Home Tour: Residence of Vinaya from Massachusetts

Today’s home tour is all the way from Massachusetts. Vinaya's home is what defines a calm retreat. I have fallen in love with Vinaya’s impeccable two bedroom apartment. Vinaya is a décor blogger and she is the author of Hip Hip Home. Her blog is full of interiors, décor and DIY inspirations. 

Vinaya's apartment is predominantly neutral in color with white walls and has a clever mix of different shades of blues through beautiful artwork, pillows, throws and eye-catchy textural patterns used in each room. I love the perfect blend of modern and eclectic elements and the plants that is used to brighten up her space. My eyes were fixated on the monochrome picture collage effect on the wall giving a harmonious effect in her home.  The dining area and the open shelving décor are other areas where you are bound to stop and admire again and again. Her collection and display of eclectic pieces can be seen on her coffee table, shelves and walls. Have a look at her home and let’s hear more from Vinaya herself.

                                                                               

What is your source of inspiration to do up your home?

For the longest time I didn't really care much about decorating or design. But a couple of years ago I took a little break from work and found myself spending more time inside our home. That's when I felt a very strong need to create a home that I loved being in. So it's safe to say that the inspiration came from within! 

What is your favorite décor style?

 My favorite décor style is modern but comfortable and cozy.

Do you have any favorite décor accent or favorite corner in your space?

We love our living room with our big white fluffy rug. We are almost always hanging out there. But be warned, it does take a good amount of effort to keep that rug looking fluffy and white-ish!

Tips for our décor lovers

There is no right way to decorate. The only right way is what you love and what makes sense to you. I think if you decorate purely based on what you love, then it will always be trendy to you and that's all that matters :)

Thank you Vinaya for sharing your beautiful calm space with me and my readers!! Your home definitely has a calming effect to us all!

Click here to view her blog and here to follow her on Instagram.

Images via Vinaya

Home Tour: Rithu's beautiful apartment from New York.

Hey everyone! I hope your week has started off well. Are you ready for some Monday inspiration?

Today I am featuring a cute little apartment of a dear friend, Rithu from West New York, who recently moved out of this apartment. I wasn’t surprised at all when I had a look at her crisp minimalistic home through her pictures as she is a lady brimming with creativity. Her décor is casual and not too pretentious. Rithu is an aspiring fashion designer who recently completed her course, passionate about her art and a food blogger.

So quickly grab a cup of tea or coffee… and let’s hear more from Rithu herself and have a look at her old beautiful apartment.

“Greetings everyone! I am Rithu, and I am the food blogger of ‘Gastronomy Illustrated’, where I share easy, yummy recipes and about my little adventures in life.  I am beyond excited and thrilled to be a part of the honorable home tours’ feature from ‘Tickled by Inspirations’. And so I would like to start by saying thank you, thank you to my lovely family friend, Rachel, for this wonderful opportunity!

I was born and raised in Muscat, the lovely capital city of Oman, and went on to reside there for 22 years. In the 22 years, I did most of my schooling in Indian School Muscat and completed 4 years of Biotech Engineering from Birla Institute of Technology. Although I have Malayalee roots, I studied and practically lived in Kerala only for 2 years, to complete my high school in Kottayam.  But the rest of my life so far, has been overseas of India. After my Bachelor’s at BIT, I was fortunate to pursue my Master’s in Bioinformatics at King’s College London. Learning with some of the brightest at KCL was an honor in itself, just as much as making it through the difficult course and finally being awarded with the Master’s degree. But behind all the years of science and engineering, the actual truth was that I have always been an artist at heart. The obsession began when I was just about 11 or 12, when I started doodling some of my earliest fashion illustrations, on whatever paper I could find, even if they were pages of my school notebooks and texts! After getting married to my wonderful husband of 4 years, I moved to the US in 2012 and a year ago, I was so happy to finally fulfill my dream to attend fashion school! I enrolled for a short program of 6 months in Brooklyn, New York, but in those few months, I gained so much knowledge that I will forever be so grateful for.

In December, my husband and I bought and moved into our very first home, in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, and each day we are excited and working on doing up our new residence. But until December of 2015, we lived in a cozy little apartment in West New York. My requisites for a home space have always been the same and very simple – no clutter, functionality and chic with a little quirk! I also like contrast and hints of bold color. Me being a cleanliness freak and a bit of someone who strives for perfection, everything in my space has to be placed just right, and sometimes in exact right angles! But apart from my strange OCDs, I like bringing the outdoors, indoors, if that makes sense. Especially when living in a concrete, boxy space like an apartment. I like greens around me, lots of natural elements like wood, … At the entrance of the apartment I even placed a watering can on the floor, just because it gave me a cozier and homelier vibe. Even to this day, it is very important to me that every piece of furniture my husband and I decide to invest in, has to have more than one function. For example, the sofa in our living room was a futon that could easily be converted into a large sized bed for two. Another dual functional piece was the red ottoman that provided seating in the living room and had so much space for storage, inside! Convenience is also definitely a requisite. Whether it’s the sleek console table at the entrance to hold keys, or the patio chair by the shoe rack for people to sit and wear shoes. I like knowing that there’s something to make things just a little more convenient, and I especially like having things contained, rather than keeping them out in the open and adding to clutter. I only like to showcase the knick knacks my husband and I have collected on our travels, which I would mostly display on the quirky book ladder in the living room. My favorite space in the apartment was the living room seating by the window. We had an Ikea rattan chaise lounge that was so comfortable to lie down on, and it’s where I used to read or have a nap on some afternoons. And in the evening I could catch a view of the Manhattan skyline from the same spot… This apartment will always have a special place in my memory, as it’s where I developed a love for cooking and baking, started my food blog, made a few paintings and put them up on the walls, and studied more about fashion designing whilst doing the course in Brooklyn.

To all those who are reading, a humble thank you for taking the time out… “

 

 



 

her artwork

 

 

 

 

 

love the fabric of her storage

 

Thank you so much Rithu for sharing your old apartement with us and wishing you a happy stay in your new one... And we hope we get a home tour of your new home as well!!

 

 

All images are clicked by Rithu

 

 

 

 

 

Monday morning inspiration: Welcome to Vandana's home

The start of a new week is so difficult for everyone… lots of coffee to wake you up and to get started… and I thought why not some eye candy for your Monday morning…

Vandana, a fellow blogger, who is the author of “Seasons in the Sun”, has warmly invited us for a tour of her colourful and vibrant home… so sit back and enjoy!!

"Hello all! I am Vandana. I live with my husband and son in Bangalore. I had been into teaching for about 14 odd years with a few breaks in between. Over the last couple of years I have given up my teaching job and am home but of course have taken up learning a new language; something that I had longed for! Well, this 'being home' has helped me indulge in a few things I love doing.
I love reading decor and travel blogs; nurtured the desire to have my own blog where I could pen down whatever I liked or loved. And hence was born Seasons in the sun....
A clean and aesthetically done up space and garden were some of the things I grew up with. My earliest inspiration has been my grandmother who brought me up. Later on the basics of aesthetics
evolved further courtesy the several beautiful decor blogs and glossies. Much of my learning is from them.
As far as my decor mantra goes, it is extremely simple. I, most often, go by my impluse, my love for bold bright colours and my love for ethnic and kistchy elements of decor. I also swear by the 'two minute ' decor theory ( probably this one is my own innovation! ) I believe in investing more on furnishings than on furniture pieces! Since the job scenario these days isn't stable and require a lot of travelling, I try to make do with temporary changes within the home and decor.
Also a small living space restricts me to do much. So my ultimate focus is to make the most of the space available and organise for more storage.
That's about me and my home.
I am really thankful to Rachel and Tickled by inspirations to feature my simple home :-).... "

I loved what I saw.... especially her vignettes and her use of colours..... did you? Thanks Vandana for inviting us to your beautiful and vibrant home. Click here to follow her lovely blog for inspirations.

Have a good day everyone and a fabulous week ahead!


Images via Vandana



 

House of the Month: Residence of Kaho from Mumbai

I am back after a small break from blogging and it's time for some home tour treat, my favorite segment!! I stumbled across this beautiful expat blog called Chuzai Living and Kaho the author, has made me see my home country in a new way. Kaho, born and raised in Japan, is based in Mumbai, loves to share her cultural experience through her blog and beautiful pictures. One of the best things about Kaho’s blog is that it doesn’t just revolve around her travel and cultural experiences and her life abroad, but also gives inspirations to design enthusiasts, fashion and food. And moreover her photographs attached to all her posts are beautiful, giving a gorgeous visual appeal to the blog and to the readers.

 And I particularly loved her home because her home is so inviting, warm with a lot of natural elements with a modern touch and minimal… I love the feel of that perfect balance of comfort, neutral tones and the rustic feel in Kaho’s home.

 

Here is what Kaho had to say about her inspiration to start a blog and decorate her home

What inspired you to start a blog?

Kaho: "Being an expat encounters a lot of challenges. Getting acclimated to a new country is a daunting task not to mention managing to survive in a city where people speak a different language from your is intimidating. Thus, I thought that I wanted my blog to be a place where people can come and grab the information that they need in order to make their lives easier.

With this blog, I want to become that person, a friend, who can refer places to people who are looking for recommendations because I knew that I could achieve it by using my passion for photography, interior design and food. I take pictures of the interior of a restaurant or store which I enjoy and take photos of the food or items that the restaurant or store offers which I find very intriguing."

What is your inspiration for decorating your home?

Kaho: "Scandinavian design… I love have a lot of natural light, white and natural woods in my home.  I am a fan of simple and modern interior design with a bit of rustic or industrial flare.  Since we are an expat family, we don't get to use our own furniture except for a few pieces we were able to bring with us.  It's been a challenge to show my style using the fixed furniture, but I try to be creative."

a living room that's highlighted with neutral tones and filled with comfort

a nice rustic table that goes well with grey and beige

Dining area that has a huge wooden cabinet with Kaho's collection that's arranged beautifully

my personal favorite - a huge chalkboard to write that has a happy quote

the dining area

a relaxing foyer

the girls room with blue pompoms and blue frames

a minimalistic living room style

Click here to visit Kaho’s blog, Chuzai Living for more inspirations. Thanks Kaho for sharing your beautiful space with me and my readers. I hope to meet you when I visit Mumbai!!!

Images copyright Kaho from Chuzai Living

 

Ria's Collections

A great food blog requires tried and tested recipes, beautiful photos that will make you drool and good writing skills that will keep your readers engaged. Ria’s Collections is one such popular blog that has all these goodness. The author, Ria Mary Mathew, is a busy mom, a cook instructor, an award winning blogger and a student once again. She is from Kannur, Kerala and based in Minnesota. Five years back I accidentally found her blog as I was searching for a good cake recipe and then there was no turning back for me. Her blog has simple and exotic recipes of cake, savory and other global dishes and she speaks for her passion for cooking through her stories and memories. I have been chasing her to reveal her inspiration with us and she was so gracious to take some time out from her busy schedule for us to share her blogging success story with us.


Ria, Tell us something about yourself.

To make it short, I am a person who believes in quality over quantity. I am a severe case of OCD and I repeat doing the same thing over and over again until I get it right. Even though I love to cook and bake, there are so many kinds of food that you will never see me eating!

 

When did your passion for baking and food begin? And what was your inspiration to start your food blog?

I started cooking from when I was 3 years old. Cooking and baking is in my blood. It’s the first thing that I turn to when I am happy or sad. For me, food plays an important role in creating memories. So, kitchen is my happiest place in our house.

I used to have a recipe diary from when I was a little girl. Every recipe that would capture my attention with its photographs or description would find a place in it. Therefore it was natural for that diary to grow bulkier as the years went by. My cousins and I would exchange recipe notes via emails and when my little brother saw me frantically typing recipe after recipe, he asked me why I didn’t start a food blog which would make things easier. The rest is history.

 

Have you taken any formal training in baking/cooking? And do you experiment in baking and cooking?

 I was trained under the watchful eyes of my mother growing up. I experiment a LOT in my kitchen and almost all of them have been delicious. Now, after all these years of cooking and baking, I can easily figure out if a recipe is good or not by just reading through the ingredient list and quantity. So disasters are very few.

Currently,I am a student at Le Cordon Bleu specializing in Baking and Patisserie.

 

Your food photography definitely stands out. Have you had any training in photography? Any tips in photography for fellow bloggers?

Thanks! No, I am a self taught food photographer (if I can call myself that way!). I always shoot in natural light and try to keep the props to a minimum so that the food is the main focus.

Browse as many websites as possible which focuses on food photography. See what they do to bring their food to focus and then try to develop a style of your own. In a photograph, food looks good in smaller quantities and on smaller plates/bowls.

 

What is the most gratifying aspect for blogging?

It is the network that I’ve built over the past 7 years. I have readers all over the globe and I am in constant touch with them. When they try out my recipes and write to me to tell me about their experience, it’s immensely satisfying. It helps me realize how wonderful it is to share something good with others.

 

Do you have any other passions apart from blogging and photography?

Family, of course! It is my first priority any day!

 

What are your future plans? Can we expect a cook book?

Once I graduate, I want to gain experience from working under experienced chefs and then maybe a few years down the lane,when I am confident enough,I will start something on my own. I don’t know if it’s going to be a bakery or a café .It will be something that will give me enough freedom to take a vacation whenever I want to!

Cookbooks…hmmm. I would love to write one but that needs a lot of dedication,focus and hardwork. I don’t know if there will be one in my near future as I am literally drowning in homework and test papers from school!

Here are some of her popular recipes and pictures... please click on the caption of each picture for the recipe

 

15 Minute Puff Pastry

Baklava

Checkerboard Mini Rotis

Honey Chili Potatoes

Iced Italian Cream Cake

Pidi Ularthiyathu

 

 

 Thanks Ria for sharing your story with me and my readers and wishing you all the best with your current course. And I do hope to meet you in person in the near future!

 Please click here to hop on to Ria’sCollections and enjoy her recipes.

 

Images via Ria