Home Tour: Anamika Arun

This is 3D's first home tour of the new year and 10th home tour till date.
And today I take y'all to the most populous city of UAE which is shopping haven
and is known for its nightlife, ultra-modern architecture and skyline dotted with skyscrapers. Yes, you guessed it right. Today's guest is joining us from Dubai and letting us take a peek inside her beautifully done home.

Dear Readers, Anamika is a multifaceted person. She is a family photographer who captures distinctive, candid family photos for her clients. You can take a look at her portfolio site Melanger Photography to know how beautifully she captures memories. She is a food blogger too who blogs at Taste Melanger and loves to bake in her spare time. She is an ardent follower of 3D and loves to decorate her nest in her own unique style. You can probably imagine the excitement and joy of moving into a new house and transforming it into a home. Anamika is going to share that joy with us today. Here's a tete-a-tete with Anamika where she talks about how she decorated her only a month old apartment in Dubai with her distinctive style. 

3D: Describe your home in just a few words 
Anamika: Serene, welcoming and stylish!!

3D: Tell us something about your home:

Anamika: We recently bought an apartment in Dubai and shifted here less than a month ago. Having our own place outside of the country felt special, and we were really excited to make this place into a cosy, welcoming abode. It’s a spacious 1650 sqft apartment with 2 bedrooms, study and store room.

When we saw this place we were immediately attracted to the lovely view of the Marina and the sea. Being on the 29th floor, the night views are amazing. Secondly, we have a huge park right under our building which also ensures that our kids get their daily dose of outdoor playtime.

It’s not even a month since we shifted here, so there is a lot to do, to enhance; but I’m so glad that Disha is covering it up on her blog and showering the home with all the love. Hope you all enjoy the tour!

Seen above is the image of Anamika's living room. I love how she plays with colours. She introduced red beautifully in her blue and white colour palette to break the monotony. Clever use of antique trunk as a coffee table not only adding an elegant touch but offering functionality as well. Now let's know more about Anamika and her decorating style in her own words.

3D: Tell us something about yourself
Anamika: Hi, readers of 3D; I’m Anamika, settled in Dubai with my husband and two cute kids. I’m a mother, a homemaker, a family photographer and food blogger. I love to bake in my free time and also browse through food and decor blogs. So it’s very easy to imagine how I get influenced by the visual media. Anything that’s pleasing to the eyes and smells yummy has a place in my heart and home :)

The other side of the living room serves as a dining room. Sleeper wood dining table is quite a statement piece here. Red table runner and candle stand in sap green blend well with the vintage chest at the other end of the dining room. White armoire with glass doors is adding French country cottage charm to the dining room in which Anamika proudly displays her collection of glassware.

3D: What’s your decorating style.

Anamika: I can’t really say that I have a particular decorating style since I like to mix things up until it feels right. But I do like a bit of quirky, lots of colours and stuff which has some character. Basically, all that which makes my home unique than the one next door. Else in the age of branded furniture stores, it's very easy to look alike. Also for me, a home has to have the warmth that welcomes you in..than just some expensive furniture kept together.

To sum up I would say my decor style is “Eclectic Cosy”

The beautiful and colourful vintage pop art buffet table is adding a joyful vibe with its cheerful colours and quirky texts.This buffet table sure is a perfect addition to the dining room to make it look 'Eclectic Cosy' and to define Anamika's unique taste. Below are some beautiful decor accents like grape vine carved wooden frame in a distressed finish to add old world charm and tea glasses and kettle in colour combination of teal and red for a kitschy look.

3D: Where do you get the inspiration from.

Anamika: Like they say inspiration is everywhere - books, nature, blogs but above all Pinterest is a source that one can get lost into. So when I got a chance to decorate my new pad, I surely felt excited about it and had hundreds of ideas floating in my head. The challenge was to simplify the look, to evaluate it practically and to merge the likes of all family members.

Like the blue textured tv wall in above image that my husband wanted..and then I planned rest of the things around in the room, to make it more cohesive. Or the neutral wallpaper and colour scheme that went for in the kids’ room to satisfy both my son and daughter.

Colour palette in kids' room is fresh and gender neutral and also big on style. Pop of red and turquoise make the space come alive. You can never go wrong with the feature wall that displays kids' favourite creature Dinosaur. Overall feel of kids' room is cosy and great for both sleeping and playing.

Here is what Anamika has to say about statement pieces she and her husband bought for their apartment.

We went for solid wooden pieces for the furniture but wanted something which looked cheerful and wasn’t so heavy looking. So we ended up having quite a few statement pieces like the - antique chest which we use as coffee table, the vintage pop-art style buffet table which makes the whole room alive; or the sleeper wood dining table which adds lots of character to the dining space, or even the distressed office table in my bedroom which gives a good contrast to the modern comfy white chair. Even the ‘dinosaur wall’ is quite a feature wall that everyone loves in the kids’ room.

I really liked this study corner in Anamika's bedroom with a desk in distressed finish and dark tone. Ample light makes this spot perfect for reading or doing art and craft activity. Now let's ask Anamika about her fave spot in her home.

3D: Which is your favourite spot in your home and why. 

Anamika: One of my favourite corner in the house is the swing corner in my living room where I love to relax with a book and tea and enjoy the lovely view outside.

3D: Please give your valuable advice on home decorating to décor enthusiast 3D readers!

Anamika: Always go with what you like than what the trend is, or what decor experts say. After all, home is your space; so simply surround yourself with your favourite things and you would have a home you love.

Try to visualise (if not creating a mood board) of the whole room or house, while picking furniture. As they say, a whole is bigger than the sum of its parts..so the bigger picture will keep you on track.

De-clutter. de-clutter and de-clutter. Clutter is the biggest negative element of the house..so keep it away.

We just love having you on 3D Anamika, thank you so much for sharing lovely images of your abode with us. 3D wishes you all the very best for your future endeavours. Happy decorating!! 

Dear readers, if your decor thirsty eyes still looking for such eye candy images of beautiful homes then click here. 

Yes, I know now you are waiting eagerly to know what's coming up next. It's 'One Good Thing' for you so stay tuned!!

P.S: All the images are Anamika's property and subject to copyright. Please seek permission of Anamika and 3D before using any image. Thank You!

Home Tour: Kapila Banerjee

I am so glad to share that
3D readers across the globe are reaching out to me to showcase their one of a kind, reflection of their own personalities, filled with memories and stunning homes on my blog Design Decor & Disha. I already have four more home tours lined up for the next two months one from Canada, one from London, one from Mumbai and one from the city I am living in. And I have decided to feature two home tours in a month. Are you excited!! Here's what I have in my bag today. Enjoy!!

UPDATE
Here is an updated video tour of Kapila's home that I shot in 2018
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

Today's home tour is special because it's from my hometown Indore, where I spent my youth and formative years of life. The city built by queen Ahilya Bai Holkar is known for its architectural splendours, mouth-watering culinary delights and also known as the birth land of vocal Gharana of Indian classical music, Indore Gharana. I can talk endlessly about Indore but then we have a beautiful home to talk about today, so just sit back and relax and enjoy this home tour.

This beautiful abode is owned by Kapila and Sonal Banerjee, a couple who is equally enthusiastic about home decor as we are all here at 3D. Kapila is a multifaceted lady who not only has a keen interest in home decorating but also paints very well. Most of the paintings in her home are done by herself. Decor in this home is a beautiful collision of Indian and international cultures. Let's take a tour of this home as Kapila describes her style, talks about her passion and lot more.

Describe your home in just a few words:

Kapila: Bright, vibrant, colourful with life’s nostalgic journey till date.

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Whether it's an apartment or an independent house:

Kapila: It’s an apartment having 2 floors. 

It's area:

Kapila: Our current house is a 1900 sqft having 3 rooms and an independent terrace to ourselves.

Tell us about yourself, your family and location:

Kapila: Proud & blessed mother of twin daughters. Have lived my early childhood at Indore, back during the college days I had very passionate interest in trying my hands at interior designing which led me learning basic through the formal diploma in interior designing. While I could not pursue it as a profession but the interest continued right from the time when I did the décor of my parental house to my own house after marriage. Being happily married to Sonal for nearly 13 years and counting, we have been moving places due to work demands of Sonal from Indore at the start point or marriage and subsequently to Gwalior,Mumbai,and Kolkata within India before going on an overseas trip with livestock and baggage to Kenya, Africa for about 4 years. 

Though I have returned back with kids to Indore where we have our own house, Sonal continued his overseas stint and works at Yangon, Myanmar. By the way, I worked for more than a decade in various corporate organisations before taking sabbatical due to motherhood taking precedence over work. I am a strong believer of a woman being independent and yet continue to be playing multiple roles as we have been doing for years. Motherhood has given a new meaning to me and which like everyone I have always cherished. 

Both I and Sonal have always liked and cherished Indore as a city with middle-class values & vibrancy, weather and its ever changing development landscape. We shall eventually build our own house from the first brick to the décor and guess who shall be in command of our future project ……..

Well, no prizes for guessing, we all know it already and we love how you decorate. Tells us about your decorating style:

Kapila: Playing with colours, artefacts in both vintage & contemporary style and furniture have been the central theme of all my décor. I love fresh plants and flowers all around. 

I have also tried to carry reminiscence of key décor items from each city where I have lived since my marriage so that the décor also has a reflection of my journeys in life till date. 

The Buddha in the above picture is from Yangon and peacocks from Bangkok street shopping. The wooden box is from Masai Mara Kenya.

Where do you get the inspiration from:

Kapila: My biggest inspiration was in being self-creative in my parents’ house and with Sonal after marriage. Our marital life started with a bare minimum, almost an empty house having just a simple mattresses. Time never stopped since then and both of us have also not stopped our common passion for house collectibles. My daughters aged 8 have also developed a taste for décor of their own room in specific style and a sense of appreciation for any new décor or changes in the house. My close friend Hemal too has also been instrumental in inspiring me in my efforts. 

Which is your favourite spot in your home and why:

Kapila: The family room where I spend most of my time with kids and my extended family. Day bed corner is the most comforting zone in the house with natural light and fresh air from the adjoining balcony.

What are your hobbies:

Kapila: Home décor, painting, full-time rearing of my daughters, and finally to be a hopeful small time home décor entrepreneur in the time ahead. 

Please give your valuable advice to décor enthusiast 3D readers:

Kapila: Try new things with earthenware décor, be updated on trends, use fresh plants and flowers and finally it’s not about the size but about the space utility. 

I loved each nook and corner of this tastefully done up home and I am inspired to make some changes in my home too. What about you dear readers, how do you find this home and which one is your favorite room/decor accessory. If you wish to see more of her home check out Kapila's Instagram feed and Pinterest account.
For more such beautiful home tours click here.

See you all soon with a blog on monsoon decor. Stay Tuned!!

P.S. All the images in this article are provided by Kapila Banerjee and subject to copyright. Please do not copy or use them without written permission from Kapila Banerjee. Thank you!