Paint it Black

A few weeks ago I shared images Aradhana Anand's beautiful charcoal grey bedroom. Black, in all its shades, is one of my favorite colors, but I like, a lot of folks who wrote in admiring the space, have always felt intimidated about using black on the walls of a room. Inspired by Aradhana, I started started paying more attention to spaces that use a lot of black. Here are a few that I really liked. Enjoy and hope you have a great long weekend ahead!

[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

There's Something About the Color Blue

It's absolutely sweltering outside! Even though Gurgaon is slightly cooler than last year, it's still pretty bad. So I'm quite happy to be sitting indoors, drinking lots of iced tea and thinking cool thoughts. With all this heat, it's no surprise that the mind turns to cooler things for comfort and respite. I guess that's why I'm going through a phase where I seem to be obsessed with blues... everything indigo, cobalt and navy is my color of the moment. The other day I bought some pots for the balcony and no surprise, they were all blue!

[1, 2, 3]

Blue is such a soothing color I think. When I see it I think of cool ocean breezes and tall icy glasses of Mint Juleps :) or iced tea... OK who am I kidding... Mint Juleps :)The color fills me with a sense of calm... like the feeling you get when you look up at a blue, cloudless sky that seems to go on forever. Or that feeling you get when you take a step into a pool on a hot day and exhale in delight at the gentle coolness of the water.

[4, 5, 6]

There's something about the color blue... The color seems calm me down... its like an instant chill pill :) 

[7, 8, 9]

Dashes of blue in the home add such a pop of color that soothes, relaxes and rejuvenates. The perfect balm for all the stress that comes with dealing with temperatures in the forties. I love these intricately patterned blue tiles. You can get lost in all that detail! This is something I plan on using in our kitchen, once our new place is built.

[10, 11,12]

I also have a thing for blue linens and drapes, especially with block prints. I didn't realize it until I sat down to write this post, but every curtain in my home is blue! I guess I really got myself ready for summer didn't I?

What's your color of the moment? Do write in and share... I'd love to hear your thought.

Where Would We Be Without Flowers?

Hi there folks! Just checking in to say a quick hello. How has the week been so far? The last few days have been really exciting. I was invited for my first food bloggers meet on Sunday and I'm going to be sharing that experience with you very soon! There are also a few interesting things in the pipeline. 

I had a great day yesterday... the hubby surprised me with flowers (beautiful pink carnations) and cake... really made my day... well probably my week! What a difference a few days make. On Friday we were all joking that it looked like the world was coming to an end, the way the weather gods were misbehaving. Thunder, lightening, rain... in March? The weather matched my mood. It was a difficult day for me... had to make a few difficult decisions and come to terms with a few hard realities. But that's life I guess... Things never go they way you plan :)

I bought a whole bunch of flowers and chocolate (of course) to cheer myself up... its strange how something as simple as flowers can soothe the spirit and brighten your day. I put them in some vases and old jam jars and kept them all over the place. Nothing like some color to cheer you up. 

Finally the sun came out on Saturday, as did my camera and I started clicking away. I'm sharing the ones that came out decently well- well the ones I liked anyway :)

Have a great day guys! 

[All Images- Shalini Pereira]

Ugh! Its Monday Again!

From the title of this post, I'm sure you can guess that I'm not a fan of Monday Mornings... I'm pretty sure that 99% of the world's population feels the same! I mean even if you love what you do, I'm sure that you still have an 'ugh!' moment when you wake up and realize that its Monday. 

It also doesn't help things when the weather gods can't seem to make up their minds about whether or not winter is over. Once again we in Gurgaon are waking up to cold, foggy mornings, with the sun only managing to burst through long after 10am! I've also been told/warned/begged by my friends to stop posting pictures of flowers and spring blossoms on FB with the caption 'Spring is here!' because as soon as I do this the weather decides to mess with everyone's plans! Now I know I'm not not capable of jinxing things... although sometimes I wish I was :) but just to be on the safe side I'm putting a stop to any kind of reference to Spring arriving. 

So there I was this morning, nursing my steaming mug of coffee (or as my hubby likes to call it... mud water that's bitter and disgusting), scowling out at the fog and pinning away on Pinterest, when I came across this image that instantly put a smile on my face. Since it brightened up my day, I thought I'd share it with you guys as well. Maybe it will help beat those Monday blues... if it doesn't... there is always chocolate :)

Anyway this image is like a burst of sunshine. I love the contrast of the bright burst of pink, orange and yellow with the blue Indian jali work that forms the backdrop. It vaguely reminds be of Van Gogh's painting of sunflowers... sort of like an Indian version of it. Anyway I just thought it was very pretty and had to share. Hope you guys like it... 

Lots of nice things happening this week on All Things Nice. The highlight being another installment of Design Bloggers Fab 5. This week Sruthi Singh from East Coast Desi will be sharing her thoughts with us. So stay tuned and have a great week everyone!

[Images from Daily Dream Decor]

Colorful & Cosy

If you live in Gurgaon, I'm sure you must be longing for the sun to peak out from behind all the smog & clouds. Diwali has come and gone and it seems that we are all being made to pay for all the fun, revelry and cracker bursting! 

For the last few days the weather outside has been dull, grey and quite depressing. Winter seems to have rolled in quite early this year with temperatures slowly creeping down, promising colder days ahead. Not that I mind the cold, but this dreary weather is getting a bit much. Bring back the sun!

So, keeping in mind the bleak, grey conditions outside, I thought I'd do a post of some colorful rooms which are sure to raise your spirits and cheer you up. It definitely worked on me. Well, partly anyway. I suspect that the chocolate cupcakes I baked today also had something to do with raising my raised spirits :) 

These are a rather eclectic bunch of images - rustic, contemporary, mid-century & kitsch, but the underlying theme is COLOR! There are solids, prints and textures and they all work together so well in a symphony of color and styles adding a sense of playfulness and cheer. Enjoy! And don't let the awful weather outside get you too down.

 

Images via [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9]

Recycled Silk Chair set by Meb Rure

When I chanced upon this set of furniture on the Contemporist, my eyes lit up in glee. I want them... its definitely going in my wishlist. 

This set of chair, stool and ottoman, designed by Istanbul-based designer Meb Rure, are just, well, so cute! They are vibrant and bursting with color- ethnic and yet so very contemporary. They would work so well in a contemporary, minimalist setting, since they would add a burst of color and, I think, humor. I mean come on, don't they just bring a smile to your face?

The structure or wooden frame is made from American White Oak and the seat and back consists of sponge balls covered with waste silk fabric. All three pieces are designed so that they can be easily disassembled by unscrewing the legs so that transport is easy. The intention behind this being, to reduce the carbon footprint. 

So tell me what you think. Do you like this set of colorful furniture as much as I do?

[All images via Contemporist]

Black & White + Yellow

Sometimes all you need is an expected color pop to completely change the look of a space and give it a real sense of dynamism. A while back I had done a post on the eternally classic color duo of black and white. Recently, I came across images of a few spaces where a burst of bright canary yellow has been used along with the black & white combo, with dramatic results. There is nothing over-the-top about the way yellow has been used- just as an accent. I think Black & White + Yellow is just such a fabulous combination! 

A burst of a bright color can be incorporated in any space and irrespective of the style you are aiming for. It can work just as well in a minimal setting as well as a classic Art Deco inspired setting. Take a look... hope these images inspire you as much as it has inspired me.

[Steel Lilly Design]

[Just The Design]

[Greg Natale]

[I have credited wherever possible. If I've missed you out, please drop me a line and I'll be happy to add it in]

Black & White - a Classic Combination

There is something to be said for the combination of black and white. Its a classic, tried and tested formula that, when used well, can energize a space and dial up its oomph factor. 

There is a certain sexiness associated with black & white. It can be almost beguiling at times. I think it has something to do with the fact that the two colors are so diametrically in contrast ,both visually as well as symbolically. The combination is powerful and yet there is also a strange simplicity to it.

Here are a few images of spaces which have used this most classic of combinations... Enjoy!

[Habitually Chic]

[Desire to Inspire]

[A Faded Palette]

[A Faded Palette]

[Desire to Inspire]

[Apartment 34]

[Habitually Chic]

[Elle Decor]

[The Shabby Creek Cottage]

[I have credited wherever possible. If I've missed you out, please drop me a line and I'll be happy to add it in]

A Splash of Color- Its Holi!

By now I'm sure you've guessed that I love everything that's contemporary and modern. And very often a lot of contemporary spaces tend to use a lot of neutrals- whites, beiges and greys. But there can also be splashes of color! 

What I love most about contemporary design is that it is an incredible blank canvas for adding stuff as you grow into a space, be it a vintage pendant lamp or an antique chest of drawers or a bright color on a wall or two.

So in the spirit of Holi (which was yesterday) I thought I'd do a post that celebrates color in contemporary spaces. Enjoy!

Love this azure blue door... really welcomes you in

Colorful accessorizing! from Smart Home Architecture

Some more colorful accessorizing 

Interesting and colorful art and accessories 

Love the funky upholstery on this antique chair - image from Home Bunch

Image from Home Bunch

Love the way this lime green couch and rug compliment the

 white walls and the interesting artwork- image from The Design Files

White, grey and black is such a classic combination and the 

splashes of bright red in the artwork and accessories make this 

space so interesting- image from AD, India

[I have credited wherever possible. If I've missed you out, please drop me a line and I'll be happy to add it in]