Sage green slays at Girija Bibu’s Kochi home

Have you seen a home with sage green slaying as a decor theme? I can show you a gorgeous home in Kochi!

Location: Kochi, India
Home:  1500 sq feet three BHK flat with two small balconies
Residents: Girija Bibu, her husband Capt.Job Bibu and their daughter Antara

DecorDrama is a closed community group of decor enthusiasts, hosted on Facebook. As founder and admin of the group, I am amazed at the talent I see there. I recently found Girija’s home pics as I was browsing, and I knew I had to showcase her home on this blog. The home has a theme – lots of white, green and wood! It’s a fresh new theme, and I promise lots of inspiration!

The layout

The home is a 1500 sq feet three BHK apartment in the heart of Kochi city. The apartment has 2 small balconies, out of which the one attached to the drawing area has been enclosed and made a part of the room. The guest bedroom has been converted to a family room, where they like to spend their time at home together. The entry way has really beautiful floor tiles and an abundance of white.

The Living room

The entryway leads to the living room.

The living room follows the white, green and wood theme and palette. Girija has installed two wooden pillars that she procured from an antique market in Kerala, to emphasise the space where the balcony has been enclosed.

The family is a great fan of rattan furniture, which they love for its unique and timeless appeal – the formal sitting area has a vintage three plus two teak and cane sofa. However, the way Girija has dressed it up, with lovely cushion covers and accessories in off white and sage green, makes all the difference! It’s the fabrics that take this living room to a whole new level!

A closeup of the teak and cane sofa (above) decked up for Christmas 23. The grouping of plants in this corner, brings a whole new dimension to this space.

The filler pieces are from Fabindia, Pepperfry and also from the local markets Kochi.

The dining area

A short wall divides the dining area from the living room. A six-seater teakwood dining table with chairs in cane n wood takes centre stage in the dining area. On one side there’s a long chest of drawers from Pepperfry with a beautiful vintage ledge on top. This is where Girija keeps here blue and white pottery collection. She also has a crockery shelf in the corner (in the picture below), that she got custom made from her local carpenter.

The half-door in the dining area leads to the kitchen, and it truly has my heart!

The Kitchen

Pictures of the sage green and white kitchen were the first glimpses that I got of Girija’s home! It’s what drew me into Girija’s world of home decor, and got me messaging her for a home tour!

Girija bought the porcelain knobs locally in Kochi. They go beautifully on the sage green cabinets. She picked up the glass hanging lamp shades from an online store.

The cabinet underneath Girija’s cook top has iron net doors (refer pic above), She says, “I installed them as an ode to the old meat safe in my grandma’s kitchen. This is where I keep my cooked food, extra fruits onions potatoes etc. The kitchen faces an open ground outside and I love the view that greets me when I walk into the kitchen each morning!”

Master bedroom

The colour theme carries forward to the master bedroom as well. A beautiful teak bed with a cane headrest and interesting distressed furniture around the room.

A glimpse into the master washroom which is just as pretty as gthe rest of the home with it’s pretty vanity and wooden touches!

The Family room

The guest bedroom is converted into an informal living space. The family spends their time together watching tv, having dinner or catching up with each others’ day. A comfortable three plus 2 green sofa takes the green theme forward in a bolder avatar. The room has a cosy feel to it.

The balcony

What’s an apartment without a green balcony? Girija has a compact but beautiful balcony with some greenery and flowers where she spends her evenings with her Lil doggy.

Shopping guide

Girija has shopped mostly at Pepperfry, Fabindia and at local thrift and antique stores for her furniture and accessories. She says she doesn’t really have a go-to store, but keeps her eyes open wherever she travels. She is always on the lookout for stuff, and if she comes come across something  affordable that suits her space, she just picks it up!

Girija’s style

Girija leans toward the vintage colonial style, and likes her interiors to be classy yet simple. Girija was always fascinated with the old world charm of the English country side. And that has probably influenced a lot of her style when decorating her home.

Styling tips

Girija says she loves simplicity and elegance in decor.

She says that even if a space is small, you can still make it classy and elegant by using an appropriate colour palette, furniture and the right furnishings.
Using lighter shades on most surfaces is her go-to tip for small spaces as they make the room look more spacious. Girija also advocates that when setting up a room, one should first decide on the main pieces of furniture, and then go for the supporting ones or ‘fillers’ as she likes to call them. This way you buy what you need and avoid clutter.

For fabrics specifically, she recommends that not only should small spaces use neutral shades as main colours, but also use contrasts and complementary colours around it. Use light n breathable curtains. Incorporate blackout screens if you wish to block light.

   

And Finally …

I leave you with these final glimpses of Girija’s home in Kochi

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