Our blogposts come few and far between these days, much as I love recording our ideas and thoughts here. But this announcement definitely called for a post.

We are currently in the exciting process of launching a brand new range of lighting at Olie.

The inspiration?

Ever since we opened our Flagship store ( at 80 ft road, Indiranagar in case you've been under a rock lately ;) ), we have been thrilled with the response we have received. And our lamps have received SO much love. They finally had a place to be showcased and watching everyone come in enamoured and leave with a custom made lamp made us realise how much respect and admiration our handwoven banana fibre was receiving.

We finally decided it was time to go ahead and design the collection that's been on our minds for a while.

The MUSE collection is a tribute to the beautiful, handwoven banana fibre that has been running through our collections as a common thread since Olie's conception over three years ago. It is stark, minimal and celebrates banana fibre through light and shadow. Here are some pictures of the first few lamps from Muse. 

They are delicate and opaque at the same time, and almost defy the lightness of their fabrics. It's been magical to create something so different out of the exact same beautiful materials we have been working with for so long. We owe our inspiration to you, and we hope you fall in love with Muse.

Lighting from the MUSE collection can be ordered online on www.olie.co.in or 

at the OLIE store at 80 ft road, Indiranagar.

The Olie store is here, have you heard? It's almost four weeks since we opened ( i cannot believe it's been that long ! ) and we thought we'd answer some of the questions you've been writing us with !

What led us to open the store ?

I'm an old-fashioned soul. I like brick and mortar, experiences that come real and engage all your senses. I also love meeting my clients in person. You learn so much more about your product and your customer this way.

Do you remember our pop up store at The Arts Village in Bangalore? We kept that up for the whole of Diwali month last year, and when we saw all of you coming by and having so much fun mixing and matching cushions, lamps and redecorating so spontaneously - we knew. We needed a space.

And the hunt began.

What sets the Olie store apart from our online store. Why should you visit us ?

Why shop online when you can drop in to the store, right? and vice versa.

So here's some clear differentiators between our physical retail space and our online boutique.

1. Customization

We customise for large projects all the time, but it was pretty rare for us to take on orders for home owners. Everyday, someone walks into the store wanting lamps for their homes, kids rooms and friends homes. 

And we are so happy to make you these custom pieces !

Customisation happens in three simple steps

a. Choose the shape of your lamp

b. Choose the print/ solid colour you want

c. Give us the width/ height / length of the lamp - let's design it !

And then we craft your fine lamp and hand it over to you.

2. The first. The store will always be the first to host our newest products, the place where we keep samples and check to see if our clients love them. Drop in, meet us and let us show you around. 

3.. The other thing that really sets the store apart, is saving on shipping costs. Especially for your lamps. 

(Tip: If you're shopping online and want to save on shipping - we have an option that allows you to pick your order up from the store. voila ! Best of both worlds.)

4. And lastly, it is the experience. Come to the store to touch our fabrics, try on our travel bags, switch on some lamps and slow down a little. Your home reflects so much of your aesthetic and who you are, there's no better feeling than being in a space that you love and that truly feels like home.

Where is the Flagship Olie store located?

We are housed in a beautiful red brick building surrounded by trees on 80 feet road, in the swanky shopping district of Indiranagar ( where all the beautiful boutique stores are ) . 

Find us on google maps, we are right opposite sapna book house.

We cannot wait to meet you here !

amrita & sid

In celebration of World Environment day, we started sending out little packets of Mystery Seeds with every order at Olie. This continues till the end of June - so head over, order your favourites and plant your little gift once it comes in the mail !

The first time we grew a little mint and basil in our terrace garden, I felt so much  joy and pride with the simple act of popping over, picking out what I wanted and being able to cook with our fresh, organic homegrown produce. 

So the Mystery Seeds campaign is one that is very close to our hearts, and we can't wait to see what you grow ( therein lies the mystery ! ) and what you do with your produce !

The Heartlight hexagonal box in the picture above is being used as a planter. Charming and ever so bright and pretty. We cannot take full credit for this I'm afraid, it's all of you creative folks that send us pictures of your Olie box planters that inspire us . But such a great idea !

 At the Olie headquarters, Chief Chef Anu cooks up a simple chutney that is delicious and ready to eat in just about 10 minutes. Best results with your homegrown mint / chilli's ! 

Ingredients 

Peanuts - 1 cup

Dried Red Chillis - 4 to 5

Mint Leaves -  a handful

Ginger - about 2 small pieces finely chopped

Coconut - a small piece chopped

Onions - 1 full onion chopped finely

Cooking Method

Sautee chopped onions, peanuts, dried red chillies and ginger with a pinch of salt, red chilli powder and coriander powder in a pan with 2 tablespoons of oil.

Once the above is browned slightly, add the sautéed onions, peanuts, red chilli and ginger along with fresh coconut and mint leaves to the blender.

Add about 1/4 cup water to this , put your blender's cap on and blend !

Best with

This delicious tangy chutney goes beautifully with most South Indian food, from crispy Dosas, to vadai or Idlis. Enjoy !

If you've been looking lustfully at the Oven mitts, boxes of mint, table runners and napkins in these pictures.. know that they are all available to you on www.olie.co.in !

Have a lovely weekend x

I always knew that I would do a collection on trains one day..

My earliest memories of train journeys were of bustling families, smiling strangers, delicious smells of food and looking out the window feeling peaceful. Being 'in transit' was relaxing and it was always the best time to pull out a book and order a cup of tea whilst being rocked gently. 

The Railway collection is inspired by the romance of train travel and every print is illustrated and then hand-printed to bring alive our love for train journeys.

 We launched our decor line in the Railway collection with a beautiful series of lighting and cushions. In tones of blush, grey, cobalt blue and cream with lots of handmade tassel detailing and beads - we have been thrilled to see how well this collection has been received. 

However, we knew we were not done with the Railway collection. The travel theme is close to our hearts, and it needed to translate into product that we could take out of our homes with us. And more importantly, take along for when we travel. 

And this is what has us so excited today. 

In just 2 days, we launch The Travel Edition. This entire collection complete with a range of overnighters, totes, wet sacks that are also backpacks, wash bags and gorgeous pouches/ clutches. 

This is a first for Olie, and each piece is sensible, beautifully designed, full of our signature detailing and the perfect range of accessories to take with you during your  summer travels. Here's a quick peek !

So, if you are in Bangalore - please do come by Xanadu at Lavelle road, where we are serving chai and cookies along with the chance to get the FIRST look at the entire travel range. 

And for the Olie family that cannot make it, this collection will be available online on www.olie.co.in very very soon. Keep an eye out.

Happy Travels and we hope to be seeing you this weekend !

India has been making us proud. 

A new crop of labels have been popping up that have redefined global India with an aesthetic and a product that is incredibly unique, very stylish and environmentally conscious.  

It's the end of the year and we want to share what we know of 5 labels across different genres that we think you will easily fall in love with.

AYCA

Why would you use chemical filled soaps and shampoos on yourself when we come from the land of Ayurveda? Ayca brings back these ancient recipes that are designed to rejuvenate and delight, in packaging that we cannot stop fawning over. 

Explore Ayca here 

ALL THINGS CHOCOLATE

We have been following All things Chocolate and their whimsical stories that come with each bar leave us wanting more. They say it best -

" Personal travels, childhood memories, a half-forgotten phrase from a leather-bound book, all come together to make whimsy alive – you can be rest assured that each bite is the first of many more.Our chocolates draw inspiration from tales of your favourite city, colour, flowers or even the best part of your day. Our muses in cocoa change with each new experience that gets reflected in all new flavours that are launched every month. "

Find them here.

LOVETRAVELGUIDES

We found Fiona's gorgeous books at the same book binder that makes the Olie Notebooks. They are the most beautiful guides to various cities across India, and they take you on a journey to explore yourself as well as the most authentic experiences around. Get one of her books and rediscover your city, or another !

We love Fiona's instagram page. Find her here.

limon

We followed limon for months before we mutually decided to collaborate on that fabulous new Limited Edition range of chairs you have been seeing on our pages. The collaboration proved how bringing two labels together creates something completely out of the ordinary and we are so proud of this collection.

For all those of you who have been writing us wanting to know more about limon and their beautiful, carefully designed chairs, find them here.

THESUMMERHOUSE

The summer house is a local, bengaluru label that we admire for their clean design, and carefully thought through processes and products. Our wardrobes are full of their clothes, and their planters hang in our gardens. 

Enjoy their work here.

Today, like a lot of recent days has seen a lot of introspection.

Lately, I've been feeling like I'm losing sense of where I'm coming from and where I want to go. Which is strange for me. I've always known what i want to do - or more so, what I don't want to do and had very clear direction on what I'd rather be doing. 

But lately, with Olie - I've  been unsure about trusting my instincts. I feel too much like I'm in a new unknown world as the business grows so quickly and worry about failure constantly.

So after a couple of meltdowns with some very understanding, supportive friends ( thank goodness for them ) , I'm having a moment of clarity. Which is why this post is going up. To read and remember in case I lose my head again and if it helps you in some way, I'm thrilled.

So here's what I've learned most recently. When you are going out on a limb and doing something not too many people venture out to do, you are going to feel alone at some point. 

1. Stay positive.

It gets really hard to stay positive once you know what you're up against and once the charm of being a maker and new business owner wears off. It's unbelievably stressful and incredibly challenging. It's so easy to fall under. But you need to celebrate the little triumphs before you move on to the next thing. Every achievement no matter how small, is a first and a big one for you and your business. And failing should be something we shouldn't be afraid of, and should embrace instead, every successful person has their incredible failure stories. Staying hopeful and positive is key to keep going though, so keep hustling !

2. There is a shining light past all that crazy.

Someone once said to me that all that unrest I felt before I could complete an illustration I found particularly hard was a good thing. I was pushing myself over a steep edge before I hit the other side. And so far, I've always found it to be true. With a business, things get crazy - and it's way crazier than ever before. But there is something shining beyond the tough times, and we are just going to have to ride this wave out before things get even better than they used to be. It's the road to the natural next step.

3. It's the journey.

Even with the many little successes we've had, I know this much. It's not meeting the targets or achieving a big dream that you remember for life, it's everything you learned and went through to get there that stays with you. And if you aren't enjoying that journey - then you're doing it wrong. But if you realise that you wouldn't want to be anywhere else, you're just writing an incredible life story to tell one day.  I've loved this journey Olie has taken me on more than anything else in the whole world. I treasure it so much and still cannot believe sometimes that we've come this far.

4. Give back.

It really helps when you are in a business that is giving back. It keeps me more motivated than I would have thought possible. My tailors need me to be able to send their kids to school. My craftsmen expect me to send in orders every week - I just cannot let them down. More so, I've realised that when you give, you get back. I have clients sending in pictures and sweet letters every other day - and each one lifts my spirits and keeps the engine going. Thank you everyone for being patient with us, understanding and so so supportive. We hope to be huge someday and you would have been a part of our strong foundation. We just had one event where we gave 15 % of our sales to our artisans - and it went quite well. Our artisans were so surprised and happy when I told them about it and gave them that little extra money - thank you for shopping then, we have to do more of these events now :) 

I'm far from the point where I can talk about what worked for me, I'm still writing my story and falling and picking myself up constantly. But during these moments of realisation - these are the few things that make me feel grounded and inspired to keep going.

Happy Friyay ! Stay Inspired !

much love x

amrita

It's been a while, blog ! 

How have all of you been? We've had quite the summer - we took a couple of weeks off to travel to New York and ended up doing a show at Pottery Barn - yay Olie !

We also visited a whole lot of decor stores there and drowned in inspiration. If you ever go to NY, you must pop into West Elm and ABC homes, these were my all time favourites . ABC homes is just magical !

photo credit : Rukmini from trumatter.in

Now, we at the Olie studio are prepping for the season ahead- the best time of the year is about to come by - diwali, christmas, holidays, family, food and travel ! It almost never fails to be amazing, and if you're anything like me, you're plotting to change your decor around a bit and do everything that has been on your list of things to do for months now before all those guests come trooping home.

photo credit : Rukmini from trumatter.in

We've had some new product launched, some great bloggers saying lovely things about Olie and of course, some fabulous pictures to show for it !

Rukmini did a fabulous post over at one of our fave Indian decor blogs - www.trumatter.in

Browse through, stay inspired and celebrate yourself ( and a loved one ) by making home as special as it should be, with a product that reflects what you believe in. Have a wonderful week !

Oscar De La Renta may have said it best. " The most important thing ? Perfect lighting at all times ". During the long, beautiful monsoons -these words couldn't ring truer.

Creating a cosy feel while sunshine hides behind a dark cloud can be easy. But a single statement piece simply won't suffice. What you need is a good mix of ambient, task and accent lighting.

For cosy, comfortable dinners and conversations 

Beautiful Pendant lighting over a dining table is always a winner. It adds a lot of grandeur and character to your dining room, while lighting up the table beautifully. Add a dimmer to the switch to give you control over light levels. You can easily convert the mood to a romantic one by simply dimming the lights - magic !

Perfect Task Lighting

For all those tasks like cooking, homework or dressing up, you need lighting that does the job.

For kitchens, pendant lighting and under the cabinet lighting looks stylish while being super functional.

Bedroom Lighting

Table lamps are ideal for bedside tables. They should be bright enough to read with, and diffused enough to put you in a relaxed state of mind. Work with colours or prints that compliment your bedlinen, art and rug to make your bedroom feel comfortable and well-designed. Floor lamps on either side of the bed also work very well. They take up less space, and add a feeling of depth that is gorgeous. That also saves you a couple of bucks in bedside tables !

The Bathroom is the space where you really should relax, go ahead - put in a few candles, install a gorgeous wall lamp that uplifts the space. You could even put in a beautiful pendant lamp if your bathroom is bigger and really start feeling luxurious. Why go to spa's if you could soak in one everyday after a long day of work !

Everyone has their favourite nook to curl up and read in. With the monsoons just around the corner in India, there is no better time to put your feet up on your couch put a little throw around your feet and relax with a cuppa chai. Decorating your nook simply needs one piece of furniture, soft lighting to read in, and a bunch of comfortable, pretty cushions.

And it really is that simple. If you're bursting with creative energy and dying to shop for lighting , we have great news ! from June 23rd to 26th we are hosting an event on www.olie.co.in called the Monsoon Lights. Lots of fabulous new designs, at great prices just for 4 days. Do save the date.