Name: Meera & Arjun
Location: Atlanta, Georgia

A little background from Meera: When Arjun and I got married last June, we were excited and nervous about consolidating his and my apartments in Atlanta and Baltimore, respectively. Arjun and I love everything classic, vintage, and from eras past - pieces with history, like a rusted rivet he found by the old Atlanta train tracks, a 'Mains' ice cream can from Frederick, Maryland, his grandmother's 80 year old brass coffee filter from Madras, a marble lotus plate found antiquing in Cochin, Kerala, and a pin-tucked cushioned vanity chair sold for a penny at a consignment store in Baltimore.

Arjun and I love everything classic, vintage, and from eras past - pieces with history, like a rusted rivet he found by the old Atlanta train tracks, a 'Mains' ice cream can from Frederick, Maryland, his grandmother's 80 year old brass coffee filter from Madras, a marble lotus plate found antiquing in Cochin, Kerala, and a pin-tucked cushioned vanity chair sold for a penny at a consignment store in Baltimore. Arjun leans toward natural woods, leather, and neutral tones, while I like opulent metals juxtaposed with cottage-style accents. Together, 'hand-crafted comfort' sums up our style. We love to collect art from countries we've traveled, and have pieces from Spain, Nicaragua, and India. We've tried to include elements of our Indian heritage through the textiles and textures of our pieces, such as mirrored-work cushion covers, batik-print pillowcases, a set of terra-cotta Lord Ganeshas playing musical instruments, filigree-worked lanterns, and a large textured oil painting of Lord Nataraja, the Lord of Dance.

When we initially moved to Atlanta, we lived in a charming rowhouse in Midtown, with hardwood floors, crown moulding, and decorative fireplaces. We thought we'd found the perfect apartment to suit our special pieces. Due to unforseen circumstances however, we were forced to move out of the apartment with a month's notice. We chanced upon an industrial-style loft in West Midtown - virtually the polar opposite to the aesthetic we'd initially sought. Since we had so little time, we focused on the gorgeous natural light, panoramic view of Atlanta's skyline, and the open concept kitchen/living room. I was so worried our furniture wouldn't suit our new surroundings, and give us the warmth and coziness we wanted. My challenge was to create cosy spaces throughout the apartment with our cottage-style accents that were both decorative and functional, while capitalizing on the industrial hip vibe of the space. We repainted the walls with buttercup yellow, artistic taupe, sand-dollar beige, and chocolate brown to give us a palette on which to showcase our art, mirrors, and pictures. Instead of feeling cold and modern, the natural textures in the concrete mold gracefully with the rest of our pieces. I'm always on the lookout for something that will add beauty, history, and character to our home. I love mixing metals, woods, textures, and hues together to create an experience in a particular space. For example in our reading nook, we have rattan chairs from IKEA with green raw-silk cushions, an old watering can vase next to a brass lamp with vintage floral lamp shade, and a painted wooden oar that reminds us of our favorite hill station lake in Kodaikanal, India. The butternut squash antique table and [seemingly] matching wall shelf were bought in Baltimore and Atlanta respectively, creating the sea-side cottage feel we were going for. Prince Edward Island meets Berkeley, with a pinch of colonial India. Each piece brings a different tale, which fills our house with memories and stories that keep evolving with our own travels and experiences. 

Antique stores, flea markets, and design boutiques are my favorite weekend and road trip pit stops, while Etsy, OpenSky, and One Kings Lane are some of my favorite online bazaars. I suppose our apartment now emotes a more "urban cottage/time travel junkie" vibe, and we're very excited to keep growing our collection.

Thanks, Meera !

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(Images: Meera & Arjun)