The first Monday of 2017 and I’m sitting at the computer and raring to go. The sun rose the same way it does every morning… but I didn’t! I numbered this day, gave it the significance of a New Year, and I got up feeling very enthusiastic about the ‘new beginning’, feeling a new energy, a new hope and a new certainty that THIS year is going to rock!

The ‘New’ From Last Year

Well, 2016 was pretty rocking too… and full of ‘newness’. 2016 saw me start working anew. The smell of sawdust and a cup of cutting chai made me realise how much I had missed being on site!

My ‘newest’ project of 2016 was this blog. From barely knowing what a blog is to getting this up and going, I feel like I’ve come a long way. Thank you, Neha and Sameer, for ‘suggesting’ (more than once!) that I start blogging. I would never have got into this myself. And thank you Google, for answering every question I had, for spending hours with me, guiding me every step of the way in setting it up. (How on earth did anyone ever do anything before Google??)

The Last Few Days…

And after a year of working hard and googling harder, a break was much needed. So we took a short holiday to Sri Lanka to end the year. We were 3 families travelling together, 6 adults and 6 kids.

A dozen human beings = a private party wherever you go! This itself was a new experience, and great fun.

A new place always brings new things to see and design inspiration from everything around.

Designs that Inspired

I loved our hotel room done in white and gold. The floral wallpaper in the panels was just right to keep the room from being plain and boring.

The Botanical Gardens at Kandy were gorgeous and spread over acres, and a favorite with the kids. While I was busy admiring the beautiful fountains and fairy-tale corners along the way…

The kids were busy climbing every tree they could lay a foot on!

The garden also boasted orchids in more colours than I could ever have imagined. I am most tempted to use bright pink with a creamy yellow after seeing this one.

And pink highlights in an all-white room after seeing this!

The hand painted ceilings at the Temple of the Tooth Relic are making me rethink ceiling design. This one looks like tapestry to me.

I’d love to use a painted ceiling in my design soon!

Design that Didn’t!

I also saw a red swimming pool. I’m sure a lot of people must like it, but I can only speak for myself. I totally did NOT! When I think pool I think cool. I think respite from the hot Indian summer. And red just does not evoke those feelings.

I have a design lesson there… to not go overboard in an effort to make something ‘new’. Somethings are best just the way they are. (Sounds like there is also a life lesson in that.)

Raring to Go!

And then there was this splendid tiger at a jewelry shop, made entirely of Swarovski crystals.

An inspiration to charge majestically into the new year and create an exquisite masterpiece of my own!

And so, after many sources of inspiration… and many more beach lunches with the most awesome gang of friends…

… I’m back home, feeling rejuvenated, refreshed and sitting at the computer this first Monday of 2017, raring to go!

Happy New Year

I am hoping I can feel as excited about each of the 365 coming ‘new days’ instead of just the 1 ‘new year’. I’m hoping to feel this energy and enthusiasm every single day, and totally make this new year rock! I’m looking forward to completing the first few interior projects that I started in 2016, and taking on many more projects this year. And when I’m really tired after having worked really really hard, I’m hoping to party and holiday with friends again!

Here’s wishing you all a magical 365 days too!

 

Until next time,