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I am honored to have Kamini on my blog today for a guest post! Kamini has an absolutely gorgeous blog Saffron and silk, where she talks about all things beautiful in design,architecture, art and lots more. My design and presentation dictionary got an expansive makeover since I found her! The beautiful paintings, product features, architect profiles are a treat for the senses. Stop by at Saffron and Silk for an exquisite experience you will never forget.. Thank you for this wonderful post Kamini. ๐
PS: Increase the page size in your browser(Ctrl Shift + on chrome) for bigger pictures! or click to enlarge.
When Richa asked me to do a guest post on her blog, my immediate reaction wasโฆMe? On a food blog??? Uhโฆ..not a good idea. Because even though I love to cook, I am not anywhere close to as ingenious or versatile as she is. If all I have available is half a cabbage and a red pepper, rather than use my creativity to come up with something delicious (like so many fab cooks I know), Iโll pick up the phone and order take out!
And the few recipes I was really good at โ the paneer dishes and biryanis โ have been shot to pieces after my recent turn to Veganism!! Give me something to write on design, Iโm happy. So then I thought maybe something on kitchen designโฆ..uhโฆ..boring! Thereโs lots of magazines around for that.
I thought long and hard and then it hit me! Washoku!! Eh? Whatโs that you say??? Washoku is the old Japanese art of presenting foodโฆyou eat first and foremost with your eyes. The philosophy can be applied to any cuisine.
If we open our eyes and are willing to think differently, we can see that there are design lessons all around us, even in something like a beautifully prepared meal. A meal guided by principles of balance, harmony, simplicity and restraint, where the elements are chosen and arranged visually to be balanced and in harmony โ these are the same fundamental principles we learnt in Interior Design school. In either case, the visual matters.
A bowl of dal (lentils) my favorite food is delicious, but a bowl of dal spiked with mustard, cumin and red chilies and garnished with cilantro, takes on a whole different avatar and can transport me to culinary heaven in seconds!
So, I thoughtโฆ..let me try an experiment and merge the design principles of Washoku and Interior Design. I picked my favorite dishes from various food blogs, that I make repeatedly, and picked rooms that had the same color scheme to see if what was gastronomically appealing to the senses was aesthetically appealing to the same senses. In other words, do color combinations that excite you on your dinner plate work in designing rooms?
Tell me what you think?
Basil infused vibrant green peas and curried potatoes in a coconut spiced sauce with whole wheat bread. The same fresh green and tan combinations in a room designed by Jonathan Adler!
An Ayurvedic salad with greens and fresh flowers translated into a stunning dining room in the same complimentary reds, oranges and soft greens! This really works!
A colorful Ayurvedic platter with a decidedly tropical vibe and an equally colorful room in a restaurant in Vietnam!
Red and yellow peppers, grilled trumpet mushrooms, green wild Japanese parsleyโฆ..the same 4 colors blend beautifully in this eclectic living room.
Simple penne pasta with olives, basil and green beans. A simple room in varying shades of green. One satisfies an appetite, the other soothes the soul!
Golden, crispy French Fries in a paper bagโฆplain and unadorned. A glamorous bedroom in gold and ivory. Gorgeous!
An all time Sunday special in many homes โ rajma and saffron rice. The same rich hues echoed in a room โ burgundy and gold.
Spiced Goan vegetable curry, its flavors and colors used to stunning effect in a bedroom.
So what do you think? Can you whisk the colors right off of your plate and design a room around it? I firmly say โYESโ as long as the food you are staring at has been thoughtfully and artfully presented! The rules of color theory can be applied to most everything around us.
I had fun doing this, so Thank You Richa for indulging me and my silly ideas!!!I have tried to link most images to their rightful blog page, but some I donโt remember (or I didnโt bookmark)!!! So if any of you knows the origin, do let me know so I can give credit where its due!
Thanks you Shanthi, Krithi, Indianyarn, and Patricia. Have an amazing day and do drop by again!:)
Thank you all. It was one of those ideas that came to me in the middle of the night โ really.
Indian Yarn โ you think? Hmmmโฆmaybe I should get together with someone and do a coffee table bookโฆ.great food inspired by great interiors????
Richa โ I see youโve โvirtuallyโ met all my lovely design blogger friends!! Thanks again.
What a lovely guest post.. I love.. love Kaminiโs blog.. ๐
kamini,if this subject will be expanded into a book, the book will fly off the shelves
This really is a wonderful post Kamini.. Thanks for sharing Richa!!
Krithiโs Kitchen
Event: Serve It โ Festival Potluck
This is a fabulous post Kamini!!! Enjoyed the coupling to the core. Wonderful!
Thanks Rithika, Sudha, Emreen, Iniyaal, GB and Harini!!
Thanks to Kamini for the guest post and thank you all for dropping by!:)
Whoever thought!! Great post! I always look at dresses and gauge the colours on the walls of peopleโs houses because most people seem to have their fave colours on their walls and dresses, but Kamini has added a new dimension!
Gorgeous food and great decor!
-Harini
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