The Beat That My Heart Skipped.

Spending this past month in India kicked off my new year with a wealth of design inspiration.

We spent three weeks hunkering down with family in Calcutta – a bustling Indian city nestled in West Bengal – known for its rich history of craft and talented artisans – from embroidery to sculpture and sketching to metal crafts.

Then a week in Mumbai one of India’s most exciting cities. Known as the gateway to India its aesthetic straddles the best of the east and west, resulting in an exquisite design landscape.

Here is a snapshot of inspiration from my travels from shops to eateries to family homes – all of which I will elaborate on in the weeks to come. Happy New Year!

Above: Block print fabric from Anokhi. Mirror at my grandmothers sisters home. A clay plate being decorated at Aarya’s First Rice ceremony by her grandmother using ground rice paste.

Above: The ‘British’ marble lions that guard Victoria Memorial. R&D Laboratory at The Horticultural Gardens in Calcutta. Iconic buildings on Marine Drive, Mumbai. Pavements in Calcutta. Door handle display and knocker at The Corner Courtyard. Antique Mirror at The Taj Bengal.

Above: Mumbai’s first luxury boutique hotel Abode. Mirror at Bungalow 8.  Pali Village Cafe, in Bandra. Last two images both Tote on The Turf restaurant, Mumbai.

Above: Wall treatment and cool plant detail at a family home. Embroidered bangles at By Loom Calcutta. Ceramics and textiles at Sasha in Calcutta. Colonial interiors at the Bombay Gymkhana.

Above: Etched brass floor treatment on the stairwell at Good Earth. Luxurious textiles at 85 Lansdowne. The balcony at our family home. A ghostly Victoria Memorial at night. My favourite detail at our family home – the marble floor with brass inlay.

We are spending Christmas and the New Year in India this year, catching up on much needed sleep, good home cooked food and introducing Aarya to the sights and sounds of her other homeland. We will be back, refreshed  in the New Year with lots of inspiration from our trip. Till then!

I never knew Zara Home had a clothing section did you? On the hunt for nightwear that will take me through a balmy Christmas spent in India and a cold New Year in the UK, I stumbled upon Zara Home’s ‘Loungewear’ section.

Beautiful basics at affordable prices, the collection is made up of a mix of luxury items like denim quilted kimonos at £109.99, seamless wool dressing gowns £79.99 and pretty basics – printed cotton and lace shorts, £25.99, Broderie Anglais nightdresses in pale hues £29.99 and silky camisole vests.

The entire collection has a bit of a Toast feel to it with artisanal touches and Eastern silhouettes but much kinder to your credit card. The collection is made additionally covetable by being displayed in attractive colour groups – nudes, peaches, greys and indigos – it’s hard not to convince yourself you need them all in your life.

Nothing signals the beginning of Christmas in London more than a sparkly new store opening – last year excitement was at its peak with US Homeware brand West Elm which filled a lonely corner of Tottenham Court road with joy and American charm.

This year a new Anthropologie joins its Regent Street and Kings Road counterparts on charming Marylebone High Street. In my opinion there can’t be enough Anthropologies in London… as always an intoxicating and unique retail experience the new Marylebone offering didn’t disappoint. The store combines two beautiful historical spaces on the high street and maintains many of the original features which contributes to the store’s artisanal atmosphere.

Cosy yet expansive, the store is spread over two floors and comprises of the brand’s signature beautifully styled vignettes and treasure troves of glistening tableware, trinkets and unusual offerings – with this December being all the more resplendent like some Dickensian fantasy.

Last nights opening also featured a workshop by up-cycling ceramist Lou Rota – who guided participants to adorn vintage plates with her signature flora and fauna, jewellery making by luxury jeweller Catherine Zoraida and topped off with delicious festive cocktails by Sipsmith. Wheeee! Joyeux Noel!

Anthropologie
33-34 Marylebone High Street
London, W1U 4PT

My obsession with hardware has always made me think of hinges, doorhandles and hooks as jewellery for the home – which makes this new collection by Austin, Texas-based jewellery designer Christine Fail pretty perfect in my eyes.

Using the same techniques of hand-cutting and hammering brass as her line of handcrafted jewellery, Fail has created a delicate collection of keyrings, letter openers, wall hooks and ornaments to adorn your home.