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)!
Copper is the New Black
Atomic number 29, Cu has got its swag on. Throwback to your Chemistry lab and you’ll remember the soft, malleable and ductile metal with that orange-y red fiery hue.
Atomic number 29, Cu has got its swag on. Throwback to your Chemistry lab and you’ll remember the soft, malleable and ductile metal with that orange-y red fiery hue.
We have plenty of fun and maybe not so fun facts about Copper, for instance, it’s found in your liver! As Interior designers, we can’t get enough of it. Most obviously, it is the lifeline of all our electrical layouts with its thermal and electrical conductivity on fleek. Historically, in architecture, copper has been used because it’s corrosion resistant and weatherproof, it even changes colour when exposed to the elements. It was the first metal to be smelted from it’s ore. It was the first metal to be cast into a shape. It was the first metal to be alloyed with another (copper + tin = bronze).
Last year Dulux announced that its 2015 paint colour of the year was Copper Blush which brings us back to Interiors. We’ve been using it in our projects, from bathroom and lighting fixtures to soft furnishings and decor. In fact, we love it so much, it’s even a prominent feature in our logo.
Looking Up, Looking Down
If you hadn’t noticed from our Instagram, last week we were in the capital! While desperately scrolling through our gallery for a good picture for yesterday’s #tbt, we realised that a theme had emerged. So today’s blog, aptly named to hint at our latest interior obsession - Ceilings and Floors.
If you hadn’t noticed from our Instagram, last week we were in the capital! While desperately scrolling through our gallery for a good picture for yesterday’s #tbt, we realised that a theme had emerged. So today’s blog, aptly named to hint at our latest interior obsession - Ceilings and Floors.
No one we work with really understands what a false ceiling is but it makes complete sense to us! Mood lighting - check! Hidden wires - check! Symmetry - check! Insulation- check! Do we need to go into it more? Here we have compiled a few images of some interesting false ceilings that we’ve collected from our Pinterest.
We’ve also spent a lot of time having things with floors. We always says that the most important part of the room is the ceiling and the floor. Everything else is trivial. Flooring is important because it’s the largest canvas in a room and also the most expensive. We are fortunate enough to have spunky clients who are letting us experiment with different tiles and textures. Keep up with us to see how our floors and ceilings turn out in the next few weeks.
Designing Details - Flower Power
This week we’re talking flower power, not because we’re two impressive young women conquering in our chosen field (we hope), but in the more literal sense - floral soft furnishings. The trend is hugely popular in Britain where we both studied, and we were so fortunate to be exposed to the amazing designs at Liberty or John Lewis.
This week we’re talking flower power, not because we’re two impressive young women conquering in our chosen field (we hope), but in the more literal sense - floral soft furnishings. The trend is hugely popular in Britain where we both studied, and we were so fortunate to be exposed to the amazing designs at Liberty or John Lewis. You can read a little more on the history of the fabrics here.
We love floral patterns, not only are they really pretty but they give a room a touch of whimsey, a quick way to soften a sober room. We don’t use them often but when we do, we recommend you use loud prints in small quantities for maybe an accent chair like we have in the office. Here we have complied our favourite patterns and how to use them. You can see more on our Pinterest boards and Instagram.
In Our Bag
When we leave PureSpaces HQ (unfortunately more often than we like to) we have to be prepared for anything - makeup for a client meeting to sunblock for construction site visits, we’ve got it covered.
This may look a bit extensive but we do manage to carry all of these items between the two of us wherever we go. When we leave PureSpaces HQ (unfortunately more often than we like to) we have to be prepared for anything - makeup for a client meeting to sunblock for construction site visits, we’ve got it covered. Scroll Down to see the full list!
Safety Helmet - No one likes helmet hair but better safe than sorry! It’s extremely hot on site, so we bought our own for hygienic reasons.
Closed Shoes - A necessity at site. We’re always jumping over puddles, climbing over debris and getting splattered with paint.
BandAid - This hasn’t been in our bag as yet but since we have already been victim to a couples of scrapes and gashes already in the past month, we thought we’d add it in.
Sunscreen - SPF +30 #TanAndLovely
Water - Our work is just so dehydrating.
Snack - Not necessarily Starburst but a little bit of energy when we need it.
Sanitizer - Can’t snack without it.
Measuring Tape - How do we explain how much we use this? Measuring tape = Our livelihood.
Laser Pointer - We’re just not tall enough to point at a ceiling detail. A new addition to our bag but such a keeper!
Phone - We carry three phones between the two of us.
iPad - We recycle all our paper and try to make presentations on our iPad as much as possible.
Camera - Sometimes our phones are just not good enough.
Portable Charger - A must have in our technology driven business that’s always on the go.
USB Pen Drive - Information is power, we back up and carry our digital files everywhere we go. You never know when you might need it.
Paint Swatches - FYI, Morning Glory is Krishna’s favourite.
AD Magazine - For those long, boring car journeys across the city.
Pens - Constantly misplaced, we have numerous scattered throughout our bag in a variety of forms and colours. Kamini definitely has more pens in her makeup bag than actual makeup!
Folder - We usually carry more than one. Each folder is for a specific project and contains printouts of all our working drawings which we carry copies of to hand out to contractors, carpenters and electricians.
Diary - Can’t live without this Moleskine planner! We keep note of meetings and events the old fashioned way.
Business Cards - Networking is key.
Homegrown Feature
Exciting news!
Krishna Morzaria, our Founder and Creative Director was featured in Homegrown!!
Exciting news!
Krishna Morzaria, our Founder and Creative Director was featured in Homegrown!!
You can read the full article right here.
HG: Could you tell us about the generation in your family where the varying ethnicity mixed marriage happened, and the story behind how and where they met, when it happened, and so forth?
KM: It was definitely fate. My mum is German with Czechoslovakian ancestry and her job in the garment industry required her to spend six months in Hong Kong, Philippines and India. My Gujarati dad who was born in Africa, fled Uganda with his family in 1970 before Idi Amin took over. They happened to meet in Bangalore and fall in love. Right place. Right time.
HG: What are the challenges you face in terms of identity, and cultural context of living in India with a mixed ethnicity? Could you tell us about the challenges faced by the previous generation of the mixed marriage, that you know of?
KM: My mum decided not to go back to Germany at the end of her trip. I’m sure there were reluctant relatives on both sides as with any family or any union. If she found it hard to adapt to the Indian culture, she didn’t show it. In fact, her business is thriving and she has even helped me start up my own Interior Design business.
I consider myself a Bangalorean, I was born and brought up here. Amusingly, I have a German passport and I'm considered an OCI, while my mum, who unlike me was born in Germany, is considered a PIO! I think Bangalore is a cosmopolitan city with such a unique blend of cultures that I fit in quite well. There is that occasional squabble with a shop keeper when I’m charged the “tourist rate”.
HG: How have the food, traditions, lifestyle, values of your other ethnicity been a part of your life, if at all?
KM: I’m more or less vegetarian.. with the exception of Schnitzel and sausages! Does that count?!
Every year we go to Germany to visit family we bring back a suitcase filled with groceries so we can cook authentic food at home. My German relatives love India so we always have someone coming to visit, keeping our stock of German food always complete.. I’m also a huge fan of beer, I love that I can have great beer, both in Dusseldorf and Bangalore.
HG: Being from a mixed blood background...
KM: Being from a mixed blood background has given me the ability to adapt to different situations. I'm deeply influenced by both Indian and European design sensibilities, which is partly why I created PureSpaces. I wanted to explore and show how there can be a happy medium between two cultures and perspectives.
Humble Beginnings
We’ve all been there, working from home in your PJ’s, Starbucks hopping for free wifi or two desks crammed into your parents garage. Famous multinationals like Apple, Google and KFC have been there but we at PureSpaces believe that humble can still look fabulous. Here are some images we took this morning of our two person home office. We are proud of our humble beginning and can’t wait to share our growth with you.
We’ve all been there, working from home in your PJ’s, Starbucks hopping for free wifi or two desks crammed into your parents garage. Famous multinationals like Apple, Google and KFC have been there but we at PureSpaces believe that humble can still look fabulous. Here are some images we took this morning of our two person home office. We are proud of our humble beginning and can’t wait to share our growth with you.
