Something to cheer up your Monday

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After graduating from art school, the French designer and entrepreneur Zoe de Las Cases set up shop in Paris and online. Her products are whimsical creations - all inspired by her unconventional childhood in the beautiful Aubrac region of France. 

Zoe draws upon these memories, vintage photographs and domestic imagery from the 1950s. She picks up old photographs of nostalgic scenes - smiling children on a beach holiday, three serious sisters on a picnic, a pensive housewife pegging out her laundry - then adds splashes of bright colour and pattern to the monochrome prints to give them a modern twist before printing the designs onto cushions. The results are kitsch and fabulous. 

It's a strange but fun mix and very original; offerings include miniature cardboard kitchen kits, cushions in the shape of colanders and fox masks. She's not afraid to break the rules. Her cushions are irregularly shaped, as if a child has cut around the outlines of the people with a pair of scissors. 

The poster collection at Zoe de Las Cases is a delight, too, and as totally bonkers as the rest of the shop. In most of the collage-like prints, colourful pigeons perch on children's heads. It's crazy and bizarre, but I love the playfulness and fun she brings to her products.

View more of Zoe's wacky products here.

Go ahead have fun with your house!

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I saw this house featured on Jules' lovely blog - 'A Diversion project' and did not think much of it at first. But then I realized that it's special because a house like this reminds us to let go, forget about trends and fashions, pay no heed to what people might think and just have fun with our home. For a home is an extension of who we are, it should grow with us and contain things that we pick up along the way. Each item has a story behind it being there and that is the secret ingredient that adds personality to our homes.   

As Jules says "they clearly have a soft spot for mid century pieces and colourful art, but they haven't let that sway their love of old tapestries, Persian rugs or antique timber pieces either".

Swedish Home with vintage finds

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Have a peep at the fabulous home of Swedish interior designer Marie Olsson Nylander. She and her husband bought this shabby 1970's villa, and have their house with stories, coziness and wonderful eccentic objects. I love how each room is filled with salvaged pieces of furniture that add a special mood to the house.

All images via Design Shimmer

Modern Minimalistic meets the Handmade

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The Miller house designed by iconic architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, epitomizes the international Modernist aesthetic—with an open and flowing layout, flat roof and stone and glass walls. The house is considered to be one of the finest expressions of American modernism. In 2000, the Miller House became a National Historic Landmark. 

But despite all these incredible features, my favorite bits about the house are the bright textiles and objects from around the globe. These accents bring the interiors to life. They also remind me of similar houses in Delhi built in the 1950’s and 1960’s in local brick and concrete. These houses had the requisite Spartan spaces of demanded by fashionable modern architecture. However, Indians being Indians cannot live without colours. So, the owners softened the starkness with traditional Indian textiles, tribal rugs and wooden screens. In the process, they shaped a residential typology that was a favorite of educated intellectual Indians in that era.  

   

The House is owned by Indianapolis Museum of Art and is open to visitors. All images courtesy of IMA.

Easiest party snack ever!

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So this is a very impulsive post, I was not planning to write about this at all. Last night we had some friends over for an impromptu board-games night. It was all spur of the moment and although they were coming post-dinner, I wanted to rustle up some nibbles, to go with the wine. 

I rushed home from work in a blind panic (the kind when you know you have half an hour to clean the living room and the kitchen and make snacks!). 

Invented in such panicked circumstances, this is not a very sophisticated recipe. Nevertheless, it is delicious and I will wholly recommend it as a party snack. It would also make a great starter for an Indian meal, because the filling is an old Punjabi recipe very similar to aloo saag. I have just added one English twist - strong cheddar! 

Anyway, moving on to the recipe, you would need; 

For the filling:

1 tablespoon mild olive oil

1 large red onion, chopped roughly

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

2 fat cloves garlic, chopped

1 cm piece of ginger cut in strips

2 large potatoes, boiled and mashed (I microwaved them for 5 minutes)

2 handfuls chopped spinach

Salt and red pepper to taste

½ teaspoon garam masala (if you don’t have this you can add oregano)

100 gms cheddar, roughly chopped into small cubes

Shop bought puff pastry sheet

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a pan and lightly fry the ginger and garlic for one minute to release their flavor,

2. Add the chopped onion and sauté until it turns pink and transparent,

3. Now add the tomatoes, mashed potatoes, salt, red pepper and garam masala,

4. Once the tomatoes soften, add the spinach and cheese, mix well and take the pan off the heat.

5. Cut the puff pastry sheet into twelve 8 cm squares and line a shallow muffin pan.

6. Prick the pastry shells with a fork and spoon some filling into each, you can fold them or leave them open as I have done.

7. Bake at 200ºC for around 20 minutes or until golden brown. 

I did not bother to brush with egg mix, who has the time and besides they look good enough as it is. Also, I prefer mixing in the cheese because it tends to burn when sprinkled on top. 

Serving tip: Mint salsa goes very well with this snack.