Design Talks : Priya

A lovely Tuesday morning deserves a lovely "Design Talks" Guest. Now all thats left is to boil some water, throw in some tea leaves and enjoy the wonderful company that I have today.

No points for guessing, Priya is visiting purplehomes this morning.

A big hello to you Priya! Well, to begin with our readers would love to know the design lover & the tea crazy person behind OUATT? Priya please tell us something about yourself, your family & of course what do you do in life other than coming up with such inspiring posts day after day?

I live in California with my husband and two sons, ages 11 and 6. I have lived in the US for the last 13 years and I have a research degree in Biology and work for a science organization in the Bay Area. I love blogging and have met and been inspired by the most amazing people that live in the blogosphere.

Your lovely posts are a sure sign of how much you love blogging! But before we get into the hows & whys of your blog...How many cups of tea do you drink in a day? And which ones are your favorites? Come on I had to ask this one. We are invited to tea everyday but we don’t know what you like what you don’t!

Only two cups of tea per day! I stick to regular Indian brands like Brooke Bond and I prefer my chai brewed strong and sweet.

I am sure the readers are smiling right now! The snippets of your home that we see on your blog are gorgeous. And what really caught my attention was the how there is so much of India in your home. Just like your love for Indian tea! Being away from India how do you manage that? And how do you maintain the right balance with the western influences that you must be seeing all around you?

Thank you! Some of the artwork is old, like the Kalamkari painting of Ganesha – it used to hang in my parents’ home and they gifted it to me when I bought a house. The other artifacts from India have been collected over the years and some were gifts from friends. Since I really believe that a home should be a reflection of the people that live there, almost all have a story behind it!

 I don’t think there is a huge Western influence seen in our house yet but I have started to love a more country-style of decorating.

Wow! We’d love to see more of your home soon! Coming back to your blog, we love the way you keep the content on your blog so fresh. Everyday we look forward to so many of your posts. How do you manage to do that everyday?

The blog is a big part of my life- I am inspired by the amount of creative work I see in the world of design and décor and so, its more a case, of “so many things to blog about!” rather than “what do I blog about next?”

Batik, tea, patterns all take your heart away. What else inspires you?

All kinds of beautiful fabrics and most things handmade!

True nothing like handmade love. And the so many wonderful design blogs around us have suddenly made it so easy to hop countries and discover more & more of all things handcrafted. Which are the blogs that you often visit to get your daily dose of inspiration.

There are so many that I could fill up pages! But definitely, decor8, An Indian Summer, Rang Décor and Design Sponge were the blogs that inspired me to start blogging.

We love that you always include your fav pages/ articles from the so many design magazines around you. Which are the ones that you find yourself going back to?

House Beautiful magazine, Elle Décor, Country Living. I was a big fan of Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion and was heartbroken when they closed down.

We all know how your home looks so divine all the time & it’s so tastefully done. What are the ten décor accessories in your home that you just can’t dream of living without?

I don’t think I can list 10 but for me (and I am not a professional decorator) the house has to reflect your life and your passions. Beautiful fabrics from travels, old postcards and lots and lots of books are just few of my favorite design accessories. (And no, my house doesn’t look divine all the time- I don’t take any pictures at those other times :))

That was a cute admission! To wrap up, any tips for the readers for an instant makeover...you know when unexpected guests call up to say hey we’ll be there in exactly ten minutes.

I am slightly obsessive-compulsive, so a clean house is a must for me. Apart from that, fresh flowers from the garden and a smiling hostess can do wonders!!

Thanks, Prachi, this was fun!

It sure was for me as well. It was lovely knowing the face behind the blog I love to visit every day…sometimes several times a day! Thanks for coming over Priya.

I hope all of you enjoyed knowing Priya. If you are a new reader and or have missed meeting the other talented bloggers we met , tune in here!

Also don’t forget to join the “Because this makes me happy” party! Remember, I am waiting!

Images : OUATT