artnlight

Chandan Dubey's home, a symphony of colours woven skillfully through years of love, patience and across 2 countries. Each piece lovingly cared for and displayed. This is without doubt one of the most gorgeous homes I've had the privilege of seeing. And in this post you will see the photographs that were the result of abandoning my sentences midway to click. You will also get glimpses of what a fantastic hostess Chandan is. The snack were artistically served and beautifully laid. Everything came together gracefully and this was clearly not an effort for Chandan because there are only beautiful things in this home. Bought with reason and love, or inherited and holding memories of loved ones long gone and times that will never come again.

Chandan's gorgeous Chinese red laquered table

Chandan is a collector and I love how she groups and places her loved accessories in little groups around her home. She told me there are no 2 things which 'match' in the house & yet they come together so harmoniously, bright bold colours and muted neutrals, the Indian and the oriental aesthetic, serious art and local handicraft, each with its breathing space and voice intact.

And yes, I do know how lucky I am that I happen to live in Mumbai & was able to meet Chandan in her home & have the privilege to shoot it. I do count my blessings :)

There are people for whom beauty is a value and even a muse. Such is their commitment to her that in every choice that they make she is apparent. And that is when something magical happens, Beauty decided to grace these spaces and is present as an almost tanglible presence. This can have some strange effects. This is the 1st time that I was meeting Chandan Dubey and many a time when I was having a conversation with her, I would get distracted by the sunlight catching the dull sheen of an antique tray, or see something equally charming, forcing me to pick up my camera mid-sentence. Which without doubt made me a very ill mannered guest. But such is the power of a space lovingly put together, where no corner is ignored and possessions are lovingly collected till they have a voice all of their own. Chandan Dubey is no stranger to all of us, I met her many years ago 1st on flickr and then read her blog, Girl About Home, and once she shifted to Bombay, she came for my exhibition. I have long been a fan of her table scapes and how she puts them together. So we planned and plotted and finally met this month at her place and what a beautiful time we had, speaking of blogging and our lives and circuitous career paths.

Speaking of Chandan's home, it was amazing to see so much colour used so intelligently and in balance. Another delight was seeing how seamlessly Chandan's framed photography, her art and furniture from Hongkong and India came together.

There was no way I could have fitted all of Chandan's stunning home into one post, so stay tuned for the gorgeous part 2.

This is a home I go to often. To celebrate happy times or just to spend some time when things are not great. Home to 2 people whom I really admire & love, Zaheer Mirza and Indira Rangarajan. Zaheer is an old friend, my ex-boss and one of the most talented and creative people I have had the privilege to know. If I have seen anyone who lives every moment of his life, whose head is full of ideas at any given point in time, who has the craziest sense of humour and is one of the wisest and most inspirational men I've met, it has to be Zaheer. His & Indu's is a home full of bright colours, brighter ideas and a lot of love. I'm excited because you will get to see some really cool conversions, as erstwhile stoves and kite spools shine in their new avatars - without saying much more - lets just see the happy place.

I love the solid colour palette.

Isn't this trunk converted into a seat neat? I love the colours, the cushion, the taxi graphics & the Bollywood Rajesh Khanna cover, which came from Indu's home.

I love the sofa with its digitally printed upholstery - printed with Zaheer's taxi illustrations

Saving the best for the last - The stove just got a new lease of life as a funky lamp shade!
Those interested can see more pics of this home here.

1st - Happy News! :) I was super thrilled when the Vogue.in people contacted me to be an 'invited blogger' with them, as part of their all new website relaunch. - YE!!! I will now be writing for them regularly. This is the 1st post I made for their Living blog section. You can read it here or just scroll down.

Pilgrim's home like her work shows a rare felicity with colour. I love how happy and unpretentious it is and how it finds harmony in contrast. Superbright colours and prints jostle on her furniture and cushions, but are beautifully balanced by white walls. The shelves may have clean lines but the chairs have curves from another century. The art is young and happy and the uphostery is velvet and silk. Nothing is this house bores. Here's a peek into a home thats not afraid of colour.

I have never seen velvet and silk in such a contemporary setting before. Aah..., possibilities.

Cane headboard - unusual, headboard painted yellow - even more unusual.

For more of Pilgrim's brand of design and colour click here.
I had to add this alphabet series that she has just done.
a-p
q-z, the vocabulary of coolth.
And this badge will be a new addition to the right column of this blog.