Kavitha & Vivek’s Perth Home Full of Heirlooms & Memories: A nod to the Indian Traditions and Values

Hello Everyone,

The last time we met, I was so happy rolling out the Annual Spring Edit 2020 with a host of Instagram divas that I had no inkling of what was to follow just 20 days later. I am not going to bore you with details because I am sure you guys already have more information than we all need to know. Let’s change course and watch something happy unfold before us.

Its the First Home Tour of the year and I couldn’t be happier to showcase it in front of all of you because the homeowner’s decor sensibilities are quite similar to mine. I have always believed that a home isn’t just expensive marble inlays, rustic decks, art deco furniture and pretty furnishings that look straight out of an architectural magazine – a home is made up of the people living in it, their stories, their laughter, their memories, plants, and of course, a bit of decor 🙂

Kavitha and Vivek share this beautiful home in Perth, Australia with their two kids – Nithika and Nithin. Vivek helms the finance department of a company (CFO) while Kavitha, a University rank holder in English is a happy multitasking homemaker who has her priorities and her heart set at various hobbies including gardening, photography, reading, and of course, making her home look beautiful.

• 

• 

The foyer sports a gorgeous console with all the metallic goodness of brass and my favourite decor accessory – plants! Just add a bunch of this natural green element to any corner and the transformation is instantaneous…Don’t you agree? I love how Kavitha has played with heights and sizes of planters here to add an element of visual glamour. Most of these brass planters are heirlooms handed down to Kavitha from her parents and grandparents and some of them have been picked up by her during her visits to India. I just couldn’t miss the intricate details on each one of them. On that note, I have to share her brass collection with all of you; you HAVE to see it to believe it because it is nothing less than a Golu Collection of metallic artifacts…(Golu is a festive display of dolls and figurines that people in South India put up during Navratri/Dusshera)

• 

• 

• 

Kavitha’s stunning brass and copper collection of pots, urlis, plates, lamps, vases…

Isn’t it just absolutely delightful? I felt like Harry Potter walking through a gold vault in the Gringotts 😉

The formal living room is swathed in neutrals which is not only comforting but also makes for a perfect canvas for Kavitha’s experimentation with arranging and re-arranging her artifacts. I love how she has accessorised her couch with colourful cushions and broken the white monotony of the space with lots of plants and brass planters! Gorgeous, isn’t it?

• 

• 

• 

An interesting interplay of textures – metal, plants, and colours against neutral walls

• 

• 

The formal living rooms holds antique and vintage brass treasure including Radha Krishna, Ganesha, and Devi Tara figurines

• 

This Tanjore painting in the formal living room was made by an old artist in Tanjore and he delivered it along with another one to Kavitha’s home in Pollachi. It sports a very heavy teakwood frame, hence she has propped it against the wall on the console in her formal living room.

• 

The coffee table in the formal living room is such a riot of colours and metallic textures!

The living room is simple and functional much to the liking of the man of the house. Vivek, being an Army school alumnus, likes a minimalist and functional setup with a fuss free arrangement. However, Kavitha has made it a point to have an inclusion of small brass artifacts in this otherwise media unit 😉

• 

• 

Brass planters and small figurines in and around the media unit

Also, I just had a moment of déjà vu when I saw those plants stacked up at varying heights in the brass planters on either side of the TV unit; my lovely mother-in-law also arranges her set of plants the same way all around her home (see below)

• 

The gleaming brassware spills from the living room to Kavitha’s kitchen counter too and can I just say those brass vessels have my heart?

• 

• 

• 

That brass kettle just makes me want to pour a hot cup of tea for myself 🙂

• 

• 

The dining area is a simple family space; however, two very distinct conversation starters – one, a collage of the travel pictures of the family, and second, the metal embossed coffee painting of Goddess Durga (made by a friend of Kavitha) make this a chatty, cheerful space.

• 

• 

This sun-kissed corner in Kavitha’s theatre room is all kinds of decor goals – from generous use of brass artifacts to clever juxtaposition of colours, glass lanterns, and plants. Here also, if you notice, she has created a delightful corner by grouping together various shapes and sizes of brass and copper pots and lanterns at varying heights that instantly draws the eye.

• 

• 

• 

Master Bedroom

The master bedroom is typical in its comfort and space factor and has a touch of Kavitha’s aesthetics too. The painting on the wall is a hieroglyphics papyrus artwork with the couple’s names on it and was gifted by their friend during their visit to Cairo, Egypt.

Kavitha isn’t your typical homemaker who just shops/curates and accumulates home decor from world over; she is also a seasoned DIYer. From salvaging an abandoned copper container into a planter to creating colourful frames from leftover pieces of brocade fabric, and from transforming a cheese board into a Ganesha wall hanging to painting a pallanguli herself, she has done it all. Sharing a few of a her DIYs here…

• 

  mirror made by Kavitha’s son in his industrial design class

• 

  old wooden plank transformed into a chowki

• 

  Cheeseboard turned into a Ganesha wall hanging

• 

  framed leftover pieces of brocade

• 

  abandoned copper pot turned into planter

• 

  Painted pallanguli

Kavitha and Vivek’s home in Perth is truly an embodiment of preserving one’s culture and values while living abroad. Kavitha is definitely an amazing homemaker, but at heart, she is an old soul. She loves keeping up with old traditions, curates antique and vintage treasures that are truly Indian at their core, prefers cooking fresh meals at home than a take-out, favours handmade art over art prints sold online and turns to Ayurveda/home remedies before popping in a panadol. The way she has conserved a little bit of India in her heart and her home speaks volumes about her upbringing and her aesthetic sense that has been ingrained in her ever since she was a kid. Kavitha, thank you so much for giving us a peek into your bright, scintillating, Indian home!

Before I end this post, please do take a look at some of the festive and most beautiful vignettes she has created for all of you!

• 

• 

• 

Brass heirlooms from Kavitha’s parents and grandparents

• 

• 

• 

Handmade paintings always a better option than artprints

• 

• 

• 

• 

Cosy spaces in Kavitha’s home

• 

• 

• 

• 

Such heartwarming sparkling vignettes…

• 

• 

Kavitha is a devout of the Murugar and she dresses him up in different avatars on all 6 days of the Kandhashasti; published in a popular Tamil daily

You all can follow Kavitha on Instagram and Facebook for more inspiration for your home. Also, do drop in your comments about the blog post in the section below. I always read them 🙂 Please take care all of you and stay safe.

All images in this blog post belong to Kavitha Vivek and may not be copied, reproduced, or used without her prior approval. Text copyright: A Cauldron Full of Love.