When designer Natasha Jain and restaurateur Priyank Sukhija decided to move into their West End home in south Delhi two years ago, both knew that their first order of business would be to throw the rule book out of the window. The result? A home where colours pop, designs shine and comfort reigns, making it one of the trendiest homes in this part of the world. Of course, nothing is traditional or commonplace here. Starting from the fact that the home is split into two levels-first floor and basement-that aren't integrated as one whole. The formal living room, dining room, master bedroom suite, kitchen and study are on the first floor, while the guest bedroom suite designed as a studio apartment is in the basement. There is a common staircase connecting all the floors in the building dressed in artworks from Bent Chair, a decor and design store by Jain. In fact it is Jain's instincts and keen eye for detail that is reflected in their home which is future ready and highlights design trends expected to shine in this year.
Ahead of the design curve
"My forecast for 2019 is that we will see a lot of trendy artworks hung on walls. Colours (especially blues) teamed with lighter shades will be seen everywhere. Metal paired with different materials such as wood, fabric or mother of pearl will create big waves. Rugs while still using traditional Persian hand knotted techniques will get a modern spin," says Jain. Mirroring these trends in her apartment, she has placed pop art on most of the walls in the guest bedroom suite, and a fair amount on the first floor as well. That said, she also has works from great artists including Paresh Maitey and FN Souza, from her father's art collection up on her walls. At first glance one might say that colours run amok on the two floors. But on closer examination one understands why they create a warm and welcoming feeling. If there is a beautiful but bright burnt orange wall in the dining, it is juxtaposed with grey walls in the living room. If there is a teal wall in the living area in the basement, a floral botanical couch and accents in white pair well with it; a red and orange couch (also in the basement) next to a red lamp are complemented by plain deep brown curtains. "We have sprinkled metal accents all over the home. Take for example the agate table in the living room. The table exudes warmth because of the agate top, but it also has a metal stand that gives it an edge," says Jain. For the floor covering she has used pieces from her brand that use modern designs with a traditional twist. One of her favourites is the Greek mythology inspired rug with Persian hand knotted techniques in her formal living room.
Walls come down
"The interiors use a lot of Bent Chair products teamed with what we found on our travels and from our previous homes," she says, adding, "We also knew that we did not want to repeat the same mistakes we made in our previous apartment." What were these mistakes? For one, Jain loves collecting bags and Sukhija shoes, and both have lots of clothes. This meant that they had to put their things in another room of the house. "We had to float around the house when getting ready," says Jain. So, what was the solution? They broke down walls. Originally the first floor had three bedrooms, two of which were converted to form the master bedroom suite, and the third was transformed into the study. The design of the master bedroom suite is an interesting one. It opens to reveal four rooms. As soon as you enter, a casual living area that has comfortable large sized sofas facing the TV is on the left. To your right is the walk in closet filled with bags, clothes and shoes of all sizes. Take a step forward and you see the home gym and the very serene bedroom. "It took us four months to move in. We redid the ceiling, paintwork and broke down walls," she says when talking of the 4,000 sq ft first floor and 1,500 sq ft basement.
Vibrant spaces
If the first floor is more neutral in tone, then the basement is a burst of colours. "The idea was to create a studio apartment and also use the space to entertain when we feel the need," she adds. There are two living spaces-one dominated by botanical motif and the other by pop colours-a dining and a bedroom are partitioned, not by walls but by clever use of bookshelves and screens that create these interesting spaces. However, what's common to every room is Jain's love for colour and her eye for good design.