Rang Decor Readers Creative Spaces: VIII

Wishing all you lovely readers a very Happy New Year, 2010! It's going to be a great year with lots to share with all of you. We just got back from a beautiful trip to Rajasthan, so stay tuned for loads on havelis, palaces, forts and sand dunes:-)

Lets get the ball rolling with a brand new post on Rang Decor Readers Creative Spaces.

Karthik Vaidhyanathan

Karthik Vaidhyanathan is from Chettinad in Tamil Nadu and having grown up in a typical Chettinad house with loads of kitsch and colours, he wanted to incorporate these elements in his 1420 sqft new apartment home in Bangalore.

The Chettinad influences are the 7ft arched windows, that he found when St. Josephs college on Brigade road, Bangalore was being demolished. They fitted in perfectly into what was once a balcony cum utility area. He also made a small tinnai (seating besides the windows).

Karthik continues, 'I converted this to become a loungy relaxing sit-out kinda space for entertaining friends and family.'

Karthik picked up these ceramic chettinad tiles from a shop in Pondicherry and has used it for a coffee table. This is inspired by the traditional 'Mannai' which is used during wedding

ceremonies.

Karthik explains, "I wanted to convert the open dining space into a study cum work area and wanted to isolate it through the use of two pillars. Did the rounds of antique markets and shops but found them too expensive or too elaborate for a flat. Finally landed up at Vermilion House in Bangalore, wherein I saw two pillars with Yaali sculpted motif at the top

(Yaali is a mythical creature, that with the face of a lion, the tusks of an elephant and the body of a serpent or ‘makara’ another mythical creature. The Yaalis are prominent in many a south Indian temple as sculptures on the walls or pillars, since the 16th century and they are believed to guard the temple. They are supposed to be more powerful than a lion or elephant)

"I also saw two pillars in teak with a floral pattern at the top; these are typically found in Kerala Home. These again really appealed to me. I picked up all four. The remaining two ‘floral’ pillars became the entrance to my kitchen, right opposite to the study."

"I have opened up the kitchen on all sides. As a result one can see through the entire length of the house. Have kept the kitchen in contemporary white and steel to break away the colour all around.

Have converted one of the corners of the kitchen into a 'work' area with a table and a white bar stool from ikea. Helps me work on my laptop as I catch some T.V. "

The low-rise square dining table with a low hanging light is one of the first pieces of furniture that Karthik got custom-made around 6 years ago at 100ft boutique in Indiranagar. The installation on top is the ‘people tree’ from Mukul Goyal in Delhi.

The showcase near the dining table houses lovely antique enamelware tiffin carrier, teapot etc and some very precious family heirlooms.

The whole house has lovely handmade Athangudi tile flooring.

View from the living room

The two chairs in the ‘sit-out’ are of rosewood and were picked up from Bamboo Market in Bangalore, a place where one often gets to see old antique stuff of houses that have been demolished. All it took to restore them was some cane-work and polish. A dash of colour through the pillows from Good Earth and one in a similar ‘Rajasthan’ theme from Rattan stores in Delhi.