A Simple Project

Earlier this summer, I found this pretty *vintage* planter at TJMaxx.  While the color was a lovely light shade of lime, I'm afraid it just wasn't working for me, BUT, the price was right, and I knew that I could have a bit of fun with it.   

 

Finally, this past weekend, I got to play with it!  Out came my sample jars of CeCe Caldwell's Seattle Mist, AS Old White and AS Pure White.  I then chose a simple, French image from the fabulous Graphics Fairy, and, once the paint was dry, transferred the image to the front of the planter.  Of course, I then had to rough it up a bit after it dried with fine sandpaper:

 

 

Here is the AFTER!  I added a little burlap, pinecones and few seasonal picks to create a fun, Fall arrangment, which now sits on our dry bar!

 

 

Total cost for this project was $0.00(!), as I had everything I needed on hand!  Aren't those the best kind?

Thanks for stopping by!

Becca

New beginnings. New Features.

Ganesha: The remover of obstacles enjoying a sunny day in my new home.

I have been sharing my experiences of the new chapter of my life here in Minnesota on my personal blog, Rang: The Colours of Life.

Today I would also like to share few features that I have planned for Rang Decor.

As most of the readers must be aware of my immense adoration for the art & crafts of India, I will be reviving the series, the latest post on Ajrakh printing is already live. Do check it out if you haven't already!

If you are an upcoming designer, painter, artist or stylist (traditional or contemporary) who draws inspiration from the wealth of Indian heritage. Do drop me a mail with an introduction to your work. If we like what we see, will feature your work.

If you are an NGO or work with artisans at grassroot level to revive any dying craft of India, Rang Decor will provide a platform to showcase your work.

A Before & After feature about little Do-It-Yourself from my home.

Global/ Eclectic decor inspirations curated with my design sensibilities will also be featured.

I get a lot of queries regarding interior design consultations, I have not started personal consultations yet but hope to sometime soon. Meanwhile if there are many queries on a certain topic will try and do a post to address it.

So stay tuned for all this and more!

(Image by Arch)

Mapambo ya Kiafrika

 Nimeombwa kuonyesha mapambo ya kiafrika na ninapenda kujibu maombi yenu, katika picha hii hapo juu, hapa kitenge kimetumika katika mito na sofa< na kama inavyoonekama imependeza vizuri tuuu, sasa kwa wewe unayependa mapambo ya kiafrika, unaweza ukabadilisha sofa lako kwa kutumia kitenge ama batiki na ikapendeza tuu, ila uwe mwangalifu na rangi, maana vingine hua vinachuja....

 Hapa napo ni aina ya vitenge vya west africa kama sijakosea, mtanisahihisha.... na ngozi hii ya punda milia inatumika kama decorative carpet.....

 Vitenga havijaachwa nyuma,,, na ngozi ya ng'ombe hiyo hutumika kama decorative carpet

 vitambaa vyenye picha za aina ya tingatinga nazo ni nzuri kwa kutumia.....

Ninachoweza kusema ni kua kwa kutumia vitenge, batiki, ngozi za wanyama, vibuyu, na vitu vyote vya kiafrika katika nyumba yako kwa wale wanaotaka kua na mandhali ya kiafrika, inawezekana, na vitu hivi vinapatikana hapa hapa kwetu Tanzania.

Kwa hapa Dar unaweza kuvipata Mwengem Sleep way, na kwenye hotels.... naomba kwa wale wa mikoani mnisaidie wapi tunaweza kupata vitu hivi ili tuwajulishe wenzetu wapi wanaweza kupata kwenye mikoa yako kwa urahisi...

nitumie sms kwa kupitia 0715 - 920 565 na nitaleta humu humu kuwaelekeza........

Haya CL zetu twazihifadhije? (Hii ni kwa viatu vyote sio lazima viwe ni CL ndio uzitunze).......hahahah

True is it?

Adding Character

When we added the butcher block top to our island almost two years ago, the installer recommended that we add corbels for support.  I thought it would be fun to add farmhouse legs instead ... two years later, we FINALLY did it!

I found a great website, Osborne Wood Products ... they have several kinds of fabulous products at very reasonable prices!  I found just the style/size we wanted, and a few days later they arrived!

All I had to do was paint a coat of AS Old White, followed by two coats of AS Chateaux Grey onto each leg ... added a bit of distressing and a layer of clear wax.  I then wedged them up under the butcher block ... added a bit of hot glue in between the legs and the butcher block top to secure them ... and, voila!

AFTER! 

We love the character they add and how they contribute to the farmhouse feel!

It's hard to believe that our island once looked like *this*:

Speaking of changes ... we're just about done with the kitchen refreshing!  AND, I've got a few little things planned for our breakfast area.  For a long time, I've wanted French Country chairs, but the prices have been a bit more than we wanted to spend.  This past weekend, we visited a fabulous store nearby called Primarily Pine ... they had EXACT chairs I've been looking for!  They're unfinished (which saved on the cost) ... all I have to do is stain the seats (Walnut) and paint the chairs either AS Old White or Pure White. Aren't they pretty?

I'm envisioning a farmhouse table, these chairs and parsons chairs at the head of the table.  We'll see how it all turns out!

One more project ... what do you think of this French fabric?!  I'm eventually going to add them to our dining room chairs. 

Just another day in my crazy life!  Happy Sunday, friends!

Thanks for stopping by,

I'm linking up with:

Savvy Southern Style/WUW
 

 

Becca

Asran.

This post is a milestone for Rang Decor as it features first of the many global design inspirations that will be posted here in time to come. Global design that traces it's route along the Silk Road.

Saadia Nasir Ricart of Asran wrote to me months back while I was in Bangalore introducing me to her new project. A venture in which she curates unique handmade items sourced from regions along the Silk Road on her online store.

What is the Silk Road?

The Silk Road spanned 7000 miles, weaving its way through China, Central Asia, Northern India, and the Roman Empires. It connected the Yellow River to the Mediterranean Sea, along with all the trade, religions and philosophies on the way. Many of the regions today that were a part of this ancient trade route still use the same methods to create the things that were sold hundreds of years ago.

Saadia states being half Pakistani and half Japanese, and her parents being antique rug dealers for over 30 years, created a strong intrigue and love for the Silk Road cultures. 

Asran has a beautiful collection of Kilims from Turkey and Central Asia.

What are Kilims?

Saadia explains on her blog, "Kilims use several flat weaving techniques, kind of like knitting, but bigger and thicker weaves. Rugs on the other hand are made by individual knots knotted tightly together by pressing the weft against each other. 

Both techniques are extremely time consuming and require meticulous attention but that makes the final product all the more amazing!"

Kilims are mostly handmade in Persia, Balkans, Eastern Europe and Turkey. 

They use many geometrical patterns in the weaves and each symbol has a certain significance. Some Kilims are used as prayer rugs as well.

  

At Asran you will find some very interesting handcrafted decor accessories like this Camel Bone Powder Box from Lucknow, India. 

Silk Scarves and Pashmina Shawls as well...

"Originally inspired by Chinese pottery, Imperial ware, also known as Iznik, was so exquisite that European collectors in the mid 19th century thought it came from Persia. Though in the early 1900's scholars discovered that they were from the Ottoman empire and thus concluded that these Iznik ceramics were Turkish". explains Saadia.

Saadia with her mother in Agra.

So do drop by at Asran and check out the lovely handcrafted pieces from the Silk Road.

You can keep updated about Asran on Facebook as well.

(Images from Asran Decor and Asran Blog)

Decorating Secrets & Tricks, From Interior Designers - USA

Pile On the Pillows

One pair of pillows always looks skimpy. Use two pairs, in contrasting patterns, colors, and textures.
This Los Angeles apartment's living room is by designer Melissa Warner.

Buy a Bigger Bed

Small-scale furniture only makes a small bedroom look smaller. Try a high bed and a tall headboard. Your room will grow.
This Los Angeles apartment's bedroom is by designer Melissa Warner.

Go Dark

Dark walls do the opposite of what you'd expect: They make a small room feel bigger.
The tower room in this New York apartment is by designers Kristen Fitzgibbons and Kelli Ford.

Wallpaper Is Easy

The fastest way to make over sliding closet doors is to wallpaper them, like Melissa Warner did to turn a bedroom into her office.
The office in this Los Angeles apartment is by designer Melissa Warner.

White Works

You'll never get tired of a white room.
The living room in this New York cottage is by designer Vicente Wolf.

Mix Styles

A four-poster bed will take the chill out of a modern bedroom.
The master bedroom in this New York cottage is by designer Vicente Wolf.

Layer Your Lighting

Four lamps are better than two. You need ambient light for mood and direct light for reading.
This bedroom is in a New York apartment by designer Kirsten Fitzgibbons.

Tuck In Your Throws

Keep throws under control. Fold them lengthwise, then in half, then tuck them into cushions.
This library is in a New York apartment by designer Kirsten Fitzgibbons.

Kick Your Traditional Coffee Table to the Curb

The most versatile coffee table you'll ever own is an ottoman topped with a tray.
The family room in this New York cottage is by designer Vicente Wolf.

Skirted Furniture Finishes a Room

Too many chair and table legs can make a room "nervous." A skirted piece or two will make it feel "grounded."
The living room in this Los Angeles apartment is by designer Melissa Warner.

Gold Is Gorgeous

Gold is back in a big way. A few accents will warm up a room, like this classic living room. The living room in this New York apartment is by designers Kirsten Fitzgibbons and Kelli Ford. 

Leather Lasts

The most indestructible fabric for dining chairs is leather or vinyl. Especially if you want white.

The dining room in this Los Angeles apartment is by designer Melissa Warner.

Switch Up Your Seating

Mix up the seating at your dining table. You wouldn't have eight identical chairs in your living area.
This New York house's dining room is by designer Vicente Wolf.

Don't Forget the Closet Lighting

Love your closets. Paint them, paper them, hang pictures in them to inspire you. And definitely light them.
This closet is in a Los Angeles apartment by designer Melissa Warner.

Art & Crafts of India: Ajrakh or Ajarakh

Every dusty road trip that we made into the small villages in Kutch, Gujarat turned into a journey marveling at the abundance of traditional art & crafts of the region.

One fact that really stood out was the high density of different traditional crafts in the Kutch region of Gujarat. One afternoon we understood the intricacies of the Mutwa embroidery in Dordo village, next evening we were engulfed in a colorful world of vegetable dyes used in block-printing in Kukma Village.


Ajrakhpur, near Kukma is where the tradition of Ajrakh block printing is kept alive by the Khatri community, whose ancestors came from the Sindh region in Pakistan.

Dr. Ismail Mohammad Khatri is one of the few left who carry on this tradition of laborious but beautiful craft of Ajarkh printing.

Carrying forward the tradition, his son Junaid Khatri.


Ajarkh derives it's name from 'Aaj ke din rakh' or keep it for the day, the processing of Ajrakh printing is pretty long drawn with each stage involving many days.
Dr. Khatri explained that the process involved procuring the best cotton fabrics, washing, steaming in copper containers.

The fabric is then soaked in a mixture of dung, oil an water to make it soft. Dried for a couple of days and then re-soaked with other natural ingredients to bleach and make it ready for printing.

Ajarakh uses the process of resist printing in which hand block printing is done on designated areas in the pattern which are pre-treated to resist penetration by the dye.

Natural vegetable dyes like Indigo, Turmeric, Lime, Rice and many others are used to create intricate geometrical block print patterns that are typical of Ajrakh printing.

Block makers who carve these intricate Ajrakh designs are also very few these days.

The intricate patterned blocks stained with natural vegetable dyes.

Wooden Blocks stored in different boxes...

We were amazed at the various designs on the wooden blocks and prayed with all my heart for this wonderful craft to flourish.

I bought this beautiful craft in the form of a dupatta that I will drape with a sense of pride and great respect for these artisans who carry on the age-old laborious craft.

I have tried to style the fabric in my bare home with few interesting finds from a yard sale that I went to last weekend:-)

If you come across Ajrakh blockprinted fabric in any craft fair do buy and support the craftsmen.

The very few left who practice this craft.

(Images by Arch)