This week's goodies!

Kinche Boutique

Payal Jaggi, the owner of Kinche Boutique, started the boutique to bring her favorite style of decorating - the french country chic / cottage style to India. After 15 years of experiencing the world as an air crew member, Payal's boutique brings to us the very best in her preferred style, with her carefully researched and hand picked products. Kinche Boutique is located in Gurgaon, India, and soon, would be available to us via her online store! For now, browse through the expanding collection here. 

Krya

When Preethi  Sukumaran, the creative one half behind Krya, send me an email sharing her company's philosophy, I did a quick little jig right in front of my surprised laptop. You would too, if you were handed an organic and natural alternative to your daily washing machine detergent. Preethi graciously sent a packet to me to try out, and for probably the first time ever, I couldn't wait to wash clothes! Krya's natural detergent is made of soapnuts (known as reetha in hindi) and works way better than regular detergents (my personal experience!). And the fact that you are contributing your little bit to help  protect the environment, well, that makes the mundane task of loading a washing machine, a whole lot agreeable!
Read about, and shop Krya's first product here. Connect with Preethi and Srini on their blog or on Krya's facebook page.

TexturedInk

Ankita Kejriwal, the vibrant owner and graphic designer at TexturedInk is truly a child of the east, and now, a citizen of the western world. Her work is a beautiful balance between the rich colors and contrasts - an influence of her eastern upbringing, and the crisp, simple lines - an impact of the minimal western design aesthetics. Ankita's shop on Etsy called TexturedINK, is the place where she designs and sell modern graphic design paper goods for the home. Apart from paper prints, posters, art panels and personal stationery, she's also proud to offer unique products printed on recycled wood panels - the wood for which has been salvaged from fallen trees in apple orchards! And what's more, Ankita is offering a 10% discount to An Indian Summer readers for the next 15 days [i.e till Dec 10th]. Use the code Thanks11 to shop now!  

Collective Craft

Collective Craft, founded by Shweta Mohapatra and Sibanand Bhol is a collaborative effort of a group of designers, artists and architects. It is based in Delhi and Orissa, India. Collective Craft works on sustainable design practices, craft revival and also, in developing contemporary craft products along with local artisans. For the founders, creating a smaller ecological footprint and developing sustainable products are two critical parameters for all their design projects. 

The philosophy behind their products, combined with their sublime designs, is a winning combination for me. You can read more about their process on their blog, and get in touch with them via Collective Craft's facebook page. 

 Shakiraaz

Shakiraaz, the online store for all the all things pretty, has been started by Shakira Lima, a textile and graphic designer.  Shakira is based out of Melbourne, and creates beautiful designs on, and from the textiles she sources from India. She would soon be launching a printed range of tableware in silk and linen. Get in touch with her on Shakiraaz's facebook page.

Aniika

Aniika, which means 'beautiful' in Sanskrit, is an apt name for Meghana Rao and Shamim's  maiden venture. Aniika, headquartered in India, with offices in the US, is a virtual bazaar for emerging Indian designers to build their brand and sell their creations globally. Aniika, currently still in beta, will be an excellent source for design enthusiasts to get their hands on fresh contemporary designs from India. Connect with Aniika on facebook, and shop their current collection of goodies here. 

Devajyoti Ray

My post on Indian Art Collective yesterday reminded me of a talented artist who had shared his work with me a few weeks back. Devajyoti Ray, whose work was recently exhibited at Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai, is inspired by the concept of pseudo-realism. His paintings pick mundane scenes from day to day life and convert them into color blocked works of art. Take a look at select paintings here and the schedule of upcoming exhibitions here.  

OMI

OMI [Oh My India] by Omi Gurung, is a group that aims to be the catalyst in changing the lifestyle of people in India, by creating awareness to reduce, reuse and recycle domestic waste. Omi's site is a growing resource for DIY tips, reuse projects and sustainable products, and helps people get started in this direction. Connect with Omi here.

 Kabutar.in

And finally, a happening new site for, well, that what is happening right now! Shubhendu, one of the founders of this wacky site, send me an email that made me smile. And at the threat of his 'standing in a corner to sulk', I promised him that I'll share kabutar.in with you guys :). So here it is - a new place to share your pic and let the world know what is happening right now! And if this is your thing, then there is an iPhone app too folks!

[All images copyright respective owners and An Indian Summer]

Paper Art

Leave me unattended in a paper shop

And I can browse for hours

Feeling the texture

Smelling the unique fragrance of handmade paper

Fingering the delicately embedded bougainvillea flower or a tree leaf

Lingering over the translucent sheets

Trying to decide what not to pick, what to leave behind

And walking out with arm loads of delicious paper

Promising to be back soon!

Showcasing Art made of

Organic hand made paper

Simple and elegant

something that we can create ourselves

when at home on a rainy day!

[These beautiful posters are from Auroville]

Fairies, Elves and Goblins...

....would want to live at this magical place!

Recepie for Magic Potion:

Take a piece of land and prepare it for your magic

Build the magic framework with logs

Make sure you have windows to let the light stream in

This is how your act should look like if the magic is going the right way

And this is finally how the magic will work!

This is the family home of Simon Dale in Wales. This house was built with maximum regard for the environment and by reciprocation gives the family a unique opportunity to live close to nature.

In couple's own words: "The attempt to find a synergy with nature is the approach that we are using to design systems for living. These systems include buildings, food production, waste and water systems and much more. When we are working with rather than against nature, the rest of nature works with us and things become easy. This is Permaculture."

Some snippets from the organic home's interiors:

The Family

"Take one baby, a toddler and a building site. Mix well with a generous helping of mud, combine with 6 weeks of solid welsh rain whilst living under canvas. Do this in candle light without a bathroom or electricity for three months. Chuck in living with your father for good measure. Top with an assortment of large slugs. The result a hand crafted home of beauty, warmth and health for about £3,000.
Having children is a major motivation for buying a house. Combine the rigours of looking after young children and meeting demanding mortgage payments in today’s climate and you have a recipe for stress. Then add to this concern about toxic materials that are inherent in most buildings, and exposing your precious babies to them is a cocktail of dismay. This would sum up the options before our family before we decided to take the plunge and go off the beaten track "

Hats off to the family for taking a concious step towards eco friendly living! You can go through more details on how they built the house and their plans of more such eco lodgings here

Some links on Permaculture:

Cae Mabon
Eco Village in Spain
Permaculture in UK

Lamma's gallery