Sriracha: A hot & spicy evolution!
The day has finally come! We are very excited to launch Sriracha to the world. It was a fun but gruelling adventure that involved crashing tons of food tastings that we definitely did not need to attend (such a hard life!).
The day has finally come! We are very excited to launch Sriracha to the world. It was a fun but gruelling adventure that involved crashing tons of food tastings that we definitely did not need to attend (such a hard life!). We thought we’d break it down for you, show you our process, our inspiration and before/after shots!
You guys might recognise Sriracha- formerly Singkong - a local favourite. The space already had an asian vibe but we wanted to give it an upgrade with minimal intervention ie. keep structure, flooring and ceiling as is.
We didn’t want to go the traditional route when designing Sriracha, we’ve worked closely with the branding team (our design bff and neighbour A&J Design Works to make sure the design is unique and cohesive. The rest of the team included our long term collaborator Woodlabs who turned technical nightmares into sweet sweet realities and last but not least Krackn who are just badass and awesome and we love them. Together, inspired by contemporary asian design, we’ve used traditional materials and colours in a unique way that is minimal yet fun, perfect for a night out!
You can see some of our initial ideas in the mood board below which evolved over time thanks to a nudge on our clients end to make the design more “urban”. If there was ever a project to show off our street cred, this would be it.
We initially wanted to do an installation on the ceiling and after maybe going through over 10 different ideas we decided to drop it in favour of our much beloved mural.
The whole project was about logistics, the client didn't want to close the restaurant down so we had to have each element designed in such a way that it would be made outside and assembled within a week on site. Since we were on a time crunch, we built the wall cladding over the existing cladding (so much easier than ripping it off) and had the wood cut into different sized panels (so the joints wouldn't be obvious).
Krackn to carry the heavy mismatched panels three at a time to their studio and paint the expansive mural panel by panel jigsaw style before putting it together on site. Troopers right? A second layer of wood in the form of long slats were added to bring out texture and warmth that would break away to reveal the mural.
The eight countries that Sriracha represents in its branding are subtly used in the interiors to differentiate itself from Sanchez. The mural is heavily inspired by this, besides our badass heroine, crazy tentacles and flying fish we we challenge you to find all representations from all 8!
The service table were made from scratch and the dining tables were made using ash wood that was then charred using a blow torch. The chairs were carefully selected and shipped from Indonesia. Cermaics came from Pondicherry (best work trip!) custom made to fit in with the asian style and colour palette of the restaurant. Traditional earthenware accessories coloured in a deep red hue from the logo brings a pop of colour into our contemporary asian pine wood shelves.
Diwali Gift Guide
We at PureSpaces celebrate the victory of light over darkness all day erryday. It’s our job to. Infact, we’ve even written about lights before. 'Tis the season to be jolly for £akshmi wa$ bo₹n and generally good trumps(lol) evil.
We at PureSpaces celebrate the victory of light over darkness all day erryday. It’s our job to. Infact, we’ve even written about lights before. 'Tis the season to be jolly for £akshmi wa$ bo₹n and generally good trumps(lol) evil. Rama-Sita-Lakshman-Hanuman are all good and so we celebrate with lights and mithai. This lovely festival has two traditions: Noise/Air pollution which we don’t recommend (we have dogs and morals #sorrynotsorry) and extremely late spring cleaning which we do recommend. We hope you’ve spent this week cleaning, renovating and decorating for a new you. Below you will find our Diwali gift guide for last minute shoppers that is sure to make any home lit!
Banana Leaf Platter - Koy
Niloufer Box - Urban Ladder
Cow Bell Door Hanging - The Purple Turtles
X-Stand - Deniable Studio
Brass Diyas - Jaypore
Metallic Candle Ring - Moonriver
Trays - Pinklay
Lotus Tea Light Holder - The Lohasmith
Hanging Diya - Good Earth
Ceramic Bowls - Fennel
Other stores check out!
Adddress Home
Artizen
Aion
Klove Studio
Curo Carte
Adarsh Gill
Inspiration Checklist Part 2
A few weeks ago we listed out our favourite books, blogs and magazines. As promised, we have added to our list so you can be eternally inspired. You’re welcome.
A few weeks ago we listed out our favourite books, blogs and magazines. As promised, we have added to our list so you can be eternally inspired. You’re welcome.
PODCASTS
99% Invisible - The ultimate design podcast! We are properly addicted to Roman Mars’ voice. He makes the most mundane of topics interesting and there’s always a design twist. One of many amazing podcasts that are a part of Radiotopia.
The Urbanist - This is part of Monocle radio and has a slightly more serious take on design. This British Podcast talks about design, trends and the urban landscape in Europe and covers different topics over different segments within each episode.
Song Exploder - Part of Radiotopia, this is no ordinary music podcast. Here Hrishikesh Hirway breaks a single track down with the artists themselves and explains the concept as well as the technique of every single note. He’s very diverse and explore all genre’s from Carly Rae Jepsen to Norah Jones.
Design Matters - If you’re listening to it on Soundcloud, check out the actual website anyway because it’s v v cool (spoiler: It changes colours!). Debbie Millman, the host is an award winning designer herself but started the podcast to interview her idols and share it with the world. Design Matters is the first and oldest running design podcast to exist.
Adventures In Design - This is really an entertaining podcast full of design gossip and who doesn’t love gossip?
DOCUMENTARIES/SHOWS
Grand Designs - A BAFTA award winning British Classic. Kevin McCloud has been at it since 1999. We’ve literally grown up on this show (does that make us nerds?).
Abstract The Art Of Design - This Netflix original aired earlier this year. We particularly liked the episodes on Es Devlin and Ilse Crawford. Each episode has it’s own style and is well produced.
Chefs Table - You would think that David Gelb would’ve peaked after Jiro Dreams of Sushi but every single episode of Chef’s table does justice to his reputation. The amazing cinematography truly makes you wonder about the art form of cooking.
Design Trilogy - Gary Hurwist’s documentaries ‘Helvetica’, ‘Objectified’ and ‘Urbanised’ are the three commandments for every 1st year design student.
YOUTUBE
Karen Kavette - This OG vlogger is super nerdy but super fun. She started her YouTube career in RISD giving advice to all incoming art students and has worked her way up the ranks and is now a very prominent personality on the HGTV page.
Song of Style - Interior designer and fashion icon Aimee Song is so rock ’n’ roll. She documents her jet setting lifestyle on Youtube (and insta stories) and the glamour is addictive.
HGTV handmade - DIY goodness. Home, design, decorating and remodelling ideas. Arts and crafts galore!
House & Home - More DIY, makeover and home tours in case you aren’t sick of it already!
We just wanted to add that we use YouTube mainly for software tutorials. All those times you forget commands in AutoCAD, this becomes a life saver resource. We also love Youtube’s direct competition Vimeo for it’s quality videos.
Design is the best medicine.
Today, we’re writing about something near and dear to us, something we get emotional about - design for good…design that saves the world.
Some of you may know the amount of time we have spent in the hospital this crazy year. For those of you who don’t know, don’t worry! We’re fine! All of us have been there, helpless in the hospital waiting room, hoping for a get well soon miracle. So today, we’re writing about something near and dear to us, something we get emotional about - design for good…design that saves the world.
Hospitals are crummy places, especially in India. Although we have made a lot of progress, the newer hospitals tend to have a corporate feel that doesn’t psychologically benefit the patients or their families. We trudged through the internet to find you examples of great design. Hospitals that have the perfect balance of function and beauty but most importantly have a meticulously designed interior that mentally soothes and encourages a sense of well-being.
We delved into it a bit further and identified characteristics of an ideal place of healing. Material and atmosphere are the key words here. Using wood and natural light to complement each other is one way to bring warmth and cosy-ness to a space. Colour is used to lift the mood, instantaneously cheering up a room. Scenery and greenery are vital - no one likes to be hauled up in a claustrophobic space when breathing room is essential to recovery. That leaves the best and most obvious for last - clean and quiet! Need we specify the reason? Check out the images below to see hospitals who walk the talk.
Special Mention: Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital in Singapore is hands down our favourite hospital. From the interiors and facilities to the customer experience, service and lest we forget, the world class doctors. Believe us, it's an outstanding place to be ill or not (preferably not).
Stay healthy, stay safe!
From the PureSpaces Team!
BBM: Our Inspiration Checklist
If you’re thinking ‘wtf are they writing about blackberry messenger for’ then stfu, we’re not. Today we’re talking about where we get our design inspiration: Blogs, Books and Magazines.
If you’re thinking ‘wtf are they writing about blackberry messenger for’ then stfu, we’re not. Today we’re talking about where we get our design inspiration: Blogs, Books and Magazines.
We don’t want to state the obvious like Pinterest and Instagram and there are ton’s of media that we haven’t really mentioned (YouTube channels, Documentaries, Podcasts) that we will definitely explore in the next edition.
BLOGS / WEBSITES
Style by Emily Henderson - Em Henderson is our go-to blogger for all things interiors. She has so much knowledge and blogs like an absolute pro. In fact, we get lots of ideas for our blog from her. She knows how to mix funny or personal stories with serious work related stuff leaving you with a beautiful curated experience.
Design Love Fest - Technically a graphic designer, Bri Emery of DesignLoveFest will make you love colour like never before. Filled with posts of the most whimsical and lovely things on her blog is a dream. She works with very cool designers to come up with fun DIY’s from crafts to interiors to food. Her “Weekend At Home” category is full of amazing inspiration.
Apartment Therapy - “Saving the world one room at a time”. Need we say more?
ThisIsColossal - Just a good blog to get away from it all. Insane work from the most dedicated of artists. This blog is curated to blow your mind. A real punch packed with inspiration.
ArchDaily - Immerse yourself in architecture from around the world. Keep up to date on the current trends on everything from design to technology.
BOOKS
Kelly Hoppen aka God - Everything that PureSpaces wants to be. We treat her books like the Bible. Kelly has been working in the industry since she was 16 and with no formal education. She has a distinct style that is completely in line with what we want to do at PS.
The Big Book of Chic - Miles Redd’s website reads “quirky brand of cozy glamour”. This book is a classic, a bit cray but definitely a classic.
The Scandinavian Home - Because who doesn't love minimalism?
The Selby Is In Your Place - Todd Selby has made his living stalking some pretty cool creative people and oh boy, do we wish we were him! This photographer has made his mark in the industry by showing the world the behind the scenes on some of the coolest, most prolific personalities we know.
Tom Ford - This book is solely here for it’s aesthetic value. Note sure what it contains but we’ve seen it uplift many a photoshoot as a must have coffee table accessory.
MAGAZINES
AD - “The international design authority”. Dreamy architecture from around the world and from India. Beautifully curated sneak peak into the best contemporary interiors and exteriors the world has to offer.
Elle Decor - All about them trendy details. Elle has a keen eye for decor, we love to flip through to find out about quirky accessories and interesting artefacts. Through in some fashion and a little bit of page 3 and you’re hooked!
Better Homes/Home & Garden/House & Garden - Similar but great for their overall themes. Each issue will shows us genres in Interior Design from country to contemporary and is filled to the brim with pleasing photos and tips and tricks for the perfect home.
Designing Details: Lippam (Independence Day Special)
It’s been a while since we’ve done a “Designing Details” post, so this one is dedicated to Krishna’s Indian heritage. We decided to focus of the very gujju craft of Lippam and celebrate it’s beauty, history and most importantly it’s purity from the evil greedy fingers of colonialism.
Hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend and reflected on how great it is to be free. It’s been a while since we’ve done a “Designing Details” post, so this one is dedicated to Krishna’s Indian heritage. We decided to focus of the very gujju craft of Lippam and celebrate it’s beauty, history and most importantly it’s purity from the evil greedy fingers of colonialism.
Dominated by the women of Kutch, this traditional work uses camel dung, mirrors and clay to decorate their circular mud huts in rural Gujarat. Their designs are passed down from generation to generation and are never quite the same. This tradition has been kept alive and is practised by women from different communities to keep their homes insulated and cool during the hot summer months. White and shimmery, Lippam Kaam definitely fits into our PS aesthetic, scroll down to see why.
PS Travel Diaries: Singapore
Some of you may know that PureSpaces was working overseas for a substantial amount of time this year. While PS HQ was still churning out work as usual, Krishna’s desk moved across the ocean and as promised here we share her top tips to conquering Singapore with you!
Some of you may know that PureSpaces was working overseas for a substantial amount of time this year. While PS HQ was still churning out work as usual, Krishna’s desk moved across the ocean and as promised here we share her top tips to conquering Singapore with you!
Ascott Orchard, home away from home is an amazing serviced apartment that we highly recommend if you’re doing a longer stay. It’s connected to Paragon - woohoo shopping! Paragon has all the high end brands if you feel like splurging but also a parlour and a grocery store so you can stock up at the apartment. Another mall worth visiting is ION Orchard where we found a gem of a stationery store called Kikki-K. You already know stationery is our Kryptonite (new desk posts soon to follow)!
Mostly a vegetarian office, we sometimes slip and the food in Singapore was so good, it was hard not to! We recommend Din Tai Fung and Min Jiang at Goodwood Hotel for some amazing Asian food and Brotzeit for German food “cuz yum”. Crossroads Cafe - all day breakfast FTW (the walkway from here leads straight to Kikki-K ) and Angelina to curb your sweet tooth.
Other Artsy things to visit would be the Arts Science Museum, Gardens by the Bay, Cloud Forest, Flower Dome and Marina Bay Sands. All pictures attached.
All in all, Singapore is a city we could live in and we can’t wait to go back. I hope you enjoy this post and make use of our to do list one day!
SPOILER ALERT: We’ve added a few pictures of Yayoi Kusama’s retrospective (not too many so you can see it for yourselves). The exhibition recently opened and has hordes of people queueing for the good stuff, so be patient and it will all be worth it! The Cirque du Soleil is also in town with a new show ‘Kooza’ that will leave you in awe even if you’ve seen the Cirque before in another part of the world. A short walk from the performance venue you can have dinner at Spago or Bread Street Kitchen which has amazing interiors that you may recognise from our Instagram. Dinner and drinks overlooking the marina to end the perfect day.
A Girls Guide to Looking Profreshional
The stereotypical architect has a pretty distinct style (black turtle necks aren't so fun in Bangalore) and as Interior Designers, we get a little bit of creative leeway.
Last time, we spoke about our fly style and ermm.. this week we continue to do so. The stereotypical architect has a pretty distinct style (black turtle necks aren't so fun in Bangalore) and as Interior Designers, we get a little bit of creative leeway. We have to be prepared to do many things in the span of a day and be dressed appropriately for every occasion - construction site, client meeting, shopping, work drinks - you never know! We like to stay neutral (duh), wear comfortable shoes and carry a lipstick with us to help with the transition. Some of us are better dressed than others - Saad always wears crisp tailored shirts and picks out the fabric himself, Krishna always looks breezy and fresh in her neutral colour palette and well, then there's me, infamous for being pyjama clad at work on most days. We share an office with Crosscreek who makes and exports clothes to Germany and once in a while we get to pick out something nice from the sample rack in our conference room. The rest goes to charity so if you’re between wardrobes, get in touch with us and we can help you send them to the right people. Below is a collage of a typical #ootd PureSpaces approved wardrobe just so you know exactly what we’re talking about!
Moody Presentations
Every company has their own style, our’s is pretty fly (if I may say so myself). We thought we’d break it down for you and show you how we do things at PureSpaces.
Every company has their own style, our’s is pretty fly (if I may say so myself). We thought we’d break it down for you and show you how we do things at PureSpaces.
Mood boards are the first step in our design process. We come up with our own design conclusions and solutions after we get a brief from the client and check out the space. Most of the time, we have to show our client what we have in mind and that’s where our presentations come into play. We score through our magazines, Pinterest and design websites for reference images that best describe our vision. Sometimes we design things from scratch and use material or colour palettes along side it. We usually have a thick folder at the end of the process that then gets curated carefully into our famous mood boards.
I’ve attached a few examples from various projects for you that best describe our process in depth.
PS - Although we have standard templates that we work on, it’s definitely not set in stone. We like to change things up from time to time.
PPS - Our PureSpaces font of choice is Bodoni. For all the design nerds out there - It's a serif font whose typefaces come under the Didone genre, a modern typeface from late 18th Century. Another fun fact, it's the font used on Nirvana's logo.
Ladies Who Lunch
Before we made a concentrated effort to bring packed lunches to work, we 'ladies of leisure' ate out more often than we needed to. Foodies at heart, we made an effort to explore new menus or indulge in old favourites between client meetings and site visits and of course Entrée when we are feeling lazy.
Before we made a concentrated effort to bring packed lunches to work, we 'ladies of leisure' ate out more often than we needed to. Foodies at heart, we made an effort to explore new menus or indulge in old favourites between client meetings and site visits and of course Entrée when we are feeling lazy. Here are our top 10 favourite places to eat out during the work week - healthy, quick and perfect for when you're in a rush.
PS Travel Diaries: Jaipur
Summer is upon us and we just cant help but throw back to Rajasthan. Krishna and I both went there during the cooler months last year and can’t help but overwhelm our Instagram feed with all the architecture and art we saw there.
Summer is upon us and we just cant help but throw back to Rajasthan. Krishna and I both went there during the cooler months last year and can’t help but overwhelm our Instagram feed with all the architecture and art we saw there. It’s been a while since we wrote a travel post - don't worry, a Singapore one will soon follow - so heres to the second addition of the PureSpaces Travel Diaries dedicated entirely to our favourite Royal city of Rajasthan: Jaipur!
Palace hopping is a thing - between Hawa Mahal, City Palace and Ajmer Fort, you’ve got you're main tourist bases covered. Once you’re done, do a Palladio hop, believe us, it’s worth it! The interiors at Cafe Palladio are cute and quirky, making it the perfect lunch spot while sultry Bar Palladio across the road is a great way to end the day with a drink. We also recommend Spice Court for Lal Maas and Kheema Bhati, Anokhi Cafe and Zorrow for some mind blowing vegetarian food (yes, you read that right, oxymoron we know)! Jaipur is an art, craft and textile capital! Make sure you do a bit of street shopping and check out Ayush Kasliwal’s store, The Blue Potter Store and Arihand Arts. All these places were recommended by Tanushree our office coworker and Jaipur native. This fantastic place is a huge source of inspiration for us and we’d love to go again and again but for now, you can always stalk our wistful #tbt’s on Instagram.
Easter Chocolate Wish List
PureSpaces wishes everyone a Happy Easter! Not everyone in the office celebrates Easter and we may be divided in beliefs but we sure as hell are united in our Chocoholism.
PureSpaces wishes everyone a Happy Easter! Not everyone in the office celebrates Easter and we may be divided in beliefs but we sure as hell are united in our Chocoholism. Apart from the art of making chocolate itself, there is also a lot of design involved in the cocoa industry. From the packaging to interiors of chocolate shops around the world and famous sets captured in time like ‘Chocolate’ and ‘Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory’. Here is a list of heavenly spaces and treats that we give thanks for but before we get into that, let’s have a moment of silence for Johnny for making us more addicted (to chocolate, not him.. well, him too) than we already are.
Mast Brother's Milk Chocolate
DIY Unicorn Easter Eggs
Marble Punch Chocolate Set
Bottega Louie White Chocolate
Compartes Dark Chocolate
Cyril Lignac Chocolaterie
Mon Choco Artisanal Chocolate
Utopick Chocolates
William Sonoma Sweet Sauce Set
Angelina, Paris.
Laudree, Paris.
'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' Set.
Mast Brothers, Brooklyn.
'Chocolate' Set.
Bro.Kat, Poland.
Peggy Porschen, London.
App Mania
In this era of technology, we rather die than live without our phones. It’s sad to say it, but it’s true. Not the biggest technophiles, we have decided to make more of an effort with technology and really take advantage of it. No stigma attached, let’s embrace this period before we get too old to understand the latest update or the next generation condescendingly shows us how to teleport to meetings and most likely before robots destroy us.
In this era of technology, we rather die than live without our phones. It’s sad to say it, but it’s true. Not the biggest technophiles, we have decided to make more of an effort with technology and really take advantage of it. No stigma attached, let’s embrace this period before we get too old to understand the latest update or the next generation condescendingly shows us how to teleport to meetings and most likely before robots destroy us. Scroll down to find a list of apps we use or would like to start using on the job at PureSpaces.
SOCIAL
We’re possibly guilty of over sharing. Not only do we have our work accounts, we share a lot of work related content on our personal accounts as well. PureSpaces takes a majority of our time so excuse us if we get over excited and you see the same image on three accounts.
Instagram - A mix between curated, styled photos and on-the-go visual diary of everything we are up to on our stories section.
Pinterest - Where all inspiration is collected. Each project of ours has it’s own secret board and the general ones become a library of sorts.
Facebook - A platform to repost insta images but also blogs like this one from our website. We do need to start using this more.
Twitter - Kamini is the only one to use twitter but she repeatedly tweets about her #bossbae
Snapchat - Krishna has a private account, we were considering getting one for the office. What do you think?
Whatsapp - Possibly the most important communication tool we have but you know that already.
PERSONAL
A few apps we recommend in general.
Entrée - We treat ourselves to a fancy lunch more often than we should from this amazing delivery app.
My Fitness Pal - For when we put on too much weight from the above delivery app.
Ola - If you haven’t boycotted Uber already, use Ola. It’s safe and has an SOS button.
Soundcloud - We listen to design podcasts on the reg, all our Monocle24 and Radiotopia playlists are ready for us 24/7.
sleepyti.me - Set’s an alarm for you based on your REM cycle. Can’t do without it.
NDTV - Endless alerts about O PANNEER but at least we stay updated about the news.
WORK
Apps we can’t live without and a few that we’ve haven’t used yet but are willing to give it a shot.
Instasize - Crop or play with your images as much as you want.
My Measures - Take a picture and directly put the measurements on the image.
Expense Manager/Splitwise - Since we haven’t fully converted to a cashless economy, this is just to keep track of our expenses. Sometimes you’re juggling personal cash, company money and client money all at the same time. Just an organised way to keep track of all those ₹₹₹’s.
Unit Conversion /Calculator - Feet and inches to Meters and centimetres - A godsend for dyslexia!
Morpholio Trace - We haven’t tried it yet but definitely looks like a fun and convenient way of going paperless.
Autodesk 360 - For quick changes on the iPad while you’re on the move.
Sketchbook - Because we need to sketch more.
Milanote - Recommended by our PureSpaces BFF Avantika, an Evernote meets Pinterest meets everything good on this planet.
Desk Swag
Our complete and utter obsession with stationery, hasn't gone unnoticed. Some of our most popular Instagram posts are dedicated to the subject. We spend far too much money on pretty books and pens that we don’t end up using because nothing we contribute would do justice to it’s papery perfection. It’s complicated.
Our complete and utter obsession with stationery, hasn't gone unnoticed. Some of our most popular Instagram posts are dedicated to the subject. We spend far too much money on pretty books and pens that we don’t end up using because nothing we contribute would do justice to it’s papery perfection. It’s complicated. While our existing stationery gets displayed with pride, our new goodies get priority treatment. There is a collective effort to assemble, style, shoot a scene fit enough for our Instagram. Here is a compilation of all our desk swag images we’ve taken over the year and be sure to note there will be plenty more to come.
FYI our favourite collections are Kate Spade, Tom Dixon, Muji, Rifle Paper Co, Sugar Paper LA, Ban.do
Object Of Desire: V-Day Special
Neither Krishna nor I celebrate valentines day but you know... we would... especially if we received *ahem* any of the following goodies *AHEM*.
Neither Krishna nor I celebrate valentines day but you know... we would... especially if we received *ahem* any of the following goodies *AHEM*. You can find more things we love on our Accessories board on Pinterest. Since it’s potentially too late to get your loved ones something nice today, we recommend saving this inspiration board for future birthdays, anniversaries and holidays. So here’s our very first gift guide, from us to you, with love.
Happy Valentines Day!
Vase from Moreno Ratti
Geometric Terrarium from eBay
Design Master Class by Kelly Hoppen
Curtain Holdback from Anthropologie
Marble Box from Kelly Wearstler
Bowls from Studiomake
Coasters from calypsobath.com (similar found in Oma)
Candles from Tom Dixon
Cushion from Gulmohar Lane
Fresh Start - PureSpaces HQ
Throwback to our first blog post, where we humble bragged about our little home office. Fast forward to the present, from where I sit, as I write to you, as you read this from your crummy little office and watch my words fade into an onslaught of images of our fantastic new workspace. Yeah, we don’t humble brag anymore.
Throwback to our first blog post, where we humble bragged about our little home office. Fast forward to the present, from where I sit, as I write to you, as you read this from your crummy little office and watch my words fade into an onslaught of images of our fantastic new workspace. Yeah, we don’t humble brag anymore.
This journey hasn’t been easy and if you’ve been missing these blogs it’s because we’ve been hard at work (insta stories for proof). We’ve taken a moment to breathe, reflect and show you our entire process with some before and after images (scroll all the way down to see it all!).
Looking for an office is hard work, we looked at five very different options including a co-working space and a residential apartment. The space we decided on is a 1100 sq.ft. garage of a two storey home just by Sankey Tank (#477, 11th Cross, Sadashivanagar, come holla at us). It gave us the freedom to choose how to utilise the space. While the negotiations started, we went online for inspiration.
The last and final stage, an ongoing process, is making it feel like home. We threw an impromptu office party where we stayed back, had wine and cheese and put up a Pantone wall. Our other DIY adventures include a multi functional post-it/whiteboard/monthly calendar and a mood board mesh.
Keep up with the PureSpaces team to see what we’re up to!
PS Travel Diaries: Koh Samui
Since travel is a big source of creative inspiration, we thought we would dedicate a category within our blog solely based on our international adventures. So first up, we have Koh Samui!
How fortunate are we to be able to travel all over the world? This year alone, we have covered a large chunk of India, Dubai, Germany and very recently Thailand. Since travel is a big source of creative inspiration, we thought we would dedicate a category within our blog solely based on our international adventures. So first up, we have Koh Samui!
One of the largest islands off of mainland Thailand, Koh Samui, is the sweetest, quaintest sea side town. As soon as you land, you are greeted by swinging palm trees, rolling hills and funny looking vacation trams to transport you to and fro. This trip was all about minimal action and maximum recuperation with good food and numerous pool side naps. We did manage to do a little bit of shopping and nightlife in Bangkok before we got home. We haven’t gotten our fill of Thailand - is that even possible? We have much explore, from a meal at Gaggan to shedding a tear at the sheer beauty of Siam, Bangkok.
Here we have compiled all the pictures from the trip and our recommendations for places to visit. Make sure you visit the Wharf for dinner at Baracuda and a drink at Cocotams and dessert at The Cliff. The Banyan Tree, located in Lamai Beach was the perfect place to stay with terraced cottages in vernacular style over looking the bay. With our PureSpaces mascot as company, the week breezily floated by and now you can catch us back in action on Instagram or Facebook.
Light It Up
We’ve come a long way since lamps were made from rocks and animal fat (weird, we know!). In fact we’ve come such a long way, even with three hours of reading, we’re still not 100% sure how they even work. The modern invention of the light bulb has changed the way we live and view the world.
We’ve come a long way since lamps were made from rocks and animal fat (weird, we know!). In fact we’ve come such a long way, even with three hours of reading, we’re still not 100% sure how they even work. The modern invention of the light bulb has changed the way we live and view the world. The past two weeks have been all about lighting it up (not in the stoner sense obviously) but we are at that stage of our projects that we’re focusing on those interior design terms that sound foreign to you but exciting to us - track, pendant, spot and cove anyone?! We try to use very little artificial light because natural light is the bomb.
When we work on residential projects, we’re sneaky about our lighting, we hide it in our false ceiling through spotlights and cove lighting to create a little peak-a-boo mood lighting. General rule of thumb is to always go with warm white light and avoid tube lights. Of course there are always exceptions, but we don’t usually use wall or ceiling lights. Give us a pretty pendant though and it’ll make our hearts swoon! Our aim with lighting is to make all our homes cozy, warm and safe.
All these rules get thrown out the window when it comes to hospitality! We try to be ambitious and grand. Fortunately we have clients who encourage us and let us experiment. We’re currently collaborating with our talented friend Avantika Agarwal to make unique, almost sculptural light art that will surely dazzle you. Make sure you follow both of us on Pinterest to see our inspiration and Instagram to see what we’re up to :)
The Interior Designers Guide to Music for Every Mood
Music is very important to us, not only does it get our creative juices flowing, it helps keep us up-beat during late nights or mellow and calm during a rushed morning.
Music is very important to us, not only does it get our creative juices flowing, it helps keep us up-beat during late nights or mellow and calm during a rushed morning. We spent three miserable months in silence when our car radio stopped working. At the office we used to turn to Capital FM for our dose of generic teen pop - who are we kidding, we still do (not gonna lie, it reminds us of Uni)! So here we’ve compiled a very haphazard playlist of music that covers most of our needs through the week. From instrumental hotel music when we really need to concentrate to sing out loud Motown classics, we’re pretty diverse when it comes to genre’s. FYI, ‘This Girl’ is our current favourite.
Doggy Style: Hugo & Meeko
You’ve all met Hugo from time to time over social media and last week we welcomed Meeko to the family! Krishna and I have had dogs all our lives and thought we’d compile all our information so you know how we pet-proof a home without compromising on style.
You’ve all met Hugo from time to time over social media and last week we welcomed Meeko to the family! Krishna and I have had dogs all our lives and thought we’d compile all our information so you know how we pet-proof a home without compromising on style. There’s tons of information out there (we found this & this useful) but some of the most useful tips actually come from trial and error and a bit of common sense.
Let’s talk about the floor. We recommend laminate flooring or tiles since hardwood flooring scratches. Smooth surfaces can also be slippery for puppies or old dogs. You can always throw a rug in places where theres a lot of foot traffic to protect your floors and your dog. Colour coordinating with your dog helps hide fur and darker carpets with tight patterns hide stains better.
Upholstery is tricky. Blankets or throws over sofa’s will help and if you insist on having light colour fabrics, then we highly recommend zip cushions, slip off covers that are removable and washable. Pet friendly durable fabrics like denim, canvas and leather, are strong and wear out in a pleasing manner. If you travel abroad often, you might want to invest in products like Softpaws, nail caps and indoor/outdoor rugs.
Meeko is teething so we’re watching our whole office get destroyed in slow motion. We try to hide our wires and keep anything important in closed storage. The little ones enjoy ruining wallpaper so paint is the only way to go. You can brighten up your home by choosing your own fabric for the dog bed and choose attractive treats and toys that will inevitably be scattered across the house.
We don’t know much about cats but for any cat ladies out there, we hear velvet and rope are your friends (good luck with that)!
