The Key Bunch

Wall decor ideas

2009-11-12T10:08:00.007+05:30

I am always charmed by wall motifs, especially the ones that don't come preset in wallpaper but are hand made, block printed or even stuck on creatively. Recently, a friend wanted something interesting on her wall. So we set about googling for some inspiration. Here's what we found.

Beautiful wall art for continuity of colors

A pretty wall decal

This is not as tough as it looks It's been made with a stencil.
Have a look at the tutorial

The tutorial for this one is here

This gorgeous motif was made using a stencil

A pretty Fleur Elise Design using Stencils

For a royal look, there is nothing like gold motifs on a dark wall
Image courtesy: Bhutan Foreign Ministry

A pineapple motif done for a client by artist Susan Gonzales.

You can buy stencils at this Etsy However, these lovely paisley designs
are sold out!

This is Patricia's warli art on her wall. Head over to
Colors Dekor for the full post

And what has my friend decided on? A block printed wall! I am so excited and can't wait to get started on it. I love the block she has picked up. It's very Jaipuri and it will be a great India touch to her walls!

Images are courtesy Google Search unless otherwise mentioned. If you want to claim credit for any of these pictures, contact me

House Tour: Mathanki Kodavasal

2009-11-04T13:19:00.017+05:30

Aqua texture wall, custom made low bed in dark wood & aqua cushion from Good Earth

After a long month of anniversary celebrations, it’s back to business again. This week, we feature the house tour of Mumbai based art director, Mathanki Kodavasal. Mathanki’s décor ideas came from design sites on the internet and TV shows like Top design. The space is just about 900 sq ft and has been done up from scratch. I love the way she has played around with colors to give the apartment a vibrant feel and the brilliant idea of turning a bedspread into blind. Mathanki explains how she created this cozy place as we go through the tour. Enjoy!

'Cube' side- table, candles, the bamboo plant and a bamboo rain maker and a gurgling mini waterfall

The apartment was a 2 bhk, but we broke down a wall, and converted one of the bedrooms to a study cum bar, with a window opening to the kitchen. Made the space look a lot bigger. The idea was to make the house as open and airy and bright as possible.

Our favorite room is the study, and I'm so glad we decided to experiment with the brick wall. It gives the whole room a very warm and cozy feel.

While looking for blinds, we couldn't find any design or pattern we liked. But we saw some Portico bedsheets which had some brilliant colorful patterns, and the shop guy told us that he could make blinds out of them.(I loved this idea!)

Warhol+ Che, on the bar side wall

We (hubby and me) both like dark wood, and minimalistic modern furniture, and it suits small spaces. We designed most of the pieces ourselves, and got it made.

My favorite color is aqua...its soothing, not harsh and very pleasing to the eye.So you will see a lot of aqua in the house. The kitchen tiles, the bedroom wall. We played around with textures.

The aqua theme continues to the master bath, I was trying to achieve a very good- earthy feel. Wooden rafters on the ceiling with embedded 'iron an' lights for a dramatic effect.

Print of La Ramblas, Barcelona, in our dining room

I think over all we mixed and matched our ideas, and we were quite surprised ourselves at how our home turned out finally.

Mathanki blogs at by two kaapi n'a bit of art and mylittlescrapbook. Btw, you can see more pics of her home here. What do you think of the ideas used here? - Rekha for thekeybunch

A great month gone by...

2009-10-28T22:31:00.009+05:30

It's been a brilliant anniversary month for us, entirely due to the efforts of our talented guest bloggers who really made our blog look great! Thanks also to Kalyani for her great giveaway, and to all our viewers who encouraged the bloggers with their feedback and comments.

Now, down to the real reason behind our anniversary celebrations. Firstly, yes it was a unique way of celebrating our first year of blogging. But beneath that, we were also keen on bringing bloggers together. It was lovely to see the level of co-operation and back and forth appreciation that went along with the guest blogs...goes to show that the sorority of interior and design bloggers are a fun lot, doesn't it? Thirdly, yes it was a pretty cool way for The Keybunch team to take a whole month off from blogging, while getting our blog updated...(we are kidding, that really was not our intention, but come to think of it, a happy side effect of the month-long celebrations!)

Well, it's time now for us at The Keybunch to get our act together. After all those great posts from the guest bloggers, we sure have some impossible benchmarks set for us!Thank you Prachi, Manvi, Patricia, Meera, Madhavi, Kalyani, Aarohi and Sridhar. When we asked you, you accepted right away, and went out of your way with really super stuff!

So people, it's been an enjoyable month, and as usual, it's all your doing! Thank you :)

- Rekha and Sharon

Guest post by Sridhar - Courtyards in Urban Spaces

2009-10-25T13:11:00.001+05:30

On behalf of the two wonderful men who are behind us with their unstinting support, Sridhar (Rekha's husband), is here with our concluding anniversary post. Sridhar is a practicing architect in Bangalore and uses trademark design elements, usually stone cladding, courtyards and architectural columns in most of his projects. So we found it appropriate to ask him to do a post on courtyards in interiors. Read on....
-The Keybunch Team
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It has been a great year and I have truly enjoyed reading The Keybunch ever since its inception. Congratulations on the completion of a wonderful 1st year. It’s my privilege to be a guest writer on your anniversary, thanks for inviting me to do a guest post.

A Courtyard is an environment-friendly structure that speaks an aesthetic language in which nature is reinstated as a beneficent force in architecture. In it, the outdoor space is enclosed within the interior volume and involves almost all the green principles that occupy a great deal of discussion in architecture.

Residences without central courtyards can be planned for any diversity of plot dimensions, houses with lateral (sided) courtyards are similar in nature to central courtyard houses. However they differ in terms of the actual use of the courtyard as a living space.

In most cases I’ve found that creating an independent source of height in front of courtyard walls and /or in corners can create a 3d effect. In a sense, it makes the independent element a focal point while using the decorated walls as a backdrop or framework. Framing an element this way helps create depth of boundary behind that element.

Some good elements to use are small trees with tall trunks, tall pots, pots on stands, groups of pots, trellis works, and decor accessories.

The color of your walls also makes a big difference in the depth, atmosphere, and mood of the courtyard garden. Bright and light colors have a closed-in feel while darker colors add more depth and a sense of more space and distance.

I was unable to get hold of pictures of my other projects due to time constraints, probably the second anniversary post if invited, will have more. - Sridhar

Guest post by Aarohi Singh - Painting Demo

2009-10-20T15:59:00.019+05:30

Our guest blogger this week is Aarohi Singh, a self taught artist. What started as an interest in art a couple of years ago is now a full fledged profession for her. Art, for an artist is living their lives through their art and Aarohi transfers her thoughts on to her canvas. We, at The Keybunch are great fans of the kitschy art she creates on kettles, mugs and buckets. Try this painting demo that is self explanatory and let us know how it turned out. See how the final painting turned out here.
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Hi and Happy Diwali everyone!!

My heartfelt congratulations to The Key Bunch on completing a year. And boy- what a year it has been. I am amazed at the wonderful and truly inspirational blog posts that they come up with. Imagine my surprise and pleasure when they asked me to do a guest post for them!! Since I am an artist and have as yet never done a step by step demo of my work online, this seems to be the perfect opportunity to start. If you like what you see, do let me know and I will be happy to post more demos such as this on my site.

Cheers and I hope the next years and years to come are even more satisfying and memorable for Rekha and Sharon.

- Aarohi
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Step 1

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See how the final painting turned out here.

Diwali wishes and giveaway: Handmade cushion covers from Kye

2009-10-17T16:22:00.020+05:30

Happy Diwali to all our readers!

As promised, we are here with a fab giveaway for our dear readers to coincide with Diwali. The giveaway is a lovely set of handmade cushion covers from Kye (also see our May 2009 post on Kye here).

Like The Keybunch, Kye has completed a year too. Read on for the wonderful story of Kye as told by its founder Kalyani Ganapathy, have a look at the handmade covers they are giving away exclusively to The Keybunch viewers, and comment if you want to win them! The bottom of this post has information on what you have to do to be eligible for Kye's First Anniversary Cushion Cover Giveaway! Read on...

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This giveaway has ended. Congrats to the winner notyet100!
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The Story of Kye

Psst... let me tell you a little secret. There is a recipe for creating a beautiful home, a lot of love and a dash of personality. That's where I draw my inspiration from. In the era of modern, touch of a button technology one often asks me if I am crazy using the methods of print making that I do. the answer is no, we have all become trend crazy addicts who have forgotten the simple essences of life. So in everyday work at Kye I pose two challenges to myself (i) redefining handmade (ii) creating an emotion within my consumers.

When I quit my job I had zero capital to invest in the business. All I did was buy a few basic things. It was amazing what I could do with a few meters of fabric, a sewing machine, skeins and a box of paint.

Okay, so I'll be honest my stuff was not flying off the shelves. But there were people who wrote in to me saying "I... blah blah blah". that was it. I knew that was the reaction I wanted. I made cushion cover after cushion cover, retailed on consignment at two stores, prayed that they would sell, I had no money to spend on PR. When things started selling, word spread.

Today a year later I am proud to say that my cushions sit on couches across India. I have sold wall art at the most basic prices, but to people who cherish having them on their walls. It has been a long journey, on the way i have had to earn trust, had numerous setbacks. But we still do everything by hand. (more pics of recent projects) After the success of my first venture, I hope to make 'kye' a recognized home furnishings brand, the mantra being freshness and love!

Love,
Kalyani

What you have to do to win the fab cushion covers:

Kye is all about 'hand made'. So for the contest, Kalyani wants to have The Keybunch viewers write in about their proudest hand made moments. Go ahead, we know each of you has some great stuff to share!
Make sure you leave a valid email id along with your comment.

The giveaway winner will be announced at the end of our Anniversary Celebrations.

Guest post by Madhavi Menon - Stunning Egyption Coffee Painting Tutorial

2009-10-16T14:40:00.012+05:30

Madhavi Menon, this week's contributor is a creative woman passionate about art and crafts. The above picture which is a greeting card she has created for The Keybunch team on their anniversary, is proof of that. We enjoy reading her blog Get Crafty, a place where contributors all over the world share their ideas and try new crafts. She sent us this beautiful peacock card with anniversary wishes on it. Thanks Madhavi! Jaya Venkatesh, a contributor to her blog has sent us this wonderful coffee painting tutorial in which she makes use of Tanya Yasmeen's(another contributor) tissue paper technique as well. Hope you have fun trying this one! Over to Madhavi....
- Team Keybunch
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I am more than delighted to be part of your anniversary celebrations. We are a team of 100 plus contributors in Getcrafty and 400 plus member in the forum Craftzine.From the team of getcrafty and craftzine, i wish you happy anniversary and many more such wonderful anniversaries ahead.

Materials Needed: Plywood / MDF board Fevicryl Glue ‘N’ Gloss Fevicol or White Glue Egyptian Design photocopy Fevicryl 3D Outliner – Copper / bronze Instant Coffee Powder Tissue Papers Brushes.

Method :
Take the wooden board and smoothen it with sandpaper. Mix Fevicol with water to make it easy to apply with a brush. Apply this fevicol mix on the board fully in easy strokes with a flat brush. Start laying a tissue paper on it when it is wet. Cover the board with 2-3 layers of tissue, using more fevicol mix. Allow it to dry 3-4 hrs. Cut out the design neatly (I have taken a Egyptian queen and a couple of Egyptian symbols here). Stick these designs on top of the tissue covered board using fevicol . Mix fevicryl glue ‘n’ gloss with water in 1-1 ratio and apply it in even strokes with a flat brush on top of the design. Allow it to dry for 2 hrs. Outline the entire design with the 3D outliner. Allow it to dry for 15-20 mins .

Mix a little coffee powder with water to get a light brown colour and apply it all over the board. Allow it to dry a little . Now we can start giving different shades of coffee colour by using a few drops of water if u want dark colour and a ½ spoon of water if u want lighter shades.

The background needs minimum 3 coats of light coffee colour to give a nice finish. The tissue gives a textured effect and looks like a old parchment or an old wall painting.

Tip:-Adding a drop of glue ‘n’ gloss to the coffee mixture makes it dry faster and gives a glossy finish.

Guest post by Meera Vasudev Srinivasan - Adaptive Reuse Decor for Diwali

2009-10-12T10:06:00.011+05:30

Meera Vasudev Srinivasan is a busy architect and mom who still manages two blogs, designramblingsandmuchmore and right to dream in spite of her busy schedule. She also drops in often at our blog to leave encouraging comments. In this guest post, she blogs how we can reuse household products to change the decor without spending a dime! - Team Keybunch

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As I congratulate THE KEY BUNCH on a great year of their wonderful blog, I wish them a long and successful future with many more insightful ideas unlocked... The festive season definitely brings out the best in every household. Colours abound everywhere against the backdrop of twinkling lights and floral delights. It also means getting rid of the old and bringing in the new! What do you do with that all the stuff that is oh-so-necessary but just does not fit in with the grandeur of the festive decor?!!

Storage options are aplenty but how do we come up with a storage solution that is decorative in itself? This little note attempts to investigate the idea of adaptive reuse of art and design in life. Little ideas that take the Indian theme to beyond the surface making them an indispensible part of your life!

Grandma’s old wood trunk can be spruced up with brass fittings that can be found in any hardware store or at your local kabadiwala. Paint the trunk and voila! You have a decorative storage solution. Use as a coffee table or as a divan and stash away the newspapers and magazines in it! A tin trunk can be decorated the same way sans the brass fittings, but with kitschy Indian painting or decoupage. An ethnic runner might just do the trick as well!

Use newspaper as wallpaper.....the words add a fun element to the room, not to mention the news clippings could be a great conversation starter! Just replace the paper when it tears. Alternatively you could get the whole wall lacquered or get a wall of transparent glass mounted on it for longevity. Newspaper can also be used to wrap gifts to your near and dear! A string of ribbon and you’re good to go!

An old flower basket can double up as the remote holder. A string of fairy lights along the top and you’re done. Alternatively, put the basket upside down and get your local electrician to rig a bulb socket in and you have a new lamp shade that not only gives you ambient light but also creates pretty patterns all around!

Going back to those indispensible remote controls, put them in an old brass container to both hide them and the container immediately becomes an added attraction instead of an eyesore during the festive season.

Old sarees and dupattas can be given a new lease of life by turning them into drapes, quilts, runners and cushion covers. Beautiful pieces of cloth that have no use and are too small to be made into cushions but too pretty to throw away? Make little potlis out of them and use them to put your gifts in or to store your jewellery in. Hang a chattai on the wall to immediately give the space that ethnic look that you want.

Another example of great adaptive reuse would be old brass vessels that were once used to cook in but unfortunately now just occupy copious amounts of space. Use the smaller ones as flower holders and pen stands and to hold spoons even! Brass tins can be used to store the deluge of sweets that threaten to drown us all in. Old brass water filters and geysers can be recycled into table lamps.

Old Mats can be mounted on doors to give an almost chik-curtain like look enhancing the idea of an ethnic interior! Image: Thai Mat What to do with all those magazines piling up that you cannot bear to throw away? Use some of the gorgeous picture paper as wrapping paper- there’s something no one can replicate. Find an image you cannot part with? Get it laminated and use as table mats! Old calendars that have images of ancient wonders of the world or historical images, paintings by the masters, can be individually framed and put up as a group art piece. Take an old calendar with an image you like, and mount a battery with clock needles to make your own clock!

Image Credits: Apartment Therapy, www.thechattanoogaauctionhouse.com, http://brookegiannetti.typepad.com, www.earthbagbuilding.com

The Keybunch Diwali Picks 2009: Part 2

2009-10-08T17:58:00.007+05:30

Okay I am back sooner than I thought, with Part 2. A sudden trip and some mix-ups have forced me to come back a bit ahead of time, but I found some pretty cool stuff on the Internet, and was dying to share them with you anyway. Presenting some of the best picks of the Diwali sales that are taking place online, and some really pretty finds.Okay I have to blurt this out - that copper steel bucket blew me away. Have a look at it, and imagine the possibilities! Icebucket, Flower vase, conversation piece, punch bowl....in short, I loved it!

You can see the bucket I was drooling over. The Candles &Bloom stuff looks quite X'massy, but I guess it can pass off as a unique Diwali decoration too.
From Homeshop18
Candles & Bloom 3 Pc: Photo Frame + Placemat + Candle
Price: Rs.1299

Copper Steel Bucket
Price: Rs.914

From infibeam
Handcrafted Terracota Ash Tray from Rajasthani villages
Rs 199

Colourful paraffin wax filled (Eco friendly) set of 9 Matki diyas.
Rs 248

Finally, my favorite furnishing store has come out with a lovely Folkeart collection

Maspar's Folkarte Collection reflects the myths, stories and folklore of Indian culture. It represents the rich cultural milieu of this great land and the subtle nuances of culture in a modern age marketplace.

Okay, here's a closeup of that bucket.

sigh!

The Keybunch Diwali Picks 2009: Part 1

2009-10-05T17:34:00.003+05:30

It is that time of year again - lights, glitter and bling....recession or boom, India goes on a spending spree...So here's what we think you should buy for your home.

Lac work T lite holders Starting Rs 222,
Diyas Starting Rs 42,
Hand made ready to use Rangoli Rs 922 onwards
Contact Nihar Mehta, Tribal Route- a Handcrafted Store-Y

Episode sterling silver ware, Diwali collection, Prices on request.

Avon Utsav collection
Utsav Bevelled Lantern Rs 199,
Utsav Morocco T Light holder Rs.129.
Contact Sharon or Rekha from The Keybunch. We are Avon representatives (too!)

Part 2 of our Diwali Picks is coming in next week!
Watch out for more guest bloggers, and a great tutorial on coffee art.

Guest Post by Colors Dekor: Instant party makeup for your home

2009-10-02T21:00:00.003+05:30

Our guest blogger this week is Patricia Torres, who has a great design blog called Colors Dekor. Patricia is multi-talented and multifaceted, always hopping off on exciting short trips, rearranging stuff around her home (with great results, may I add) and planning lovely theme parties. How do we know? Well, we are regulars at her blog, and we love the fact that she chronicles the beauty she adds to her life! Patty, you rock!

- Team Keybunch

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As we are celebrating the 1^st Anniversary of The Key Bunch… and I didn’t have time to prepare for the party, this is a post on instant party make up for your home. Come with me, as I collect my key bunch and open the door to my home for a celebration…..

Here are a few ideas of what I do in 30 mins for a quick home fix for an unexpected party or celebration.

The Kitchen – for me is the most important. So clear the counter tops – I am sure everything can go in a cabinet, cupboard or fridge. Don’t display dirty dishes. Clean the counter top and add a few accessories.

Living Room & Dining area – Clear the clutter from the coffee table! Magazines & newspapers go in the rack and remote controls can be stashed away as well!! Here are a few tips to accessorise the room –

Candles – candles create a party mood instantly. The key is to always have extra tea-lights or floating candles. Plus you don’t need candle holders… any pretty dish or glass you have at home, can be made into an immediate candle holder.

Sofa throw – don’t forget to dress up your sofa. I normally use any of my pashminas or shawls for an instantaneous face lift!! Works fine.. what do you think? Throw in a few cushions as well… and it looks lovely!!

Flowers – If you are lucky enough to have a garden, then go pluck some flowers… or pick up ferns or dried leaves and put them together !! Well I’m not as lucky as you are… so I’ll just use some dried leaves from my balcony and mix it with potpourri!

Dining table runner – Throw a pretty, colorful or fancy duppatta on your dining table… And that becomes a runner no one has seen before. Top it up with some candles or flowers… and you are ready to party!!

Alternatively just place fresh fruits or vegetables as the center piece of the table. Different colored peppers, green limes, vibrant yellow lemons or just warm and loving tomatoes. Arranged prettily, you’ll be surprised at how easily a fresh center piece can be made!

Bathroom – Once your living area looks beautiful, don’t forget to have a quick look at the guest bathroom. Make sure there is an extra toilet roll or a few hand towels. Place a few bamboos or fresh flowers or just use aromatic candles, to add that extra touch to the bathroom.

Now just sit back, relax, pop the wine

- Patricia Torres

Guest post by Mochatini: Colors of Fall in your Diwali Decor

2009-09-29T00:00:00.002+05:30

Our guest blogger today is Manvi who blogs at Mochatini. Manvi's blog is constantly updated with inspiration, finds, and interesting decor ideas. That's what makes it a must-watch for us at The Keybunch, and we thought it would be a good idea to share her talents with you, our readers. Over to Manvi.
-Team Keybunch
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Hello The Keybunch readers. I'm Manvi from the blog Mochatini. It's lovely to guest post here while The Keybunch bloggers celebrate their one year blog anniversary. Congratulations on a great blog.

Sharon suggested a Diwali related post so I put together a few decor and tabletop ideas. While Diwali here in the US isn't celebrated on the same scale as in India, we do our best to make this festival/holiday special.

I love the bright colors of leaves in Fall, and decided to use them as inspiration for my decor.

I created a mood board using this gorgeous burnt orange color.

I decided to keep the decor simple with pops of color using flowers.

I placed a large bowl of water and floating candles in my fireplace

Puja decoration

Here, are some tabletop decoration ideas that I created

I took a few clear glasses, half-filled them with water and
then alternated flowers and tea-lights in each.

I made this flower vase by recycling a tin can and an old wedding invitation

an unusual yet elegant centerpiece - a bowl with limes and a flower.

Oh and some fashion inspiration!

Happy Diwali!

I would love to see you all over at Mochatini for more decor talk! Thanks Sharon and Rekha for having me guest post here. Happy Blog Anniversary!

Images by Manvi for Mochatini. If you would like to use any of the images on your blog, you can do so by including a link back to Mochatini. You may not use any of the images for print or commercial purposes.

Guest post by purplehomes : Wrap them up!

2009-09-25T00:00:00.006+05:30

Dear Reader,
We are carrying a guest post by one of our earliest wellwishers, Prachi Grover. Prachi blogs on interiors and decor too, over at purplehomes,an amazing blog! This is the first in a series of guest blogs commemorating our first anniversary. Watch out for great guest posts right up till October 25th.
- Team Keybunch
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I was pleasantly surprised and happy to get an “email id please” request from the very creative Sharon of The Keybunch. And happier, when she asked me write a Guest Post for her awesome blog. Why?? The Keybunch is one year old, that is why!!! Congratulations to both Sharon and Rekha for writing such a lovely blog and making us wait eagerly for new posts.

Here’s what I have to say…

Festive Gift Ideas

I absolutely love this part of the year. Starting with Eid, followed by Dusshera, Diwali, Christmas, New Years…for me it doesn’t end here…there is Lohri and finally Holi. That is officially the end of the festival season for me and the next six months are spent waiting for this part of the year once again. Of course there is décor theme to be planned for each festival; there are menus to be decided, flowers to be bought, family and friends to be invited and finally gifts to be bought for people who matter to me. Thoughtful gifts that they will cherish (not the last minute biscuits and juice hampers…please). As much as I like giving gifts I also like wrapping them up creatively. I love it when they go oooo…aaaahhhhh just looking at the gift wrap.

So here I have put together for you loads and loads of very easily done gift wrapping ideas for this BIG celebration season. I hope you enjoy trying out different wraps for a various festivals and surprising your loved ones (Don’t forget to include all the people who help you run your life and home all the year round ;))

This is indeed one of my all time favorites, I am very partial to brown paper…yes the same one that kids use to cover their notebooks. Tie a string around it, a shimmery ribbon, throw in some dried leaves and pinecones and any box would look great. Wrap up some patterned paper on it or simply paste paper cuts outs…the dreary old brown paper suddenly comes to life.

Another idea that helps us go green is to use old newspapers, books that you are planning to discard, glossy magazine sheets that anyways you are going to give away. Tie a bow made up bright ribbon or simply make loads of tiny spirals of the newspaper to give the gift a life. I have to admit out of all these I have a special fondness for the calendar idea where I can wrap up the gift in an old calendar sheet and mark out the special date. Sweet.

What can be better than giving two gifts than one…wrap up the gift with a silk scarf or a cotton napkin. Get some tiny potlis or simply stitch pretty pouches to gift jewellery. Your loved ones will cherish both the gift and the gift wrap for a long time to come.

Embellishments definitely make the plain and boring wraps look special. A nice little brooch, some pretty beads, shells picked up on a holiday…all look so good. I love the one with the bow shaped pasta…really that is pasta…isn’t that super cute!

No festival season can be complete without a sprinkle of gold and silver. I absolutely detest the shiny gold and silver sheets…they remind me so much of mithai shops. But these here I heart! Really classy thick gold and silver paper can add a lot of elegance to a gift. I also like the pretty flowers; one can easily make these at home. Also I think it’s a great idea to paint a silver leaf on to an otherwise plain black box.

I am often ridiculed by my family because I can never make myself throw old biscuit tins, chocolate boxes, empty glass jars…I end up repainting them and using them as gift wraps. So I got really excited when I came across these pics. The old paint tin in its new avatar with all those goodies inside…doesn’t it look divine? And the old tin box…I love-love-love it.

So use whatever you like, whatever you can lay your hands on…leaving you with another awesome idea I came across…twigs, pebbles, leaves...oh so gorgeous.

I’d love to hear from you, if you try out any handmade gift wraps this season, inspired by someone or creations of your own, do drop me a mail with the pics of course, at purplehomes.blogspot@gmail.com so that we can all go ooh-aah seeing them ;)

Loads and loads of good wishes to each one of you. Have a great time celebrating!!!

- Prachi Grover

Images : All from the internet

It's our first anniversary, and it's all your doing!

2009-09-24T16:13:00.000+05:30

How time has flown! It's been a whole year since that very first hesitant step, that first post. A year onward, we are happy - for the mistakes, achievements, bouquets, brickbats, all the stuff we have learned and most of all the great friendships we have made. So we thought the best way to celebrate is by handing our blog over to guest bloggers throughout our anniversary month.

It is also time to thank a few people. Madhavi who has been with us right from the start, incidentally shares her b'day with The Keybunch anniversary - Sep 25th. So Happy B'day Madz, and thanks for the great headers, including this one.

Norman, thanks for setting up the site when we were newbies to blogging. As you can see we have kept the same template. You did a great job!

Thanks to our husbands - Sridhar and Bernard! Your constant encouragement and support keeps us going.

And finally, thanks to our readers and our sorority of design bloggers. We have gained a lot of inspiration and more importantly great friendships from you all!

Here's to a month long celebration with guest blogs and surprise giveaways. Thank you!

- Rekha and Sharon

Pookalams – Captivating floral carpets !

2009-09-02T15:20:00.011+05:30

Happy Onam to all our readers!

Come August, and it is the beginning of back-to-back festivities in India. I had promised to post about Pookalams or flower rangolis in my last rangoli post. There can’t be a better occasion than Onam to post them; Pookalams are designs or rangolis created on the eve of Onam, by Malayalees. The stunning designs portray a visual picture of virtual carpets. Pookalams are generally made using petals of different flowers and leaves. From conceptualizing to planning and executing, a lot of effort goes behind a pookalam. Not to mention the creativity and the fun that goes along the festivities. Arulmurugan was generous enough to share the pictures he clicked at Pookalam competitions, enjoi! Check out more pics on his flickr site.

Classic color combination is used here

Love the pattern used here

Design portraying Kathakali, traditional dance of Kerala

Design depicting the story of Mahabali and Onam

Traditional Kerala woman and boat race

Another traditional design

Do you make any other kind of rangoli, what materials do you use? Would you like to see some more posts about rangoli? Let us know.

A cartfull of inspiration

2009-08-28T19:23:00.006+05:30

I know I'm not the only one with visions of carts in my living room.
I love the romance of a real, life size cart as part of my decor, to decorate
as I please. I so want one...and I go crazy each time I think of the possibilities.

Cart possibilities (click image for enlarged version)
Image courtesy: Either or, ArtQuest and Google Search

These inspirational images make me wonder if I should
use the cart as a dining table, or a bar?
Perhaps with the right safety features, it can be a child's bed,
a library or a display piece? Painted in bright Indian kitschy colors,
won't it look super in my Bollywood corner?

Have you decorated with carts? Have you any ideas?
Let me know...I would love to hear from you!

Rangoli – instant festive makeover with colors!

2009-08-19T11:31:00.011+05:30

Come festive season and I am flooded with memories of my childhood where the entire street would get decked up with festive decorations and each house had a rangoli in front of its gate competing with its neighbors.

Parallel lines are used in this rangoli

Here, in South India, rangolis play a great part of the festive décor. Generally fine chalk powder is used to draw a rangoli and later filled with colors. Traditional rangolis are like joining the dots game where you place a certain number of dots in a pattern and join them through lines or use parallel lines to form a pattern. Of course, with times people are getting creative and use different materials like colored saw dust, colored salt, vegetable gratings, and flowers (a post exclusively on flower rangolis will follow). Unlike the north, rangolis are drawn in front of the gate or the door where it is believed to welcome Laksmi, the Goddess of wealth. Though it was mandatory for new rangolis to be drawn every day in front of the house, the art is disappearing in the urban areas due to lack of space and time constraints. I compiled pictures of rangolis drawn by school children in a competition held by the Rotary Club of South Bangalore. Take a look.

Colored salt is used in this rangoli

Creative use of veggies here

Mera Bharat Mahan

Colored saw dust is used in this rangoli

Colored Salt again

Another veggie rangoli

Do you draw rangolis? How do you make them? Do let us know or mail us your pictures.

Thanks: Dr. Prafulla Thumathi, President, Rotary Bangalore South

An array of products from the Fr. Muller's Rehab Unit

2009-08-07T14:37:00.020+05:30

Help the handicapped to help themselves

Growing up, I remember playing with a cool jumping jack (a wooden handcrafted toy that "jumps" at its joints and has the kids laughing with delight) at my grandmother's place. I also remember her lovely block printed linens and curtains. I knew where they were from, and at my recent visit to Mangalore, I decided to make time to go and check if they still made all that charming stuff!

When I visited the Rehabilitation Unit at the Fr.Mullers campus in Mangalore, I was delighted to learn that they still had some of their older designs, and a lot of new ones too! The unit exclusively employs cured leprosy patients and the physically handicapped. It trains and helps them to earn and lead a normal life; to give them full social acknowledgment in their families and communities. Since 1965, the unit has been producing charming and delightful hand made and hand crafted products.

Sr. Prabha who is in charge of the unit, was kind enough to show me around, and explain the products and techniques to me. The products include Batik work on wall hangings and greeting cards, decorated jute, cloth and gunny bags, block print (yes, block print!..and they are delightful pieces, my favorite in fact), hand printed silk shawls, accessories, lovely wooden toys for the kids and charming jumping jacks for your walls! The unit also does screen printing on handmade and recycled paper, makes beautiful files and folders, and a lot more! Block printing is more or less the forte of this unit,and they often get large orders from other local institutions and overseas customers for their products.

Folders with block print designs on cloth

Folders with block print designs on recycled paper

These lovely block print aprons were being readied
in preparation for an export order

Block printing on silk - the process and the end result.

These calendars are different. They come with 12 different designs
- batik, hand painting, block print, screen printing, etc
and you will love that once the month is over, they can be
cut off, and used as greeting cards. Yes, they come with 12
envelopes made from recycled paper too. Novel idea, ain't it?

Craftsmen at work (cutting out the design, and then painting
patterns on them) on the wood 'memory' games

Pune will soon be plastic-free(hopefully) and with the
strict ban on plastic shopping bags, I picked up
lots of these pretty bags made from gunny sacks
for my friends in Pune

These are the jumping jacks I was talking about. Just pull the
rope, and their legs and hands fly high - quite comical! I picked up the
man and the woman, couldn't find the boy design
from my childhood :(

Colorful wall organizers.

Sr. Prabha holding up a beautiful silk piece.

Close-up of a block-work table cloth

Another block-work piece

The alphabet jigsaw snake - my daughter spends
hours playing with this one!

Liked their work? Sr. Prabha has plans to sell their stuff online. In the meantime, if you are interested in contacting her for orders, she would love to receive an email from you. Write to her at
rehabfmci[at]yahoo(dot)com

To know more about the Fr. Mullers Charitable Institutions, visit their website.

Sushil on the 'Rocks'

2009-08-03T12:28:00.016+05:30

I just fell in love with these cartoons on pebbles that I stumbled upon at purplehomes, another interior related blog. I knew I had to feature this artist and his work on The Key Bunch. Sushil Bhasin is a multimedia cartoonist whose work has been published in various publications and e-zines in India, and also used in animation films, multimedia ad campaigns and for corporate presentations.

Though doodling has been a childhood passion, the pebble art started from the vacation in Rishikesh when he started using the natural shape of the pebbles to create his toons. Soon, they were a huge hit and were selling like ‘hotcakes’ in art galleries across the country. His pebble art is aptly called ‘Sushil On Rocks’.

CNN IBN and Money Today have featured Sushil's work recently.…..take a peek at his work, enjoi!

I would love to own a collection of his art someday…...they bring a smile on my face each time I look at them.

Check out more of his work at Sushil's blog, 'Doodlewala'....what else can you call it? :)

Oh, Btw....Blogadda featured The Key Bunch as one of the top Indian Interior design blogs...thanks guys!

Snapshots of my Vacation

2009-07-24T08:55:00.015+05:30

It's the monsoons, and the perfect time for a quiet, picturesque retreat at a very familiar place - my parents' coffee estate where I spent many of my childhood holidays. Rich in flora and fauna, with the River Badra enveloping it on 3 sides, this place is close to Kudremukh National Park, an ecological hotspot.

The famous vakil bench - almost every old house has one of these.

A Mangalore-tiled roof with rafters and an antique light bulb.

I love peeking through this chik and enjoying the rain

The river beyond the coffee plants.

Anthuriums

Pretty hedges

I'm not sure if these are China Pinks, but I spend a lot of time admiring them!

Periwinkles in the hedge

Crown of Thorns

More anthurium plants

A rain-drenched rose

Can you spot the Malabar Grey Hornbill on the tree?

If you missed the post on Rekha's vacation pics of lovely Rajasthan, click here!

We have a winner!

2009-07-21T15:26:00.000+05:30

Thank you Madhavi Yob for the lovely background image
and for your constant support to The Keybunch!

Peacock Themed Interiors

2009-07-20T12:55:00.022+05:30

The lobby at the dining

Somehow, I have not been able to update my travel pictures so far and Sharon keeps chiding me for this. One obvious reason is my poor photographic skills and the other of course is sheer laziness. This time, however I promised Sharon that I am going to post pictures irrespective of their quality. So, here we go…..

The reception

Last month, I happened to visit the Club Mahindra resort at Kumbalgarh in Rajasthan. Needless to say, the décor had all the typical elements of Rajasthan. This resort had their décor based on peacocks, not sure if these birds are found in abundance in that place though. Peacocks seemed to be around everywhere, from bed rooms to the reception and dining. Everywhere else, the color combination of blue and yellow followed. I fell in love with the color combination used. Take a look and let me know your views.

Close up of the peacocks

Btw, Kumbalgarh is known for its beautiful Kumbalgarh fort with its perimeter walls that extend 36 km in length claimed to be the longest after the Great Wall of China with over 360 temples within the fort. There is an interesting story on how the fort was built on the wiki, check it out. The fort looks awesome when it is lit up in the evening and the view from the fort is breathtaking. Luckily for us, it rained and we managed to escape the scorching heat that is typical of rajasthan. Now, over to interiors....

The peacock theme spills over to the room

Close up of the head rest

My favorite- built in window seating/bed, loved the color combination

Pictures of the famous Kumbalgarh fort

Beautiful pattern in marble

Colorful ceiling

Typical Rajasthani niche

Btw, don't you think my photographic skills need to be brushed up ? :)....Any suggestions are welcome. We will be announcing the giveaway of the lighting shortly, watch out.

We are featured in the Bangalore Mirror..

2009-07-15T13:41:00.008+05:30

...in an article that speaks about blogging on topics totally unrelated to one's professions. Both Shashi and I are freelance business/ technical writers, and I guess that's why we were interviewed. We were happy to get featured, moreso because our blog was mentioned:)

It's the monsoons and getting to do any work is pretty difficult - all I want to do is have some nice hot pakodas, washed down with fragrant filter coffee or milky tea, and then curl up on the couch with the latest Inside Outside, dreaming about my new home! The rains have a way of making you slow down, and just enjoy the freshness in the air! That I am off on a 2-week break tomorrow onwards, is not helping either!

Too lazy to even click my own chai-pakora pic, I borrow this one featuring onion pakodas from one of my fav food blogs, A Taste of Mysore. Thanks Lakshmi! A tea pic folks, may or may not follow ;)

And oh! the fab pendant light giveaway is still on, so do spread the word, and/or participate!

100th Post - Giveaway from CSN Lighting

2009-07-10T11:39:00.011+05:30

It is our 100th post, and we are celebrating with a give away from CSN Lighting, open only to our readers in the US and Canada. For the rest of you, we hope to come back with give aways in your location too, so don't lose heart!

The giveaway winner will receive one of these beautiful pendant lights selected by The Keybunch team. Aren't they gorgeous?

The pendants are brought to you courtesy of CSN Lighting, a store with a host of options ranging from ceiling lights to floor lamps, to table lights.

These beautiful pendant lamps come to you from the Medici Collection from Kenroy. On March 6, 2009, The Hunter Lighting group and Kenroy Designs merged to create an incredibly popular lighting décor company dedicated to furnishing all homes with beautiful lighting. With a commitment to remain competitive with their pricing, as well as in the quality of workmanship, Kenroy Home employs a team of talented designers and technicians to ensure that only the most practical, high quality products make it into your home. Using various finishes and designs that are both classic and futuristic, Kenroy Home features a brilliant collection of mix and match styles for the enjoyment of anyone looking to light up their home with well placed lighting.

Liked them? Read on to know how one of these can be yours.

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To be eligible for the give away, you have to

Visit the CSN Lighting website, and identify your favorite lights.
Next, come back here to The Keybunch, and leave us a comment, saying which ones you liked, and which room you would like to see them in.

Earn extra entries for each of the following:

"Follow Us" on Blogger
Publicize this give away on your respective blogs, twitter pages or social networking sites.

Leave a separate comment for each of the above, and remember to leave your email id too.

Entries will be accepted until Sunday, July 19 and we will announce the lucky winner on Monday, July 20.

Good luck to our readers, and many thanks to Jonathan from CSN Lighting.

- Sharon and Rekha

PS - 3 cheers to another lovely blog celebrating 100 posts
with a lovely giveaway as well. Head over to Ennui

If it touches the heart, it’s art…..

2009-07-08T15:29:00.011+05:30

Life partners

One needs guts to walk away from the comfort zone and take a risk to follow your passion and Sujata Tibrewala, a self taught Bangalore based artist has done just that….. chucking up her cushy job as an engineer to take a plunge into the artistic world.

Sujata’s illustrations have been featured in a couple of magazines and holds regular exhibitions at prominent art galleries across the country. She portrays her work through her site pratibimba.in. I couldn’t make it when Sujata invited me to her exhibition held last month at the Renaissance art gallery and hope to check them out some time soon. Meanwhile sit back and enjoy her work.

Devotee

“I look for beauty and get mesmerized when I find it in both perceptible and imperceptible environments. For me, art and science are inseparable because none can exist without the other because both are from and for nature”, says Sujata.

Reflections

My beautiful world

Down the memory lane

Nature life babies

If it touches the heart, it is in some way art - This is Sujata's motto.