This book arrived from Amazon yesterday:
How was it? Well, even my husband took it before I could finish flipping through it! He found some ideas he liked for the India apartment.
Most photos are not as austere as the cover. But the cover is what drew me to the book, because I haven’t seen much minimal Indian design. It seems the “contemporary” in the title may be more about design “of today’s times” than contemporary style.
One hallmark of homes in the book is a global influence. Homes that surely must have Krishna and Lakshmi also have a Sukhothai style Buddha from Thailand. Chinese furniture mixes comfortably with Indian furniture — a look I’ve always suspected might work. Now that I look around, the simple shapes of a Chinese cabinet and an old Chinese trunk used as a coffee table look good with more decorative Indian things in the room I’m in.
A few more images from the book:
The biggest idea we got from the book is interior doors made of scrolly iron grates backed with frosted glass. Couldn’t we get that made for us? And instead of glass, you could back the grates with wood. Or you could do a metallic paint effect on the glass instead of frosted. At any rate, that’s a crazy idea that would look horrible in our Chicago house, why not try something different in Chennai!
Deb that cover is beautiful! You know a lot of homes in India actually have a minimalist vibe…maybe it just hasn’t been captured much in print or online, but it definitely does exist! Methinks I’d like to peruse this book!
It’s a very nice book! I’m awaiting another book about modern India design and hopefully more minimal inspiration will be there. You’re right, a lot of books publish stuffed rooms with the bohemian look — maybe those are targeted at Americans who think that’s the look.
When we shop for the Chennai apartment, I’m going to TRY to RESTRAIN myself to adhere to a minimal look. But it’s so hard, there’s so many beautiful things in India! You really do have to practice tough restraint to be minimal.