Travelling Today

To Bahia!

Butterfly House caught my eye

As I went through my weekly ritual of couch travelling

Check it out here!

I'll see you in a weeks time folks

There's a wedding in the family and wedding stuff to be done

Dances to be danced and beautiful clothes to be worn :)

Be good! I'll see you soon!

[Images: Butterfly House]

 

A Serendipitous Haveli

Serendipity. I love this word! I love how it sounds, and I love what it means. So when Kuldeep wrote to me & invited me to visit her newly launched store, called Serendipity, I knew that the concept store had to be different from what I have seen so far. As Kuldeep shared with me the story behind the idea of the store and the haveli it is housed in, Serendipity sounded more and more like an experience than a conventional retail store. And what an experience it is! I spent a few blissful hours one evening last week, soaking in the ambiance and ooh-aahing over the gorgeous collection of products. As dusk fell, Kuldeep, her sister Gurmeet and I sat in the verandah, sipping chilled lemonade, talking about the various creative possibilities of the place, and it started to rain, after days of intense dry heat! Sigh! I could have stayed the night at the old haveli aka new boutique - it felt like and truly is an oasis in the middle of the urban sprawl!    

I had gone to visit Serendipity with my nikon in tow, for I had to bring back and share what I saw and loved, with you guys. I went a bit overboard (when do I not!) and clicked every little nook and cranny of Serendipity. I couldn't help it; it was just so lovely! 

If I have to describe why Serendipity is such an experience, imagine driving through traffic, past the farmhouses in Chattarpur and a couple urban villages (for folks who are familiar with Delhi), and then arriving at this large blue gate of a pristine white haveli (old bungalow). The gates open into a cozy courtyard and as you step in and the gates close behind you, the noise of the city fades away. The air is cooler, and the welcome, very warm. In the corridor running along the courtyard, there are rooms enticing you from behind blue & green doors, filled with gorgeous textiles, apparel, vintage prints & art, antique furniture, old and new brass, and a bunch of other pretty little things. And oh, wait! There is another floor, with large spaces filled with more of furnishings and furniture designed by Kuldeep. Kuldeep plans to re-purpose some of this surplus space as a B&B, which will open sometime later this year. It's hard to believe that this beautiful space was once used as a storage warehouse! 

Pics above and below: The transformation

In Kuldeep's words:

"Serendipity is an oasis of solitude, fun events, sunday brunches, coffee morning and shopping. A bit of Morocco mixed with Rajasthan, it's tastefully done interiors, large rooms and over a cup of coffee and conversation in the courtyard, you can experience some of the old world charm of a large home and lazy afternoons. Delve into some classic, stylish and comfortable Indian clothing, hand block printed home linens, unique furniture and lighting - all either hand picked or designed by me."

Serendipity takes on a mellow hue as dusk falls. I had a lovely time, and Serendipity has become one of my favorite places to hang out and shop at leisure, in Delhi. If you are in Delhi or planning to visit, make sure to drop in. And tell me what you loved :) 

View these and more images here

Serendipity's Location and on Facebook.

[All images and creative storyboarding: An Indian Summer]

Tree Of Life and a Give Away!

Excuse me while I lust after these clothes. You are free to join me, and join me you would, for the clothes by Tree Of Life are just so beautiful. The motifs, the colors, the prints, the fabric, the styling and design - I bet that you can't choose just one! 

Tree Of Life is a label, that brings to you a fusion of India's rich textile heritage, local skills and contemporary sensibilities. The distinctivness lies in the adaptation of traditional aesthetics into everyday lives of modern women. The ease and comfort of the natural fabric used for the apparel, complements the fine detailing inspired by traditional costumes.

Nargis, the lovely designer behind Tree Of Life, is a fashion graduate from NIFT. Her formative years spent in Gujarat echo and resonate in her designs. She works mainly traditional techniques and fabrics like with block prints, ajrak, tie & dye, khaadi, mangalgiri etc. Her designs and silhouettes are simple and classic and appeal to women across age groups.

The label is available at at Neemrana Shop (Delhi), Kilol stores, Artisans Cottage (Ahmedabad), Indian August (Noida), Cinnamon (Bangalore), Anonym (Hyderabad) and estores like Jaypore and Indian Roots. 

~ Give Away ~

And what do we do when we find gorgeous stuff? We share! An Indian Summer & Tree of Life By Nigarish would like to do exactly that and would like to giveaway this gorgeous skirt to one lucky reader, anywhere in the world! This bohemian skirt is perfect for summer soirees and lazy lunches. Read on to find out the easy peasy way to enter the giveaway..

Here's what you need to do to enter:

1. Tell us where would you like to wear this skirt to, in a comment here, on An Indian Summer's facebook page. Make sure you are logged into facebook to do so.

2. Leave a comment on this post too, to double your chances

3. That's it! Winner will be announced here next Wednesday, on May 14th .

Thank you Nargis! And, All the best girls! 

[All images: Tree of Life By Nargis. Creative Storyboarding: An Indian Summer]

That Warm Fuzzy Feeling

That warm fuzzy feeling you get when you look at interiors and rooms that remind you of something from your childhood. The feeling of coziness, the feeling of simplicity, the desire to put your feet up and feel at home. Decor, that is casual, and not pretentious. Furniture that is well worn and not designer. Handpicked and handmade objects rather than objet d'art. Soft and familiar furnishings with your personal favorite cushions and favorite throws. Rooms that remind you of your grandparent's home and the summer holidays spent there. THAT warm fuzzy feeling, is what I have today, and these rooms made me nostalgic.

Oft read books with bunch of flowers picked from the garden

Ah! The 'diwan' (day bed)...must have in Indian homes. 

Fresh bakes on the dining table

The various craft projects, that were proudly displayed by our grandparents :)

I love the simplicity of this dining table. And the gorgeous wood floor.

Perfect for lounging with a book and a jug of chilled lemonde

Nope, no coasters needed for this table. Perfect for a lazy evening with a bunch of friends

Sigh. The elegance of this simple bed frame.

Sunday mornings in unkempt bed are the best :). Oh, and read the DIY for this lamp shade here

Isn't that chair a flea market shopper's dream come true?

Cozy bedside

 The verandah

Crochet Wall hanging - so reminds me of the 70's and the 80's!

Love how the colors of the portrait and the blanket complement each other

Indoor plants...a must have from the time when I was growing up :)

I guess all this nostalgia is because May is right around the corner, and May used to mean summer holidays. Hot summer afternoons, spent inside cool home, reading books and poring over the odd interior design magazine. Good ol' days!

Oh, talking about interior design magazine, do hop over to Priya's curated magazine to read what I have to say about stuff like blogging and all. Such important things I say, really. And if you don't want to read that (how could you not want to, I don't understand), do take a look at the rest of the magazine. It's the perfect accompaniment to a tall glass of iced tea!

[Images from: 1, 2, 3, 4]