Amal Rosa Augustine who lives in Bangalore with her husband and a toddler has opened the door of her two bedroom apartment for 3D readers to take a peek inside and her home reminds me of English empire style. Let’s start with the console table in below picture that sums up the British colonial style of decorating perfectly. Hammered metal platters in dark tone are paired with a carved wooden frame in ivory that matches the accessories on the console to create a cohesive look. Touches of gold and wooden furniture with clean edges infuse some modern elements. Tradition or modern, plants never go out of trend and Rosa knows that well.
This minimalist home is a reflection of a clean, pure and serene environment but what makes it British colonial style home is woven furniture in dark wood, light and airy colours, soft & subtle furnishings, eclectic accessories and tropical foliages. Below is the picture of Rosa’s living room where dark wood furniture creates a contrast against white walls. The overall feel of this place is traditional with a splash of exotic.
Further Rosa says “I have to mention here my dear friend Seethu who helped me throughout designing my dream home and also for my husband for signing all the cheques without looking at the amount and above all my parents who made this a reality”.
Rosa shares some sweet memories, “my family is a very spiritually oriented family and hence all around the house, you can find bible quotes and lot of images of Jesus. The most integral part of my house is this small prayer area. I love everything about this. The holy family statue was a gift from my parents when we moved into our first home after our marriage. I carried it in all the homes we rented till date and finally to our own home.”
The dining room is simple and minimal with woven chairs in dark wood that bind the entire space together. Balcony space has been converted into an open seating area. Huge windows allow the influx of glare-free ample natural light. This adds the visual depth to the confined sitting area. Bamboo blinds bring texture and organic feel of outdoor to the indoor and create a beautiful dappled light effect that makes the atmosphere soothing and relaxing.
“Next favourite place in the home is this sitting area. It’s called the “chai corner”, I love sipping my morning and evening tea in this place and it’s so peaceful and comfortable.”
“This is our study (the so-called half bedroom). We hardly kept any furniture in this room because this room belongs to the two crazy people in my family. The half of the room is for my daughter and the other half is my husband’s office space. My daughter loves this room and it means the world to her. She spends most of her time in this half bedroom. Most of the things here are made by my 14-year-old niece and I gave them their rightful place because of her ardent love for my daughter.”
“This is a small corner in my kitchen which I have turned into a coffee bar. Saw this on Pinterest and it had to be in my home as I love playing with chalks and that’s why you will see lots of chalkboard paint done here and there in my home.”
“Our master bedroom is kept very simple. My husband is very particular about making it clutter free and also, I was concerned about my 3-year-old daughter so I kept it minimal. Other than the bed I only have a cot and a chest of drawers in my bedroom for a storage. Picture frames with family pictures on the wall above the headboard remind us of our loved ones and we all just love looking at them.”
Her guest bedroom is a place where I would love to retire for the night. It is such a soothing place with walls in white, furnishing in cheery lemon and dark toned furniture that pops against the pristine walls. I am so in love with this unusual wall decor where embroidery hoops are acting as a frame and beautiful fabric is given a place of artwork.
