Though vacations are time off from work, one of the things I most look forward to when traveling is all the decor inspiration photos I know I’m going to collect. A change of scene with new places, new people, different cultures and lifestyles always helps spark new ideas. Add to that the fact that we travel not only in space, from one place to another, but also in time. For example, on this vacation we saw centuries old palaces while staying in a modern resort. I get to see different architectural and decor elements from different periods of time, and I’m back home bursting with ideas. 

My Top 10 Decor Inspiration Photos From This Vacation:

This Diwali, our vacation was in the southern part of India. We spent a few days each in Mysore, Kabini and Bangalore to make it a week off.

A week of vacation means a few hundred photographs. I was born with two arms, two legs and a camera. My family and friends have, over time, got used to my fifth appendage, and some of them have even truly begun to appreciate it.

So you can understand how difficult it was to choose 10 photos from these hundreds. (As you go further down the post, you’ll realise that they aren’t really only ‘ten’ photos!)

I started to remove all family and friend photos from the list and it became easier. I was only looking for decor inspiration photos for this post, and eventually I came up with these… my top 10 decor inspiration photos from this vacation. Here goes…

(1) Fingers of God:

I once read the rays of the early morning sun filtering through the trees being described as ‘fingers of God’. Now I can close my eyes and picture Him reaching out to the earth every morning to gently wake it up from its deep slumber. Since that day I find these morning rays more warm and beautiful than I did before… as if they are connecting me to Him. I rarely get to see these in the city, so it made me wonderfully happy to be able to capture them in photographs.

But decor inspiration? It’s scenes like these that make me want to make a space green and dreamy. My version is nowhere as beautiful as His, but can you see where I got my balcony inspiration from? I still have to learn how to make ‘fingers of God’ though… THAT will be truly amazing!

(2) Outdoor Dining:

While we’re at green spaces, let me show you this outdoor dining area at our hotel in Mysore. A thick green cover with tables laid across the courtyard. It looked even prettier at night with dozens of lanterns hanging from the branches of the trees and candles on every table.

Sitting here was like being transported into another world and I could have spent all day right here if there wasn’t so much to see in Mysore.

(3) Almost Outdoor Bathrooms:

And while we’re still at the outdoors, this amazing bathroom at our resort in Kabini. Little bits of it are open to the sky with huge windows everywhere else which make you feel like it is an outdoor bathroom while being completely indoors.

I don’t know when I’ll get a chance to work on something like this. For one, the bathroom was about twice the size of my bedroom. And open bathrooms in Mumbai where you can see directly from your flat into the next? Hmm…

(4) Four-Poster Beds:

A four poster bed has been a dream for a very long time, but it wasn’t possible in my own bedroom given it’s size.

But this is one dream I hope I’ll be able to fulfill soon.. for someone else if not myself!

(5) Patterned Flooring:

These gorgeous floors are from the palaces at Mysore and Bangalore. So many pretty patterns.. I was absolutely floored. ( 😉 pun intended)

Can’t wait to lay out some patterned flooring myself!

(6) Grill Design:

I absolutely love the beautiful design of this grill and how it looks from both sides. The intricate patterned silhouette it forms from the inside and the delicate design you see from the outside are both amazing. And who would ever have thought to paint it a baby blue!

(7) Open Courtyards:

In another life time, at another place, this is what my home would look like. Rooms all around with open porches leading into a gorgeous courtyard where the family gathers for coffee, conversation and breakfast on sunny winter mornings. That fountain is not a bad touch, what say?

(8) Intricate Detailing:

I can’t even begin to call myself a ‘designer’ when I see something like this. All that intricate detailing, hand worked and repeated to perfection. The vibrant colours I wouldn’t dream of putting together. And all that opulence with so much grace. If I could translate a fraction of this into any design, I could at least call myself an inspired imitator.

(9) Ethereal Sunsets:

From beautiful sunrises with ‘fingers of God’ to sunsets in all possible colours, the sun is decor inspiration in itself. Every time you click a pic of a sunset you have a new colour scheme for your next project. The grey / yellow / orange / maroon in this is stunning!

(10) My Favourite Kind of Decor Inspiration:

This is by far my favourite decor inspiration photo of this holiday. Five decor bloggers from different corners of Bangalore took time out of their busy schedules and braved the Bangalore traffic to make this happen on a working weekday. And no, they didn’t do this only for me. They are an awesome bunch who meet up and support each other regularly. They were only kind enough to include me as one of their own.

From L to R: | Vinithra | Preethi | Seema | Yours Truly | Raina | Nain |

It’s the first time in my life I’ve gone out to meet people I’ve ‘met’ online. When I got on to Instagram I expected that with hard work I’d get followers and fans and readers for my blog… and have loads of competition along the way. I never dreamed of a fellowship, camaraderie… and making new friends along the way.

In a time where social media is usually blamed for taking us away from people into a lonely digital world, I made new, flesh and blood kind of real-life friends online. Our common ground… our passion for decor. Can’t think of anything more inspiring than that!

My favourite pic from an amazing holiday… Now let’s start counting down to the next one!

Until then,