The 2016 summer Olympics is approaching fast! The whole world will have their eyes on Brazil soon. My family will be hooked to the television the whole time, and we will be supporting the athletes and countries from around the world. Along with the games, and ceremonies, I will be looking for decor inspirations from Rio and other parts of Brazil. While waiting for all this to happen, I did a quick search on "Brazilian decor and streets" which led to all these stunning images. Now, I am quite ... [ Read More ]
Vibrant Indian Homes
I'm thrilled to share a collection of vibrant Indian homes for you today. Growing up in India, I have seen brilliant patterns, colors, and details when it comes to home decor. I miss this style of decor and looking at these rooms made me quite happy! Traditional Indian homes are decorated typically with divan-style furniture or sofa sets made of dark wood with intricate details on them. Luxurious sheets, pillows, and throws are layered on the furniture to create an inviting place to sit. You ... [ Read More ]
Santa Fe, New Mexico – Modern Pueblo Architecture
We spent a few unforgettable days in Sante Fe, New Mexico. The roads of Santa Fe uniquely portrayed the Native American cultures combined with Spanish style living. Pueblo architecture was breathtaking! I've not seen anything like this in my life. The earthy tones, flat roofs, square windows, wooden beams, and the courtyards were just a few that I could not take my eyes off. This unique architecture was surrounded by majestic mountains of all sizes. The drive down to Sante Fe from Albuquerque ... [ Read More ]
Hotel Lobbies – Grand Entrances
Grand hotel entrances urge us to look high and low. We sometimes wonder how to take some of the eye-catching design elements of hotel lobbies back home. The extravagant scale can be hard to visualise in a smaller area, but, several design aspects and techniques used here can apply everywhere. The lighting in well-designed hotel lobbies are typically unique and brings the space together. The same can be true for any room in the house. And, there are a million ways to do this. You have to ... [ Read More ]
Inside Tiny Homes
I've always been drawn to small yet highly functional spaces. I've spent the past week browsing through interiors of the charming tiny homes I'd featured recently. I left you thinking how it would be inside. And, how one could live in these doll houses. To my surprise, they all seem to have miniature yet livable versions of - living room, kitchen, dining area, bedroom, bathroom, patio, and some even with a home office. Initially, I was quite skeptical of the layout and design due to its ... [ Read More ]
HGTV’s Tiny House Big Living
HGTV's Tiny House hunters caught my attention! The houses that were featured in this show looked like mini doll houses to me! I have only admiration for people who are settling in these unique properties. I believe there is apparently a huge market out there -- to build, sell, and to buy tiny houses! In this blog post, all I've shared is how these homes look from outside. The cool thing about some of these properties is they're on wheels. Just imagine, you could take your home where ever you ... [ Read More ]
Architectural Tour – Modern Minimalist House
I've always been fascinated by modern minimalist architecture. I think it is quite complex to keep things simple when it comes to designing and building such a home. We are surrounded by all styles of furnishings and accessories. Some of us even find it is hard to stick to just one style, and call ourselves "eclectic" as we start collecting things. I wonder how these homeowners are able to be so basic yet enjoy everything a home has to offer. Interestingly, in a modern minimalist home nature ... [ Read More ]
South Indian Temple Architecture
Hello, everyone! We have just another week in Chennai before returning back to the Bay Area, Califonia. I thought you might enjoy the unique architectures and styles of the beautiful South Indian Hindu temples we have been visiting. The temples I have showcased in this blog post were typically built with stone from a single rock; most of the structures fall under "Dravidian Architecture", a style that emerged thousands of years ago. South Indian temple architecture is quite unique and several ... [ Read More ]
Oonjal – Wooden Swings in South Indian Homes
South India is known for its wood work made out of rose and teak wood. You will find several products made with wood here. One of them is my favorite indoor swing, which is also known as oonjal. It is a design element that immediately adds comfort to any room. I can tell you from my experience — all it takes is a few moments on an oonjal to completely relax. Just kicking the feet to start one and going back and forth right inside the home is a thrilling moment. It is perfect for all ages, and ... [ Read More ]
Colorful Indian Homes
I’m thrilled to share colorful Indian homes from Chennai, Southern India today! I'm here on a short vacation and glad to take some time off to write this blog post. Indian homes are typically decorated in rich colors, and intricate patterns weaved in exotic textiles. Ornate furniture in dark wood is more common in ethnic homes; whereas, the newer and more modern homes are leaning towards using the lighter color. Ethnic touches are also created by adding a few exotic accessories and centerpieces ... [ Read More ]
Traditional Hanok Houses
Continuing my mini-series on an architectural world tours.. in this page, I've featured traditional Hanok Houses from Bukchon Hanok Village in Seoul, Korea. These traditional Korean houses reflect Korean architecture and their long history. I believe Hanok's are now trendy, and travelers want to experience living in a Hanok! After putting this page together, I really feel like spending my next family vacation in a Hanok! I've some information here and links to go to for more.. followed by some ... [ Read More ]
Moorish Architecture And Designs
The Moorish Style! I don't have enough words to praise this gorgeous architectural style! I'm so glad to add this to my world tour....Here's a little history -- the Moorish architecture and designs are named after Moors - North African people who conquered what is now Spain, Portugal, and the Pyrenees region of France around 712 AD to 1492. They introduced several architectural details including the unique way of painting ceramic tiles called ‘Zellige’. It consists of complex geometrical ... [ Read More ]