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.

   

Celebrity Home: Grey's Anatomy Girl at Home

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This weekend I bring you the laidback home of Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo - a classic 1920’s Spanish-style home in the Hollywood Hills. For the decor, Ellen was inspired by all things Mediterranean, Morocco, Spain, Tuscany, and the South of France—not only for their design traditions but also for their lifestyles that celebrate casual entertaining, hearty food, and sun-kissed repose. As she puts it, “This house is perfect for our family, it’s all about swimming, eating, and hanging out with friends”.

In the dining room, lanterns are suspended above an antique Guatemalan farmhouse table from Dos Gallos; the mirror is by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard, and the subway sign is vintage

The living room chairs were left by the previous owners, and a petrified-wood block from DAO Home serves as a side table.

In the den, the sectional and the ottoman, which are covered in a linen by C&C Milano and an Edelman leather, respectively, and the upholstered screens are all by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard; the woven-sea-grass stools are by ABC Carpet & Home.

In the master bedroom, the antique Egyptian wall hanging and 1950s West African pillows are from Hollywood at Home; the bed is topped with a cashmere blanket by Matteo and an Indian silk-and-wool throw, and the vintage lacquer campaign cabinets and ’60s Moroccan-style brass lamps are from Orange Furniture

The master bath features a tub and étagère by Waterworks, an antique Chinese bamboo ladder, and a zinc garden stool; the floor tiles are from Exquisite Surfaces 

The custom designed sofa is by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard

All images via Elle Decor.

Period living in Wales: Victorian Mill House

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I am back from my wonderful holiday in Wales and find myself completely obsessed with the quaint Welsh cottage style. I promise this phase will pass quickly, like my other fleeting obsessions, but before it does let me share a beautiful renovated old mill house. This Victorian mill and stables were transformed by owner Linda Cobbett into a functional home and was judged the Best Period Renovation of 2010 by UK magazine Period Living.

Linda retained several original features, which are the remnants of the industrial use of the building, such as the large metal windows, natural textures like the stonewalls and the wooden floorboards. Other components such as the old drive wheel of the mill has been used as a unique chandelier in the living room. 

The U shaped kitchen island, formerly used as a counter in a sweet shop 

All images via Period Living

Welsh Cream Tea in the Brecon Beacons

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Here are some photographs from my recent trip to Wales. We stayed in the village of Penderyn near Aberdare and enjoyed two whole days of walks and rides in the Brecon Beacons National Park. On the last day, we decided to regain some of the lost calories and treat ourselves to a Welsh Cream Tea. 

It was an impulse stop; driving along the A4059, we saw a small sign for Ty Newydd Country Hotel, advertising cream teas. That was it, my sugar sensor perked up and I could see scones laden with cream and strawberries floating in front of my eyes. We just had to go in.

Apparently, we were not the only ones who had succumbed to temptation. There was a group of English gentlemen wearing tweed waistcoats and berets, enjoying their tea in the garden while puffing on their cigars. They were driving their vintage cars through the most picturesque roads in Wales. Cars that looked so magnificent, lined up in front of the Neo-Georgian building that I couldn’t help but steal a quick photograph. Can it possibly get any more English than this? 

On to the Cream tea, I believe I should spare you the words and just let you look at my photographs of tiered cake stands with homemade scones, welsh cakes, bara brith, clotted cream and jam (yes you get a cake stand all to yourself!). Just make sure you head over to Ty Newydd if you are ever in the area. It will be well worth it, I promise.