Dvibhumi - A Jewelry label and a home tour (an artist's abode)

Here is the final post of our trifecta for the month -the story of a jewelry designer and a self –made entrepreneur. We also get a peek into her beautiful home and we could not be happier to bring you this feature! Meet Vyshanvi -Founder-Designer of Dvibhumi (dvi-bhoo-mee), a Singapore-based jewelry label with a contemporary design philosophy rooted in Asian heritage. Today’s post is yet again, the story of hard work and dedication to a passion aka creative entrepreneurship. It is a tribute to an artist  who chose a novel medium (jewelry) to explore her love for music, culture and architecture and without hesitation took a creative plunge to follow her dreams

Aalayam fashionistas take note – you are in for a treat! I am honored to introduce you to a jewelry label that is urban and sophisticated with hints of tradition and history. So, if you are looking for a brand that allows you to express yourself fiercely no matter what your personality is then your search ends here! And yes, I get to bring you a tour of her  vibrant artistic Singapore abode as well and you are going to love it. So, read on….

Here is the fascinating story of Dvibhumi, the label in Vyshnavi’s own words …

Tirta - tusk earrings. Make a statement with a Dvibhumi piece!

“I launched Dvibhumi in 2014, translating my preoccupation with creative concepts, Asian cultures and the arts into contemporary wearable design that tells a story. Dvibhumi represents a stream of ideas flowing from two worlds: India, where I grew up, and South East Asia, where I live, work and travel. My work is off-trend and less concerned with the material nature of jewellery. Dvibhumi is made of intangible stories, memories and experiences that are intensely personal to me and to the wearers who connect with the same stories in some way.

I am also deeply motivated by a need to transcend exotic labels such as “ethnic”, “boho”, “traditional”, “antique” and “tribal” that constrain Asian jewelry design. With Dvibhumi, my effort has been to bring into sharp focus the inherent and often ignored modernity of Asian aesthetic, fully embracing its forms, details, textures and craftsmanship. Today all the excitement is around gold and there are very few designers doing something exciting with silver. The Silver Enthusiast isn’t catered to well enough and often settles for tired, recycled and mass-produced designs. Dvibhumi wants to reach out to a discerning, independent thinking Silver Enthusiast looking for good design stories in a metal that she adores.

Hindolam - a dvibhumi offering!

I started Dvibhumi with three collections, or stories, as I would like to call them: Kutcheri, Vibhuti and Ayu. Kutcheri is a term applied across South India to Carnatic Music Concerts. Kutcheri is a modern day ode to the iconic ornamentation style of great Carnatic divas such as MS Subbulakshmi. The series is a lighter take on the classic seven stone diamond stud that was MS’s signature style. Vibhuti is the Sanskrit word for holy ash, which describes the austere appearance of this collection. I’ve used an Indian jewellery staple – the jhumka – to tell a story inspired by the domes and fretwork of Islamic and Renaissance architecture. The result is a clean jhumka that brings into sharp focus the form and detail with no unnecessary embellishment – very different from regular jhumkas where the individual design elements are less distinct.

Atri - jhumkas with a difference!

Ayu means beautiful in Bahasa Indonesia. This collection uses traditional Indonesian silver-smithing techniques to capture the form and detail of Balinese shadow puppet theatre and worship. The series re-conceptualizes typical silhouettes such as the headdress, the tree of life, and the wings of the mythical Garuda, and the overwhelming textures of Bali’s sculptures and woodwork.

How to purchase

Dvibhumi’s E-Shop is always open, and ships worldwide. Just hop over to www.dvibhumi.com, and pay securely through your credit card or PayPal. If you’re not comfortable with that, Dvibhumi also accepts payments via online bank transfers. Just write to hello@dvibhumi.com with the link to the design you are keen on, and Vyshnavi will write back to you with the bank details.

And now on to what seems to be a favorite with Aalayam readers – a home tour! We were invited to Vyshnavi and Karthik’s vibrant, playful and inviting home and I was blown away by how stylish this space was. I am going to let Vyshnavi explain how this beautiful home came to be but do me a favor and pay attention to all the details will you? Art that makes a statement, colors that pop, fabrics that add interest – I clapped my hands in glee when I saw this cozy little gem of a home (I know I am a hard core home décor enthusiast!).  This home is also her art studio and this beautiful and clutter free backdrop is truly an artist’s inspiration. In her own words, “the home has evolved slowly and organically, which makes everything a bit less predictable” and I love that! This home is not dictated by trends but rather by passion and that is the kind of home that Aalayam loves to feature.

Here is the excerpt from our tete-a tete...

1) What makes your home "your home"? 

It is young, carefully considered, practical and constantly evolving. It’s just a very personal space filled with colors; textures and sounds that make us feel good.

2) Does the decor in your home fit the bill for any one particular style - if so, what drove you to that style?

We haven’t aspired to any prescribed home décor style and it isn’t something that came alive overnight. In fact, decorating a home hasn’t been the starting point at all. We started with what we’re interested in, and finding a place for it at home. The home has evolved slowly and organically, which makes everything a bit less predictable. I love indigenous arts and crafts, and the house has something of a folksy vibe going on. I was once looking up Tlingit art online, and somehow meandered my way to Mexican alebrije.

 I loved the blinding color, patterns, and subjects, and that’s how a Oaxacan coyote alebrije landed up in our living room. I found painted wooden door stoppers at a discount sale one day and bought several of them to create a wall mural using Blu-Tack. The Japanese woodblock print is by the legendary Ukiyo-e master Kuniyoshi. It’s something I researched extensively before we purchased it on our visit to Kyoto. We picked up a Turkish calligraphy piece from a friend who is also an art dealer when we were travelling in Istanbul, and it just fell into place right next to the Tanjore paintings of Ganesha and Subramanya which we had received as wedding gifts.

3) Who calls the design shots in your home?   

 My husband and I are both involved in putting the house together – it is a shared space after all!

4) How does your personal decor style influence your work professionally or the other way around?  

The home is also where I work, so quite naturally, both evolve from a very personal and inward looking approach to design and aesthetics. Both are grounded in stories, images and sounds that we grew up with in India and have a fondness for things that we come in contact with all over Asia, through our travels and our surroundings. There is a fascination for Asia, the respect for craftsmanship, a penchant for detailing and textures.

5) What are your favorite places to shop for your home? Are you budget savvy or would you rather own pieces that truly strike a chord with you even if they are expensive?

We gravitate more towards a laidback casual style, so there’s nothing lavish in our house. Our favourite places to shop are Ubud in Bali and Kyoto. But I love the internet even more! Ebay and Etsy are great for collectibles, and a Google search will show you a whole host of tiny standalone shops selling eccentricities. That’s how I found the Oaxacan Coyote. I’ve found some exciting art from emerging artists on Saatchi Online and I’ve picked up some excellent quality prints from 1000 Museums. Fuji Arts auctions Ukiyo-e prints, and I got a Chikanbou triptych reproduction from there. I also find myself frequently on online marketplaces like Novica. Good Earth is an eternal favourite for household linen. I also find Playclan’s work very interesting – I have an embroidered cushion from there. And although I haven’t bought anything from them, I love browsing One King’s Lane and Phantom Hands.

6) Where do you draw your online inspirations from - any favorite resources that you can share?

I don’t read too many home décor blogs. But I like Apartment Therapy for ideas on how to use space and shopping resources, and An Indian Summer and Once Upon a Tea Time for places to shop as well. They talk to people who like to mash things up a bit and styling a home with collectibles, and not indulge inwater tight themes. Oh, and Airbnb has some very creative spaces!

7) Home decorating is an arduous process – one that takes patience and a keen eye. What advice would you like to impart to our readers that want to create a cohesive, magazine like look without professional help? 

Our house is less about creative decoration and utilization of spaces and more about finding space for things we love. With that disclaimer out of the way, I have a few things to share. One, starting with ourselves instead of a magazine has helped us create a home that weathers changing trends and repeated expenses. Two, knowing our purchase interests at an intimate level has helped us evaluate our buys better. We buy fewer things; these are things we know we will value in the years to come. Three, things have taken time. We’ve learned to resist the urge to buy cute junk on impulse to fill spaces in a hurry. And finally, I believe creating an ambience with a part of oneself is always more fulfilling than mindless buying. If you have such leanings, go ahead and create repurpose, recycle, act out your artistic inclinations in the form of a mural. Commemorate a large collection of books, a movie fetish, or a wedding saree. Once you find what you are interested in, use available resources – magazines, home décor blogs and Pinterest – to bring it alive in the best possible manner.

8) What’s next for your beautiful home (studio)?

There isn’t much space left for things, so perhaps some new music and scents will be nice. Oh and we definitely need to make more space for Dvibhumi which is now taking up a lot of space at home with its inventory, paperwork and drawings. I also want to do something with a large Japanese parasol but I’m not sure what or when!

9) What's next for Dvibhumi?

I’ve just started, and although the response so far has been extremely encouraging, not many people really know of Dvibhumi. I really want to reach out to more people who will appreciate the ethos of Dvibhumi, not just in India, but also everywhere in the world. I also want to evolve the three streams (Kutcheri, Vibhuti and Ayu) to include other accessories such as necklaces!

There you go- the tres chic home of Vyshnavi and Karthik! A simple yet eye-catching space that seems to hit all the right notes to create a warm and inviting palette. I love taking note of what inspires people and drives their aesthetic sensibilities. There is always a lesson to be learnt if we care to pay attention and keep an open mind. Now for Dvibhumi, I am impressed – with the brand, the style, the artist’s vision, her inspiration, her philosophy and her goals for the brand and I see a very bright and successful future for Dvibhumi and it was indeed a privilege to introduce this brand to Aalayam readers. Thank you Vyshnavi and karthik for allowing us to stroll through your gorgeous home!

A special mention also to my dear friend Pooja for introducing me to Vyshnavi and making yet another home tour possible!

Cheers!

~Deepa

P.S: All images belong to the homeowner (and Dvibhumi). Please do not use without permission

There is no place like home!

Have you been feeling like you need some downtime? I know I have! The frenzied pace of events of the past few months is finally catching up or so it seems. Festivities, changing seasons, social engagements, work, home and family priorities have all snowballed into a giant circle and I am constantly on the move! I know Supriya is swamped too and I offered to write all the posts for Aalayam this month. But for the past couple of days I have struggled to bring myself to work on a post and today I read this article in the WSJ blog titled “Five Ways to Take Control of Our Runaway Lives” where the author was making a case for breaking away from the frenzied pace of life.  

One of the tips offered in the article was to do nothing and reflect and it got me thinking.  How often do we schedule a “do-nothing time” in our daily/weekly or monthly calendars?  Do we ever make time to “escape “ and I don’t mean a getaway or a vacation (believe me going on a vacation can be a lot of work too!). I mean escape  as in do nothing, look within, reflect, sleep–in, enjoy a long drive or  savor a steamy cup of chai. Simple things that let you take control and refocus..  

The year is coming to an end rather quickly and I know many of us start making plans  to nurture ourselves with healthy new year resolutions. Why not start early this year?  It is o.k to hit the pause button when you really feel the pace heating up. A little down-time can go a long way in recharging our batteries and helping us to become more productive in the next leg . And yet, I need to constantly remind myself that it is o.k to slow down . I guess, we all put self-preservation on the back burner. We get caught up in trying to keep everything at home and at work running smoothly. Supriya will be talking about work-life balance in a later post and therefore I will defer the discussion on “balance” to her. 

Here at Aalayam, we strive to bring you beautiful inspirations to lead a wholesome life and in line with that thought, I bring you images of Home (or I should say our former home) as a reminder that we all need to unwind and relax and make time to nurture ourselves.  And what better place to start than home? Cherish time with your loved ones,  sit by the window and pay attention to the pitter-patter of the falling rain drops, enjoy a good book by the fire  - things that will  rejuvenate you and help you move forward . The holidays will be busy for all of us too and that is when we will inadvertently be overextending ourselves and it may be well worth it to focus a little on ourselves.

I am sharing some images of our former home. It was our first home and  a rather modest home. But it was still a place where we cherished time with each other as a family, dreamt happy dreams and created warm memories.  Of course, I was not writing for Aalayam back then and  therefore I do not have a lot of pictures. But  this home was featured on Priya’s blog and this is what I had written about our home then-

“Home and entertaining are central to our existence and after a hard day’s work or at the end of a busy work week, we love coming to a home where we can relax and unwind. My husband and I have always taken pride in our home. Overall, our home is a reflection of our ethnic roots.  From art work in the Warli and Tanjore style to the foot stool in the Rajasthani patch work style, our home is filled with treasures that speak to our Indian origin. Even our choice of furniture was largely guided by our Indian aesthetic sensibilities. We reached for pieces with a lot of sculpting in it – columns and arches. We went for darker tones and solid wood but the challenge was to balance style and function. Also, you will see a lot of black pieces in our home and that was our way of adding a modern twist to the antique styling”

If you are a regular Aalayam eader, you probably realize I have carried forward the same accents, furniture and design sensibilities into my current home but the big difference is color. Yes, we did a dramatic 360 with color in our current home (intentionally)!

Home means different things to different people. To me- it means an oasis! A place where I can enjoy the simple pleasures of life like the warmth of a fire on a crisp autumn evening or a quiet conversation or soulful music with my family.

I hope as the year end approaches you all  will make the time to embrace what is important to you and find a happy middle ground as you strive to balance the various demands of every day life.

Pardon me as I turn down the frequency of our posts a little bit temporarily but  please note that we are working on some exciting posts for the holiday season!

I will also announce the winner of our TJ MAXX home goods gift card give away winner in my next post. Keep commenting, we are adding a surprise twist to the giveaway!

 Cheers!

~Deepa

P.S: All images in this post are from my former home and taken by my husband. Please do not use without permission.