Tic-Toc goes my Clock!

Its been long ain't it? I've got my hands on the blog after the festive season. You may be wondering why is my title 'Tic-Tok goes my Clock'? Well this time, its all about hand-made and hand painted clocks made specially for this gifting season. So here is a glimpse of my work -

Sparkle Pinkie
I call this clock Sparkle Pinkie. It is obviously pink as you see it and has a whole bunch of feminine features in it like the flowers, a pretty ceremic shoe and to break the girlie monotony and stainless steel plate!


Zardosi Ghoongroo
This clock is inspired by a beautiful saree I saw recently. The lady carried it very elegantly on her with some tiny ghoongroos or bells attached to them. I wanted to use it in my work and the most recent one I was making were the clocks...so here it is!



The Foot of the Lord
This clock is a melange of English colours and the traditional copper foot imprint with several motifs drawn in the Hindu religion.


Saree, Bangle, Mirror!
Another clock inspired by the tradition of India and seen very commonly among women, yes, it is the saree, bangle and the mirror!


Star Flower
This clock is a work of geometry with some beads. It will serve best in kids rooms!


A Bright Sunny Day!
One day I got up to such a beautful morning with home grown sunflowers and bold blue skies. This clock is all about that day! Happy happy thoughts!


The Tool Clock
Sometimes, leftovers from factories makes me want to use it in my work. The 'Tool Clock' is a combination of bits of stainless steel and wood.


You will find all these clocks @ Bliss in Andheri (180, Aram Nagar1, Fisheries University Rd, 7 Bunglows, Andheri. Ph: 022 26332111 )

Home - Colour, Art & Tradition Inspired!

View of the farms, feel of the winds and openness of the large windows inspired me to take up this project. A small splash of colour was the only thing required to make it look cosy and inviting.





The living room is large with its king size windows and a terrace which opens to a farmland so vast that it is unbelievable to conceive that it is a part of Pune. The owners had some sturdy Sagwan sofas with orange jute upholstery which became my focal point and helped me design the rest of the home. The dark brown furniture helped me to tone down the blues of the walls, orange of the sofas and the yellow of the lamps. We made the room look retro with its retro sofas and a mix and match of wall decor.




To accentuate its retro look, we designed a corner shelf and a little magazine table to balance out the spaces and to help them store things. Instead of using veneers and laminates, I decided to give it an old rugged look to match the rest of the living space.




I also wanted to use some original artwork in this area. It had to be something that nobody would have in their homes. We got some paintings done for less and from the scrap we had.




A corner of the room was also made to store CDs, music system and their TV with a little bar and glass cabinet.




A dance studio became one of the other important themes of this home. The room belongs to an upcoming dancer who according to me should wake up every morning feeling inspired. Hence the ‘dance studio room’!




I could not forget the hallway and the entrance. They had to be classy and inviting. They provided storage for shoes, helmets, tools, newspaper, and inverter.






Lastly the master bedroom, done traditional with so much sunshine and freshness and a mixture of art from various parts of India.

Colour in the Right Amount & Right Places....they Rock!

Colour is everywhere! Tress, flowers, mountains, people, animals, just everything has colour! It surrounds us at all times so why be scared to use some? I agree that everything does not solve all questions like what colour, or which combination, etc? However we can connect them and receive thousand tints which can be used in our decor, clothes, or anything that makes sense to us! Here is a little colour palette that may help you to choose combinations and implement is your daily life!

Wooden Flowers

The oddsome combination of subtle pink and bold orange with dark platform brings out a tender nuance between colours. Such combinations look good when you match smaller items instead of large ones like paitning connecting walls or sofas, etc.





Vase

Orange can be overwhelming, but orange and beige is just a right combination! A lot of beige, cream or white with patched of orange will bring in an abundance of life!




Antiques

Sometimes we have to leave the natural colours to make a difference! If the furniture is made with fine teak, leave it alone! Its lustre, elegance and character is matchless!




Peacock Plumage

When you need something serene and meditative yet colourful, use the peacock combo! A best way to feel cool, fresh and happy at all times!




Zanzibari Cottage

Look at the nuance of light yellow, blue and red, its so pleasing to the eye! It is a great combination to use in your living space. The yellow gives the warmth and the blue brings calm, both serve the purpose of life and peace in your home!




Spanish Window Fort

When something needs to be highlighted yet have a subtle look, pale yellow, white and black does the magic!




Stained Glass Celing

I had a chance to visit this exotic country in South America called Peru! Rich as it is, I also got a small subject for my blog! Loved the way the subtle peaches and greens looked on the ceiling of a church in Lima.




Buddhist Inscriptions

I visited Sikkim in 2009 and I can't explain how colourful and beautiful the monastries look! Though they use bold colours, some combinations are so vibrant that it makes the whole scene alive!

Chandani writes....Furniture Designing: A Profession of Passion in the e-magazine www.youthoncareers.com

A few months a go, I met this interesting girl named Chandani who wanted to intern with the Blue Cross Society of Pune. Since I am one of the active volunteers there, we got talking and working together. During one of our conversations, she asked me what I did and after I explained to her about my slightly uncomprehendable profession, she thought she wanted to do a write-up on me and my work. According to her, not too many people were in the line of designing and painting furniture! Hence this month, I want to share the sweet little write-up Chandni wrote....



The first time I met a furniture designer was when I met Sonia Revankar. I had heard of many different kinds of designers but this was the first time I had heard of and seen a furniture designer, so I could not contain my curiosity and I asked her, “What does a furniture designer do, exactly?”

Apart from the obvious answer (Furniture designers, design furniture) she also told me what it really meant. First of all, furniture designers are different from interior designers though they both belong to the home décor industry. An interior designer changes the structure of the house. He handles the flooring, tiling, making and breaking of walls and windows, bathrooms, sanitary ware, etc.

On the other hand, a furniture designer designs and produces individual pieces of furniture depending upon the requirements of the clients. This way, the furniture is custom made to suit the needs and lifestyle of the owner. As it provides greater comfort and enables the client to create a unique look for their home/office. Furniture designing is an option many people who are decorating their homes and offices look into to provide a unique look to their space.

When asked how she got into the field of furniture designing, Sonia told me that it all started out as a hobby. She said, “I have been very creative all my life and being able to create something new is what I am addicted to.” She started off with an undergraduate degree in French from Fergusson College and a Masters in International Business from Grenoble, France. After that Sonia moved to the US where she established a retail and wholesale store of Indian art.

While she was in the US she met somebody who did something similar to furniture designing which really motivated her.” I have to keep creating something in order to function and hence I decided to put my foot in to this”, she says. She draws inspiration for her work from colors of day to day life which she sees around her. “I have always been inclined towards home décor and living in a space which makes you grow and furniture is an important part of that”, she adds.Now she runs a furniture designing firm along with her husband, Bipin.

A furniture designer requires a lot of patience as the space has to work out just right, especially in the eyes of the client. Another very important thing a furniture designer needs to have is the ability to befriend and deal with a male oriented class of labor like carpenters, painters, polish guys, etc. To be able to create the right feel for the customer, it is important to be able to connect day to day lives with colors and designs and be very observant. “Of course, experience also helps a lot. You get better with every piece you make”, she believes.

A furniture designer needs to be dedicated to creating a new and unique piece every single time. Not everybody can completely appreciate the efforts and the designs and the remuneration is also not very much. “People ask questions like why does it cost more than what I find in a mall or think that buying from a renowned place is better than getting it done from someone they don’t know. Everything you do is questioned at all times. They don’t want to pay for the efforts taken behind every piece.” Being a woman in this field is especially challenging as most of the work involves a male dominated labor class. She says, “They don’t like taking orders from women. Also, they are inconsistent and sometimes produce low quality work unless you guide them well through your designs.”

This field can provide a lot of flexibility. The amount of work you take on, the kind of work you take on and the work hours can all be easily changed to suit your needs. It is necessary to take well thought out decisions and make sure that you understand the market. In furniture designing, the painting and creativity are a part of your profession. There are many more aspects to furniture designing that need to be dealt with. Also, you will not be able to depend on it as a standalone source of income immediately as it takes a lot of time to settle down and establish yourself in this business.

“I think one should pursue what they aspire for in their lives”, Sonia says. In the end, it’s the passion for art and creation which keeps you going.

Chandani Karnik.

Zanzibari Doors...Unique & Intricate

I've just come back this morning from a splendid trip from the Africas and couldn't help myself but write about this beautiful Stone Town on the island of Zanzibar. The island with narrow alleys, breezy rooftops, majestic Indian & Arabic doors and private courtyards and its pristine blue ocean.



The reason I write about the significance of the Stone Town is because of its stunning, magnificient wooden entrance doors! It is a feature which makes a bold statement on this island. In my article today, I am going to describe the types of doors and its significance with the many pictures I have taken.

Since Zanzibar had a huge Indian & Arab settlement from the 13th century, the carved threshhold to the interiors played a role of a status symbol. The fashion for carved doors was brought in by the Indian & the Islamic people. Back then, doors were designed and scaled for each family, thus being unique.



Some common features I noticed among these doors were that they had a centre post with a wide frame and a lintel all elaborately carved. The carvings have traditional Islamic or Indian motifs, iron or brass studs for decoration. Also, most of the doors are double and open inward from the centre.

There are many types of door...some of them are -

Lamu Doors

The door belonged to one of the Stone Town hotels...I loved the contrast of brown against the light blues of the walls.

The Lamu door is the simplest door and are found on smaller houses. The motifs of these doors are rosettes or geometric forms. They also have some Swahili colours like emerald green or gold.

Siyu Doors

This picture is taken from an exhibit from the Nairobi Museum

This door is the only one different from the others...yes..it doesn't have a centre post. Also, the doors are painted in circular motifs rather than carved. A little history about them is that they were made with very hard wood which was difficult to carve and hence the painted motifs.

Omani Doors

I think this door was freshly polished...it just dazzledin the sunlight!

These doors have the grandest outward display I've even seen in my life! They are the most popular in Zanzibar. The lintel and side post are so ornate and intricately caved with looping floral designs and motifs that its hard to take your eyes off them. They have a very profound arabic feature i.e. they have inscriptions of the Qur'an at the centre of the lintel. They are also heavily studed with brass and iron hinges and ornaments. They say that such doors are seen very often in Oman.

Gujarati Doors

This door and a house belonged to a Bhori Zanzibari

Even now, these doors are found mainly among the Indian shops with thin centre post carved beautifully. These doors are wide, coffered and studded with a central hinges so that only one part of the door needs to be opened. History shows that they were imported from India since they are made up of teak which is not indigenous to Africa.

Zanzibari Doors

A lot of shops had this door!

Though they are named Zanzibari...they come from India and mostly from the Mumbai region. These doors were introduced by Sultan Barghash in the 18th century with a tinge of western classical feature of the pillars carved into the frames. This is one of the most popular door here and imitated widely.

This article might have sounded a bit boring but believe me, if you ever saw it, you would be as bewildered as I was! Infact, these East Coast African doors are marked contrast to very plain architecture of the houses and make a bold avowal of the occupants, both as reference to their culture and social status. This is a legacy that Zanzibar preserves and should preserve since its unique, artistic, intricate & obscure!

Some more pictures....