If I looked that good, I wouldn't even bother working. I'd be staring at myself in the mirror all day. Also, if I had a super amazing portrait in beautiful colors done of myself, I wouldn't put it in storage! Like that unnamed rug, it really brings the room together!

Ennis, very good insights.

I didn't really read anything that you wrote to accompany the pictures, sorry. I'm sure that it was interesting!

she has a nice apartment

Yours as well, Khoofia.

That's a pretty shitty painting. Being anatomically incorrect is soo cliched.

the author is obsessed with that swing:

The Top Chef host is living the single life in New York City and flying high — and not only because she has a swing in her living room

padma on swinging:

"I thought it would be a really romantic thing to have," she muses. "If I can't sleep, I come out here and swing in the dark."

that bloody article is full of silly double entendres.

yes, i dislike that painting too.
you know, ennis, i'm surprised that you would know what is in the latest harper's bazaar. i'm impressed by your blogger instincts (or dedication to padma lakshmi news alerts). or is it the monkeys' assiduous research?

I like to swing in the dark.

A mirror on the ceiling would have been a practical choice...

she's a hottie for sure but having a monster-sized portrait of herself overlooking her bed is a bit over the top.

The painting is pretty good for that scale (weird legs though)
I have some other ideas after looking at the second image but I dont think they're appropriate for the public domain.

I have some other ideas after looking at the second image but I dont think they're appropriate for the public domain.

She's hot....I personally think it's fabulous. At least Padma Laxmi put up a stylized artistic painting of her. If I was Padma Laxmi I'd put up a stylized semi nude up like Samantha did in Sex and the City!

OK I'm a woman and the thing that I thought was undesirable was her kitchen. She's supposed to be a "cook" and she has a gally kitchen???? What?

That's a modest abode. I thought her taste would run something like this.
Little more CK, little less Traditional Home.

Why is everybody about swinging in the dark? Wouldn't it be much more fun in the light?

Sorry, linky in previous comment is NSFW. But it has an awesome Tamil refrain.

16 · Rahul said

Why is everybody about swinging in the dark? Wouldn't it be much more fun in the light?

Please. Who finger paints by candlelight?

19 · bess said

Please. Who finger paints by candlelight?

mentally challenged, thats who. We've got our own set of laws;
The first law of physics state anything that's fun costs at least eight dollars.

Is an indoor swing really a COMMON indian furnishing?

21 · TheGoriWife said

Is an indoor swing really a COMMON indian furnishing?

Yes, in old style South Indian homes at least. Usually overlooking the inner courtyard.

We at the bovine liberation front are appalled at the skin of our dead sister lining padma's moodoir. how would you like to see the skin of a salmon lining our corral, eh Paddi?

19 · bess said

Who finger paints by candlelight?

Who needs paint when one can wax eloquent with candles?

Ennis was right. It is getting hot in here.

Is an indoor swing really a COMMON indian furnishing?

A while back she was interviewed in GQ magazine and the editor put a note in the article to the effect of "she wanted to be photographed for the article wearing only chocolate, and we thought about it (trust us we did) but couldn't figure out how to do it." That always struck me as odd. How can you not figure out how to melt some chocolate, pour it on her, and take pictures, but then I realized that the unspoken part of that sentence was "without us breaking a ton of obscenity laws or the magazine spontaneously combusting from the sheer hotness of the images."

the indian swing--the mahogany cut to accommodate two--is romantic. The difference between the jhoola and padma's single seater is the difference between lovemaking and masturbation.

8 · portmanteau said

yes, i dislike that painting too.
you know, ennis, i'm surprised that you would know what is in the latest harper's bazaar. i'm impressed by your blogger instincts (or dedication to padma lakshmi news alerts). or is it the monkeys' assiduous research?

I'm that assiduous monkey, thank you very much.

Discussion of narcissism aside, does anybody else find it odd she seems to sort her books by color? (in the shelf in the swing room if you can move your eyes a bit to the right for a moment) Well, at least she doesn't seem to be putting books on the floor.

chocolate? way to play the race card padma

That's a pretty shitty painting. Being anatomically incorrect is soo cliched.

Actually, I've been following Clemente for a long time he's been doing "anatomically incorrect" portraits since the late 70s. I think work was pretty interesting from the late 70s thru the late 80s and it's a little more interesting that just distorting bodies.

limeduck asked:

does anybody else find it odd she seems to sort her books by color?

i guess padma is a very visual person. visual and visually pleasing.
speaking of odd libraries, the pepys library is organized according to height. short books here tall books there. no additions or deletions allowed.

Jesus! Does that gown have a built-in underwired bra or is that how she looks? She'd give Salma Hayek a good run for her money.

Re: The indoor swings. Traditionally, they were part of the marriage ceremony of Kerala Iyers (which Padma Lakshmi is) and I'm assuming for Tamils in general, so it is considered very romantic. You see it used in Malayalam films in a lot of songs about Palakkad Iyers.

And, a lot of the houses built in Kerala (esp. by Gulf returnees) in the last 10-15 years have indoor swings. They're really a gorgeous addition to a house.

I'd never heard of or seen indoor swings, so I assumed she was blowing smoke. I'm very surprised to find out it's a real tradition in South India. Good thing I didn't snark on her description of it being a tradition ...

Let me clarify - I'd seen an indoor two person swing once, but I'd never seen a single person swing like that. Is that also traditional?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aadhiarts/2791934588/ - swing like this is common in our 'South Indian' households either in the living room or in the verandah.

28 · my_dog_jagat said

the indian swing--the mahogany cut to accommodate two--is romantic. The difference between the jhoola and padma's single seater is the difference between lovemaking and masturbation.

Thats my man, where skill comes in handy.
Sorry, couldnt resist making that cheesy remark.

36 · Ennis said

Is that also traditional?

This doesn't count as tradition and it's not desi-specific, but I've seen a lot of families that don't have a swing built into the house put up a single person swing person for kids to play inside the house.

Oonjalattam(swinging) is also something Malayalee women do during the Thiruvathira festival.

And, a lot of the houses built in Kerala (esp. by Gulf returnees) in the last 10-15 years have indoor swings. They're really a gorgeous addition to a house.

37 · hari ohm said

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aadhiarts/2791934588/ - swing like this is common in our 'South Indian' households either in the living room or in the verandah.

I've actually wondered about why our counterparts in the desh always have stone or tile floors of some kind. I have rarely seen carpeted floors and I don't think I have ever seen hardwood.
Carpet I guess I sort of understand. The fibers tend to hold odors and will guarantee that the house always smells of masala.
Hardwood, though, is nice. Does it not work in the tropics? Is wood just too expensive there?

41 · melbourne desi said

And, a lot of the houses built in Kerala (esp. by Gulf returnees) in the last 10-15 years have indoor swings. They're really a gorgeous addition to a house.

I agree they are beautiful. we must move in different circles - dont have a single acquaintance who has a swing inside the home - but that does not mean tis not true. In fact it may be a religious thing in Kerala with hindus more likely to have it than christians.

My family's half Hindu and half Christian, and I've seen them with the same frequency on both sides. From what I've seen, wealth is more of a factor than religion. The most beautiful one I've seen is in the home of a very rich nasrani uncle.

Hardwood, though, is nice. Does it not work in the tropics? Is wood just too expensive there?

That is hilariously Elizabeth Taylor level over-the-top. I'm envisioning many husbands, diamonds, and, eventually, some sort of breakdown followed by a ghost-written biography.

(Oddly enough, it puts me in mind of Merle Oberon, although she's embraced her heritage, not hidden it).

I do appreciate that the furnishings are not the sort of modern that seems to be everywhere these days, even in my Crate and Barrel catalogue. Don't get me wrong, like the modern, I'm just ready for something else, maybe a return to that sort of romantic, early 90s look with all the distressed, painted furniture. Okay, maybe not.

Damn, PL's swing has become all the rage now, it seems.

36 · Ennis said

but I'd never seen a single person swing like that. Is that also traditional?

What? Are you saying you've never seen a South Indian drape themselves in a body-huggingsarong like dress before perching on a piece of wood?

Of course, you haven't seen a single person swing like 'dat till you've seen this.

45 · onparkstreet said

(Oddly enough, it puts me in mind of Merle Oberon, although she's embraced her heritage, not hidden it).

I too have always thought that PL was a more attractive version of Bobby Jindal myself.

touche, rahul :)

(well, MO did a bit more than be less than be full on multi-culti desi, she pretended she was Tasmanian).

36 · Ennis said

but I'd never seen a single person swing like that. Is that also traditional?

When a single person does it, it generally isn't called swinging. Speaking of which, with mortgages and the economy the way it is, is she looking for a roommate?

I'm that assiduous monkey, thank you very much.

Thanks macaca. Don't know how I missed that in the post. Purdy blog you got there.
Sorting books-by-color seems to be a recent interior decoration meme. Just started seeing that over the past couple years, perhaps in a couple Indian design magazines.

52 · portmanteau said

I'm that assiduous monkey, thank you very much.

Thanks macaca. Don't know how I missed that in the post. Purdy blog you got there.
Sorting books-by-color seems to be a recent interior decoration meme. Just started seeing that over the past couple years, perhaps in a couple Indian design magazines.

Wouldn't you rather sort them in ways that makes it easy to find the book you want?

I paid my 5 year old nephew $20 to alphabetize all three of my bookshelves. I'd hate to have to spend $20 more to have him do it again by color.

Hardwood, though, is nice. Does it not work in the tropics? Is wood just too expensive there?

Recently, people have started using treated (fire-resistant) wood or faux-wood flooring. When people in desh build homes, especially those that belong to older generations, there is an obsession with 'pukka' or cement based construction. Other materials feel 'makeshift'* to that generation. The symbols of affluence, even now, are marble, granite, or mosaic floors. And they are more practical since they can be cleaned everyday by rougher means, and remain cool in the summers. Forgive me, I love flooring design in South Asia (this grandeur is possible, of course, because labor is relatively cheap; I hope this changes as standard of living rises).

Wood is less expensive in the tropics because it is produced there; the better kinds of wood like mahogany and teak are tropical. In the subcontinent, the himalayas and the foothills provide coniferous wood too. Then there is cane furniture. Again, if you shopped for wood furniture in South Asia, you'd see a lot more variety in design and wood types and great pieces at a much lower cost. Again, that is because carpenters and craftsmen are paid relatively lower wages. Incidentally, labor supply in these professions is still relatively caste-based.

* It is a point of pride among older Indians (like my grandparents' age) to boast about how long it takes for construction workers to break their home when they begin new renovations. They'll tell you how the quality of construction and the materials were so much stronger in the older days.

Wood is less expensive in the tropics because it is produced there; the better kinds of wood like mahogany and teak are tropical.

Good point about the cool in the summer thing. That alone must be a huge advantage, but stone flooring is just so hard on your feet.

Incidentally, labor supply in these professions is still relatively caste-based.

Forgive me, I love flooring design in South Asia (this grandeur is possible, of course, because labor is relatively cheap; I hope this changes as standard of living rises).

I'd rather hope for being able to replace cheap labor with technology so that high standards of living and grandeur are both possible

Meanwhile, teak and mahogany wood flooring is available, should you desire it :)

who would have known that padma lakshmi would lead to a discussion on wood? oh, wait.....

a few comments:

having a swing in your house is SOOO south indian. all the stylin' bungalows in cochin have one. granted, they're more like velvet upholstered swing settees.

space is king in nyc and although padma may be making big bucks as of late, a really huge kitchen in a prime location in NYC is for the likes of mariah carey or robert deniro. padma is not in that league, financially.

some have commented that it's a lil over the top or ostentatious for her to have a self-portrait over her bed, but it was a gift! she didn't self-commission it a la samantha SATC. (although, i agree with JOAT, she's smoking hot enough to!) secondly, isn't it more ostentatious to hang a self-portrait in the living room where everyone can see it vs. her private bedroom where it's only seen by herself or her lover? I mean it was made for her by a famous artist, should she just chuck it in storage for the fear of looking over the top in a magazine article?

(btw, when i read the comments about the portrait being over the top, it totally flashed me back to a 90210 moment when kelly taylor had the warhol-esque picture of herself hanging in her room.)

I mean it was made for her by a famous artist, should she just chuck it in storage for the fear of looking over the top in a magazine article?

Wood is less expensive in the tropics because it is produced there; the better kinds of wood like mahogany and teak are tropical. In the subcontinent, the himalayas and the foothills provide coniferous wood too. Then there is cane furniture. Again, if you shopped for wood furniture in South Asia, you'd see a lot more variety in design and wood types and great pieces at a much lower cost. Again, that is because carpenters and craftsmen are paid relatively lower wages. Incidentally, labor supply in these professions is still relatively caste-based.

My god, sister port, is there anything you don't know? I'd rather read an article about you than this P.L. woman.
So what's hanging over your bed? Is your swing wooden or is it of the velvet variety? Are your books arranged alphabetically or by color?
Did I mention I'm happy to hear your valentine to India was a big success ; )

(Seriously, I'm happy for Padma's fame and well-appointed home but there are some far more interesting women commenting on this blog.)

What? She didn't even have money to get the walls painted!?

Ahh..the unforgiving economic downturn affects the pretty ones too.

having a swing in your house is SOOO south indian. all the stylin' bungalows in cochin have one. granted, they're more like velvet upholstered swing settees.

You know I haven't been to too many traditional south Indian homes but I thought this was super common among Gujarati's. Even all the Gujju's I know in the US have swings in everyones house. I love it. I'm considering getting one of these for my balcony for this summer. I saw them in South Beach and just loved how two people can cozy up in there. But when I get a house I'm getting a swing like all my gujju friends. So fun.

space is king in nyc and although padma may be making big bucks as of late, a really huge kitchen in a prime location in NYC is for the likes of mariah carey or robert deniro. padma is not in that league, financially.

You know I'm not sure that's really true. Padma Laxmi was shopping around for $8K-$10K a month rental apartments two years ago after splitting with Rushdie and she has substantial money. She has a fine jewelry line debuting at Bergdorfs in Spring that runs upto $6K a piece. Ms Laxmi is not hurting for money. And shit if I could rent a apartment on the cheap with a massive kitchen, certainly she can hence the confusion.

So what's hanging over your bed?

and you're far too generous with your compliments. can't beat dear padma: i think i'm as tall as her legs.

You know I'm not sure that's really true. Padma Laxmi was shopping around for $8K-$10K a month rental apartments two years ago after splitting with Rushdie and she has substantial money. She has a fine jewelry line debuting at Bergdorfs in Spring that runs upto $6K a piece. Ms Laxmi is not hurting for money. And shit if I could rent a apartment on the cheap with a massive kitchen, certainly she can hence the confusion.

I totally believe she's able to look at $8-$10k rentals, but you'd be surprised what that gets you in her area or areas in Tribeca, etc. I was reading a NYPost article about Olivia Palermo's Tribeca apartment that's half the rent and accordingly, half the size of Padma's. It actually looked microscopic in comparision! And she's paying 4k a month!

Padma did mention she's eyeing the entire townhome next door.

can I help everyone with a budget of $8-$10K look for apartments in Manhattan? I have some in my area that may be twice as big and don't go for anywhere as much in this market.

I'm afraid I might seem like a douche, but you can get monthly furnished rental at hotels for a better price. For people who havent lived in hotels, its the best thing ever.
Scatter your shoes everywhere before you go to work and when you come back they're neatly place in the closet.
63 · umber desi said

can I help everyone with a budget of $8-$10K look for apartments in Manhattan? I have some in my area that may be twice as big and don't go for anywhere as much in this market.

"Discussion of narcissism aside, does anybody else find it odd she seems to sort her books by color? (in the shelf in the swing room if you can move your eyes a bit to the right for a moment) Well, at least she doesn't seem to be putting books on the floor."

Yes, but has she actually read any of them, especially the ones that don't have pictures of her in or on them?

The wonderful Mrs. Ela Bhatt, profiled in today's Times too shares Padma Laksmi's little whimsy:

Mrs. Bhatt’s Gandhian approach is most evident in the way she lives. Her two-bedroom bungalow is small and spare. The one bit of whimsy is a white swing that hangs from the ceiling in the center of the living room. She uses her bed as a desk chair. Her grandson has painted a child’s pastoral mural on the bedroom wall. She is known for having no indulgences.

she's just beautiful; she looks like a goddess herself!
plus, the painting does her justice.

Padma Laxmi is a caste-minded hypocrite. She always brings up the fact that she's *NOT* a Tamil, but in fact, a Tamil Brahmin. As a hypocrite, she abstains from eating meat, but she has no problem with that carcass in her living room.

Padma Laxmi was at Basement Bhangra the other night. She can't dance very well. I randomly kept screaming out "Top Chef" and "Quickfire Challenge!" every few minutes.

68 · boston_mahesh said

but she has no problem with that carcass in her living room

i thought she and salman broke up?

70 · Manju said

i thought she and salman broke up?

which is why he is in the living room.

71 · Rahul said

which is why he is in the living room.

well, considering he's a carcass now, perhaps she's taken to eating salman the way other's have to eating rahul.

72 · Manju said

eating rahul.

alright, it's really not a family friendly conversation anymore once you start talking about swinging, and padma eating rahul. and ve are nothing if not family friendly.