Stylish Spaces

One of my all time favourite books is Elegance by Kathleen Tessaro , a kind of self-help, fashion-sense manual written with a touch of vulnerability and full of hilarious anecdotes of a wannabe fashionista who yearns to be elegant, confident in her style and duly noted by others including her husband. I have read this book about four times already over a period of 10 or so years and it never disappoints, it has the right measure of laughter, tears and wit in addition to a grappling account of events. A definite read for all girls, sixteen to sixty five! The idea behind the book, as admitted by the author was an extraordinary old book that Kathleen stumbled upon in a second hand book store - a book called A Guide to Elegance   by Madame Antoine Dariaux  where she dispels page upon page of dressing and shopping advice for the discerning girl who wants to transform herself from a caterpillar to a butterfly. Surprisingly, most of her advic...

I love the colour black- or should I say the absence of all colour that is black. There is something sombre, mysterious and deeply profound about it -  profoundly silent, profoundly elegant, profoundly present - you can never ever ignore it, no matter where you are and where you see it. It is infinitely elegant in attire (should it be worn with care)-  Black tuxedos are what made James Bond and Holly (Audery Hepburn) in Breakfast at Tiffany's timelessly famous. And in home decor it makes an even greater impression on the senses if thoughtfully planned and executed. Most interior designers will agree that of all rooms with the most impact, the most wow factor, the ones painted pitch black wins hands down each time, but then, why is this colour used so conservatively in design. Everyone bows to its power, but most are afraid to use it to its full impact. The reason I guess is the innate human fear of being enveloped in darkness, we have sought light since time unknown...