#throughdesignereyes

I’ve been putting the big focus on our India project this week. Our presentations have been richly layered and detailed for the large luxury penthouse. We connected hand-painted chinoiseries with book-matched and illuminated onyx and shook it all up with contemporary crystal luminaires. These are exciting times here at the Regina Sturrock Design studio!

From this perspective, my Friday’s impression is taken from India; a beautiful country of contrasts and colour. Looking back to my inspiration file and the many snap shots I took during my last visit, I realize that each stirred my creative approach to this project. The images are faceted, from the exquisite pietra dura of the Taj Mahal to the simple and colourful vendor scenes of cloth and fruit. All lead to one glorious impression. 

Perhaps, what intrigued me most is the craft and the making of the extraordinary. After visiting the Taj and marveling the work of artisans dating back to the seventeenth century, I witnessed the same unaltered processes by the descendants of the masters. 

Pietra Dura, an Italian phrase that means “hard stone” refers to the technique of creating intricately inlaid pictures from shaped and cut coloured stones. 

Fanciful flower species in the form of semi-precious stones such as coral, onyx, carnelian, amethyst, and lapis lazuli add to the splendor of the Taj’s white marble. The masterful work extends from outside to inside. The detail is pure, intense and smooth and, even up close, it all appears like a painting. 

The ancient Indian tradition of inlaying stone continues today. 

It impressed me to see the tiny pieces of stone ready to be placed into perfectly chiseled-out surfaces. Artistry, history, and passion are at the heart of these wonders - and nimble fingers.

This is a precision of the hand that no machine could replicate with authenticity. 

The craft of shaping stones with small saws, wires, and metal instruments and adding them to a decorative object or surface is a process of antiquity that remains unchanged. 

My appreciation is continually renewed for those extraordinary things that I find for my clients as I travel the world. So is my understanding of beauty in its pure form.

This leaves a lasting impression.