#It was an antique Art Nouveau design and I always thought it looked like something a mermaid would wear

[stellaluna33]

I miss my wedding ring so much. 😩 It was SO pretty! And it was my wedding ring! (It either got lost or stolen when I took it off to do something messy, and I was too stupidly absentminded to remember where I put it or when. This was several years ago, by the way, haha)

[lacoeursacre]

I’ve been doing some posts on some little details I’m adding to our French period home, but I thought I’d do one on other  things to introduce some French period style to your home. Some of these projects are bigger, some small, but they’re pretty much all in the affordable range – particularly if you salvage some of these things from your local flea market, eBay, charity shops etc. So here they are…

Fingerplates And Doorknobs

        I’ve been doing loads of posts on these and, believe it or not, there are more to come. There are the brass doorknobs that where already in our home when we moved in, and are a staple of most period homes, which I’ve finished off with these uniquely French style fingerplates.

I’ve started to introduce vintage glass doorknobs, with Art Deco mirrored fingerplates. Also you can find these beautifully decorated porcelain ones, often labelled as Limogés porcelain.

Buying brass fingerplates new was very prohibitive – they worked out at about £20 for an Art Nouveau style one, or sometimes I could find two for the same amountof a style I didn’t like as much. The postal fee to France was excessive though. Buying vintage ones on the UK eBay site was eye wateringly expensive as well! However a quick look on French eBay revealed a whole different picture!

Also I’ve often found going to my local Brocante was far cheaper. I think this may be because a shop has physical space, so needs quicker turnover to pay their bills. Whereas thee are many people on eBay who sell these items just because they have them and as a result it creates a false pricing structure. So shop around and try different ways of buying them to make sure you keep costs down.

Armoire

Every French home needs a beautiful armoire – the  curved detailing and elegant shapes are gorgeous. Living in France they are relatively numerous; I’ve observed French fashions seem to go more towards the new unless it’s an antique piece.

When you buy a genuine French one it’s worth noting that they don’t tend to have a clothes rail, but shelves. Great if you want somewhere to store folded clothes, handbags etc. Not so great for dresses. It’s easily rectified by maintaining one shelf and inserting a curtain pole; though maybe not something you want to do with an expensive antique.

Alternatively you may pay more, but you can buy a purpose made Armoire in the UK, US etc. But, for me, just one of these beautiful pieces of furniture would be worth it.

Lightswitches

These are more a period house addition, not particularly French.

There are actually some Bakelite versions of dolly light switches in parts of the house that were evidently seen as unimportant; the garage, the attic, the old maid’s bedroom (really, there’s a little room in the attic that the maid of the doctor slept in years ago). I love them, but I really love brass versions.

I’ve actually found some of these using eBay and, like the fingerplates, they are a lot less expensive than new ones on the market and even less expensive than the reclaimed ones you can buy in the UK.

However as period style is more popular in the UK (and America I imagine) there are alternatives. I found these dolly switches pictured aboveon this site, they’re a reproduction of an original Art Nouveau design. I love it and even though I have some I’m seriously thinking about ordering just one for my dining room. Admittedly it’s a bit of a waste and it goes outside my attempts to make the house as Earth friendly as possible – but it’s just so gorgeous! It’s the delivery price again that’s giving me pause.

Marquise

I did say some of these suggestions were a little more expensive than others and, depending n where you live, this is definitely in that bracket.

I’ve actually just bought one from the French site leboncoin; a real bargain at 50€. It’s taking a little time to strip the old putty, paintwork and rust in order to replace the glass and ensure it’s protected from rusting further. However it’s still going to be a more expensive outlay as it will need to be put up professionally due to it’s weight.

It will be worth it though as I love these – they’re so typically French! I’d never seen glass porches before I started coming to France and I fell immediately in love with them. They let in light whilst providing protection from any inclement weather for you or your guests whilst you wait to get in the house. Perfect!

Shutter Holders

Since I made my front of the house decor plan I’ve changed my mind on some items. Shutters are really expensive – about 160€ per shutter, not a pair, a shutter. So 320€ per window. We have a lot of windows!

As the front of the house is shadier they’re not essential, so having bought a marquise I’ve made other plans (more on that later).

However lots of the ancient stone houses that still have them have these little shutter holders too. I adore them. You can get them on French eBay super easy and inexpensive – if you’re in another country though it’s going to come down to delivery again.

Baguette Bin

  A really inexpensive addition, baguette bins are awesome! They hold your baguettes and have a little draw on the bottom to get rid of the crumbs. Kind of like a toaster draw. Love them! Haven’t got me one yet, but when we start our kitchen it’s going to be on my list!

Chandelier

Did you know each design has a name? They do. Maybe that’s another post though. They’re lovely.

Catholic Statues

  One of the things I love to do is keep my out for these and collect them. Then when it’s a particular saints feast we can make a little tray display like this.

Whether you’re Catholic or not these worn, plaster devotionals are beautiful and evocative. Personally I love to have the ones that have belonged to others; it always seems to me a beautiful symbol of the eternal nature of the Church knowing that in my home is something that has probably belonged to someone who either is or are on their way to being a saint triumphant.

Decorated Plates And Soup Dishes

      Again, this is more a period touch that a particular French one. They are also inexpensive. I love hanging vintage plates on the walls, and having beautiful soup dishes displayed on shelves. I haven’t actually used any yet, the girls have been too little for them, but that may be happening in the future.

Baroque Gold Mirrors

These can be really expensive – but if you find one a little damaged on the gold plaster work you can get yourself a bargain. I have and I’ve been thinking about what to do to mend mine – if it works I promise to post my method (so subscribe to get that in your feed or inbox).

My mirror isn’t up in our new house yet, I’m patiently waiting for the right place to put it. But here’s a picture of it in the old house.

Just in case you missed it.. I've been doing some posts on some little details I'm adding to our French period home, but I thought I'd do one on other  things to introduce some French period style to your home.

[homeimprovementsonecom]

Interior Designer Vikram Goyal On Transforming Mundane Houses Into Beautiful Homes

Spaces

November 24, 2017

Interior Designer Vikram Goyal On Transforming Mundane Houses Into Beautiful Homes

Text from Sharmi Ghosh Dastidar

“I Need to observe Made in India, especially when tastes such as high-end furniture are so skewed towards that which comes from states such as Italy and Germany”

Vikram Goyal at the Goa house he completed a Couple of months ago

At the conclusion of many a serpentine lane in India that is god-fearing you may observe an entity. Smeared with dabs of vermillion, obeisance that is uninterrupted is got by this rock deity of Hanuman. The respectful salutation is a reflex, at times not needing even a glimpse from the direction of the idol.

A statue of the deity graces the reception of Vikram Goyal’s dwelling also. A wooden framework showcasing the temple art of South India forms a background and decoratively ensconces the monkey god of valour. Trust Goyal as he has been performing to all things to bring a border here quintessentially Indian.

Filials from Viya Home

At the tony Shanti Niketan of New Delhi, the house of Goyal is a address that is talked-about. Clean walls and manicured leaves hide higher layout that lie behind and the splurge of glamour. A labour of love, this attractively designed home is an understanding of how a space that is modern can be adorned by the art of India, making it tasteful and modish whilst maintaining it seeped ever. Goyal’s friends started to take note of his own acumen and the product designer was soon doing his friend’s home in Chennai up. 1 job led to the next and he found himself dressing up a Manhattan penthouse, an assignment that earned him accolades. “Another residence in New York turned out very interesting as well,” says Goyal sitting at his well-furnished study, lambent in a hot yellow haze. The black walls produce a background for the abundance of old antiques and artefacts strewn. “Black is one of my favourite colours. Its daring masculinity highlights everything it frames — paintings, busts, sculptures and accessories.”

Holidays at his maternal grandfather’s abode in Rajasthan familiarised him with all all the appeal of the historic forts, havelis and palaces there, while growing up in the funds. His eye for architecture and design craftsmanship of India, was honed during the formative years. “My grandfather’s house in Jaipur has been a treasure trove of artefacts, sculptures and paintings. I grew up in all of its kinds with a deep grasp of history. I suppose a sense of layout was imbibed from youth,” he reminisces.

Prominence is found by an float

Goyal started off rather unnaturally, studying engineering and graduated in economics from Princeton University, followed by a stint in banking at Morgan Stanley in New York. But even while he studying statistics and was crunching numbers, he to museums in Europe and america, breathing in the rich tapestry of design, art and architecture. “This was a fantastic chapter of my own life. Then one fine day I decided to call it quits and return to get something. I co-founded Kama Ayurveda and then finally Viya Home happened,” he narrates.

Over a decade Viya Home started with designing goods. “My aim was to use skilled metal artisans to deliver our modern Indian designs to life. Nowhere in the world are you going to find such mastery in workmanship in India. The thought was to take something native and reach out to a broader audience. Thus, we delved to branding design and quality control to choose Indian crafts. We wanted to observe Made in India when tastes for furniture and accessories are all so skewed towards that which comes from states like Italy and Germany. We want the world to appreciate what India has to offer.” Points to some malachite table inlayed with brass. Its uniqueness, he says, lies in the combination of brass, a much-favoured metal at Viya Home because of its burnished and elastic personality, along with malachite, a semi-precious rock (in addition they utilize lapiz lazuli, tiger eye and amethyst) like against marble, that is much more commonly used by most Indian merchandise designers. “The substances are Indian but the layouts and implementation have global appeal. For its first few years, our layout forms were interpretations of traditional art and architectural components — the lotus, finials, domes and herringbone designs. As our economies developed globally and grew, we preserved our Indianness regarding material and artisanship as opposed to in designs and forms. We became decidedly India-agnostic and started drawing on inspiration from other references such as art nouveau, art deco, modernism and brutalism. Now, we use more abstract types.”

A dining set up

He points out how bits such as the Stalactite Console (a brass console smashed to seem like stalactite formations) and also even the Persepolis Wall Sconce stand out due to their worldwide appeal. “These are daring bits. A distance is glamorised by them. A home should be well-lived-in. I utilize products which turn it when I design a room. That might indicate pairing a Viya merchandise using a French stool or even a Japanese display…the bits should match each other,” Goyal says.

We consider that the inspirations that activate Goyal’s aesthetic eye. “I’ve always been drawn to Indian art and sculpture — that the diversity and the beauty of colour, craftsmanship and expression — especially to the ancient and also some of the modern. Whenever possible I use them. They add and work with furniture and accessories and a sense of history, individuality and uniqueness. With no spaces danger becoming bland and clones repositories of lighting and furniture. The physical ‘mixing’ or juxtaposition of objects and styles comes quite intuitively to me. I follow no diktat or formula. That’s the reason why I choose my customers carefully. Someone having an art set, an open mind, and a trust in my aesthetics is perfect,” he maintains.

The latest Goa project by Goyal

The brand of Goyal artefacts and spans a spectrum of art. “There are mini (Rajasthan, Mughal and Deccan colleges) along with pichwai paintings (Udaipur), old textiles, sculptures in metal and stone, wooden figures of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Gujarat in addition to Tanjore paintings, to name a few. However, I also see what sort of art the owners have and follow my own layout instincts depending on their preferences,” he states. “While working in the first blueprint, I also assess the source of pure light and the owner’s preferences. Then I pick on whether the space ought to be summery and cheerful or blue and black.”

Known for his talent for symmetry, Goyal love is still designing goods. “I’m excited creating new products. Every design ought to be unique. That is what motivates me. Seeing layouts come to life really is a high. Doing up large spaces is as challenging as dressing a apartment up. The small space also can be a jewel,” elaborates Goyal.

Aside from meeting the aesthetics of customers in the UK, France and the Middle East, ” Viya Home has been retailing from Dedar selling luxury materials. Goyal has worked together with Kelly Hoppen on a resort job in Mauritius and the brand and esteemed names such as Alberto Pinto and Studio Jacques Garcia also have been collaborating. “The Produced in India narrative has worked well worldwide with ‘soft goods’ such as textiles, fashion and rugs and, clearly, jewelry. With ‘tough’ products, for example furniture and decoration accessories the narrative has been somewhat different. The tags are mostly ‘cheap and cheerful’ instead of ‘legacy and elegance’. At Viya, we do our best to change this perception — with interior goods. Innovative design craftsmanship and Superior quality are the mainstay of our brand. Our layouts aren’t overtly Indian; we all utilize Indian substances to make items which are innovative and international.”

The Acropolis console finds place in a area

At a recently completed project in Goa, Goyal has departed from his generally busy look to make a home which brings with earthiness and minimalism. Employing the accessible laterite as the main raw material, the inside was peppered by him with goods created for your home. “We make an effort to not replicate our look. Every space ought to be individualistic. For your Goa job, I wished to work with surfaces and hence kept the ceilings. There’s a long hallway where we put a stunning, 10-foot-long, sculptural console.”

With a planner it is a range of goods in addition to no surprise that he is concurrently currently working on jobs in Goa. But he will opt for a few me-time in Europe. “I am excited about the trip because I will be able to visit museums and monuments. There’s inspiration everywhere…to watch, assimilate and utilize in my work,” he rounds off.

Labels: Featured, Creator of Viya Home, Interior Designer, Spaces, Vikram Goyal, Viya Home

from Home Improvements http://home-improvements-one.com/interior-designer-vikram-goyal-on-transforming-mundane-houses-into-beautiful-homes/

[homeimprovementsone]

Interior Designer Vikram Goyal On Transforming Mundane Houses Into Beautiful Homes

Spaces

November 24, 2017

Interior Designer Vikram Goyal On Transforming Mundane Houses Into Beautiful Homes

Text from Sharmi Ghosh Dastidar

“I Need to observe Made in India, especially when tastes such as high-end furniture are so skewed towards that which comes from states such as Italy and Germany”

Vikram Goyal at the Goa house he completed a Couple of months ago

At the conclusion of many a serpentine lane in India that is god-fearing you may observe an entity. Smeared with dabs of vermillion, obeisance that is uninterrupted is got by this rock deity of Hanuman. The respectful salutation is a reflex, at times not needing even a glimpse from the direction of the idol.

A statue of the deity graces the reception of Vikram Goyal’s dwelling also. A wooden framework showcasing the temple art of South India forms a background and decoratively ensconces the monkey god of valour. Trust Goyal as he has been performing to all things to bring a border here quintessentially Indian.

Filials from Viya Home

At the tony Shanti Niketan of New Delhi, the house of Goyal is a address that is talked-about. Clean walls and manicured leaves hide higher layout that lie behind and the splurge of glamour. A labour of love, this attractively designed home is an understanding of how a space that is modern can be adorned by the art of India, making it tasteful and modish whilst maintaining it seeped ever. Goyal’s friends started to take note of his own acumen and the product designer was soon doing his friend’s home in Chennai up. 1 job led to the next and he found himself dressing up a Manhattan penthouse, an assignment that earned him accolades. “Another residence in New York turned out very interesting as well,” says Goyal sitting at his well-furnished study, lambent in a hot yellow haze. The black walls produce a background for the abundance of old antiques and artefacts strewn. “Black is one of my favourite colours. Its daring masculinity highlights everything it frames — paintings, busts, sculptures and accessories.”

Holidays at his maternal grandfather’s abode in Rajasthan familiarised him with all all the appeal of the historic forts, havelis and palaces there, while growing up in the funds. His eye for architecture and design craftsmanship of India, was honed during the formative years. “My grandfather’s house in Jaipur has been a treasure trove of artefacts, sculptures and paintings. I grew up in all of its kinds with a deep grasp of history. I suppose a sense of layout was imbibed from youth,” he reminisces.

Prominence is found by an float

Goyal started off rather unnaturally, studying engineering and graduated in economics from Princeton University, followed by a stint in banking at Morgan Stanley in New York. But even while he studying statistics and was crunching numbers, he to museums in Europe and america, breathing in the rich tapestry of design, art and architecture. “This was a fantastic chapter of my own life. Then one fine day I decided to call it quits and return to get something. I co-founded Kama Ayurveda and then finally Viya Home happened,” he narrates.

Over a decade Viya Home started with designing goods. “My aim was to use skilled metal artisans to deliver our modern Indian designs to life. Nowhere in the world are you going to find such mastery in workmanship in India. The thought was to take something native and reach out to a broader audience. Thus, we delved to branding design and quality control to choose Indian crafts. We wanted to observe Made in India when tastes for furniture and accessories are all so skewed towards that which comes from states like Italy and Germany. We want the world to appreciate what India has to offer.” Points to some malachite table inlayed with brass. Its uniqueness, he says, lies in the combination of brass, a much-favoured metal at Viya Home because of its burnished and elastic personality, along with malachite, a semi-precious rock (in addition they utilize lapiz lazuli, tiger eye and amethyst) like against marble, that is much more commonly used by most Indian merchandise designers. “The substances are Indian but the layouts and implementation have global appeal. For its first few years, our layout forms were interpretations of traditional art and architectural components — the lotus, finials, domes and herringbone designs. As our economies developed globally and grew, we preserved our Indianness regarding material and artisanship as opposed to in designs and forms. We became decidedly India-agnostic and started drawing on inspiration from other references such as art nouveau, art deco, modernism and brutalism. Now, we use more abstract types.”

A dining set up

He points out how bits such as the Stalactite Console (a brass console smashed to seem like stalactite formations) and also even the Persepolis Wall Sconce stand out due to their worldwide appeal. “These are daring bits. A distance is glamorised by them. A home should be well-lived-in. I utilize products which turn it when I design a room. That might indicate pairing a Viya merchandise using a French stool or even a Japanese display…the bits should match each other,” Goyal says.

We consider that the inspirations that activate Goyal’s aesthetic eye. “I’ve always been drawn to Indian art and sculpture — that the diversity and the beauty of colour, craftsmanship and expression — especially to the ancient and also some of the modern. Whenever possible I use them. They add and work with furniture and accessories and a sense of history, individuality and uniqueness. With no spaces danger becoming bland and clones repositories of lighting and furniture. The physical ‘mixing’ or juxtaposition of objects and styles comes quite intuitively to me. I follow no diktat or formula. That’s the reason why I choose my customers carefully. Someone having an art set, an open mind, and a trust in my aesthetics is perfect,” he maintains.

The latest Goa project by Goyal

The brand of Goyal artefacts and spans a spectrum of art. “There are mini (Rajasthan, Mughal and Deccan colleges) along with pichwai paintings (Udaipur), old textiles, sculptures in metal and stone, wooden figures of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Gujarat in addition to Tanjore paintings, to name a few. However, I also see what sort of art the owners have and follow my own layout instincts depending on their preferences,” he states. “While working in the first blueprint, I also assess the source of pure light and the owner’s preferences. Then I pick on whether the space ought to be summery and cheerful or blue and black.”

Known for his talent for symmetry, Goyal love is still designing goods. “I’m excited creating new products. Every design ought to be unique. That is what motivates me. Seeing layouts come to life really is a high. Doing up large spaces is as challenging as dressing a apartment up. The small space also can be a jewel,” elaborates Goyal.

Aside from meeting the aesthetics of customers in the UK, France and the Middle East, ” Viya Home has been retailing from Dedar selling luxury materials. Goyal has worked together with Kelly Hoppen on a resort job in Mauritius and the brand and esteemed names such as Alberto Pinto and Studio Jacques Garcia also have been collaborating. “The Produced in India narrative has worked well worldwide with ‘soft goods’ such as textiles, fashion and rugs and, clearly, jewelry. With ‘tough’ products, for example furniture and decoration accessories the narrative has been somewhat different. The tags are mostly ‘cheap and cheerful’ instead of ‘legacy and elegance’. At Viya, we do our best to change this perception — with interior goods. Innovative design craftsmanship and Superior quality are the mainstay of our brand. Our layouts aren’t overtly Indian; we all utilize Indian substances to make items which are innovative and international.”

The Acropolis console finds place in a area

At a recently completed project in Goa, Goyal has departed from his generally busy look to make a home which brings with earthiness and minimalism. Employing the accessible laterite as the main raw material, the inside was peppered by him with goods created for your home. “We make an effort to not replicate our look. Every space ought to be individualistic. For your Goa job, I wished to work with surfaces and hence kept the ceilings. There’s a long hallway where we put a stunning, 10-foot-long, sculptural console.”

With a planner it is a range of goods in addition to no surprise that he is concurrently currently working on jobs in Goa. But he will opt for a few me-time in Europe. “I am excited about the trip because I will be able to visit museums and monuments. There’s inspiration everywhere…to watch, assimilate and utilize in my work,” he rounds off.

Labels: Featured, Creator of Viya Home, Interior Designer, Spaces, Vikram Goyal, Viya Home

from Home Improvements http://home-improvements-one.com/interior-designer-vikram-goyal-on-transforming-mundane-houses-into-beautiful-homes/