Past Perfect: Echoes of empire

English. Dutch. Portuguese. Oh, my. So many choices, so little we really would want to live with. But for those who like colonial European style, check out Past Perfect.

Owners Pieter van Houten and Marie-Helene Piederiet handpick antique pieces from different regions and eras in India. So choose your favorite colonizer -- from the clean lines of Dutch colonial furniture to the romantic Indo-Portuguese items to the formal yet flowing designs of the Anglo-Indian pieces. We like how each piece provides a glance into an elegant home from a period in India's colonial history.

They're all made of the finest hardwoods, including rosewood, mahogany, ebony, teakwood and satinwood. The collection also features traditional Indian antique furniture like dowry chests and South Indian (Chettiar) pillars, writing boxes and chests.