Project Reveal – Casa Bonita – A Spanish inspired apartment in Bangalore!
Created by Vinithra Amarnathan on March 8, 2019
Imagine walking in to a first time site and being struck by the golden yellows of the walls, the white arches and the azul of the pool tiles…a sliver of Spain and Portugal and Goa all blended together and tucked away in Bangalore!
And add to that my clients a young couple with a Mangalorean heritage and love for all things colonial, rich and character led.
We knew this home had to speak to old world charm and still bring in the new! I love staying true to the architectural details of a home and that’s exactly what we did here…big white arches, blues everywhere and a young earthy cottage vibe!
Our clients loved color and traditional wood furniture while I like a cleaner more modern aesthetic….we married the two and the result is a rather unique and charming little space!
Entryway
Color is everywhere in this home, in good doses but used with restraint! In a way where each space has a little color story but flows into the next in a meander, picking from each other sort of way!
A striking deep green console with curved metal legs is the mainstay in the entrance. Simple vintage style olive botanicals for art and a jute pendant are the only additions to this small space.
As you walk in the entrance has a lovely arch, which we amplified to match the archway we created in the kitchen. A small sitting area before the main living room has a lovely custom made blue bench that lends a colorful cottage like vibe to the space!
Living
The entry and the little sitting area open into the larger living and dining room. When we started working on the living and dining room design we knew our client loved old world charm and antique shops. They picked the traditional cane back round chairs from an antique shop and we blended that with a more modern Spanish inspired aesthetic by using black metal in the custom made bookshelf and nesting tables, earthy jute and kilim and warm rustic wood. The custom made sofa is a transitional low arm high back style that balances the color and the wood beautifully!
We added large custom prints to echo the Spanish inspired vibe and some fun accents through the space.
Dining
The dining has a beautiful solid teak wood table in natural finish. We custom made simple modern wood chairs and a bench in a light teak finish to complement the table.
Mercury glass pendants suspended from a wood panel adds just the right amount of sparkle to this dining space. The client also picked a bar unit for the corner that provides storage.
Kitchen
Safe to say this bright custom kitchen is my favorite spot in the house! Its big, bright and beautiful!
The kitchen when I first saw it, had a doorway around it from the dining and it was a long kitchen with a lovely window at the far end. I think from the get go, the thought of breaking down the walls and creating an arch was stuck in my head!
It turned out to be a great way to open the space up and immediately connect it to the larger living dining space. We mimicked the same arch at the entryway to further bring in that continuity!
Drawing from the Spanish inspiration and that the client wanted blue tones, we went with these lovely Moorish blue green tiles for the backsplash. It might have been too heavy to go all around the kitchen so I incorporated it just above the stovetop and used white tile in the rest of the space. The white tile has an old world charm from its rough edges and we laid it subway style to break things up a bit in the long kitchen…I absolutely adore how this kitchen turned out!
We custom made the cabinet color to work with the tiles and after many iterations of gray, green and blue, we picked this beautiful bright almost robin egg blue…it instantly lifts the space and brings in that modern Spanish casita feel!
The countertop is white quartz and the sink is a beautiful light gray granite sink! The hardware is also handpicked and the little ceramic knobs totally pretty up the kitchen.
Master Bedroom
As you walk in to the right is the large master. Rich veneer covered wardrobes in a smoked oak finish and a warm gray wall anchor a beautiful wood half poster bed.
This bed was the client’s choice and a great way to bring in that old world four-poster look but in a lighter more modern way!
The lighting is a gold lattice wall fixture that adds to the romance of the space and the window treatments are natural fiber blinds flanked by soft white flowy curtains that tie in with that cottage feel.
Our client wanted to use her mother’s wedding saree in some way in the home and I got a piece of it framed as art to go above the headboard of the bed. Such a bold statement piece and one with so much heart and sentiment to it!
Kids Room
My second favorite space in this home! A very chic little space for a sweet little girl…a gray and white striped wall and a custom made baby blue bed totally make this space. The bed is designed like a daybed with a similar height headboard and footboard and has beautiful beaded vertical slats very reminiscent of a Jenny Lind bed that was perfect for that cottage feel we wanted.
A large window has a custom made window seat with storage and fun gray and blue roman shades. The rug is a trellis pattern dhurrie in gray and white and a soft pouf adds to the playful feel of this room.
A few fun prints on the wall, a large jute basket and a custom made hanging plate for little things add pretty touches! The wardrobes are a neutral white to add to the light and bright feel of the space.
Guest Bedroom
We kept this space very simple due to the minimal use of this room. A simple white and wood bed, rope light fixtures and a medium wood tone wardrobe is all this space houses!
The window treatments are carried through from the master to unify spaces and a gold mirror adds some interest!
I loved this project for how different it was and how much fun we had with the custom pieces and especially putting the kitchen together.
When I walk into the space, it has that warm, inviting feel but without being too heavy or dated. Thats exactly what we were going for 🙂
Until our next project reveal, have fun with design and decor and follow us on Instagram for more pics of this project!
Project Reveal – Modern Boho Loft Part II – Upper Level
Created by Vinithra Amarnathan on January 23, 2019
If you’ll saw the first part of this home that we revealed before (click here to see), and thought it to be a black and white or neutral home all through, the upper level will surprise you with its bursts of color in the family room, the richly layered master bedroom and the subtle yet beautiful guest room!
Each of these spaces has their own character and packs in so much detail but fits right in as part of the same home!
Guest Bedroom
As you enter the apartment in the lower level right after the entryway is the guest bedroom, which has a subtle feel of India to it keeping in mind that the most frequent guests would be immediate family and senior citizens.
We chose a solid wood bed in medium teak finish with a simple clean headboard and added a beautiful decoupage cabinet on one side that brings both color and pattern to the space. The rest of the space is open and houses a modern white wardrobe that stands out against the warm wood.
Pastel pink curtains and simple light bedding keep the vibe relaxed. The art is bright and vibrant with a decidedly Indian look to it. The wall lights are a modern take on the Indian jaali / Moroccan lattice patterns letting light to come through when lit.
Staircase
This is one of those spaces that I wanted to highlight as soon as I saw the home. The staircase was all white and we painted the railings black for contrast.
The large double wall houses a gallery wall of family photos where we took small pics and used oversized frames to make them pop! The gallery wall mixes black and white photographs with colored ones effortlessly and is one of my favorite features of this home!
Behind the staircase there was a large wall that we wanted to make into a feature wall. A beautiful suzani runner that I found got framed and hung on the wall and it makes for such a bold statement!
Family Room
As we walk up there is a large open family room separated from the staircase with a glass partition and overlooking the double height ceiling. Since this room was to be used as a family room the primary objective while designing this space was comfort as well as functionality.
One of the major features in this space is the built in unit that provides much needed storage, holds a TV and has a gorgeous indigo accent color on the inside that makes for the perfect shelfie 😉 The brass sconces on the top add so much interest to this unit!
The rest of the family area has a sofa with a hidden pull out bed, with a deep teal and white dhurrie and a custom made kilim-covered ottoman. This space is all about comfort and warmth as against the sleek sharp feel of the lower level in this home!
On the far corner of this family room is a cute little kiddie corner where we have a tent, a custom chalkboard frame on the wall and a small table with stools for all those art and craft afternoons. The hanging oversized white ikea lamp is the perfect addition here….What a fun little spot this is 🙂
Master Bedroom
On the right side of the staircase is the beautiful master ensuite. The look and feel of this room is rich, layered and moody with a hint of luxury!
The color palette was predominantly gray and blue with some blush. The upholstered bed is custom made with a lovely hand embroidered fabric in shades of blue and is anchored by a charcoal seagrass wallpaper. The dark wall adds to the moody lux feel and makes the headboard stand out beautifully!
We added raw natural wood nightstands to complement the upholstered bed and hanging lights above.
A soft ivory and charcoal beni inspired rug is the perfect piece underfoot atop the cold tiled floor. The curtains are a neutral light gray adding a soft yet luxurious look!
The bedding is light in shades of white and gray with a pop of blush from the quilt and a beautiful custom made velvet lumber pillow!
Opposite the bed is a custom-made blush chair that makes for a cozy reading nook and a small console that we repurposed as a desk.
On the far end is the beautiful corner wardrobe covered in a chestnut veneer. This was such a challenging and tight spot to design…I’m so glad we could create a functional double wardrobe that works for the clients. The leftover space was too narrow and I thought a wraparound corner mirror would be a great way to maximize the space. The mirror is framed in a slim brass profile and is another of my favorite features in this house! A beautiful little chandelier on the ceiling rounds up this little wardrobe area!
Bathrooms
The master bathroom had a bathtub that the client did not want. So we removed the bathtub and added much needed extra storage by way of a linen closet inside. Simple storage mirrors, glass enclosures for the showers and some art make the bathrooms functional and pleasing!
And that sums up the walk through of this lovely home! Its fun, fresh but at the same time has a great design aesthetic where all the details come together beautifully! I hope you enjoyed looking through this home and a behind the scenes account of it all as much as I enjoyed every moment of working on this space and seeing it come alive 🙂
Until next time, till am back with our next project or a blog update, keep it personal and chic!
All pics by Parth Swaminath.
Project Reveal – Modern Boho Loft – Living Area
Created by Vinithra Amarnathan on January 9, 2019
A little modern, a little boho, a little organic and very chic ☺
After a bunch of remodels in the past two years, I was ready for a blank slate to work on and this modern boho loft was just the perfect project!
It was bright, with ample natural light, a great open floor plan and a modern clean structure to work with! Add to that a very discerning client who was willing to take design risks! Ok I got lucky ☺…but it was a lot of hard work, I kid you not! But so so worth it!
I am so happy with every design detail in this house and how well fleshed out the design is!
It’s restrained but full of depth, a muted palette on the whole but a fantastic play of textures, organic with bohemian hints and some great art!
We’re bringing this project to you in parts and here’s the first part of the reveal – the open plan living, dining, kitchen and entryway with a double height outdoor patio space!
Entryway
As you walk in to the apartment the entryway is narrow and tight with one part leading up the stairs into the top floor of this split-level loft while straight down you are led into the main living area!
Being small, we wanted to make the most of the space! We used a large simple brass framed mirror with a sharp and slim matte black ledge below to hold small items.
The ceiling has a beautiful perforated metal pendant light in silver and the play of mixed metals adds a lot of interest to this little spot.
Bar
There was a whole lot of open but pretty much dead space that we had under the staircase and I think the idea of converting it into a bar was fabulous! It utilizes the space beautifully and adds a great spot that can be used for entertaining.
We used a large part of the area to create a bar and the rest of it to provide closed storage for shoes and other entryway essentials, which was perfect given that the house had a small entryway.
We wanted to go with an all white look to keep the space feeling open and bright and modern! One of my favorite elements here is the shiplap walls to set apart the bar area. It’s lined with pinewood and painted white, which adds a whole lot of warmth and texture to the space. We used gold hardware and I love how it offsets beautifully against all the white!
Dining
The dining area is right next to the bar and since it was adjoining, I thought a dark wall would help define the space. We went with a deep charcoal but kept it a half wall and kept the lower half paneled white for contrast. I love this modern take on wainscoting and it adds so much interest to this little space.
The natural wood of the dining table and bench bring in that organic feel, while the sharp black chairs add a modern contrast. We kept all the colors in this space neutral and you can see the textural play of all the elements from the metal candle stands, to the jute runner to the wood bowl!
The space is complemented beautifully by a peony print that adds a punch of color and a hint of feminine to this otherwise neutral space.
Kitchen & Laundry
The kitchen in this house is small and has a clean sharp look. However we felt that it lacked in storage, so we added a sleek pantry unit in steel gray, switched out the countertops to white quartz and added lovely gold pendants over the island. A set of natural wood bar stools stand out perfectly adding warmth to the black and white space! I love how its come together!
We also created a complete laundry room in the utility space complete with cabinets in white and a sharp black and white tile.
Living
And now comes the showstopper double height ceiling living space! Clearly the height and natural light totally make this space, but it was a challenging space to design because even though it had height, it didn’t have much square footage or floor space. So our goal was to amplify the height and use it to bring in that wow effect….and we did ☺
With gorgeous white brick tiling all over one of the double height walls and natural wood rafters on the ceiling, complemented beautifully by a custom made light fixture of hanging gold pendants, this space is truly stunning!
The furniture is modern and clean lined. The navy sofa packs a punch inspite of being a compact sized one and the custom armchairs are sleek with beautiful bent wood arms upholstered in neutral light gray linen. A solid wood round coffee table adds weight and grounds the space offering a nice contrast to the whites and the gold. A set of glass and gold nesting tables sit next to the armchairs.
We added simple neutral ivory curtains that bring in that breezy feel and let light in. The rug is one of my favorite pieces in this space and has subtle hints of color with shades of blue, light beige and gray and a bohemian touch that relaxes the entire spaces and brings in that easy casual chic vibe.
And the Art, how can I miss the custom-made picture ledge above the sofa that has some beautiful art that was handpicked and the stark yet stunning beach print on the brick wall!
Greenery with the succulent centerpiece, a gorgeous fiddle leaf in the corner and natural baskets add to the organic boho feel of the space. This living room is my absolute favorite…I want to move in ☺
Patio
The double height ceiling of the living room extends into the patio/ outdoor space and is amazing how big this little space looks thanks to the high ceilings.
Given it’s a tight spot, we decided to add an oversized mirror on one side. This mirror is framed in recycled wood giving it a rustic chic feel that was perfect for the outdoors! A gorgeous chandelier with hanging chains again amplifies the double height ceiling here.
The seating is simple with a patio table and chairs in white metal. A pretty potted bougainvillea and plumeria plant which were the client’s ask when we first met ☺ make this lovely terrace pop with color.
We added some metal bars in the far end to hang string lights and some plants and a small bench makes for a spot to sit under!
I hope you enjoyed this walk through of the living area in this home.
Stay tuned to see more of this home – the master bedroom, guest bedroom, an amazing family room and the beautiful staircase! I can’t wait to share them with you 🙂
All pictures shot by Parth Swaminathan.
WeeArt Wednesday Pick – Eucalyptus watercolor prints by SusanFernArt
Created by Vinithra Amarnathan on November 28, 2018
I don’t know about you, but I love this time of the year and all the holiday and christmas feels 🙂 And I’m sure we all love to bring in hints of the holidays with our decor! While we can add pillows and candles in plaid and red and gold, I might to like to add more subtle holiday touches to the walls by way of art so its something that can stay there long after the christmas decor is gone!
And these beautiful eucalyptus branches are everything…..the perfect hint of fall and christmas and at the same time beautiful and subtle enough to stay on your walls as long as you please 🙂
Click here to buy.
The making of a home out west – My first full scale outstation project!
Created by Vinithra Amarnathan on October 25, 2018
We started somewhere in April with a very aggressive move in date of May 27th! I shuddered, then took a leap of faith….and jumped right in!
Did we make it on May 27th? No. Of course not!
Did we build a beautiful home? Yes, of course ☺
I wondered if I should take the usual route of blogging in detail about my projects like I have in the past or take a simpler crisper route of sharing new pictures to the portfolio!
But hell…what about the stories! And the details and the people and the fun of the process! So here we go ☺
P.S. If you want to see pics, I promise I wont disappoint you’ll 😉
We had a unique situation where my clients were living abroad and when they approached me it was to bring together this home for their parents who were leaving their own ancestral home in kerala behind to move to this newly purchased apartment in Coimbatore! So we had my clients who wanted a modern updated feel to the space but then their parents who wanted to live in a space that was also relatable to their sentiments.
And it was a tough journey with so many diverging points of view and a whole lot of back and forth on almost every other decision we made. But in the end when I walk into the home, I see a little bit of everyone!
When we started the house was already under civil work to take in the balcony area in the dining and one of the bedrooms and small extension of the wall to expand the kitchen! Here’s a detailed walk through of the home.
Kitchen
As we started the kitchen was broken down to expand it from a very narrow U shaped kitchen to a larger kitchen with an equal space on the other side, giving it some much needed room!
Our effort in the kitchen was to create a separate wet and dry side and give it a clean modern uninterrupted look! The layout has the sink, worktop and cooktop on one side and the additional storage, refrigerator, pantry and worktop for coffee etc on the other. We were also lucky to have a fair sized utility that hosts a double sink and the laundry area with a tall unit to hold all the mops and brooms.
One of the things we did differently in this kitchen was to use metal fabricated shutters in powder coated black with glass to bring that clean modern look and a light warm wood tone laminate to complement the sharpness of it. The tile is a glossy beveled white to keep the palette clean and simple but striking! We added a blockprint valance and a graphic rug for some interest.
Before
After
Living
This was such a tight and difficult space to design. We had no natural light with just one small window that has no view really and a very small entryway before we walk directly into the living.
The entryway has a beautiful ethnic Kerala painting anchored by a simple natural wood console.
Entryway
In the living area we kept the colors very clean and the palette was ivory and muted grays with a pop of emerald that we added later. We kept the furniture fewer and full sized to give the space a larger feel. The fabric chesterfield adds a hint of vintage to the modern farmhouse feel and is complemented by two custom made wing chairs in ivory.
Before
After
Lighting in this space was crucial because it didn’t have much natural light on its own. So we added a false ceiling to create recessed lighting and some beautiful vintage inspired wall lights that add so much drama to the space!
The brass flute lamp is another piece that adds to the vintage charm of the space but has a classic streamlined shape that works beautifully!
Before
After
Lets talk about the rug! Striking yet simple, the intricate pattern is so beautiful and adds so much charm to this space, completely pulling the space together. A modern take on a Persian rug, this has to be one of my favorite pieces in the room!
And my other favorite is the lovely landscape art! It has a simple abstract modern feel but the pastel shades balance the muted palette of the room so well….hands down makes the whole room come alive ☺
We added a marble top table on one side and a beautiful wood lattice table on the other. A sleek leather top ottoman on a metal frame rounds off the space beautifully! We also added some wall shelves on the wall behind the chair and their horizontal length visually extends the wall and adds height!
An emerald enamel tray with leather straps and some pillows in black, white and grays with pops of emerald bring in some color. I also loved adding small hints of brass through the entire space from the large traditional kerala lamp, to the lighting to the planter!
Dining
We knew we wanted a wood table reminiscent of a farmhouse table and comfortable chairs and a bench for this area. But we all loved the contrast of having white legs against warm wood and we custom made this simple modern farmhouse dining table with a teak finish top and white legs. Simple cross back chairs with a gray upholstered seat and a bench complements it beautifully.
One of my favorite elements in this space is the brass pendant over the dining table that’s simple and also ties together with the brass accents in the living space!
Before
After
We knew we wanted to add a bar in this space and we wanted to originally build a custom bar that unfortunately couldn’t be made possible because this being an outstation project we were dependent on others for execution and I wish this had turned out differently ☹
We made do with a bar unit in dark wood which makes for a good contrast to the medium wood tones and sets apart the space beautifully! A large mirror with a carved green frame anchors this bar. We added some family photos and a brass frames with old photographs for a vintage feel.
On the far end of the room we have an antique cane woven daybed that’s a family heirloom and adds so much charm and character to this entire space. Perfect for a family gathering and entertaining!
Master
This bedroom was to be the parents room so we wanted to have a large comfortable king bed. We had the king bed custom made with storage and in a dark mahogany color. The bed is high and comfortable with a tall backrest. I added marble top nightstands to cut the dark wood tones in the room. The wall light fixtures are also marble and the little lotus lamps though not too big add a little vintage ethnic charm to the nightstands that I thought the parents would appreciate.
The wardrobes are a rich tone of walnut and we added a simple desk and chair next to the window.
We chose a pastel blue paint to complement the deep browns and mahogany tones in the space and kept the rest of the décor like bed linens etc light and simple in tones of beige and pastel blue.
I love the vintage bird prints we added above the headboard!
Guest Room 1
This was the smallest room in the apartment and though it was a tight space it had good natural light from a large window. We kept the wardrobes white here to keep the space feeling light and bright. The light wood handles are a simple but striking addition. The bed is a storage bed in teak finish that we custom made and is just right for the space.
The sage green pastel paint and the embroidered curtains are beautiful elements that elevate this little space to something else.
I love the earthy yet light feel of this bedroom. We used simple bedding in stripes offset by a block print cotton quilt and blush pillows. The art is a lovely composition of pinks and green and the small gallery wall adds so much interest to this small space!
Guest Room 2
This was one of the larger rooms and has the more modern vibe that my clients were after and as you see this space distinctly stands out in its look and feel yet not so that it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the home.
Working with a predominantly gray and mustard palette, we did an upholstered gray bed and painted the wall behind the headboard a shade darker in gray. The room being tight, we were left with little space after a king bed and added only one bedside table. The hanging pendant light above the bedside table in jute and black and the simple wall fixture in glass keep the modern look intact.
We used an embroidered fabric in white and mustard for the window blinds and added a beautiful custom rug in gray and mustard. The curtains on the large window are light gray and add texture and warmth. The warm yet light wood tones of the wardrobe complement the palette beautifully and the vertical grains add height to the space!
The art is a graphic black and white floral and the bedding is textural in shades of beige and mustard.
Before
After
Before
After
I hope you enjoyed the walk through of this home as much as I enjoyed working on putting this home together ☺
For more pictures follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
All pictures shot by Parth Swaminath.
WeeArt Wednesday Pick – Summer in double exposures by Tanushree Singh
Created by Vinithra Amarnathan on October 5, 2018
Florals combined with the colors of fall makes this one of my favorite art picks right now! I love nature, botanicals and graphic patterns…..and these double exposure photo prints by Tanushree Singh from Art & Found combine them all so beautifully!
The double exposure gives them the crisp white background and the florals and botanicals stand out beautifully! Soft yet sharp, these photo prints make for some great art! I want to find a bare wall…now:)
Click here to buy!
WeeArt Wednesday Pick – Mudcloth Art from LittleWillowDesignCo
Created by Vinithra Amarnathan on September 12, 2018
I have taken a break from picking Art or sharing my fav picks for the past month! I needed a break to get some creative perspective and between looking for products for our various projects and sharing inputs here, I felt like things were starting to look blurry 🙂
I’m back with my pick of the week and I hope you love it as much as I do! We know mud cloth is the ‘thing’ everywhere and there are mud cloth throws and pillows all over Pinterest and IG!
These mudcloth inspired art prints from Littlewillowdesignco are such a cool way to bring in some of that chic graphic pattern into your homes! They are simple, modern and add a nice eclectic boho vibe to your space!
Grab them from here.
WeeArt Wednesday Pick – Paris 27 from Art4u
Created by Vinithra Amarnathan on August 2, 2018
I have this thing for doors and doorways and for black and white photographs and for beautiful architecture…..roll all that into one and ofcourse its gotta be a winner!
This Paris 27 photo print of a photograph taken by Alan Baustein is such a beautiful combination of intrigue and geometry! Perfect for a gallery wall or in a calm neutral bedroom I love this print and the shades of gray that it has!
Click here to buy.
WeeArt Wednesday Pick – Melody of Silence from World Art Community
Created by Vinithra Amarnathan on July 4, 2018
While I’m not one to gravitate towards oil paintings much, I believe they have an exquisite richness about them that fits beautifully in some settings!
And this one I saw on the World Art community has the beautiful, warm and rich colors of fall with the earthy hues and gold tones that work well in a number of contemporary settings! A great piece that can take centerstage in a living room or a dining room and one that you can design a whole space around!
Frame it in a rustic wood frame for some contrast or a bronze frame to play up the colors!
Click here to buy.
WeeArt Wednesday Pick – Lotus Pond below Coconut Tree by Guru Rajesh
Created by Vinithra Amarnathan on June 13, 2018
Art inspired by nature is always so beautiful!
While looking at art for an edesign client, I bumped into this beautiful watercolor painting by Guru Rajesh! The greens and the blues make for a calming piece of art that can work anywhere in the house.
Indian inspired with the lotus but still has a contemporary enough aesthetic to work with a variety of designs. I loved this painting!
Click here to buy.
