A Parisian Haven!

As most of you know I was in Paris for the last couple of weeks. I have missed writing and hearing from you.

The main reason for deciding on Paris for a vacation was to visit the Maison & Objet show. I realize a lot of you want to hear about the Maison & Objet, I am still in the midst of sorting out hundreds of catalogues and picking the most interesting products. As you can imagine a plethora of interior design products are on show at the Maison & Objet, an experience no Interior Designer should miss.

Secondly Paris has always beckoned me with its rich French architecture and history. I love any city where you can walk a cobbled path and witness an architectural feat at every corner, literally!

The most important part of every trip for me is in finding the right accommodation. Imagine visiting a city layered with history and fantastic architecture only to stay in a hotel which is modern and minimalistic in design. I believe the vibe of the city should continue with you throughout your journey. I am also very particular that the room has an immaculate bathroom; I cannot deal with a bad looking toilet!!!

I was glad to come across the BEST WESTERN Premier Regents Garden located in 6 Rue Pierre Demours.

The most important feature of this hotel is the reception; by reception I mean the welcome you receive by the staff. We were greeted by the warmest smiles that instantly made us feel at home. A smile could really enhance your whole experience.

Of course the entrance foyer is as welcoming as the staff. The hotel is very tastefully decorated. Keeping with all essential details of French architecture, reminiscent of the late Georgian period to be specific. I say this because the detailing is kept very delicate unlike the Baroque period of architecture. The wall is divided into three sections the frieze, field and dado. The panels in plaster are consistent throughout the interior space to create a unified design. To soften the effect of these panels they have been painted the same color as the wall. We also find ornamental garlands running in some of the panels. The ceiling is kept simple with delicate molding and cornice details, however, the corners are adorned by decorative cartouche details. The highlight of the ceiling would have to be the sumptuous glass chandelier.

The use of color, pattern and furniture style is the smartest part of the decor; it adds the much needed spunk and modern element to the space. The furniture resembles the art deco style. The contrast in scale of the furniture adds a lot of interest to the space, especially the unusually high curved back of the sofa and the tiny armless chairs besides it. The seating is divided into smaller clusters and accentuated by oval rugs. 

Did you know Paris is one of the greenest cities in the world! A peaceful garden awaits you every morning, chirping birds and the smell of fresh flowers is refreshing. The landscape too keeps with the clever color combination of the interiors, highlights of red flowers and umbrella sunshade contrast with the green surroundings.

The play of color and pattern is evident everywhere. The walls in the corridors is painted a darker shade of grey and highlighted by reds in the seat of the chair and defined by the red border in the carpet. Rich damask patterns adorn the feature wall, the chair has a striped back whereas the carpet has a soft floral pattern.

The bar sets the mood for drama with the walls and ceiling painted in a darker shade of grey and highlighted by the reds in the area rug and armchairs. Notice how only the backrest of the armchair is in red suede whereas the rest of the chair is upholstered in black leather. Another clever feature is how the passageway has been camouflaged by the use of grey metallic sheers on one side and a reflective textured mirror on the other. 

The colors vary by the type of rooms you choose. But every room resonates with features of their rich French history. Like this classical study, fireplace and gilded mirror frames. 

I love the color scheme of this room. One of the features is the floral upholstered headboard and matching bed runner in grey, black and white colors. The rest of the walls are clad in metallic grey wallpaper. Though the most striking feature has to be the accents in pink. Modern elements such as this bookcase resides along side a traditional study in perfect eclectic harmony.

The bathroom is clad with black wall tiles; the red counter-top adds a sufficient punch of color. Stay guarded no doors to this bathroom!

The highlight of this room has to be the mix of elements, modern and classical. I adore the armchair with black and white striped fabric backrest and deep pink leather seat. The only other place you see the pink is in the area rug beneath the bed. The window handle was another lovely feature; this handle serves a dual purpose as a handle and bolt, as you rotate it, it locks/unlocks as well as opens/closes all in one, multi-functional way!

Honestly I did not realize how cleverly this space had been decorated until I started studying each detail to write this post. All in all, I would recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Paris not only for its sophisticated decor and exceptional service but also for its location. Nestled in a cozy lane away from the hustle and bustle of the city, with a popular restaurant-bar-lounge called MoM on one side, Carrefour supermarket (super convenient for anyone travelling with a baby) opposite and Café Paul just around the corner, its proximity to popular tourist destinations and the metro system makes it an ideal destination for your stay. 

                            **Image picked up from a http://www.bestrestaurantsparis.com

I had to put up these pictures of the hip and trendy MoM restaurant. I adore the fact that the city embraces the old and the new with equal affection; this is what gives Paris its remarkable character.

Hope you enjoyed this post..... till our next meeting..... Stay Funky!

                                       "All images courtesy my husband Keigan Soans"

Maison&Objet!

I am heading to the City of light for Europe’s largest Interior Design trade fair. Maison&Objet has been described as among the three most important European events for Interior Design. A hub for the latest in trends, innovations and talent. To say I am excited is an understatement!!!

Besides Maison&Objet, I am also eager to visit Paris for the very first time. I am taking your leave for the next two weeks, rest assured I will be back with enough material to keep you inspired and delectable images to satisfy your visual palette! Till then don’t forget to ……………….STAY FUNKY!

The Chalkboard Project!

Today’s blog post is a follow up to last week’s Funk Factory Feature video, I will be discussing the steps to create the artwork. Hitting roadblocks during the course of a project is common, you have to learn to improvise. The initial design may go through several revisions and this personal project was no different.

Inspired by my daughter’s scribbles my initial plan was to create a chalkboard wall, so my daughter would have a large enough canvas to fill to her hearts content.

This is the can of spray paint and that is me spraying away, oblivious to the effects of these horrid fumes. Even though the room was well ventilated, I was surprised to find the paint pigments had found their way to every square foot of my home, all 1400 of it! Disgusted I sat down to read the back of the can (which in hindsight, I should have done before buying it). I was troubled by what I read! Prolonged exposure could cause birth defects in pregnant women, damage to the nervous system, the list goes on and on……To think I exposed my family to such serious consequences over a decorating project made me question my design principles!!!

I do love the idea of having a chalkboard wall, but do try and avoid the spray paint version, unless it is a small area. You could try colored chalkboard paint from Hudson Paint , a eco friendly 100% non toxic paint from Ecos paint or make your own chalkboard paint. Unfortunately these options are not available in Dubai as far as i know, therefore the next morning I terminated the chalkboard project and was back to the drawing board. The reason this affected me so much is because I care about the environment and am conscious about what I add to it. At this point I was pretty hooked on to the color black, as my existing furniture was black as well. I was going to paint the wall black, I could say my hubby was not too thrilled at having a black wall. Deep down I was unsure about how this would turnout myself, but I trusted my instincts.

So I decided not to paint the entire wall black, instead leave a gap of 60 centimeters on all sides. This way it would look like a black canvas framed by the surrounding white walls. I measured 60 centimeters on all sides, made sure the line was in level, and taped the wall with some painters tape. I painted the inside jet-black. Once you strip away the painters tape you should have a clean straight line.

World maps have always fascinated me, the organic shape of each continent and then the endless ocean. I grabbed a piece of chalk and sketched out the map, you do not have to be perfect. I then dipped a round brush in some white paint and dabbed varying the pressure and Voilà as simple as that!!!

I did not want this to be a flat image, I wanted to bring some three-dimensional quality to it. I went to Dubai Garden Centre and picked up some shells and red pebbles. I spray-painted the shells using a cardboard box as a backing to catch all the excess pigments. Using spray paint in small doses in a well-ventilated area is absolutely fine. I glued them on with Duco cement available at Ace (just make sure you protect your hands with some gloves). It held on perfectly, even the big shells. I then added some pretty painted butterflies from pottery barn to complete the artwork. The cool part is because of the black and white combo the artwork seems to glow in the dark.

You do not have to be an artist to create some cool artwork, I never thought I could draw freehand on the wall but I surprised myself…. Go surprise yourself too, do something you thought you never could….. …so till then STAY FUNKY!

Funk Factory..... Discovered!

I was recently approached by "My Dubai My City" to feature Funk Factory. "My Dubai My City" is a local web t.v. which provides information about the latest activities in Dubai, related to music, art, food etc. Needless to say I was excited about the feature, but wary of doing an interview. So I suggested I would come up with a video for them. The challenge was to sum up Funk Factory in a 2-minute video clip.

Here is what I came up with, Hope you enjoy it!

My daughter’s scribbles inspired me to create my own artwork! In my next blog I will discuss these steps in detail….. till then…….Stay Funky!

                           Sound track by the "FLOBOTS - COMBAT"

If there is a heaven I am sure it must look something like this.....

Have u ever dreamt of having a wedding under the shade of the vast blue sky, surrounded by the infinite ocean, white sands with the sunset as your backdrop, in between the tranquil sounds of the ocean waves you hear your beloved making promises to love you forever?  

Too good to be true isn’t it! Well that’s exactly how my dearest friend had her wedding! Being a passionate diver, under the ocean is her second home and Maldives is a diver’s delight, hence this setting was only natural to her. So we all flew in to this island called the Maldives to be part of a magical moment. And MAGICAL it was for all of us!

From Male international airport, Maldives is a two-hour speedboat ride. Riding the waves in the middle of this great vast ocean can be a little daunting for an aqua phobic like myself. The greatness of this earth dawned upon me and I realized what a minuscule speck I really was! I kept my eyes firm on the horizon as I began to miss dry land.There was some comfort when I spotted trees at a distance. This whole experience was fascinating to me as I had not been to an island before. As we approached the island I could see a group of people clad in spotless white linen, gathered around the deck to welcome us. At this point I was just thankful to have survived that ride and finally feel some sand beneath my feet.

Once I settled my rather frazzled self, walking along the deck I marveled at the silence that surrounded me. It felt like a vacuum and all I could hear was the serene sounds of the waves calling for me. Around the corner lay the most spectacular sight I have ever seen, white sands encompassed by crystal clear turquoise water!!! There I was, in Gods land as he created it, untouched & pure. This was another world, a world I was not accustomed to, a world I hadn’t seen before! Spellbound by the immeasurable beauty of this island, it was hard to fathom something as simple as the earth, water and sky which we take for granted everyday, could stir my soul and bring to my realization the immense power it holds. I also felt disheartened by thought of our tainted cities, which before us might have been a paradise just like this. For the next 3 days I had forgotten about all things digital and immersed myself in this heavenly place. All my senses have been heightened at this point, I can see better, hear better, smell better and I definitely feel better!

My words cannot justify the pristine beauty of this island or my feelings about it. I only hope these pictures will… If there is a heaven I am sure it must look something like this!

Maldives is a long & narrow country formed by 26 natural atolls. 

My husband took these pictures while he was Para Sailing. Maldives lies delicately in the pristine beauty of Fesdu Island.

View of the rooms and spa that branch off from the main island.

With perfect weather and endless sunshine, W Maldives is an idyllic retreat and water sports playground. Beneath the surface manta rays mingle with sea turtles and starfish pose for perfect pictures

Rooms branch out from the main island. This is the walkway to our rooms.

The decor is kept as simple and natural as possible. Nothing to take away from the scenic landscape it’s encased by, an element like this circular glass gives us a view of the ocean beneath, this adds drama in the best possible way. 

The patio outside our room had a private pool, for those not adventurous enough to take a dip in the ocean....like myself!

Lounge at the entrance of the hotel

Fitness center 

Indulge in ultimate relaxation at the over-water AWAY Spa. Stretch to the panoramic horizon with private yoga sessions.

FISH is a signature seafood restaurant with over-water tables to view the endless Indian Ocean. In the daytime the decor maybe simple, but after sunset the volume of drama is cranked up by enigmatic lighting designs.

KITCHEN  is a modern interpretation of Bistro fare.

Finally as the Sunsets and dark shadows glaze the landscape, I leave you with the silhouette of this island, which is always enticing. 

                                          "All Images courtesy my husband Keigan Soans"