Indian Balcony Decor: Preeti Deshmukh

In our fast-paced life, all we need is a space in our homes where we can relax and unwind. Tiny or huge, our balconies can serve that purpose very well. Balcony does more than just add to the aesthetics of your home. It gives you the opportunity to maximize your living space, it can be a romantic nook, another dining spot, a place to relax, read or chill with friends. 

I have a guest on my blog today who not only utilized her balcony space wisely but also turned it into a small retreat. Preeti Deshmukh from Nashik is with us today and she'll be telling us how she transformed her balcony into a beautiful relaxing spot and that too on a low budget.

"It was my dream to have a big balcony in my home so when we were planning to buy an apartment, well-ventilated rooms and a space for relaxation was our first priority. We were fortunate that we found a spacious flat with a huge balcony attached to the living room and a separate utility area attached to the kitchen where I can hang clothes to dry."

The first thing that Preeti decided was the theme of her balcony and it was "traditional Indian". Next up was a seating arrangement and Preeti had an astounding idea of putting up a swing. She adds,

"Since the theme was traditional, swing or Chaupala was a perfect addition to my balcony. So I got it custom made and added beautiful cushions to create a  pleasing and comfortable sit out on the balcony."

Next step was to perk up the dull looking walls and keeping the traditional Indian theme in mind, Preeti decided to do Warli painting on the walls. But executing this idea wasn't that easy for her. This is what she shared, 

"The idea of painting Warli art was quite fascinating but I wasn't confident enough to do it myself so I asked my sister-in-law who not only paints well but is a skilled calligrapher too. She liked the idea and was ready to help me."

"We knew nothing about Warli art so we did a lot of research, read about the art form on the internet, visited some places where Warli was done and took photographs for reference. But then we didn't know anything about what kind of paint we should be using. Then my cousin Shweta Deshmukh who is an architect and lives in Pune came to our rescue. She gave us all the technical knowledge which was necessary to start our Warli project and we were good to go now." 

As you must have read my previous blogs on Warli or might have watched my video tutorial on Warli painting, I have mentioned that Warli painting depicts the social life of Warli tribe. So keeping this fact in mind Preeti and her sister-in-law painted day-to-day activities of village people. 

"We painted Sun, Vasudev, Tulsi puja to illustrate morning scene in a typical village on one wall and painted moon, men returning to home from fields, a lady cooking food etc.to portray the dusk hours on another wall."

"As Warli painting also depicts celebrations so we decided to paint a scene of a wedding ceremony on another wall where we showed a groom mounted on a horse and a coy bride sitting in a palanquin and everyone else is dancing and enjoying. Painting Warli on the entire parapet wall and a part of balcony wall was really a tough job but then my family and relatives helped me a lot through out the painting project." 

After the Warli project was done, it was time to add accessories and to make the entire balcony come alive. Preeti shares,
"I bought accessories like masks, lamp, parrot and giraffe planter for my balcony from an exhibition. Hanging bells I bought from Pune."

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You can buy the Giraffe planter & Masks here 

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Preeti is a plant lover and has a big green thumb. She has planted a variety of plants in her balcony. She even created a fairy garden.

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Create your own miniature garden:

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She is so creative when it comes to reusing, recycling or up-cycling a stuff. Using her son's broken study desk and some pebbles, she created a beautiful piece of art that you see in below picture. Now you know you just need to look around with your keen eyes to unearth the hidden treasure that you already have in your home.

With a proper plan and careful execution of it, Preeti was successful in creating the most relaxing and dreamy balcony space for herself that she had dreamed of once upon a time. 

Transformation of a dull and stark balcony space into an irresistible outdoor retreat was not an easy task for Preeti. She tells it took nearly a year to turn her balcony into a lush looking sanctuary. Now she feels proud of herself every time she gets compliments from guests.

Preeti believes that the process of transforming a house into a home takes a long time and you should try to enjoy every step along the way.

This was all about decorating a balcony space in a traditional Indian way. I hope Preeti's balcony inspired you to create your own calming retreat. Thanks Preeti for sharing the lovely images and the balcony transformation story with us. Wish you and your family love, luck & sunshine.

Dear readers, if you are looking for some more Balcony Decorating Ideas then click here.

I'm shooting one more video this week so stay tuned! Till then connect with me here:

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Design Decor & Disha Inspired Indian Art Gallery Wall

Time and again, I have shared with y'all 

the joy of being a blogger and how my blogging+vlogging are taking me to another level. I leave no stone unturned when it comes to creating the content for my blog and now my YouTube channel too. And I really feel that I have achieved something in my life when I get to know that my work inspires so many people out there. It feels great to have my hard work pay off!!

Today with me I have one of my wonderful blog readers from Bangalore who got inspired by my Indian Art Gallery Wall that you see in the image above and created one in her home. Dear readers here is a tete-a-tete with Smrity, a working woman, avid crafter, decor & DIY enthusiast and an artist too.

"My Name is Smrity Bhawna and I am from Bangalore.
I am working with Tata Communications Ltd as a Service Manager.
I am passionate about arts and crafts. Over the years I have learned many useful crafts such as Canvas painting, paper quilling, crafts using waste materials, Glass paintings, Anchor stitch etc…Also, I love to spend my time in my balcony garden." 

Here are some beautiful silhouette paintings done by Smrity.

"I've been passionate about my hobbies. It's fun to stay busy with stuff that makes one happy. Since childhood, I love to draw and paint. Sharing you one of my childhood story, when I used to travel hill stations, I was carrying my drawing book along with paints to capture serene beauty as painting. As time moved on and as days progress my life started becoming hectic with more personal and professional responsibilities but because of my passion, it kept motivating me to balance my hobby with my busy life."

Did I mention this Buddha silhouette painting is my favourite!!

"My hobbies are a stress buster for me. After hard day something is required to make you happy. My family supports me to continue with my passion and we manage all work together to avoid anyone being carried away by loads of responsibilities."

Indian Art Gallery
"After seeing Disha's post regarding Indian Art Gallery wall I got the idea to decorate my wall too with my paintings."

Here is a closer look at the paintings on both the walls in the living room.

MY GARDEN- BEST CORNER OF MY HOUSE
"My small try to beautify my garden with Wall Paintings."

"My favourite corner of the house where I spend most of my time. My beautiful and colorful Garden…BEST PLACE in my AASHIYANA."

Best Out of Waste
"When everyone is trying to reduce, reuse, and recycle, these green recycling crafts are a simple and fun way to do this. Besides, instead of taking all your old magazines, newspaper, bottles or CDs to a recycling centre, you can make little gifts for your friends. So, don’t throw out that stack of papers or other wastes."

This brings me to the end of this blog. I hope you enjoyed all the creative work done by Smrity. Leave a line or two for her in the comment box to let her know how we care about each other and how we are ready to encourage and support each other.

Signing off for now and I'll be coming back soon with another awesome blog. Stick around!!
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Indian Art Gallery Wall Reveal

I had been working on transforming one of the walls in my living room since last year and

it's time for the big REVEAL!!

Yes, it took me quite long to give a makeover to the focal wall in my living room and it's due to the fact that I have so many things to do and sometimes I find it really hard to manage everything single-handedly. Now coming to the wall decor, I have this focal wall in my living room that makes the first impression as one enters the home. So I decided to decorate it in a way that it reflects my love for my country India and its rich cultural heritage. I think I did justice to the wall and was able to bring out the true essence of India which is happy, warm, vibrant and inviting.
Before we go ahead and read the entire story, I request you to watch the video below that I shot especially for 3D readers and don't forget to like, comment, share and subscribe it will give me immense pleasure to connect with y'all there too. I am coming up with one more useful video quite soon :)

I hope you enjoyed watching the video. Now let's move on to the story of this transformation. First I will show you the before image of the same wall. It will give you an idea how my design sensibilities have improved and how my decorating style has evolved over the time and how a simple change in wall decor can make all the difference in overall look and feel of the space. Below is a before picture of the same wall.

Here is a recent look and did I spend a fortune in decorating this wall. No, not at all!! I am a huge fan of DIYs and my eternal love for Indian art forms led me to paint all these exquisite folk paintings which cost me nothing and the only money I spent in decorating this wall was getting all the paintings framed which cost me around 1k bucks!! Yes, so I spent only 1k in giving a makeover to this wall. Pretty amazing, isn't it.

[My OCD is making me restless after realising that one of the frames in below image is a bit tilted and how I want to fix it]

Here is one more old shot from a different angle.

And here is the recent one from the same angle as above. Yes, you noticed it right, I have given a makeover to my sofas also and it turned out pretty well too. 

The color burst that these paintings have added to my living room give me the opportunity to play with colors and quite often I just pick few colors from the paintings and match them with the cushions for beautifully color coordinated and well-composed look of the room. Don't you agree!

If you are craving for more wall decor ideas click right here.
That's all from me. Coming up next is an extremely beautiful home tour so stick around!!

Happy Decorating!!

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Bharatanatyam Inspired Home Decor

Spotlight on Indian art forms and incorporating them into home decor

 has been the soul of Design Decor & Disha since the very beginning and last year apart from featuring famous Indian arts and crafts I got a chance to feature an Indian classical vocalist Chandra Kargupta. Till now 3D was devoid of a feature on Indian classical dance form but today's guest gave me the opportunity to present Bharatanatyam in a unique and very beautiful way and made my blog a versatile Indian Design & Decor blog. Before we go ahead and meet our guest let me enlighten you (especially readers from different countries) a bit on Bhatanatyam. Bharatanatyam is one of the oldest Indian classical dance forms originated in temples of Tamilnadu. The dance form is the hidden language of the soul, a beautiful way to narrate mythical legends and spiritual ideas from the Vedas and Upanishads gracefully with the gestures of hand, eyes and facial muscles. 

Now let me introduce to you a very talented guest today on 3D who is Bharatanatyam dancer and will be going to tell us how the dance has influenced her decor style and how she incorporates natyam in home decor. Not only that, she will be going to speak her heart out on what is the Hidden Language of the Soul: Decor or Dance? Dear readers, please welcome Shivangi Nagarajan who is a decor enthusiast and recently started interior design and home decor blog Kadakchaitalks and she calls it her creative outlet. Both Shivangi and her husband Naren Ganeshan are Bharatanatyam dancers. They both have a deep appreciation for the art form and in fact, it was the dance that brought them together.

Both Naren and Shivangi look so graceful and divine in Bharatanatyam mudras and ensemble. The purity of their hearts is reflected through their eyes. It is the people like Shivangi & Naren who inherit the legacy from past, maintain it in the present and bestow for the benefit of the future generations and make us feel proud of our country.
Now for the today's topic, I would say we can easily draw an inspiration from nature, places or even art forms to decorate our home. You must have read my blog on 'Banaras Inspired Decor' that explains how a city inspired me to incorporate the look of it in my home decor. Similarly, now Shivangi will throw some light on how Bharatanatyam, a divine dance influenced her decor style. Read on to immerse yourself in the beautiful world of Indian classical dance and decor inspired by it and let your senses burst with joy.
Over to Shivangi now,

Many thanks to Disha for giving me the opportunity to share my love for home decor on her blog. Although I’ve never actually met Disha, one thing I know for certain is that we share similar tastes and I’m so pleased to have made acquaintance with such a talented individual.

Hello everyone! My name is Shivangi Nagarajan, and I am a home decor enthusiast, a plant lover, and a Bharatanatyam dancer. I believe that art and beauty can be found in everything, be it in nature surrounding you, in art, or even in beautiful thoughts. My blog, “Kadak Chai Talks” is an amalgamation of my wanderings and ramblings as I explore design, art, and beauty. Being a student of dance has given me an aesthetic eye for detail and design, and I’ve tried to incorporate this in different ways in my humble abode.

Before I move on to share the details, I must say that I am not alone in this. My doting husband, Naren Ganesan, who also happens to be a Bharatanatyam dancer, helps me make decisions on decor choices for our home, and also shares a great eye for design. The below images and information will give you a glimpse into our temple, we call home.
There is a famous quote of Albert Einstein that goes:

"We Dance For Laughter,
We Dance For Tears,
We Dance For Madness,
We Dance For Fears,
We Dance For Hopes,
We Dance For Screams,
We Are The Dancers,
We Create The Dreams."

Dance is a language that requires less thinking and more feeling. It continually resonates like the ebb and flow of the sea. My husband and I share a passion for Bharatanatyam, and this admiration is reflected in our choice of decor and design in our home.
Ancient Indian temples were the birthing place of what is currently known as Bharatanatyam. These temples displayed skilful craftsmanship and most stood the test of time and can be seen even today. The below Vishnu statue is one such masterpiece that we recently added to our collection. This was purchased in Chennai by my husband during his last trip back home. You can see the attention to detail in the layers of his adornment and his serene eyes.

Dance in India mainly flourished under the reigns of many valorous kings and their dynasties. They patronised the art form and it was maintained by the devadasi system. I have heard stories from Indian historians and scholars about the survival of Bharatanatyam in South India and the important role played by the kings in helping dance thrive. These cushions are minimalistic in design and color, but the impressive handiwork and eye for detail make them a statement piece. The Raja and Rani perfectly compose our neutral loveseat.

When my husband and I laid our eyes upon the below horse statue, we immediately knew that it belonged in our home. The striking resemblance to some of the intricate sculptures seen in the temples of Tanjore immediately caught our fancy and of course, we had to bring him home.

Knowledge is often taken for granted, and its significance is usually realised only when we are lacking. Goddess Saraswathi, the giver of knowledge, most definitely belongs in a household that is cultivating and growing the dancers for tomorrow. This particular statue was our first purchase as a newly married couple and holds a special sentiment. 

Also, brass offers a rich contrast against the red console table, on which I am also featuring my latest DIY attempt, the Mughal royal cameo paintings.

Of course, any Bharatanatyam dancer’s collection would be incomplete without a statue of Nataraja, the cosmic dancer and destroyer of evil. Given to me as a gift/blessing by my guru upon the completion of my Rangapravesha, this too holds a spot in my heart. On the other end is his son, Ganapathi, the remover of obstacles, and what’s special is that this particular statue is “Narthana Ganapathi”, meaning the dancing Ganesha. The clock was a wedding gift and features a Kathakali dancer, another South Indian classical dance form.

My husband and I also painted this abstract tree on some fabric that we have postered on the feature wall of our basement, which is also where my husband conducts dance lessons for his students.

Whether you’re a dancer or not, I think Indian art forms should be continually revived and preserved for the future generations. One simple way to do this would be through adding such decor pieces into your own homes and narrating a charming tale, all in the same. So get out your tarnished brassware and decorate your home with the rustic charm of India’s age old traditions and culture. If I’ve left you craving for more desi-inspired eclectic decor, then head on over to kadakchaitalks!

That's totally brilliant Shivangi. Thank you so much for making the first month of the new year so special for 3D and sharing such an awe-inspiring article on Bharatanatyam and decor inspired by this divine dance form. 3D wishes you and Naren a very happy and fulfilling life ahead!!
Dear readers, I am sure this guest post has inspired you to decorate your home in a unique way. If you wish to see more of Shivangi's talent and beautiful corners of her home here are the links to her Instagram and Pinterest account. I am sure your you will find lots of eye candies there :)

See you all soon with a first and never seen before home tour of the new year. Will be sharing a teaser of it on my Instagram in a day or two. Stick around!!


P.S: Dance images of Shivangi are clicked by Jacqueline Karathra and of Naren are clicked by Shivangi Nagarajan. A ll the other images are clicked by Shivangi & Naren.
All images in this article are Shivangi's property and subject to copyright. Please seek prior written permission from her and 3D. Thanks!

Indian Art Gallery Wall: Pattachitra Painting

My Pattachitra painting is ready and I could not believe my eyes when I saw the completed painting. Let me first tell you all that this painting was the most difficult one among all that I painted for my Indian Art Gallery Wall. 

Pattachitra is a famous art form of Odisha, India. Traditional Pattachitra is made on Patta or cloth/canvas and chitra means painting hence the painting got its name Pattachitra.

The theme of this painting style is inspired by Hindu mythology like many other Indian art forms. I chose Dashavatar (ten incarnations of god) for my Pattachitra painting theme. Earlier I had attended a Pattachitra painting workshop and I had made a small Pattachitra bookmark on dried banana leaf. You can check out the tutorial and my first Pattachitra painting here.
I stuck the same bookmark in the center of the drawing sheet to start the painting and then drew Dashavatar around it. 

Only main figures and bigger motifs are drawn using pencil/pen and rest of the detailing like filling gaps and border with patterns are done using a paint brush. Figures in Pattachitra are always well defined and motifs are quite detailed. 

Main colors used in Pattachitra paintings are yellow, red, blue, green, white and black. While filling colors, choose complementary color scheme as you go from the center towards the edge of the painting and choose analogous color scheme or tints & shades of the color to fill the patterns in a particular design. This practice makes the painting look vibrant and detailed. 

Intricate patterns are filled in every figure and motif. Fine details like features of gods, goddesses, animals and birds and detailing on clothes are done meticulously using a fine paint brush. It took me three days to complete this painting and I was in awe once it was done. 

Dashavatar you see in the above painting are Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Ram, Balram, Krishna (sometimes replaced by Buddha) and Kalki from the top left to bottom right respectively.  

My family and lots of my friends and readers are thoroughly enjoying this Indian Art Gallery wall series. Sometimes I receive emails and messages from my lovely readers saying how they are inspired to create one such wall in their homes too and how they keep checking my Instagram feed and blog just to check whether I have posted my next painting in this series. And some of them are so sweet that they even sent me some beautiful Indian folk paintings to complete the gallery wall. I will be posting about it in my next blog and that's not all, I have a big news to share with you all too. So...........

Stay tuned!!

UPDATE: Embedded a video of Pattachitra painting tutorial below. 

Indian Art Gallery Wall: Warli Painting

I am so happy that my "Indian Art Gallery Wall" is taking shape beautifully. You have already seen four different Indian folk paintings that I have painted for the gallery wall. Here is the fifth one, Warli painting of Maharashtra. 

I love and admire all Indian art forms but warli is the one that gave me lots of opportunities to enhance my skills, to interact with different creative and intellectual people and to excel in the creative field.

I had made this Warli painting three years ago. After I published the images of my First Warli Painting, one of my readers from the USA found a certain part of the painting so moving that he wanted me to paint and sell that painting to him. I painted the same and sent him happily. Below is the image of that painting. 

After that, I received another request from one of my blog readers to paint warli painting on her balcony walls and that was quite an interesting, adventurous and fun project. You can check out the complete project of Warli wall painting here. Below is the image of that warli wall painting. 

Warli is the simplest and beautiful Indian art form. It is Introduced by warli tribe of northern Maharashtra. Warli means "a piece of land" and this art is inspired by nature. Style of the painting is very simple. Only geometrical shapes are drawn to make figures, like circles for head, triangles for body and lines for limbs.  

The theme of warli painting unlike rest of the Indian art forms isn't based on mythology. Instead, it depicts day to day life and celebrations. I chose marriage celebration in a village as the theme of my warli painting. 

Warli isn't complete without some birds, huts, trees, carts and villagers performing everyday tasks like farming, pottery, getting water from the well, feeding chickens, cooking, grinding grains in grinding stone and kids playing around, a complete village scene that gives this art its true essence. 

My collection of various Indian folk paintings is growing fast and I am getting lovely messages, words of praise and encouragement from my dear readers. Thanks to you all for your love and encouragement. 

Keep watching this space for more!!

Have a lovely Sunday!