" Without an architecture of our own we have no soul of our own civilization"

This is a personal opinion ,a borderline Rant!

Recently my friend(architect) another software engineer friend were talking in a coffee shop and the topic shifted to a Spanish architect's knockoff  building that newly rose next to the coffee shop .

SE(software engineer): Nice building..looks good from the front side( he means elevation:)!) na? 

Saying so He looked at me.As i didn't want to be the" bitter-over-criticizing-arrogant" person that im largely believed  to be ..looked away from him.

AR (Friend):  looks at my weird reaction and fills in by saying ,indeed it is good but a lil out of proportion..so an "almost"!( didn't recognize that it was a copy..its okay..you need not know every building in the world to be an architect)  

S.E : (assured by  AR's approval) yeah yeah ... the building spells class, that's why  all the high end retail/hospitalities are  here.

AR: smiles and sways his head and asks me "You always have an opinion on everything ..how come you are silent?"

Me: There is nothing new to talk about it..its a copy of a Spanish designer's work. (controlling myself)

AR: Oh! These days all of the buildings are like that .. at least this one is" good copy" it ended up looking good..!

I was disturbed to say the least,that's an architect  from a reputed college..and was a better designer than many of the people i know/met!

ME: Yeah just because everybody does it , you need not give into it. Lets forget the originality part,That building was designed for Spain's climate and for god sake..it was an auditorium.( i studied it for the acoustics literature/case study in college). How can anybody copy it for a commercial complex? Context Much?! 

AR: That is also true..but people (laymen) don't notice the difference.. they just like it because its new/different!(siting S.E initial impression)

ME: Only its neither New nor Different. (and i laughed it off!)

Something about this conversation bothered me for along time..! Are we to blame? Are we conditioning people's mind to think "a specific style " to be chic ? I know all the architects are not this bad there are some amazing designers doing some breathtaking work out there. People with Passion to whom i salute. My question is.. Are these people adequate in number? Especially in a country like India where mediocrity is encouraged/applauded just because it can accommodate a larger demographic! 

My Resentment towards our education system  only grew in leaps and Bounds :(  Why ? Because all these misconceptions stem from undeserving teachers and bad learning structure. Aren't any of these architects taught about "Organic Design"? Obviously not...i bet many of them would relate it to the "green buildings" (a rage these days ) :) 

Well I believe every body(designer or not) should know how to perceive any design and apply it to their own aesthetic and hence creative their own "Perspective"

Like alan kay said" A change of Perspective is worth 80 I.Q Points :) [meaning , to become an intelligent/wise person from a dumb head..all u need is a change of Perspective :)"

Dear Kitchen, I wonder if you think of me half as much as I think about U!

I love to cook..and i know what beautiful & well equipped kitchens can do to cooks..it makes them feel accomplished and content and it shows in the food. For me Kitchen is as important as living room if not more[in a home] .It is really sad that our country hasn't warmed up to this idea yet completely. For most of our middle class apartments,kitchen is a 8'X10' space that is crammed by all 4 side walls and cluttered by utensil overdose.Those modern open-kitchens in trend these days r done to death with zero stress on functionality/space management/customization/Personal touch,they speak nothing abt the Homemaker. Lifeless. 

It warms my heart to see a small kitchen that sparkles with both efficiency and style. i always feel welcome:) So I decided to do my bit , by explaining things i know would help you to recreate your kitchen-vision [for every budget] 

To create the small and efficient kitchen design, you need to work on three major areas:
1. Storage
2. Lighting
3. Appliances

So i request you to give a keen look into the below images:) I promise you it will be a treat to your eyes:)!

Get you Top-shelves lowered..and to make the space visibly lighter...show-case your carefully collected and immensely loved china in them by either keeping them open or choosing clear shutters.
Personalizing it with black/scribble boards will add that touch of you yo the kitchen:)

Who doesn't Love color? Pay tributes to your favorite color that cheers you up instantly.. by bringing it into the kitchen..like that , every morning will be a cheerful one..! :) One more important technique to notice here..is to do your shelving in the colour of the wall...so its vanishes in to the wall creating an illusion of more space:)

Make the windows Big [out-of-proportion-big] , It does two things one Brings in more day light and fresh air and two, Big windows make any space look bigger...Period.

Remember context/tasteand cost when deciding on wht materials to use.. all kitchens need not look modern and minimalistic to be functional. Cozy and native [materials] can also spell FUNCTIONALITYAND CHIC  pretty Perfectly. What say?!

This is just a suggestion if Your kitchen space is liner ..galley types kitchens [shown above] are the best possible option for maximum utility i think , like cherry on top of the cake..just make your windows too horizontally linear.  Just dont be afraid Play it [linearity] up.

Create an Eating Nook. It cud be an extension of the kitchen-counter or a modest table like above. In my experience this is the best thing you can do to your kitchen..by bringing activity[eating/coffee] into the Kitchen You are making it a family space rather than a "cooking space". Trust me and You will thank me later..just to let you know i accept gratitude in every form, new shoes/clothes/cheques anything! so feel free to thank me:) ! Just kidding or may be not!

P.S: The easiest way to cheat your way into more space instantly..use lighter[on the eye] furniture.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished !

MINIMALISM is the primary reason for my undivided Love for  Design. The beauty of simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

Lets proceed to my MODs{Muses Of Design} :)

Rounded aloft, A1 architects ,Prague.

This is what i gather "talk less say more " means...How lovely is that walnut coffe table with grey raw plastered fire place  Eliminating balustrade by incorporating wire mesh is such a Brilliant idea :)!

“One can furnish a room very luxuriously by taking out furniture rather than putting in. -Francis Jourdain
  

GhostBuster

Growp Up, Jet! , Lorraine Brenenan

Bikeshelf, knife&saw

Bulego Desk

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage – to move in the opposite direction.” - E.F. Schumacker

So, I leave you with another beautiful image of Happiness Personified!

BACK !

Yeah..went on a break to lakshadweep island soak in the sun but ended up soaking in the rain..nevermind snorkelling in rain is more fun than i imagined and the pleasant wheather in between the rains made the beach all the more beautiful. And who am i complaining? NO SWEAT..i can trade anythng for not sweating on a beach :)

Still under inertia..will get back to you soon with alot more posts :)!
until then

cya

The "GOOD LIFE !! "

We went on a day trip around Bangalore (where i stay) last sunday..it was fun ...simple fun , like good old days.!

Get up Early- Find ourselves in the car -Pick up friends Enroute- Pass through villages and feel all nostalgic, retelling all our childhood stories-Sleep ourselves to the first stop ( here: Somanathpura) must say ..poor "driver"(sid) ..thats why i love him though!! :) - Stop for lunch at a  palace(you thinkin..simple?!yeah!..a simple palace!:) - Chill out at the palace by the pool and seriously consider chucking the rest of the tour and chilling!!- But Sanity prevails and we head to the next stop (mysore place) -our friend from mauritius gets to experience First hand "the Indian population & their style of doing business" ! ;) - we start back  - traffic chaos - tired - stop for light dinner-drop friends off- get home and hit the sack straight ! What a Day!

I must say i m starting to hate  Going to a mall -shopping for things you absolutely donot need-eating in a food court - and heading to movies...kind of  weekend fun. Im even starting to hate people who consider this "fun". Eating in a food court is tasteless and shopping in a mall every other day stopped making anymore sense :(. Am i experiencing social withdrawal symptoms !?! Anyways Have a Look at our trip in snapshots!

 Somanathpura temple,  the indian tourist crowd still didnt get a hang of it yet..breathtaking architecture and very well conserved for a 1300AD built temple tht was looted and attacked more than once :)

 Sid actually thought that idol is depicting vishnu sleeping...;) when we said its meditating..he is like.."yeah the same i do..i too never sleep i either think closing my eyes or i meditate..!" Liar! By the way "idol potraying vishnu in meditation is a rarity and can be seen here and one more place in the north.

                             Nitish, our friend and gud fun to be with :)!

There is a lil story behind these pics:)..On our way to the temple we past through this "comuntiy hall under the trees..kinda concrete benches around a huge tree where men sat and tlked abt all the things under the sun and discussed the newspapers" We talked , how these men mastered the art of doing nothing and leading happy simple lives! so we wanted to recreate it ..only with a modern twist..women, quite fashionable at it...sitting beautifully  and discussing current pressing issues like " the last shopping bill or previous months credit card statement" :)! We had fun and we were giggling all the time. The girl in the green tshirt, my partner in crime Sushma:)

 The Lalitha Mahal Palace,built in 1920s now turned into a hotel. Hence we had lunch there. Old truly is worth its salt in Gold.:)

 Coming down this royal staircase you cant help but feel like a princess yourself..the perfect example of effect of architecture and space on a person living in there!:) Love my job even More. Respects.

These circular day beds in the entrance lobby reminded me of the 70's and also mughal style...and i started wondering did one trigger the other..anyways.. i secretly wished"if only it cud start revolving now" :) A girl has her right to be whimsical...so Dont You dare judge me :)!

  These pictures aren't actually doing justice to the place it is even more royal in real...so much that it made me realise the potential of stained glass in mood lighting . More on that later :)!

We also had live music playing ..That elderly man was really a master of his art and was very simple too..:)

And so the good times followed :)

Then We headed to next destination..In the mysore palace cameras weren't allowed and it was pretty crowded :(.So Have to end the post here.

Do tell me what do think about our trip? and contact me if u want any more information on somanath temple.I would be happy to help. And about hating mall culture ..whats your say?!

Staying Intense

Divya

Things that "Bliss" me out !

Everybody has their choice of things that make them happy, people usually call them "the bliss list "! I wanna share my bliss list here

Traveling: Wandering the globe and absorbing the world, is my bliss. "Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living." -Miriam Beard

       

Paris And Barcelona is where my heart is even though i wouldnt mind anywhere else! :)

Reading: Feeding my soul with words and getting lost in them is my bliss. 

Companionship: Recognizing that your soul is completely understood by another and vice versa, is my bliss.

Cooking:  A creation of love, a nurturing of the body, the feeding of a loved one, is my bliss.When was

the last time you tasted anything?Not just eat it, but taste it? I just had a slice of raw mango I could  taste the beauty and energy of the earth in a bite.

Moving on....

Design[Architecture&Fashion] :  Shaping life and circumstances and placing a piece of your heart in it is what gives me bliss. For me Great Design = Flawless Beauty

"Physical things like fashion, architecture, design are important to me because they frame the life you lead - they're the backdrop and settings that intersect when you form an emotional attachment or memory in association with them"

Finally,

LOVE : All you need is love..the ability to give love is my bliss..Passion is its derivative i feel .

So Thats my Bliss list , what do you people think about it? And what defines bliss for you people?I would love to know.

Staying Intense,

Divya

More Ways to bring Spring Indoors

A quick post, as a continuation to the last post..

2. ADDING BRIGHT 'POP' COLOR TO YOUR DECOR:

 If you observe the above space..most of the elements that r making it colorful  are easily replaceable/changeable. The "colourful pictures", the" mini cushion",the "display benches" can be repainted easily.!

Adding colourful upholsterity,especially losing heavy carpetting and going in for dhurries and other canvas rugs   in delicious colours..! 

I love the above pic, primarily bec that cute lil girl with her color co-ordinated out fit and all..:)[thats a lady in the making for sure:)] Secondly because of play of light with colour... oh what better way enjoy spring!!!

3.LOVING PATTERNS AND GETTING CRAFTY:

Whats not to love about such cute DIY to add that much needed personal touch to your decor:)

A pattern,[ floral or other"season descriptional "] is the easiest and one of the best ways to add spring feel to the decor..use patterned runners on dining table or just get paisley light chiffony curtains.! even better ..find a wall paper or wall art in beautiful spring summer patterns.

4. JUST GET THE PLANTS INSIDE:

 If you are the kind of person who likes to take things at their face value..then this trend is all for you..you see green/flowering plants outside and decide spring is upon you...so just do the same indoors and you will know how beautiful spring indeed is :)
 Invest your time/money in some nice indoor plants/flowers..they not only add to the decor but also clean the air inside hence making u breathe healthier!

Place them where they can get atleast some passive sunlight for their best performance.

Using existing kitchen utensils as planters is a great thing to "inhabit" [lsense of belonging] the plants to the kitchen.

So i guess these are some of the ways i wud be implementing ASAP into my spring home decor..and what about you people..which of these wud you like to do this summer ? I would love to know! :) 

 Staying intense
  Divya