Colorful tuesday

Pantone declared "Emerald" as 2013 color of the year. Elegant, jewel toned, inspired by nature, healing, universally appealing - as we become more aware of green sustainable design, balance & harmony - this color is sure to spark some vibrant lights in your lives!
However, this morning, while browsing through Florida Design Magazine, this beautiful picture has given me an instant boost of energy. And I realized, whether its Tangerine or Emerald, I am in love for all COLORS!

Paint your life with colors & not one color...Make it a bright & beautiful day!
Happy Tuesday!

True to my name

Now, those of you who doesn't  know the meaning of my name, Shakha means "Branch" of a tree. And I found this classic beautiful piece just true to my name!

 

The face and top of this Branch Media Cabinet are hand planed with a carved fluted top edge. The striking branches across the front are cast aluminum and function as legs and pulls. Each of the three doors conceals two adjustable wood shelves. The slat back of the cabinet allows easy access to component wiring and provides ventilation to help keep your audio/video components cooler. 

Have a wonderful Monday!

Welcome winters with electric fireplaces

As we proceed to colder days in the coming weeks, the idea of having a cozy nook in my home makes me feel warmer. And this cozy nook just reminds me of having nothing else but a small fireplace, my book & a throw with a cup of hot coffee. And as I was searching for the most promising fireplaces, my search ended at the most innovative electric ones available today to make your winter days warm and cozy.
With no mess, neat and clean lines, these electric wall mount fireplaces from Dimplex are quite promising for your city loft. Just got it installed at our new studio in Tysons. They have the color changing heat setting.
Also I am totally loving our black and white design wall inspired by checkerboard design on this fireplace. Check out these photos.

Controlled with a remote, heat settings and colors can be altered. It has the time setting feature too. Preview the video below!

Interested in a design service or more inspirations? Check us out at our new design studio! Leave me a comment & I would be happy to send you an invitation.

Happy Monday!

Future homes

An interesting read & an insight to futuristic homes!

http://xfinity.comcast.net/slideshow/finance-floatinghomes/5/

Have a wonderful evening!

Let's get wicked!

With Halloween comes fun, tricks & treats! Its the time of the year to get a little crazy & naughty. My Halloween spirit is just not yet over & I am loving all these latest finds which make me a a little more crazy! 

  Time to get a little wicked, a little crazy & have fun in lifestyle!

Sources: BCBG, Neiman Marcus, Regina Andrew, Barry Dixon
If you are interested in pricing for the above Regina Andrew & Barry Dixon collection, post me a comment.

Easter picks

Its almost here and I am super excited to take my 10 month old son for some egg decoration/picks & baskets! I am sure he'll do nothing except keeping them in his mouth! lol!
What are your plans? Are you planning on an Easter brunch/lunch/dinner? Here are few of my favorite Easter picks. Hope you like it!

Happy weekend & a very Happy Easter to you. Hope you have a wonderful one. Enjoy!

Design Quotes - Albert Hadley

As I sit down to design my new board, I want to take a little time out and think about one of the pioneers of the interior design world, Albert Hadley, who left us on March 30th'12. Hadley died of cancer at the age of 91.
Albert will always be remembered for his beautiful creative contributions to the interiors. Apart from his extraordinary eye to create spellbound spaces, he was well known for his fantastic interior design quotes. Here are some of my favorites:

"The essence of Interior Design will always be about people & how they live. It is about the realities of what makes for an attractive civilized, meaningful environment, not about fashion or what's in and what's out. This is not an easy job."

"Forget the floor plans. Arrange the furniture where it is the most comfortable and will look best."

"I deeply believe that a beautiful decor can have a beneficial influence on our lives."

"After the design is firmly fixed, the decoration is added. Decorating is the final enhancement."

"Decorating is not about making stage sets, it's not about making pretty pictures for the magazines, it's really about creating a quality of life, a beauty that nourishes the soul."

"A lot of people worry about the wear & tear on furnishings. I feel its more a matter of people treating the things that surround them with respect."

"Beige is atmosphere. It's bisque, it's ivory, it's cream, it's stone, it's toast, it's cappuccino. It;s well, it's magic."

"Life is all about manners. Nothing else matters."

R.I.P. - Albert Hadley

Joy of Motherhood - Nursery Decor

Last year around this time, I was gearing up for my maternity portraits. I was struggling with sleepless nights but whole lot excited to welcome the new member in the family! And this was exactly a year back. Wow! time flies so fast.
Now, I am all gearing up to celebrate my son Prañjal's very 1st bday!! Its just unbelievable that 1 1/2 months from now he would leave the stage of babyhood and will enter the group of toddlers! Naughtiness on top, full of energy, running from here & there are just few of his traits which keep on my toes all the time. As he enters this new stage of life, I believe its also the time to bring some changes in his nursery.
Here, are are few of my favorites from my Pinterest boards.

 

 

 

Our little bundle of joy has given us more reasons to celebrate life everyday!

For more interesting pins & design inspirations follow me on Pinterest.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Celebrating spring with Cherry Blossoms

This weekend I had the opportunity to visit the Nation's best conserve - The Cherry blossoms at Tidal Basin, DC. Just a beautiful combination of man & nature put together. Wow! As I overlooked the National Monument from the bridge I could see its covered with mesmerizing colors of pink & white. The weather was not that perfect as it was drizzling but the lake was full of paddle boats, people enjoying the beauty of this gift of cherry blossoms.
Now for my readers who have not heard about this before, here is just an insight of what exactly it is.

In 1912, an incredible gift of 3,000 cherry blossom trees was bestowed on Washington, DC by Tokyo, Japan. In honor of one of the nation’s most beloved treasures, and a living reminder of international friendship and the beauty of nature, DC is celebrating with the 100^th anniversary of the gift of trees – and setting the stage for the next 100 years. The epic 5-week spectacular, from March 20 – April 27, 2012, will unify and electrify the city, the nation, and the world.
Approximately 3,750 cherry trees are situated on the Tidal Basin. A walk along the basin is a must do. Most of the trees are Yoshino Cherry. The Tidal Basin is a man-made reservoir, 10 feet deep, adjacent to the Potomac River in Washington, DC.Visitors are drawn to the area because of its beauty, especially during cherry blossom season in late March and early April.

For more information on festival you can visit Cherry blossom festival.

Here are few beautiful clicks.

 

If you are near the area, than I would definitely recommend visiting this festival once. I really liked this site http://photoguidedc.com/cherry-blossom-watch/ for information purposes. I think its much better than the National Park Services updates.

Now, if you want to skip heavy crowds and traffic of DC area, a visit to Dorset Ave in Bethseda, Maryland is worth. The neighborhood is full of cherry blossom tress. You can park you car (street parking), take a walk and enjoy the beautiful nature. 

 

 

 

Now, if you have missed the cherry blossoms (because of warm weather & recent rain & wind, most of the petals are on the verge of falling), than don't be disheartened. The festival has loads to offer from spectacular fireworks, kite flying, Imax movie experience, potomac river tea cruises, evening light shows, a not to miss festival parade & much more.

Stay tuned, CELEBRATE!

P.S.: If you are planning to take your own car, it is not a problem. There is lot of parking available for the visitors. Its just that may be sometimes you might have to wait for a couple of good minutes. The walk to the final destination is also not much. We took our car and it wasn't a problem at all.