“Orange? Seriously?!”
Our regular customers will be aware that the signature colour of Inside is teal. Safe, subtle, stylish, versatile, it mixes well with gentle countryside pinks and greens, pairs famously with taupe, and no doubt reminds our British founders of the summer it didn’t rain.
But you may also have noticed the recent creeping influence of other, less delicate colours. I blame it on our continental cousins, who have not only flooded into Hong Kong over the past few years (pre-covid, anyway), but have also taken over the key positions at Inside. Their taste has been more
adventurous. Bright yellows. Orange. Seriously? For home décor?
I was a doubter myself initially, but I’ve recently become a bit of a convert. So, after nearly three years away, it was thrilling this month to return to India, the home of vibrant colours. I’m delighted to say that the trip was a huge success, and we will be bringing some exciting new products to you soon – in a
palette of hot pinks, rich reds, bright yellows, and deep blues. And plenty of teal, of course.
Spoilt for choice: block print warehouse in Jaipur
The adrenalin was not confined to the supplier visits. A quick warning to anyone planning to travel to India – Uber is incredibly unreliable. One Jaipur Uber driver turned up, his battered and dirty vehicle covered in the dents and scrapes of the modern day urban road warrior, but when I quietly tried to fasten my seat belt in the back, he swivelled round and sternly waved a finger at me. “No,
madam!” He needn’t have bothered – the seat belt didn’t work anyway. If I was hoping for a better Uber experience in Delhi, I was only to be disappointed. One driver pulled over and insisted we had reached our destination, and when I got out of the car to take a photo to show Uber that we were
not even close, he drove off, leaving me stranded.
We’ll be telling you more about Rasa Jaipur in a future post, but this is a fabulous brand, with an amazing story. I couldn’t resist buying the ‘embroidered beads’ cushion below, and showed it to another supplier, who was curious (and suspicious) about what was in my shopping bag. He refused to believe it was block print, as well he might, because this is block print with a difference.
Rasa Jaipur is of the few suppliers with the technique to block print light colours on dark fabrics, and have added the detail of hand embroidery on top. Back at home, I have teamed it up with a Chicoracao red/orange throw and red Sidewalk cushion and a velvet Citta cushion in Cognac. Orange! We’re loving it!
It was a delight to meet the lovely Vaishali Singhal of Saamro, and her family. Saamro is a new brand for us, and we hope they will be a long-term partner for Inside. Vaishali’s beautiful hand-embroidered cushions and runners are a contemporary interpretation of traditional techniques, and we think they make a stunning addition to a sofa or bed in their own right, or provide a colourful complement to our other collections. Obviously, I couldn’t resist a couple of Saamro cushions either, and here is one of them, paired with a Rasa Jaipur cushion which I already had. Saamro’s products are hand-made at the Udaipur factory which Vaishali shares with her husband’s ayurvedic food
business, and we will be visiting them there in the Spring.
We haven’t forgotten that Christmas is coming up. We have always loved Kashmiri hand-painted papier mache baubles. These are durable and collectible, and this year we have selected a more traditional look. Our supplier, Mr M, having heard about my troubles with Uber, kindly offered me a
lift back to my hotel. We had a lively discussion about Indian and global politics all the way.
Ah,India! So good to be back again.