Madras Terrace House, Chennai

When I last went to Chennai, my friend told me , "We will go to Madras Terrace House, I think you will like it". Whatever I expected, it was certainly not this traditional old styled home charmingly reclaimed to be the art and culture hub it clearly is. The contraditions add to the uniqueness, so there is Kolam on the floor, one of the strongest symbols of southIndian culture & there on the funk begins, brightly painted walls, kitschy art, tibetan accessories all fit right in. Its traditional red floor and sea green painted doors are witness to all sorts of creative events ranging from play readings to performances, art exhibitions to film screenings.

The brain child of eclectic and talented Kaveri Lalchand, The Madras Terrace House also has this store which houses fashion which includes the fun ‘K’ collection, a casual wear line designed by her, jewellery from all parts of the country, funky Janota shoes from Goa, wooden figurines from Indonesia, a tea-cup and saucer with Tamil alphabets embossed on the edges, and more. And this is not all behind the house, is the quaint and grungy 'Tea Kadai' which is a tiny cafe which serves a mix of chai (tea), muffins & local delicacies like wada and chutney.

You can also read 2 useful reviews here & here.