Sunday, April 20, 2014

The 'E' in decor must be for 'Emotion' :-)

There are many realizations that hit you when you decide to move overseas, one of the biggest ones being 'baggage restrictions' and the thought of handing over those 'wedding lifaafaas' to airport staff in exchange for the much dreaded excess baggage receipt !This is one case, when you truly and woefully realise that 'the sky is the limit' ! :-(

Inexperience makes you buy a lot of desi stuff as you dream of doing up your pad in the new country with those gorgeous ethnic (and very heavy ) Indian ceramics and sculptures ! Little did you know that they would not be seeing the light outside of their cartons until such time a kind aunty or uncle is travelling (hopefully with empty suitcases) and is willing to deliver the 'goods' to you :-)

So other than the few light weight decor items that you bring with you, you mostly rely on exploring the local flavour of the country that is hosting you, which is a great idea until that moment of truth strikes, and you start converting the price tags into INR :-) You know it is time then to look at other options, of original, innovative (and definitely more pocket friendly) decor ! And if there is an emotional context to the object in question, even better ! 

So that is exactly what happened here when I saw this beautiful antique silver necklace staring at me that was lovingly gifted to me by my father many many years ago. I realized I had carried it with me but somehow forgotten to unpack it while trying to settle in. Needless to say, was thrilled to discover I have it here...



My father picked up this lovely neck piece for me from a remote village in the heart of Central India. He has a passion for all that is antique, and while that is something I hope to blog about another day,  this was a clear reflection of his love for old world charm, as it was for his daughter :-) My happiness knew no bounds when he gave it to me. I think I must have slept with it next to my pillow, out of the sheer thrill and excitement, at being the proud owner of something quite so beautiful ! :-)



You would concur though that this is not exactly 'everyday wear' and I have thus had limited opportunity to wear it in the past. Even then I carried it with me to Korea, for the sheer sentiment attached to it. You know when you pack your suitcase when you're getting married, you put in more of emotion and sentiment in there, than utility and practicality and am so glad that's how it is :-) 

So the minute I saw this here, I realized it would look really nice as a part of the decor in our home and I sped to the framing shops nearby , husband ( dutifully and every so supportively ) in tow ;-)
I loved the awe in the shop owner's eyes when she saw what we wanted to get framed. Appreciation for beauty needs no language, the eyes say it all I guess :-) 'Would you like me to polish it for you?' she asked, and received a horrified 'ani' (Korean for 'no') in unison from us!! How could she possibly suggest we sacrifice the lovely dull look it had acquired over so many years ! That would be nothing short of 'character assasination' in this case ! Our vociferous response silenced any doubts she may have had on the subject, and we moved on to choosing the frame. The better half chipped in with his ideas on the look-and-feel of the frame, and we decided a cream distressed finish would be befitting of our treasure ! That done, delivery dates were finalised, some pleasantries exchanged and I started to count backwards waiting to see the final outcome. 

D-Day arrived after what seemed like the longest week ever, and I was overjoyed. It was worth the wait, for they did a lovely neat job, leaving me with the option of hanging it on the wall or letting it stand against the table...



Doesn't it look nice as it adds some colour to the white wall here ? 



As it does on the table...




And you know the best part ? This is on hooks! So I always have the option of teaming it up with a lovely starched cotton saree, smearing on lots of kohl and letting it add its antique glamour to the outfit :-) But leaving that for another time, happy to let it adorn my home for now, resplendent against its red velvety background :-) 



I am sure you'll agree that objects as precious as these deserve to be put in a place where you can catch a glimpse of them regularly, so you can feel the emotions attached to them resurface, and experience that timely tug at your heart strings :-) And while I love everything else that I have in our home, this one will always be slightly more special :-) So regardless of whether you stay in India or abroad, do see if there is a precious piece of jewellery that you would like to use to do up your home. And while you're at it, do share it with me too :-) Take care. See you here again soon. 

16 comments:

  1. Beautifully written,straight from the heart! and yes,what better way to use something we love:-)! Like you said,the E factor in decor is so important!

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    1. :-) yes, the E factor counts doesn't it ? Thanks and hugs.

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  2. Pretty neck piece and a lovely write up to get across the E factor :) Loved the way you have got it framed especially against a red background. Very striking :)

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    1. Thanks so much :-) Happy with the way it turned out, I too love the contrast of the silver against the red :-)

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  3. Beautiful post, totally agree that about the e-factor while doing up one's home! That framed neckpiece is one stunner!

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    1. Thank you so much Ambika, as you can tell, this one is very close to my heart :)

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  4. Fab blog - enjoyed reading it. Dont forget to wear that beauty though - your neck is the best showcase
    Neena

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    1. True :-) Thanks Neena for stopping buy. Glad you enjoyed the post !

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  5. Very beautiful write-up Karishma & yes the neck piece, the frame & the vignette with it gorgeous! What a beautiful gift, it is. I now know where you got your fantabulous aesthetics from! - Manasa

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    1. Many thanks Padmamanasa for sparing the time to read this. Makes me really happy that you liked the post :-)

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  6. Such an exquisite piece Karishma!! This is such a wonderful way of showcasing and preserving something so precious. Love the contrast of red, white and grey with hints of blue.
    I too framed my grandmother's key bunch in a shadow box and have it on my inspiration wall :)

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    1. Thanks Sruthi :-) Yes, just so glad I brought it with me. Do you a picture of the keys up on the wall ? Would love to see them :) Have a great day !

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  7. What a wonderful article Karishma. I have really missed your blog the last few weeks as the husband and I have been so busy trying to sort out our new apartment.
    Without boring you with the details- can I just say- WOW. you really added the WOW factor to that necklace. it looks STUNNING on that gorgeous red velvet. Red doesn't quite describe it though does it.
    That color is more like a scarlet, delicious fiery decadent scarlet.
    Vermilion would have been just a touch on the 'too-orangey' side, and a darker red would have looked too much like mumsy maroon. But as usual you have got it just right. It brings to mind begonias in the height of summer, luscious red lipsticks and thirst quenching cherry popsicles.
    And the frame! What a marvellous idea to do in that slightly antiquated cream. You really have an eye! I'm sorry I cant help gushing, its just so wonderful to see someone so passionate about decor and interiors.
    Have you ever worn that necklace? Its a real beauty! I love the idea of wearing it with a starched cotton saree and tons of kohl. Very ethnic chic, no? Love it.
    I am actually going to pull some of my antique 'banjaaran' style pieces and have them framed on the wall! Not sure how the husband will react but i dont care!
    You are such an inspiration Karishma!

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    1. Thank you Gayatri, so wonderful to see a comment from you. You have certainly been missed here ! :-) Infact was wondering if all is okay at your end since I hadn't heard from you in a while. But glad to hear that it is interiors and home decor that has kept you busy ! You and I are sailing in the same boat for sure, having fun doing up our new homes :-)
      So glad you liked the post, I knew for sure this one would strike a chord with you :-) And you must get those pieces of jewellery up on the wall as soon as you can, and am sure your better half will warm up to the idea, mine has more or less understood that all this is 'normal' now, if you can't beat them join them eh? :-)
      Yes I have worn this one a couple of times in the past, actually on western wear, so I am excited about trying it out on a saree someday, sport the ethnic look as you rightly suggested ! When you say I am an inspiration my first reaction is to look over my shoulder and check if there is someone else you are talking to (Smiles) but really, thank you so much for saying so, and for sharing such lovely feedback ! I love this bit about blogging, where you connect with people you haven't met, but you are connected through your love for a similar aesthetic sense :-) Do send me pictures of your jewellery once it is framed, dying to see it ! Take care and have a lovely weekend !

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  8. Hi there Karishma
    Just discovered your beautiful blog quite by accident.
    What a delight! I will be reading all your posts over the weekend! I just moved to Scotland with my partner and I am actually a freelance interior designer.
    So nice to see another Indian settled abroad who is interested in the beautiful things of life!
    Love your pics and the descriptions are just so evocative. Are you also an interiors professional? Love your work!
    Btw that necklace really is a piece of art, good decision to frame it. I actually have a lot of my antique silver pieces displayed in a very similar way, in an antique jewellers cabinet I bought at an auction. the drawers are lined with velvet so the pieces are visible through the glass top!
    Nimi

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    1. Dear Nimi, welcome to my blog ! So nice to connect with you here. Scotland has to be one of my most favourite places in the world, how lucky are you to be living there :-) Glad you liked what I put together here, am more of a novice in the world of interior decor though .Just passionate about it and all things beautiful. The jewellery cabinet sounds lovely. Why don't you send me some pictures ? I would love to feature it as a guest post on my blog :-) Hope you're enjoying the weekend. Do stay in touch. Karishma.

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