The Call Of Aqua

Monsoon and the Sea

 Is what's calling out to me

Along with invites from some lovely creative folks

To visit their beautiful galleries, boutiques and B&Bs

So I am off for a week

To take it all in

To get soaked in the rain

To meet these fabulous people

To capture my experience in pictures

To bring back another wanderlust story for you

And to put my feet up and drink mojito

Sigh!

It's only apt that I leave you with some coastal decor inspiration from Greece

Given Aqua is the flavor of the moment!

The jaw dropping beautiful spaces by Zege Architects

Interiors by Marilyn Katsaris

Photography: Yiorgos Kordakis

I'll see you after a week

Hoping for rains for those who are parched

And some more sun for those craving for a couple more months of warmth

Be good folks!

Sian, and Abode

This enchanting new boutique hotel has been riding the decor news waves these day, along with the designer who designed and the styled the hotel. Presenting to you today, Abode in Bombay, and Sian Pascale, the bright young lady responsible for Abode's look and feel.

Adobe is Bombay's first boutique hotel. Sian has done a brilliant job restoring the building which was built in 1910 by an opium trader. Along with salvaging what could be salvaged, Sian worked with local workmen to bring in distinctive touches like the beautiful hand made cement tiles, vintage chandeliers, painting of local deity painted by truck artists and more contemporary prints and textiles to skillfully layer the different eras of the city within the hotel. Read more about the interesting design process right here.

Abode is now open for business and is going to be my preferred place to stay whenever I am in Bombay next!

This post would be incomplete without sharing some of Sian's other creative work portfolio. From designing and producing ceramic pendants, 'bhel puri' stand tables for Abode, Sian has designed furniture, ceramics, worked on various interior and architecture projects, along with art direction. She runs the multidisciplinary design studio called Young Citizens, and operates from Melbourne and Bombay.

And while we are talking about Bombay,

A question for the folks in Bombay: Has the monsoon arrived yet? :)

[Images: Sian Pascale. Pics by Prarthna Singh, Anushree Gavas, Roberto Michel. Creative visuals and storyboarding: An Indian Summer]

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]