Artist James Powditch Creates a Home Within a Warehouse

I haven't done one of these home tours in a while. Just haven't come across anything that floored me until this. I stumbled upon the lovely home of artist James Powditch, created, as only an artist can, and my jaw dropped in wonderment. Only an artist can create a space as eclectic and visually stunning as this. He has set up his distinctive home almost entirely within the footprint of a 320 square metre warehouse. 

What do I love about this home? EVERYTHING! From the concrete walls and floors, the paint stained wooden floor boards, the eclectic mix of mid-century modern, vintage and contemporary furniture, to the way the light floods into the space from the large door that opens into a courtyard. The cherry on the cake is the incredible collection of artwork adorning the walls! The house itself has a feel of a colorful canvas that seems to have been done effortlessly in a moment of inspiration. Oh! how I wish I could curl up with a nice book on that lovely blue couch and while away a quiet afternoon... 

Hope you enjoy this as much as I have... for all the details about this beautiful and stunning home you can visit The Design Files.

[All images from The Design Files]

A Contemporary, Hip Cafe with a Rustic Soul

"Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you

Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you

But in your dreams whatever they be

Dream a little dream of me"

Ever since I stepped into Caffe Tonino yesterday this verse from the Julie Gold song has been buzzing in my head. I think it's because I can imagine this restaurant in the morning with the gentle winter sun filtering in through the windows. An image that's as romantic and dreamy as this song. I don't know... or maybe it's because I can picture myself sitting here by myself, immersed in a book and listening to this song playing dreamily in the background...

It's rare that you get a chance to step into a restaurant that looks like one of those lovely restaurant interiors that that you wistfully look at on Pinterest. You know the ones I mean right? I end up pinning them up on boards titled 'dreamy spaces' or 'my kind of space', etc :) 

I was lucky enough yesterday, to visit the newly opened Caffe Tonino, in Connaught Place and was so blown away by the interiors. To say it was 'my kind of space' would be a complete understatement. It was almost as though someone had read my mind and created a space with so many elements that I love, from the white painted exposed brick walls, the chevron cement tiled flooring and bar, the parquet wooden floors and the vintage pendant lamps that cast a warm glow over the tables.

I was told that the interiors were conceptualised by owner Simran Sawhney. In fact it was a great pleasure talking with Simran about how she wanted to create a space for this restaurant, serving Italian cafe food with a slight continental influence. She explained that what she wanted was a hip and contemporary space, but still very rustic at heart. A space for the young Delhi crowd to chill over coffee or a drink and some good food. I think they have done a smashing job with this. 

Of course I enjoyed some great food while I was there as well and I'll be covering that in a later post that will be up soon. Till then take a look and enjoy the eye candy that is Caffe Tonino. 

[All images clicked by Shalini Pereira- Please do not use without prior written permission]

Studio Wood Collective, Delhi

Hi there! It's been a while... I've been really neglecting the blog for a while now... work & flu... never a good combination :(

But I'm all better now, glad to be rid of the chills and have my voice back and now glad to be able to say hello again!

This post has been long over due and so it was the first thing I decided to do as soon as I was back to my old self. I love showcasing young Indian Designer's work on the blog. We have so much talent in Indian and it's a great privilege to be able to use this blog as a platform to promote Indian design as well as Indian arts and crafts.

So here is an amazing little start up by the name of Studio Wood Collective, launched by Gazal Bawa, with an inspiring belief of, "all big things have small beginnings". The collective is formed by three other designers, Vrinda Mathur, Navya Aggarwal and Sahej Bhatia who have backgrounds in product design, architecture, spatial design and graphics.

Re-love, Re-design, Re-purpose- that's the mantra of SWC. Their objective is to rediscover the potential of used furniture pieces and deconstruct their existing form, whilst giving the product a brand new look. In simple words, they take old furniture that has seen better days, or is a little dated and unwanted, and with a little intervention, re-work and creativity, transform it into something chic, beautiful and something you'd love to have in your home. I think that's pretty cool!

Studio Wood Collective launched their first collection on August 1st in Delhi. to discover more visit their Facebook page here. 

Upcycling- discovering more and being inspired

Recently, I did a post on the Upcycle Project, a studio in Mumbai that focuses on upcycling. That post got me thinking about how far we can go with upcycling in terms of design. To me, when someone says the word 'upcycle' I immediately think funky and quirky. But the words elegant and sophisticated are not what usually pops into my head. I know it's a personal prejudice and I felt I needed to get over it. Because, considering the amounts of waste we are generating, both recycling and upcycling are important if we are to grow in a sustainable way. 

So I started doing a little more research, the idea being I wanted to see the implementation of upcycling in contemporary, high end design, just to sort of change my biased mindset I guess. I came across quite a few interesting finds and I'm sharing.  

The Crate People

I really like this contemporary looking cafe which uses old wooden crates as stools as well as lamps and hanging planters. It's such a simple idea, but executed in such an elegant way.

Love this partition which has made use of the scraps and waste from on site carpentry work. The bits and pieces of wood are put together to form an interesting composition that is quite trendy and classy too!

The Alternative Consumer

This lamp, by designer Betty Ryland, is made from old motorcycle parts and is incredibly well designed. It has a real sophisticated industrial feel to it. 

And then on a much smaller scale, we can upcycle in our own homes. Here are some interesting ideas that I came across that I've added to my 'ideas for the new home' folder. They would work equally well in a colorful, bohemian styled home or a contemporary home with a more subtle vibe.

Gorgeous Little Things

Love how these coconut shells have been papered, polished and and drilled with holes to create an awesome hanging basket. I've collected quite a few coconut shells and this is how I plan to put them to use :)

From Organelle Design

By Miriam Zink. Image courtesy Furniture Site

48 lamp by 101 design made from 48 coat hangers. Image courtesy Design Boom

Never getting rid of any old coat hangers. These lampshades are funky and sophisticated and I love them!

Coco Kelly 

Cool way to uses old boxes, trays and crates to create a cool and interesting wall.

Planete Deco

An old barrel that's been painted makes an interesting and quirky bedside table. 

San Giorgio Design Hotel

Are you ready to pack your bags and hop on the first flight to Greece?  I promise you will be once you see these images of San Giorgio Design Hotel in Mykonos. Dreamy Bohemian luxury, gentle sunlight streaming in and my favorite white, everywhere! I have to admit I have a bit of a soft corner for white. It's impossible to maintain in your own home, but in a luxury getaway, nothing is better than the simplicity of white :) Sheer white drapes, white cotton sheets, white stucco walls and white high beamed ceilings... ahh, bliss.

And what about the styling? Everything so pretty and with a lot of Indian touches... I LIKE!

So are you are you now longing for a dreamy getaway yet?

This is my last post for the month. Off to Singapore for a few days. Nothing like a nice break- seeing the sights and doing some much needed retail therapy :)

[All images - San Giorgio Design Hotel]

A Contemporary Barn House- Home of Cinematographer Darius Wolski

I love, love, love, LOVE this home!  The interiors are like a fresh, cool breeze on a warm Summer day. Too much? Can't help myself :)

There are so many reasons why. Where should I start? Firstly, I love the contrast between the exterior and the interior. It looks like a rustic old barn on the outside. But on the inside, it's got a contemporary, slightly industrial feel with high beamed ceilings and steel girders. Secondly, I adore the predominantly black and white palette which acts as the perfect backdrop for knick knacks and antiques sourced from around the world. 

Finally it's so dreamy and welcoming, but most of all, it looks so lived in! 

Enjoy!

[All images- Desire to Inspire]