The Wow Factor: Small things which make a big impact in your home
Recently a friend asked me to suggest some accessories which would help add a little flair to her functional home. She felt it lacked that designer touch which we find in magnificently modeled homes on magazine spreads. I could completely relate to how she felt and I’m sure many of you face this dilemma in your own homes or rental apartments.
As I started to collect images to inspire her, I realized the spaces which I was drawn to were not full of expensive designer accessories or elements which you can’t have/create without burning a hole in your pocket. Many of the images I’ve selected to share in this post show homes which draw the eye in with just a few interesting elements. The main elements could be one or a combination of any of these – a painting/sculpture, a piece of furniture, a wall painted in an accent color/in a unique wallpaper, an interesting rug or any other item you may find in a home furnishings store, online or at a flea market. These show stoppers sometimes end up providing a direction for the style and color palette for everything around them.
The most interesting homes I’ve seen tell the story of the people who live in them. Their love for color, art, travel, cooking, music or simplicity. Your home doesn’t need to look like a staged space which no one inhabits. It should be a reflection of your passions and should be organized it in a way that makes sense for you 
!
I like how the ocean hued rug and a star shaped pendant liven up this home office
This is an excellent example of something which can be created at home – triangles cut out of colored paper form the headboard of this otherwise simple bedroom
This mundane staircase wall becomes a gallery of family portraits. The suspended pendant lights reinforce the height and slope of the roof.
This is my favorite! A disco ball hovers above a wood floor which is painted white. All the other furniture and elements are comfortable and easily available.
A single side of this small kitchen is wallpapered and most of the other surfaces are kept white which makes it special without too much fuss.
Simple glass panel doors below the island and the mosaic of green tiles are the eye catching elements of this kitchen. The accent orange wall and light pendants help to break the monotony.
The patterned wallpaper on the ceiling and all walls above the wainscoting draw the eye above the functional aspects of a bathroom…brilliant!
During my research I also came across some unique accessories which I would love to buy for my own home…once I have one!
A mix and match of prints and complementary hues…
Aquamarine odd shaped vases ! [Via Home Decorators Collection]
This floral lampshade would brighten up anyone’s days! [Via Flat Vernacular]
A crochet stool in my living room? Yes please! [Via Yarning]
Baskets can provide a beautiful storage opportunity for everything from laundry to toys! [Via Faiella Design]
What do you say, do these spaces have the wow factor? Feel free to reach out to me if you need more inspiration to spruce up your spaces!
A Change In Pace
This month zipped by in the blink of an eye! It began with a quiet Birthday celebration and the realization that I’m probably getting old since I wasn’t keen on making it a fussy affair 
!! Although soon after it picked up as I started to receive positive responses from the various grad schools I had applied to. As a result I got to visit California College of the Arts in San Francisco and travel to the East Coast to check out the Rhode Island School of Design. The travel and excitement of engaging with so many passionate designers, architects and professors was exhausting and I took these past couple of weekends off for some much needed R&R .
Here’s what the month looked like in retrospect:
Pranav and I celebrated my Birthday with a dinner date for two
All excited to be at the RISD campus!
Finally tried out some delicious recipes that I had collected: Paleo Chocolate Almond Joy Bars (left) & Blueberry Muffins (right). They were both pretty amazing and we gobbled them up in about a week 
And…
Explored some beautiful hiking spots around the Bay Area.
Overall it’s been an exciting month and I’m eagerly looking forward to the upcoming summer months! What plans do you have for the summer?
Pocket Full Of Design Turns 1 Today!
Highlights From The Past Year and Improvements For The Future…
I started writing this blog on April 16th last year. It wasn’t an easy decision as I procrastinated and second guessed myself for a long time! Fast forward a year and I can’t imagine a better way to have learnt more about myself as a person and as a designer. My husband and I experienced some major changes in the past 2 years as we got married and moved from Singapore to San Francisco. This blog has been a great outlet to express my passion for design, share the special moments of my life and most of all, read what you guys have to say about all of it !
Here’s a visual recap of some of my favorite posts from the past 1 year (Click on the image below to view the full gallery of images) :
Highlights from PFOD’s First Year (Click on the image to view the full gallery)
[Created with much ease and joy using Padlet, which is a web startup founded by Nitesh Goel and my husband Pranav Piyush!]
I’m also excited to announce a few improvements to PFOD today:
- Check out and join PFOD’s brand new Facebook and Google+ pages.
- Addition of a Pinterest button to easily share and enjoy all the images from PFOD’s blog posts on Pinterest. Also, don’t forget to follow PFOD on Pinterest!
- I’ve also added my Portfolio under the tabs to your left. This includes designs from my university days and subsequent professional work
These wouldn’t have been possible without the encouragement and support of my husband, and all of you who’s likes and comments motivate me to write the next post!
In addition, I also want to mention the inspiring blogs I can’t imagine living without. The authors of these jewels make blog writing appear so effortless but I can only imagine the work it takes to create one exciting post after another – you guys are my inspiration!
swissmiss : Funk Factory Interiors : Food-dee-dum : Triple Max Tons
Office Snapshots : Dezeen : M Loves M : 2Modern Blog : Faiella Design
With that I embark on PFOD’s second year and hope all of you enjoy coming along for the ride with me!
Love,
Charu
Toyo Ito wins the 2013 Pritzker Prize!
I’m thrilled to dedicate this post to Toyo Ito who recently received the Pritzker Prize for his architectural contributions spanning four decades! For those of you who are unfamiliar with the award, it’s basically the Nobel Prize for the field of architecture .
I could hardly curb my enthusiasm when I heard of this announcement as Toyo Ito’s works were a source of great inspiration to me as a design student. His pursuit of beauty through simple and timeless designs still inspires me and I strive to achieve that in my own work. His works range from designing cups and saucers, mobile dog homes to multi story buildings!
So without further ado, here are some of my favorite Toyo Ito designs:
Tama Art University in Tokyo, Japan [via Dezeen]:
Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2002 in London, UK [via archdaily]:
MAYUHANA Lighting (made of fiberglass, resin and aluminum):
Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre in Nagano, Japan:
Mobile Home for Shiba [via Architecture for Dogs] – Do check out the adorable video on how this home was created on the website!
What do you guys think of his work? Has he rightly earned his place in the Pritzker hall of fame along with I.M. Pei, Richard Meier, Frank Gehry, Tadao Ando and the likes?
Holi Art!
Each year as winter gives way to spring, we Hindus celebrate a boisterous festival called Holi which falls on March 27th this year. I won’t bore you with it’s cultural significance but basically it comes down to throwing powdered color and water on each other to celebrate the fantastic weather spring brings along with it!
In the spirit of this multicolored festival, I want to introduce you to the vibrant art of British-Indian Pop Artist Ketna Patel. Having lived in both India and Singapore (where she currently resides) I had an instant connection with the content of her elaborate pieces. Her art is whimsical and unique as is her ability to express herself on any surface!
I can’t wait to visit her gallery on my next trip to Singapore!
Haworth Chair
Mother Asia Collage
Love In Bombay (Asia Pop! Art)
Chalo Asia (Asia Pop! Art)
Haworth Chair
Chair
Asian Darshan
You can find more of her work here.
To Wallpaper or Not To Wallpaper?
Just when I was about to write off wallpapers as passé, I stumbled upon some new collections which made me reevaluate my stance.
Of course I’m not oblivious to the fact that wallpaper has it’s benefits and may be the perfect choice in many scenarios – it’s economical because it lasts longer than paint while adding texture/pattern to a space. Even so, for the longest time I’ve considered it as surface decoration, something which covers up the true character of a wall or ceiling in a fake repetitive pattern.
Well…no more! I’m warming up to the new generation of wallpapers which have evolved from mere backdrops to being the showstoppers! The icing on the cake – all of these manufacturers are environmentally conscious too .
H-Torsion by Maxalot
Mountains, Sunrise by MissPrint
Hallelujah and Ex libris from the Pleats Collection by Elitis
Love the way the origami inspiration has been translated to wallpaper in the above collection!
Lantern (Graphic Collection) and Dream (Watercolor Collection) by Creative Matters
The Java Collection from Lyons Handcrafted Wallpaper
So, what do you say? To wallpaper or not to wallpaper?
A Valentine’s Day Treat!
It’s 14th February and I hope all of you are spending it with someone who holds a special place in your heart . I’ll probably be enjoying the evening cozily at home since the hubby and I already had our grand Anniversary + V day celebration at this amazing resort over the weekend!
Although I’m not much of a wallpaper person, I couldn’t help but share these enchanting beauties from murals wallpaper with you all today!
I love products which can be customized to the individual’s needs and wouldn’t mind having these bespoke beauties around the house year round!
Lots of ♥
Charu