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Why Something Small Can Make A Big Difference by Raji Radhakrishnan

Interior by Raji RM & Associates; Photography by Rikki Snyder

Interior by Raji RM & Associates; Photography by Rikki Snyder

I know I often talk about "grand" gestures and yes, in some ways murals have become a signature style in many of my projects. But, if you look closely at the whole room and observe or better yet, if you actually walk into a room I've designed you will notice that while the big gestures draw you in at first, it is several of the small gestures that put a smile on your face and makes you actually want to linger. Designing a room is not about just one grand gesture. I know that because I still design many homes with nary a mural in it. It is the sum of several parts that is much greater as a whole. Sometimes when it does involve a grand gesture like a mural then I think carefully about what it might do to a room's composition, the architecture and how each piece, each move I make interacts with and affects the other parts of the room and in fact the rest of the home. Every piece in the room plays a role, like characters in a play, and make the room come together and come alive. Nothing is trivial. Everything bears consideration.

And when I say smaller parts I mean all the way to the tiniest detail. A good example is my own living room. I devoted nearly an entire wall to Leopold #2 mural seen above. I chose this mural, because the original painting reminds me of Thomas Struth' photographs. I like to think that perhaps Struth was inspired by it to create his Museum series. Besides, every time when I have guests in my living room looking at this mural it is down right exhilarating and funny at the same time. It is as if they and the room together have now become part of a painting/photograph too animating the whole space.  It is also a happy nod to my love of art, museums and people watching!

Detail of a tiny 2" x 3" wire sculpture juxtaposed in the adjacent wall where a large 14' x 8' mural is

Detail of a tiny 2" x 3" wire sculpture juxtaposed in the adjacent wall where a large 14' x 8' mural is

Typically, when guests come into this room, they are taken by this enormous mural for the first few minutes and slowly as they settle down on one of the lounge chairs or sofas they get comfortable and start chatting. I think it is during that time they start noticing all the other pieces and finally some one (often it is a child who does) notices that little, tiny wire sculpture sitting atop the shelf on the wall adjacent to the mural. Some ask what it is and how come I placed such a tiny sculpture next to this large mural and I say it's just a play of scale and a reminder of how tiny we all are in this great, big world. And they smile and the conversation turns to more worldly matters, our children, family, DC politics and I feel like all these little things in the room are all partaking in this lively conversation and are pleasantly happy to be there too.

Raji RM & Associates | Interior Designer & Decorator

Washington DC | New York

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Interior Architecture: Enfilade by Raji Radhakrishnan

Enfilade: an interconnected group of rooms arranged usually in a row with each room opening into the next - Merriam-Webster

Design by Raji RM & Associates

I was eleven years old when I first traveled around Europe for my classical dance performances. Visiting some of the greatest cities - London, Wales, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam et al and usually the day after a performance, I was whisked away by the families and friends who were our hosts and given a tour of the city. These tours often included some of the local palaces and gardens. Although I couldn't understand the significance then or appreciate the full history and architecture of the places I visited, I do remember feeling an awe at the grandeur and ornamentation and particularly remember enjoying the vast spaces and the room after room after room that I could see through in one length and run back and forth to the dismay of my parents. Little did I know the important architectural concept that would in many ways quite literally shape my life.

Design by Raji RM & Associates

In my early twenties, one of the first words I learnt in architecture and design and still love is - the enfilade. Wikipedia has a nice definition of it - in architecture, an enfilade is a suite of rooms formally aligned with each other. This was a common feature in grand European architecture from the Baroque period onward, although there are earlier examples, such as the Vatican stanze. The doors entering each room are aligned with the doors of the connecting rooms along a single axis, providing a vista through the entire suite of rooms. The enfilade may be used as a processional route and is a common arrangement in museums and art galleries, as it facilitates the movement of large numbers of people through a building. 

I for one could not wait to create an enfilade in my own home (see photos above) which I finally did last year. Need I say il est juste ma tasse de thé?!

See more of Raji's home here and here.

Raji RM & Associates | Interior Designer & Decorator

Washington DC | New York

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Online Press: Thank you My Notting Hill! by Shruti Narasimhan

A huge thanks to Michele Ginnerty of the terrific blog - My Notting Hill for posting about Raji RM's upcoming cover story and work! If you live in DC, Maryland or Viriginia, you will find Michele's blog very interesting. My Notting Hill has become a powerful resource that covers detailed information about the DC area design scene. It is also wonderful to read and follow Michele's own design dilemmas and how smartly and tastefully she resolves them. Be sure to check out the full post here.

Raji RM & Associates | Interior Designer & Decorator

Washington DC | New York

Contact us to learn more about our work

 

Sneak peak: Raji's home on the cover of Luxe! by Shruti Narasimhan

"Spurred on by show house success, designer Raji Radhakrishnan transforms her own Northern Virginia residence with equal amounts couture and comfort."

- Luxe Interiors + Design, Spring 2014

We are thrilled to see Raji's home grace the cover of not just one but two covers of Luxe Magazine - Luxe Regional (DC, MD & VA) and Luxe National. The magazines hit the news stands mid-April. Look for the Regional issue through out news stands in DC, MD & VA and the National issue will be available in Barnes & Noble and for subscribers of Luxe.

A huge thanks to Editor-in-Chief Pamela Jaccarino, writer extraordinaire, Charlotte Safavi & to the fabulous photographer, Rikki Snyder.

Luxe Interiors + Design, Spring 2014 - Washington, DC Maryland & Virginia

Luxe Interiors + Design, Spring 2014 National Issue

Raji RM & Associates | Interior Designer & Decorator

Washington DC | New York

Contact us to learn more about our work