Discover: Lisa Fine and the Beauty of India

Did you happen to see the New York Times Style section this past Sunday? What a treat to see textile designer Lisa Fine’s NYC apartment in there!

In my next life I will be Lisa’s assistant and follow her around the world to the most amazing, design-rich places — from London to Jaipur & even Istanbul!

Of course we’ll probably run into my other design idols along the way — Peter Dunham, John Robshaw, Carolina Irving — as they scout out block printing sources in Rajasthan. It would be heaven!  

Her NYC bedroom:

What I love about Lisa’s decorating style (self-taught) and textiles is the clear point of view she brings to all her designs. Her eponymous line, which you can find at Lisa Fine Textiles, has such a fresh modern interpretation of these millenia-old traditional icons and motifs. I mean, LOOK at her Mughal flowers pattern — so beautiful!

Her “Aswan" fabric:

“Rambagh Reverse"

Beautiful place setting in her dining area:

(all photos here courtesy of The New York Times)

Lisa in Paris (via Lonny)

Her romance with India comes through so much in her designs & that is one of the reasons I’m drawn to them.  When my husband worked for National Geographic, he was required to go on a 3-wk Trip Around the World with some of the Nat Geo explorers and supporters. Of course that meant I “had” to tag along!  It was the trip of a lifetime - visiting UNESCO sites everywhere from Cambodia, China, Tanzania, Morocco, Egypt, and yes INDIA, which was my absolute favorite place.

Two of our fellow travelers decided half way through the trip to get married, so my husband officiated the wedding for them at the Oberoi Agra hotel - it was quite a scene! That’s him in the turban, and me with a bindi:)

I just could not get over the pattern and design EVERYWHERE in India. The Oberoi hotel is exquisite — I walked around taking pix trying to hold all that decorative goodness in my hand to take home…Here are a few shots:

Absolutely every surface has some kind of thoughtful embellishment. As a result, it is such an energizing place!

A view into the pool area - an absolutely magical spot:

A wall hanging in the hallway:

Hope you enjoyed the virtual tour — if you can’t get to India, maybe add a little of Lisa Fine’s flair into your home & get the same vibe! She layers in so many Indian influences, from dhurries, to rattan and of course all the COLOR and pattern. It’s such a refreshing and welcoming style — a real antidote to the bland modern sameness that we cling to when we’re not sure what we like. I don’t know how it works, but it is really energizing to be around!