Have lived in six homes so far - none owned by me and one my Dad & Mom's home. Grew up in Delhi in a very simple middle class home, of no frill and fancy, and told again and again to be thankful for the roof-over-our- head! For as long as I can remember my elder sister and I would look for curios, items in the corner, affordable and unique to place in my Dad's humble abode. This too was made possible because of my sister's early affinity to start earning - though I can still feel the post-buying trepidation till the explanation that my Dad demanded over every such purchase. Naturally the price quoted in response to his query was always half or less of the actual!
So here we were, two sisters, literally trapped in the household-principle of simple, almost bare living, restless, eager, trying at every available opportunity to create a pretty nook & an aesthetic corner in our growing-up home! Every joyful buy overhung with the foreboding of Dad's face and what he will say and almost overshadowed till the explanation was accepted, and the item placed!
Tune to mid 90's my sis got married and left for her new, virgin home, all raw and ready to be done up as she & my Jiju pleased. The bird literally flew off from her no-frills nest!
I was left behind - by now earning bit by bit - gradually and increasingly able to assert my independence to buy and dress up my (Dad's) home. This continued though always a quest for doing it as I want, overhauling it my way remained, sometimes active, many a times dormant - by now taking brave breaks in buying things with like-minded friends, at fairs, exhibitions, curio stores, old furniture markets and such. I can remember Delhi Haat taking shape at this time, and my first and many subsequent visits to the Amar Colony old furniture market, thereafter.
Sadly, no picture exists of this phase that I can call my half- caged home- deco sensibility.
So here we were, two sisters, literally trapped in the household-principle of simple, almost bare living, restless, eager, trying at every available opportunity to create a pretty nook & an aesthetic corner in our growing-up home! Every joyful buy overhung with the foreboding of Dad's face and what he will say and almost overshadowed till the explanation was accepted, and the item placed!
Tune to mid 90's my sis got married and left for her new, virgin home, all raw and ready to be done up as she & my Jiju pleased. The bird literally flew off from her no-frills nest!
I was left behind - by now earning bit by bit - gradually and increasingly able to assert my independence to buy and dress up my (Dad's) home. This continued though always a quest for doing it as I want, overhauling it my way remained, sometimes active, many a times dormant - by now taking brave breaks in buying things with like-minded friends, at fairs, exhibitions, curio stores, old furniture markets and such. I can remember Delhi Haat taking shape at this time, and my first and many subsequent visits to the Amar Colony old furniture market, thereafter.
Sadly, no picture exists of this phase that I can call my half- caged home- deco sensibility.
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