the highway and merrily singing & continuing for some 80 odd kms into the heart of Punjab before the realization hit and the u-turn was taken], the drive was a breeze. 

 

Wild flowers on the table on the porch and late afternoon sunlight in the living room

Usha's bedroom with handmade quilt and her art 

The striking Shiva painting has also been done by Usha 

Every little thing has been carefully selected and restored by Usha. Gorgeous chair in the bathroom
 

 The welcome hug from Usha and the welcome leap-lick-drool-cuddle from her gentle giant of a dog, Henry, was the warmest possible. As we walked up the steep path to her home, the stunning cottage revealed itself! Usha's home, all of stone, brick and old wood, sits snugly between pine trees, tall wild grass, and the most fabulous view of the valley. Designed by her daughter Vibha, the home feels personal and unique in every sense. Usha's excellent design aesthetic makes its presence felt as you enter the home - every little corner, each piece of furniture, lamp, furnishing, even the bunch of dry weeds in a vintage jar - are put together so beautifully that my aesthete's soul seemed to have found it's heaven. A home filled with sunshine, books, art overflowing in each room from the artist-in-residence, self-designed handmade heirloom quilts, warm rugs, fireplaces, vintage deco knick-knacks, french cottage chic furniture, wild flowers in unexpected vases, hot food and good wine, and a personal extra large body warmer of a dog - what more could you ask for when in the mountains! I could go on about how beautiful and seemingly effortlessly chic Usha's home is, or I could do better and share these images with you. I couldn't stop taking pictures, even as Usha said, oh but the house is yet to be finished. It's a home I would move into, without changing a thing! 

Antique four poster bed in the studio for siesta 

Artist's tools and her work space 

The sheer beauty of a simple rustic window corner in the kitchen

 

Central island in the cozy warm kitchen. Favorite place to hang out during the day

 

The delightful guest bedroom had a deck that looked out to the lights in the valley at night 

A chinoiserie art work at the entry foyer to the bedroom

 

Usha's love for gargoyles is evident with this little one in her studio and a massive one right at the entry of the cottage, sculpted by her niece Deveshi Sehgal.  

Oh, I loved the play of light through the day through the beautiful rooms..

Usha has the knack of picking up the most beautiful distinct objects and making them look good together! 

The three days were spent in long walks & treks, chatting with the villagers, polishing off finger licking good local delicacy at the local ayurved's home, picking up kitchen tricks from Usha [now that I cook for myself in Goa, in my lovely kitchenette, I am discovering a love for cooking], sitting around the central island in the warm & lovely kitchen and cooking, eating, drinking, listening to music, sharing stories and chatting. Oh, how much we talked! I spoke about serendipitous soul connections and right there, in the hills, I found one in Usha :)   

We exchanged notes on the weather as she sat drying chillies and corn kernels

Going searching for the cat with a recent litter of 4 kittens!  With Usha, village kids and the local ayurved, who also doubles up as the night watchman. I requested him to pluck these flowers which were high up on a tree, and later, they found their way to the kitchen, dressing up the table for dinner.

 

Good ol' wine from the local fruit orchards warmed us up in the night as cold winds roared outside

I can not end this post without talking about Usha's work. Usha Hooda is an artist, aesthete, interior designer par excellence. She has been working for years with áari' karigars (embroidery craftsmen) to design and produce one-of-a-kind textile masterpieces. Some of Usha's art and interior design work can be found on her page on facebook. She has recently been featured in Architectural Digest, among many other publications in the past. She can be reached via facebook or via her email.

Tree Of Life designed by Usha and executed by Aari karigars

An absolutely wonderful trip ended on a high note with me reccying a pretty little cottage for myself further up the hill. I can not wait for the day when I am able to move bag baggage and cat to my mountain abode, after I have spent a while and some in my sea side abode. There are many stories and gorgeous pictures from my jaunts within Goa that I have in my bag to share with you - watch this space!

This view. Sigh.

[All Images & Story: Bhavna Bhatnagar - An Indian Summer. Featured Usha Hooda's Home]

The Calm After A Trip

So here I am, back from another trip. This time, I went to the jungle, to begin the mock-up for the treehouses I am styling for the wildlife luxury lodge. And I got to say, it's coming along well, my kittens! Sure, there are many things yet to be fixed, yet to be ordered, yet to be put together in one pretty picture, but the image in my head is finally taking shape!

A trip to the jungle is never without an adventure or interesting experiences. As we landed at the Nagpur airport early that morning, we found out that reaching the site will be a touch and go since the only connecting bridge was flooded over due to incessant rains. And man, did it rain! The downpour did not stop for a moment while we were there. Which only meant that we had to drive through the lushest of meadows, traverse through hills clouded in mist, face fragrant cool wind and rain that went from a light shower to blinding torrential downpour in no time. My favorite music playing in the car was the only solace when the sight outside became too beautiful to bear.  Sigh. Things you got to do as part of work. 

And then we reached the site, which had completely transformed from what I had seen last! Nature had taken over and apart from the lush trees, undergrowth, creepers, bushes [basically all forms of plant life], there were streams and ponds and puddles. We rolled up our jeans, balanced the big black umbrellas, waded through the various water features and got down to work. As the team headed back in the pitch dark night, wading through the same water bodies, we encountered aquatic life like huge crabs, frogs, fishes, indescribable squirming crawlies and oh-my-god one massive toad. The trouble with your team being wildlife enthusiasts [and men] is that whereas I focused on maintaining my balance with the dark water below, the pouring rain above, and making sure that I don't step on any other life form, they were delighted at the sight of of these creatures and thought it necessary to pick a sample each and present it for my careful inspection. Later, as we tucked in the most delicious dinner made in the local village style, the night guard listed out the wildlife sightings & cobra encounters at the site. The dinner conversation, for one, is never dull in a jungle!

It's probably the overload of greenery and colors [since I was working with furnishings this time around at the site] that made me select calmer white spaces today. I had thought that I will do another Jungle post, but I veered towards this selection of rooms, and well, as you know, I got to share with you whatever I am getting inspired by at the moment. This cat below though, he just snuck in when I wasn't looking. Not that we mind. :)

I will be back next week, with a home tour! I also have an announcement due this month; something that I am so excited about that I can barely sit still!

Keep reading An Indian Summer and if you like, keep in touch with me on a daily basis over at Instagram. It's fast becoming my favorite online hang-out place! 

See you soon!

[All Images: Here]

A Week In Retreat

Once upon a time, there was this charming young woman, who came back to her home town in Kerala, after many years in New York. She was passionate about travel and she decided that her work has to be all about travel. She started a boutique travel outfit called Silk Route Escapes that designed unique experiential itineraries for the world traveler. One fine day, while on a boat (but of course), she chanced upon a little island, and spotted the perfect piece of land. She sighed and wished that she could get that perfect piece of land to live on and to work from. And then as her wish turned into firm resolve, she made it happen. She took that perfect piece of land and step-by-step, brick-by-brick, created a sublime abode. And if you thought that this was the happy ending, wait for more. She not only created this beautiful retreat but also opened it up for fellow appreciators of charming spaces, to stay in. And then, the happiest part of the story for me, she invited me to join her and experience the quiet little heaven, that is Kayal.

Maneesha Panicker and I have been in touch since the time Kayal was just an idea. She had 'heard' me exclaim over Kochi, and knew that I would love her little nook on the island of Kakkathuruthu - the Island of Crows.

And what a lovely experience I had! It started with a magical pre-dawn boat ride across the back waters of Lake Vembanand to the secluded shores of the island. The early morning peace and the gentle lull of water was the perfect backdrop to practice the yoga and meditation that my friend and I got initiated into earlier in the week. Simple yet beautifully done up rooms, open air bathrooms, traditional Kerala architecture, restored antique furniture, vintage pictures on the walls, friendly & helpful staff and best of all, a kitchen supervised by Maneesha's mom! With finger licking delicious food being churned out from the kitchen through the day and warm conversations at the dining table, we felt completely at home!   

As the sun set, we decided to take a boat ride to the other side of the island and then walk through the village back to Kayal. The leisurely boat ride was followed by walking through the meandering paths, taking in the local village life and a pit stop at the chai wallah by the shore. I also had to make cat-dog stops to befriend each fur ball that crossed my way. Or not cross my way. I went out of my way to say hello to the cats of Kakkathuruthu, and well, they weren't very impressed by my friendly overtures, as you can see from the pic below. Balan, on the other hand, our cheerful boat man, regaled us with local tales and ramped us up on the local flora and fauna.

I am now back home, after two superb days at Kayal, and am yet to get over the Kerala hangover. The good part (yes, the good stuff just doesn't end!) about Kayal Island Retreat is that it's a quick thirty minute drive away from Kochi. And Kochi being one of my favorite cities, I know that I am going to back very soon to this Island of Crows and again enjoy the amazing hospitality at Kayal. A shout out to the team at Kayal, Rupa, Maneesha and a big thank you hug to Maneesha's mom ~ I now have a second home in Kerala! :)

Here's how you can get to Kayal and find more info:

Kayal Island Retreat | On Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

~ And then there was also Coimbatore & Kochi ~

My travel last week actually started with Coimbatore. My friend and I went to the Isha Yoga Center and spent three intensive days at the retreat. It was an unique experience and I loved the fact that apart from the yoga & meditation, we got to do so many outdoor activities, along with a bunch of fellow Damn-will-I-ever-learn-how-to-meditate enthusiasts. Walks in the foothills of Velliangiri hills, treks in the surrounding forest and a thorough pounding beneath the cold waterfall located deep in the forest complemented perfectly the physically & emotionally intense Yoga & Meditation sessions. I have come back rejuvenated with the resolve to continue the practice. Though my boy cat seems to take a personal affront to my doing the cat pose and every morning along with the yoga, I also practice hand to paw combat to ward off his attack on my legs & arms! Clearly, my cat doesn't like me all calm and zen.

And how could I go south and not spend atleast a few hours in my favorite city - Kochi! As I drove around Jew Town and the Fort Kochi area, just a few hours in hand before we caught the evening flight back home, I spotted old favorites & new boutiques, cafes and galleries. I caught up with my friend & midnight badminton partner (story for another time), the very talented corporate chef at Malabar Escapes, over a fabulous lunch of tapas and chilled white wine. And as promised, I shared snippets from the entire trip over at instagram, as it happened!

I can go on and on about this trip of mine, but I need to get up and start packing, for I am traveling again tomorrow morning. I will be back with you, later in the week. Till then, see you here, here and there!

[Images: All mine. An Indian Summer]