ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST
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` 200 SEPTEMBER 2020 THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD
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NTEN ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST
` 200 SEPTEMBER 2020 THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD
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1 4 E DI TOR ’S L E T TE R
Among Rimadesio’s 2020 collections
1 6 C ON T R I BU TOR S
is a new modular system of doors
SEPTEMBER
that can transform even your
2 3 Z E I TG E I ST
average nook into the perfect
Designed by Dutch tastemaker
closet. Online auctions are on
Marie-Anne Oudejans, Aquazzura’s
the rise—due to lockdown
newest store in Capri reflects a
restrictions—and Indian galleries
merging of inspirations: the sun-
are stepping up. Four Indian design
kissed island itself and Jaipur,
studios are reimagining traditional
Tabu and Ishaan Khattar in a scene
where its designer is based.
Indian crafts for the modern age.
from ‘A Suitable Boy’. As the screen
Vadehra Art Gallery launches a new
adaptation of the cult-status novel
online store with art-emblazoned
comes to life, director Mira Nair
objects for the home. Available
gives AD a glimpse of what went
to stream till October, Rolex’s
into recreating 1950s India (pg 55).
new series of concerts—in Italy,
Photographer: Taha Ahmad/
Germany and France—support
Lookout Point.
classical singers and musicians.
L O C A T I O N
W I T H
M I R A
N A I R
CO VER
40 TR ENDS 2 4
PHOTO COURTESY OF AQUAZZURA.
O N
NTEN PHOTO: TAHA AHMAD/LOOKOUT POINT.
5 5
4 8 TH E M ASKED BALL
O N LO CATIO N
76 T H E G H AT S
5 5 WI TH MI R A N AI R
AD heads to the historic Ahilya Fort
Director Mira Nair and producer
in the town of Maheshwar, one of
Aradhana Seth give AD an exclusive
the key locations featured in the
inside look at the locations
BBC series ‘A Suitable Boy’.
for their screen adaptation of
84 N U R K A O U K J I
author Vikram Seth’s 1993 novel,
Living in India for the past 14
Five of India’s leading designers—
‘A Suitable Boy’, annotated with
years, the Lebanese designer has
Tarun Tahiliani, Gaurav Gupta, Anita
handwritten notes that highlight
created a home with her Parisian
Dongre, Manish Malhotra and Rahul
gorgeous details of the interiors,
architect husband that reflects her
Mishra—create their own versions
textiles, furniture, vintage cars, as
eclectic taste and nomadic life.
of the now quintessential mask in
well as the overarching aesthetic.
72 T H E OR I GI N AL
effort by Condé Nast India
A series of short excerpts from
magazines Vogue and GQ, retailed
Vikram Seth’s classic novel, ‘A
by Myntra, with proceeds going to
Suitable Boy’, completes AD’s special
support India’s karigars.
feature on the timeless story.
PHOTO: SULEIMAN MERCHANT.
‘Behind The Mask’, a collaborative
7 6
PHOTO: BJÖRN WALLANDER.
8 4
1 1 6 O T H E R W O R L D LY O A S I S
148 ST Y L E N O T E S
With the help of Belgian interior
Our selection of the best design
designer Axel Vervoordt, Kanye West
products to own this season.
and Kim Kardashian West have
152 ST O C K I ST S An A-to-Z listing of stores.
designed their home as a calm, relaxing space—a respite from the
96 S A N C T U A R Y Set within the Bavarian Alps, this
154 TH E M OOD : R ITU N ANDA
bustle of their social lives
1 28 T H E S A L O N E T H AT
The Mumbai-based designer shares
home designed by the Italian
DIDN’T HAPPEN
her lockdown essentials that range
design duo at Studio Peregalli
Milan, and the world, missed the
from yoga blocks to the softest
is a rustic retreat envisioned as
releases of new designs at Salone
face mask stitched by her mother.
a Wunderkammer.
del Mobile this year. AD showcases the highlights we wish we’d seen
Tastemaker and designer Priya
in person. And Milan-based Indo-
Aswani has filled her south Mumbai
Italian writer, and frequent AD
home with a bevy of objects that
contributor, Cristina Piotti pens a
reflect her chic aesthetic.
love letter to Salone.
PHOTO: JACKIE NICKERSON.
106 M A K I N G A N E N T R A N C E
1 1 6
EDITOR GREG FOSTER MANAGING EDITOR Komal Sharma ART DIRECTOR Chandni Mehta DIGITAL EDITOR Aditi Sharma Maheshwari COPY DIRECTOR Tyrel Rodricks ASSISTANT DIGITAL EDITOR Kriti Saraswat-Satpathy DESIGNER Akshita Shrivastava FEATURES WRITER Ritupriya Basu PHOTO ASSISTANT Sarang Gupta JUNIOR STYLIST Mitalee Mehta JUNIOR FEATURES WRITER Shristi Singh EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Shalini Kanojia WATCH EDITOR Rishna Shah SYNDICATION MANAGER Michelle Pereira SYNDICATION COORDINATOR Giselle D’Mello PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Sunil Nayak SENIOR MANAGER - COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION Sudeep Pawar PRODUCTION MANAGER Mangesh Pawar SENIOR PRODUCTION CONTROLLER Abhishek Mithbaokar PRODUCTION CONTROLLER Geetesh Patil
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Sunil Sethi Nonie Niesewand Divia Patel Neha Prasada Namita A Shrivastav Divya Mishra Gauri Kelkar Gayatri Rangachari Shah Arati Menon
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Ricardo Labougle Neville Sukhia Tom Parker
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1. At the beginning of the year, we’re looking for a big idea for the AD Design Show. Something magical, on the level of last year’s Cabinet of Curiosities by Jean-François Lesage. One of the concepts we start discussing is a collaboration with the cult-status film-maker, Mira Nair, working with her set designers to recreate one of the locations from her forthcoming BBC production of A Suitable Boy. Or perhaps ask the author Vikram Seth for an unpublished passage from the original manuscript to build a set around. Great ideas that unfortunately become pie-in-the-sky fuzzy in mid-March. 2. There is lots of buzz about the Mira Nair adaptation that will debut in the UK in July. In the run-up, an inordinate number of people tell me that Vikram Seth’s classic is their absolute favourite book. And they’re not the type of people who only read on holiday. I’m talking about clever bookworm types who have read everything ever written from Pride and Prejudice onwards. One simply has to believe them, particularly if one hasn’t yet read a single word of the almost 1,500-page magnum opus. 3. My mum, not someone who has really had much influence on these pages since I became editor of this magazine, calls to tell me about the wonderful new BBC show she has started watching on Sunday evenings. Apparently, it’s one of the most expensive BBC dramas ever produced. How quaint, I think, to watch a show weekly, rather than binge it over one decadent weekend. Thanks, mum! 4. I intend to wait for A Suitable Boy to drop on Netflix later this year. But a friend sends me a link to watch the first episode. I immediately sit up and start to google. Where was it filmed? Lucknow, mostly. What are those fabulous vintage cars? The 1940s made-in-India Plymouth! Who did the superchic wardrobe? Arjun Bhasin. The show is not just beautifully shot—every frame is filled with meticulously researched design references. 5. I’m watching the second episode and they’re at Ahilya Fort, Richard Holkar’s fabulous private residence and homestay in Maheshwar. One of my favourite places in India and not an obvious choice. Brilliant! 6. Ten minutes into episode two and I email my team. We have already planned a big story for later in the year when it is released on Netflix, but, “We should think about it for a cover,” I write. 7. OMG, I’ve been there too! I realize that Max Modesti had taken me to this grand bungalow in Lucknow that is the location of Mahesh Kapoor’s house on my one and only visit there in 2019. 8. A lovely Friday night spent with episodes three and four. Aside from the sumptuous sets, I can’t stop thinking, “I wish my mum would set me up with so many suitors!” 9. I’m watching episode four and there’s this toe-curling scene in the Kapoor house where they’re having after-dinner whiskies, and in their art deco bar area hang two minimal Riten Mazumdar textile artworks, which I recognize from Chatterjee & Lal’s 2019 retrospective on the artist. I take a screen grab and send it to Mort Chatterjee, who immediately replies wanting more details. He’s as excited as I am. Next-level set design! 10. By now, the AD team is aiming to shoot Mira in New York and send someone to Lucknow... none of which is possible due to lockdown rules. A flurry of Zoom calls commences with the BBC in London. 11. Oh, hello Mira. On a Zoom call from New York, the film-maker has just seen our December 2019 JeanFrançois Lesage issue, which we suggest we use as a basis for a collaborative story on the set design. “The director’s notes” is our pitch. Mira understands the idea perfectly and everything changes. She personally selects the images, offering to work all weekend on the handwritten notes. It’s great to have her work so closely with us. 12. I’ve lost three kilos as we wait for high-resolution images and talent approvals, and replace stills that aren’t possible to use. Mira is involved all the way, as is producer Aradhana Seth in Goa, the BBC’s Amy Dawson in London, Lookout Point’s Hugh Davies in London, AD managing editor Komal Sharma in Jammu, and AD art director Chandni Mehta in Bombay. A huge thank you to everyone across time zones for making this happen! And Salaam Mira.
GREG FOSTER
ILLUSTRATION: SHWETA MALHOTRA.
FI
Skorpio Keramik table Wanda chairs Apollo lamps
cattelanitalia.com Hyderabad - VENTURA INTERIORS PVT LTD, #B26, Road no.92, Jubilee Hills, Near Starbucks, Film nagar, Hyderabad, Telangana - 500033 - T. +91 40 42212368, e-mail: info@venturainteriors.com B a n g a l o r e - V E N T U R A I N T E R I O R S P V T LT D , P r e s t i g e N e b u l a I I , 1 4 4 , I n f a n t r y R o a d , B a n g a l o r e , K a r n a t a k a 5 6 0 0 0 1 - T. + 9 1 8 0 4 0 9 6 6 2 0 0 , e - m a i l : i n f o @ v e n t u r a i n t e r i o r s . c o m Mumba - AND MORE STORIES 27, Raghuvanshi Mills Compound, Behind Elegant Marbes Senapati Bapat Marg, Mumbai Marg Lower Parel Pare Mumbai 400013 - T. +91 22 24931016 /+91 98 21044114, e-mail: info@andmorestories.com
PHOTO: ARADHANA SETH.
PHOTO: APARNA JAYAKUMAR/LOOKOUT POINT.
MIRA NAIR FILM-MAKER
VIKRAM SETH NOVELIST
A poet and author, Seth is best known for his epic novel ‘A Suitable Boy’, which is now brought to screens by BBC in a six-part miniseries. In this issue, we publish an excerpt from his famed novel (pg 72).
PHOTO: RUCHI SEHGAL.
‘Salaam Bombay!’, ‘Monsoon Wedding’, ‘The Namesake’ and ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’, Nair is best known for her visually dense films that pulsate with life. In this issue, the director collaborates with the AD team to curate and annotate photographs from her latest series ‘A Suitable Boy’ (pg 55).
ARADHANA SETH PRODUCER
Known for her work as a visual artist, film-maker and scenographer, Seth dons the hat of a producer for the latest series ‘A Suitable Boy’. In this issue, she guides us with her notes from her early recce and research on this production (pg 55).
NANDINI MEHTA NAIK PHOTOGRAPHER
Nandini Mehta Naik, a Mumbaibased photographer, converted her home into a studio for ‘The Masked Ball’ shoot (pg 48). She has spent over a decade in photography, and has found a new love for still lifes.
16 |
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST | SEPTEMBER 2020
TOM PARKER PHOTOGRAPHER
London-based photographer Tom Parker is a regular contributor to AD. For this issue, Parker shot interior and product designer Priya Aswani’s south Mumbai home, where the tastemaker showcases her chic aesthetic (pg 106).
PHOTO: PERNILLE SANDBERG.
CRISTINA PIOTTI
BJÖRN WALLANDER
WRITER
PHOTOGRAPHER
New York-based Björn Wallander contributes to some of the world’s leading publications, including all Condé Nast titles. In this issue, he shoots the vibrant Jaipur home of Nur Kaoukji, the founder and designer of Ecru (pg 84).
PHOTO: TIMI MARCEL.
Indo-Italian writer Piotti pens a personal essay about the unusual year that Salone didn’t happen (pg 128). “Writing about the 2020 Milan Design Week has been a cautious yet cathartic experience. You don’t know what you have until you miss it: how true this felt, for the Milanese design world.”
SEAN RAI-ROCHE British-Indian journalist RaiRoche writes with a focus on design, the built environment and cities. In this issue, he reports about the popularity of online art auctions (pg 32). “It was fascinating to explore how the world of art has been transformed by the pandemic.”
STILLS & STROKES GRAPHIC DESIGN STUDIO
This year’s Salone report, an annual tradition, brought together AD India, AD Italy and Melanie and Stefan Vorbec of Berlin studio Stills & Strokes, who give it an exciting graphic treatment to showcase what would have been the highlights of the fair (pg 128).
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ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST | SEPTEMBER 2020
PHOTO: RAGNAR SCHMUCK.
WRITER
THOMAS ROOK STYLIST
Interior designer Rook styled a Studio Peregalli–designed house (pg 96). “I love the Bavarian Alps and the Tegernsee, where the house is located. So this photoshoot felt more like coming home than work.”
PHOTO: ANTHONY GERACE.
JACKIE NICKERSON
LAURA MAY TODD
PHOTOGRAPHER
WRITER
Canadian born and Milan-based, Laura May Todd writes about design, architecture and style for titles across Europe and North America. She caught up with enigmatic Italian design duo Studio Peregalli for her latest story, a peek into the pair’s newly designed jewel-box cottage for a publishing scion in the Bavarian Alps (pg 96).
PHOTO: VOLKER CONRADUS.
An America-born, British photographer and film-maker, Nickerson has produced three books, with another one, ‘Field Test’, coming up. She has worked with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West for six years. In this issue, she photographs the celebrity couple’s LA home (pg 116).
ROBERT RIEGER PHOTOGRAPHER
Based in Berlin, Rieger focuses on portrait and editorial as well as product, food and interior photography. In this issue, he photographs a Studio Peregallidesigned home (pg 96). “Shot on the wonderful Tegernsee lake, close to Munich, Studio Peregalli’s work is a hidden Wunderkammer.”
RITU NANDA
MAYER RUS
DESIGNER
WRITER
For this issue, the Mumbaibased designer put together her mood board for AD in a serene beige and white theme, composed of her “essentials under lockdown”, in her home away from home in Goa (pg 154).
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ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST | SEPTEMBER 2020
The West Coast Editor of AD USA, Rus wrote about Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s home designed by the inimitable Axel Vervoordt (pg 116). “Visiting Kim and Kanye was like stepping through the looking glass. Their home is a study in sumptuous minimalism, not clinical minimalism.”
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All figures mentioned above are as of August 2020
M R ZEITGEIST It’s usually one of the busiest months in the design calendar. But what September lacks in sociability, it makes up for in innovation. AD takes take a look at the swift shift of the Indian art market to online auctions, we shoot Condé Nast India’s ‘Behind the Mask’ project in our own inimitable style, we visit interior decorator Marie-Anne Oudejans’s latest project and more. The message is clear: stay home, stay safe, but innovate!
24
TEXT: SHRISTI SINGH. PHOTO COURTESY OF AQUAZZURA.
THE JAIPUR-CAPRI CONNECTION THE LATEST PROJECT FROM JAIPURBASED INTERIOR DESIGNER MARIEANNE OUDEJANS IS A GEM OF A BOUTIQUE FOR AQUAZURRA
S
omething about the air in Capri (and the waters around it) has people coming back for more; something besides the incredible food and limoncello. A prominent repeat visitor, Aquazzura founder and creative director Edgardo Osorio puts it best when he says, “Every time I’m here, I feel like I’m living la dolce vita.” Osorio deems the Neapolitan island his eternal “happy place”, immortalized as the one true inspiration behind the name of his luxury shoe label. No wonder then, that the Florence-based designer was so eager to bring what he started almost a decade ago to where he started it. In his own words, “It has always been my dream to have a boutique in my favourite place in the world.” Aquazzura Capri opened its doors in July; its facade rife with Mediterranean motifs. Osorio enlisted the help of Dutch tastemaker Marie-Anne Oudejans to realize his vision—one that, from the get-go, was as crystal clear as the seascape he owed everything to. “I wanted the store to have an Italian charm and look like it really belonged to the island,” he tells us. Oudejans too was “drawn to the sublime sea around Capri...the corals, flowers and of course, the lemons!” Consequently, the boutique’s interiors are plastered in aqua blue and coral red. The soft pastel walls create the perfect backdrop for the store’s focal points: three lacquered metal sculptures. The first and largest emerges atop a central wicker seating done up in aqua canvas pillows while the second and third, created by French designer Thierry Journo for his Jaipur-based atelier Idli, support two sets of brass and marble consoles. “I’ve always been obsessed with corals and seashells, both of which I collect,” says Osorio, recounting the oceanic fascination that drove his choice of bold fixtures. Everything about the space—from its red-and-white striped marble flooring to bamboo display units—references the Italian vibe that Osorio loves. And as one’s eyes are inevitably drawn upwards, where an arresting hand-painted ceiling—designed by Oudejans and artist Vikas Soni—holds countless tokens of the very things that make Capri magical, one realizes the deep connection between the island and Osorio’s own label. As he says, “The light, sun, colours and sea embody the mood and unmistakable vibe of Aquazzura’s lifestyle.” And brings visitors that much closer to living la dolce vita.
25
TEXT: DIVYA MISHRA. PHOTO COURTESY OF VADEHRA ART GALLERY.
CUSHION, UNTITLED WITH ITS NEW ONLINE STORE, VADEHRA ART GALLERY MAKES ITS ROSTER OF ARTISTS AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE, ON AND OFF THE CANVAS
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O
ne of the unexpected benefits of the lockdown has been the nudge toward virtual platforms it has given to traditional brick-and-mortar spaces. Indian art galleries are prime examples. Some have risen to the occasion, offering online exhibitions, talks and walkthroughs, but taking actual, tangible art to people has been a challenge. Taking the lead in this space is Vadehra Art Gallery’s new online store that offers customers a range of art prints, photographs, books, editioned artworks, and art-emblazoned merchandise like coasters and cushions. “We started making art-inspired products in 2008,” says gallery director Parul Vadehra, adding, “To offer them for sale through an online platform was completely a lockdown project!” The gallery represents some of India’s biggest artists and photographers, including SH Raza, Akbar Padamsee, Atul Dodiya and Shilpa Gupta, among others, and it is these artists’ works that have inspired the current range of merchandise. However, it wasn’t a complete cakewalk—this tightrope act between art and commerce, this transference of artistic intent between mediums. “The visuality of the artwork definitely changes,” says Parul. “For instance, from a large three-panel A Ramachandran painting, we select one detail and print it on a cushion cover. So, of course, the impact of the scale will be lost.” But what these artworks lose in scale, they gain in accessibility. The store ships within India and internationally, and Parul reports of products reaching places as far as London and New York, and as surprising as Seoni in Madhya Pradesh and Sirsa in Haryana. Clearly, Vadehra Art is operating on the principle that if people can no longer go to the art, then the art must be taken to them—even if it is via one Raza-inspired cushion at a time. vadehraart.com/shop
PERPETUAL MUSIC
TEXT: PALLAVI MEHRA. PHOTO: JEAN-FRANÇOIS LECLERCQ.
ROLEX LAUNCHES A SERIES OF CONCERTS—CURRENTLY STREAMING— TO HELP MUSICIANS AFFECTED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
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I
n line with their commitment to the arts, Rolex launched a new initiative to financially help singers and musicians affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The project included three Rolex “Perpetual Music” concerts in Italy, Germany and France. The initiative launched on 21 August 2020 and continued through to early September. “Our aim [was] to support the world of music and provide the opportunity to musicians and singers to have their art live on by performing at prestigious venues with the finest acoustics,” said Arnaud Boetsch, Rolex Director of Communication and Image. Each of the three Rolex “Perpetual Music” concerts were headlined by leading international singers and Rolex ambassadors—Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez, Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva and Mexican tenor Rolando Villazón. They performed a repository of solo and ensemble performances—in Pesaro, Berlin and Paris respectively—accompanied by a repertoire of global singers and musicians. The Paris concert also featured renowned French violinist Renaud Capuçon (pictured), who helped organize the initiative. A team of approximately 100 artists were recruited for the concerts—hand-picked by one of the Rolex ambassadors and Capuçon, and remunerated for their work. While the concerts had no live audiences, they are being broadcast in over 180 countries via Medici.tv, a classical music streaming platform. The shows will be streamed, for free, until the end of October. “By broadcasting the concerts via Medici.tv, a Rolex partner for over a decade, the artists supported in this project benefit from worldwide visibility. Significantly, this gift of time and exposure is in keeping with the company’s pursuit of excellence and its long-term commitment to foster the work of those who aim to reach the pinnacle of their profession. Last but not least, within the context of these unprecedented circumstances, this project is also a way for us to help keep music as an essential element in our daily lives,” concludes Boetsch.
A LIFE WHERE NATURE MEETS LUXURY Elegantly poised in the heart of the city’s upscale Worli neighbourhood, Lodha Park is an exclusive address reserved for those with a taste for nothing but the finest in life. Flaunting world-class amenities and offering an integrated living experience, this exquisite residential estate is setting new standards in luxury living
But far from being a concrete jungle, this premier residential estate’s distinguishing feature is its sprawling park. All residences straddle this verdant 7-acre space that is peppered with an assortment of areas designed to help rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit. Indulge in a spot of gardening in the organic vegetable and herb garden, kick back with your favourite book at the cosy reading nook, or practise some breathing exercises at the tranquil meditation pavilion.
Picture this: It’s a lazy Sunday morning, and you wake up to feel crisp, cool air kiss your cheek. You look out the window and your eyes meet sweeping views of abundant foliage in calming hues of green. Beyond, the azure ocean glimmers under a blazing sun. You’d be forgiven for assuming you’ve just awoken in an exotic island paradise. The reality, however, couldn’t be more different. This exclusive experience is, in fact, available in the lap of South Mumbai, in the heart of one of its most prime localities—Worli. Welcome to Lodha Park—a 17-acre township boasting five striking readyto-move-in 75-storey skyscrapers that tower over Worli Sea Face, each offering enviable views of the cityscape. Identifying the need for comfort and convenience in a city where time itself is a luxury, Lodha Park has been conceptualised as an oasis of calm to offer residents that much-needed respite in the most luxurious environs imaginable. PRIME LIVING, PERSONIFIED Superlative in every sense of the word, Lodha Park immerses you in an indulgent living experience unlike any other. The soaring towers of The
Park—Lodha Allura, Lodha Parkside, Lodha Marquise, and Lodha Kiara— are elegantly perched at the starting point of Mumbai’s Golden Mile, with the double-winged structures overlooking the Eastern and Western Seaboard. Taking the exclusivity quotient up a notch, the township also plays gracious host to Mumbai’s first and only Trump residence— Trump Tower. Designed by internationally acclaimed Singapore-based architecture firm, WOHA, with landscaping courtesy going to P Landscape, Bangkok, the thoughtfully-designed, tasteful residences will cater to your every fancy. As will the uber-premium Club Saint Amand, the property’s in-house hospitality partner.
INDULGENCES GALORE For children aged between two to eight years, a 16,000sq ft play area promises ultimate enjoyment, while an entertainment zone, complete with video games and board games, is perfect for those aged eight to 14. Parents, too, can cash in on the fun, by spending their weekends at The Jewel—a 50,000sq ft clubhouse designed by renowned contemporary interior designer Patricia Urquiola, comprising, among other amenities, a world-class spa, a well-stocked library, a private theatre, elegant party venues, and indoor and outdoor sports courts. The creatively-inclined can sign up for dance classes with Sandip Soparrkar or music sessions organised by Furtados School of Music, while sports enthusiasts can get their fill of adrenaline rushes by playing a game of cricket on the full-sized cricket pitch (a rarity in a South Mumbai real estate project), taking a few laps in one of the seven swimming pools, or cramming in a workout at the stateof-the-art Evander Holyfield gym.
For more information, call 022-50360316
SLEEK, SUBTLE AND ENTIRELY CUSTOMIZABLE, THE STAR OF RIMADESIO’S LATEST COLLECTION IS THE ‘COVER’ MODULAR SYSTEM
R
imadesio was founded in 1956 in northern Italy by Francesco Malberti, as a small glassmaking workshop. Under the leadership of Francesco’s sons Davide and Luigi, it has since then grown into a company with a turnover of millions, and a reputation for innovation and cutting-edge design. It was a meeting with architect Giuseppe Bavuso in the early 1990s that nudged the brothers into the sliding-door space: “We knew glass well but we had never worked on aluminium,” says Davide. The idea took hold and had two significant outcomes: Bavuso came on board as the brand’s creative director, and a few years later, the ‘Siparium’ sliding door system—a turning point for the brand—was born. The system was classic Bavuso, with a minimalist aesthetic, sound technical expertise and an in-depth understanding of material. The brand’s 2020 collection too plays to these strengths, as is evident in the ‘Cover’ modular system (pictured). The system is, in essence, a set of hinged doors that can be used to create, divide, and transform spaces using uprights that enclose the hinges of the doors (rendering them invisible) as well as the integrated internal LED lighting system. The system’s floor bases, shelves, hanger rods, pull-out shelves and drawer units can all be fixed directly to the uprights, adding the flexibility to play with the layout. Also part of the 2020 collection are pieces like the ‘Modulor’ wall panel system, ‘Velaria’ sliding doors, ‘Self Bold’ chest of drawers, and ‘Sixty’ coffee table—all of which feature Rimadesio’s signature commitment to quality, and diverse material palette.
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TEXT: DIVYA MISHRA. PHOTO COURTESY OF RIMADESIO.
THE DOORS
BIDDING 3.0 LOCAL AUCTION HOUSES SAFFRONART, PUNDOLE’S AND ASTAGURU EMERGE AS POWER PLAYERS IN THE ONLINE ART MARKET TEXT: SEAN RAI-ROCHE. IMAGE COURTESY OF ASTAGURU.
A
t the end of August, online auction house AstaGuru hosted an auction of MF Husain works, setting a world record for the sale of Voices, at over $2.5 million, in addition to achieving the highest overall total for a solo artist in India at over $7.5 million. While AstaGuru has performed online auctions long before the pandemic, and it was ready to capitalize on the current situation, it is not alone in providing an online offering today. Pundole’s, one of the leading auction houses specializing in Indian art, has adapted its live offering with an online bidding model. Held over two days, collectors can bid multiple times during the event. The Mumbai-based establishment has already hosted two online auctions during lockdown and says it appeals to a different, younger audience. “What we have noticed is that online auctions
Above: Voices (1958), MF Husain.
tend to attract a larger number of younger collectors, who feel a certain degree of comfort using their mobile phone or computer to consider art purchases and place bids,” says Mallika Sagar, Pundole’s auctioneer and specialist. Another pioneer in the online auction scene is Saffronart, which has adapted its annual live event with a new hybrid model that will “allow collectors to bid in the room from anywhere in the world”, according to Minal Vazirani, co-founder and president. Meanwhile, StoryLTD—Saffronart’s sister auction website—has also been hosting “weekly no-reserve auctions every Tuesday, called ‘Absolute Tuesdays’”, Vazirani says. A live-auction lover might lament the loss of atmosphere and the buzz that accompanies live events, but auction houses in India are finding new forms of engagement. “The online module permits us to keep the auction live and ongoing for 48 hours, which in turn avails the bidder time to make a well-thought decision,” says Siddanth Shetty, the vice president of AstaGuru. And that’s not the only reason bidders are drawn to this format. Vazirani adds, “Many of our new bidders have said that it seems to take away some of the intimidation of participating in a live auction.” With wide-scale public gatherings not looking likely for some time, it will be the innovators of the art industry who succeed in these unusual times. And the bidding has commenced.
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AUG 2020 150
VOGUE INDIA EXCLUSIVE:
HAILEY BIEBER
STRONG AUG 2020 150
VOGUE INDIA EXCLUSIVE:
HAILEY BIEBER
VOGUE NDIA EXCLUS VE
HAILEY BIEBER
STRONG
ISBEAUTIFUL
LEAH SINGH Upon returning to India after
attending Parsons School of Design, Leah Singh experienced her homeland’s vibrant textiles with fresh eyes. “I saw an opportunity to modernize these traditions and target a new market,” explains the designer, now based between New Delhi and New York. Age-old techniques, she learned, were languishing as artisans pushed their children toward office jobs. But at local Indian markets she connected with producers from across the country who could stitch, weave and print her patterns on pillows, carpets, throws and more. Each group has its speciality: In West Bengal, kantha embroiderers compose patterns from triangles, whereas in Punjab, phulkari embroiderers sew in small stitches that are perfect for more intricate designs. “I don’t change the way they work,” says Singh, who adapts these customs with her own colour palettes and architecturally inspired motifs. “They’re so special. They’ve been there for so long. I want to highlight that.” leahsingh.com
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THE NEW WAVE IN CRAFTSMANSHIP
TEXT: HANNAH MARTIN. PHOTOS: OR HARPAZ (LEAH SINGH); FRANCES DENNY (INDO-).
FOUR EMERGING DESIGN STUDIOS REIMAGINE TRADITIONAL INDIAN CRAFT FOR A NEW ERA
INDOWhen Urvi Sharma and Manan Narang, who both grew up in
New Delhi, met at RISD in 2016, they realized they were working on similar projects: reinterpretations of the charpai, a traditional Indian bed. They decided to join forces under the moniker INDO- and soon debuted ‘Char Quarter’, a pale beech bench with a woven cord seat and split-turned legs. Soon they took that same approach to other Indian archetypes, using ikat dyeing techniques on the tambour doors of a credenza and updating mooda seats as barstools by placing them atop skinny steel legs. Each piece comes out a little different from the last, but they embrace those variations. “Growing up, a lot of the objects we encountered were handmade,” recalls Sharma. “Now some of that is being lost for the sake of convenience. So we’re trying to celebrate an element of hand and the identity it brings with it.” indo-made.com
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side of the fashion industry, Arati Rao needed a change. “I felt disconnected from the process of making,” explains the New York–based designer, who quit her job in 2009 and headed to India, her family’s homeland, to explore its rich craft culture. “People can make anything there,” she marvels. “You just have to find it.” Founded in 2012, her own brand, Tantuvi (it means “weaver” in Sanskrit), has quickly segued from textiles into rugs and other home products. Rather than producing the wares in factories, Rao tapped cottageindustry workers in Rajasthan and Telangana to create graphic dhurries and rugs. Natural fibres are dyed by a family in Jaipur before being sent to villages in Rajasthan’s Thar Desert, where they are woven on panja looms. “There’s a true revival happening in India,” explains Rao, who just launched a collection of new rugs and bath mats at Shoppe Object in February. “Government grants have resuscitated areas that lost a lot of weavers. Now more people want handcraft again.” tantuvistudio.com
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PHOTO: OR HARPAZ.
TANTUVI After years working on the corporate
SOFT-GEOMETRY “Growing up in India, we both saw women artisans weaving cane
PHOTO: ALANNA HALE.
at incredible speed,” remembers Utharaa Zacharias, who cofounded the San Jose–based studio Soft-Geometry with her friend Palaash Chaudhary in 2018. That childhood memory inspired a first series of industrially produced steel chairs, some of which were outfitted with cane seats. “It takes about 48 hours to weave one,” she explains. The pair learned the technique from local cane weavers in Kerala and soon began collaborating with Indian craftspeople in other ways. When a New Delhi factory asked if they had a use for the leftover wood cutoffs, Zacharias and Chaudhary devised a technique to glue the pieces together and carve them by CNC machine into a doughnut-shaped table base. Next up, they’re working with another group of artisans on furniture and lighting that feature traditional bone inlay, which they plan to launch later this year. soft-geometry.com
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DESIGN, WITH A CONSCIENCE
Realty in India is tricky business. And with the domestic market populated with a host of construction companies, finding a trustworthy real estate developer is a challenging affair. Introducing TRU Realty—a homegrown real estate company established in 2018 in Pune by Indian School of Business alumnus, Sujay Kalele. Conceptualised to de-risk real estate using technology as a weapon, TRU Realty aims to redefine the way the business functions in India by making it more inclusive, trustworthy and transparent. In a span of just two years, TRU Realty has acquired a reputation as a new-age real estate developer that uses innovative technologies to automate the process, eliminating layers of red tape. It is their tech-driven yet empathetic approach to real estate that has won the firm many accolades, including the Emerging Company of the Year Award at the Business
KEKARAV: A SANCTUARY OF STILLNESS AND SOLITUDE An exclusive 36-acre gated community, Kekarav is a residential project by TRU Realty and Aswani Associates in Pune. It boasts a whopping 197 villas in 3BHK, 4BHK, and 5BHK floor-plan options that range in size from between 2,400sqft to 6,000sqft. But unlike most residential projects that don’t necessarily allow for customisation, Kekarav’s distinguishing feature is its customer-centric approach. For the first time ever in the industry, customers not only have a wide selection of villa designs to choose from but also a pool of award-winning architects to choose from. In keeping with the firm’s eco-friendly mission, Kekarav is a selfsustainable project. The complex flaunts its own freshwater lake as well as a water treatment plant with UV and RO technology, which allows for reuse of water. What’s more, even the roads built in collaboration with Bitumen Technology have been constructed with plastic waste. As if that wasn’t enough, the project also leverages the power of solar energy in its common areas, makes provisions for biogas generation and solid waste management, and monitors water usage via smart meters. And to top it all off, TRU Realty has even undertaken the celebrated Miyawaki afforestation technique at Kekarav to help restore ecological balance. With easy connectivity to core IT hubs like the Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park in Hinjewadi as well as to global IT firms like Infosys, Cummins, TATA Technologies, Wipro, TCS, and Tech Mahindra, Kekarav makes for the ideal residential option for IT professionals.
THESE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE STRICTLY REPRESENTATIVE AND NOT ACTUAL SHOTS OF THE PROPERTY
With a ‘design thinking’ ideology that hinges on leveraging the best in technology, a customer-centric lens through which all decisions are reviewed, and an eco-friendly approach to construction, real estate firm TRU Realty aims to revolutionise the sector in our country. And their Kekarav project in Pune is a prime example of how technology, empathy, and sustainability can come together to challenge conventional notions of how the real estate business functions in India
SPECIAL FEATURE
Leader of the Year awards presented by ET Now in February of this year as well as recognition from the central government, thanks to which it now flaunts the honour of being a Start-Up India certified company. Here’s a glimpse into how TRU Realty has differentiated itself in an overcrowded market. THE PROBLEM-SOLVERS At TRU Realty, it’s all about devising solutions to intrinsic problems by bringing to the fore creative thinking and the latest in technology. After carefully studying the best practices of myriad successful companies, the TRU Realty team comes up with dynamic solution-based approaches to all problems. THE INNOVATORS To make the process a seamless one for all stakeholders involved, TRU Realty has implemented a number
of innovative measures. While TRU Pay is a platform designed to address monetary trust issues, TRU Source is a faceless bidding platform for vendor selection, and TRU Multiply is an initiative via which the company builds strong customer networks. That’s not all. TRU Realty has also introduced exciting features like a job card (for day-to-day itemised tracking and completion of tasks) and UMS (a tool to ensure optimum utilisation of human resources). THE COLLABORATORS Recognising the roles communication and collaboration play in ensuring the home buying business is a transparent one, TRU Realty gets all its stakeholders to meet on a common platform to ensure that nothing is lost in translation. Better still, TRU Realty allows its customers the freedom and power to make informed decisions, under their able guidance.
THE DO-GOODERS TRU Realty takes their carbon footprint very seriously. In a bid to make sustainability an inherent part of their mission, the firm has adopted an array of eco-conscious measures and responsible construction practices, from incorporating solar energy in their street lamps to implementing urban afforestation programmes.
For more information, email contact@trurealty.in
G O L DEN H O UR CLOC KW I SE F RO M TOP L E FT: T E M P L E T O W N Tea k a nd c a n e - b a c k b e n c h fro m t h e A d wa m c o l l ecti o n. P O R T S I D E C A F E ‘E e rki l i ’ p en d a nt fro m t he B o h em e Ch i c 20 2 0 co l l e ct i o n , ` 1 9 , 00 0 . T H E A N T I Q U E ST O R Y ‘Wo o d e n Fo l k Swa n’ fro m th e Fo lk co l l ect i o n. R E D B L U E & Y E L L O W ‘K n ot’ c ent re t a b l e. B H A R AT F L O O R I N G S & T I L E S ‘D a l a’ h a n d ma d e ti l e fro m S we de n ( fo reg ro un d ) a n d ‘Fi l et e a d o’ ha n d ma de t i l e fro m A rg e nti n a fro m t h e I nt e r nat i o n a l Ra ng e , ` 2 50 p e r s q ua re fo ot . FA B I N D I A ‘ M u lta n’ d h ur ri e ( 5x 3 feet ), st a r t i n g at ` 5 ,6 9 0.
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ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST | SEPTEMBER 2020
M O DE R N T O U C H CLO CK W IS E FRO M TOP L EFT: I Q R U P + R I T Z ‘So h o’ t hree -seat er s ofa ,
` 1, 3 4 ,1 3 0 . T H E C A R P E T C E L L A R Ba uh a us c o l l ect i o n r ug , ( 7 x5 fe et ). T U S H A N T B A N S A L D E S I G N ST U D I O ‘Ko g et a’ ba r c a b i net . T H I S A N D T H AT x A C U B E I N C ‘Terra cot t a’ cy l i n d e r c offe e t a b l e fro m t he M at t i co l l e cti o n, ` 5 3, 1 0 0. H A N D S ‘A rray Bl a c k & W hi t e’ h a n d -t uft ed r u g ( 6 x 4 fe et ) i n 10 0 p e r c ent b a mb o o si l k fro m t h e G ra p h x c o l l ect i o n , ` 4 3 , 53 5 .
STYLIST MITALEE MEHTA
M A D H E K E BY L O C O D E S I G N ‘Ta l o n’ d e s k.
SEPTEMBER 2020 |
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST | 41
FR ESH M I N T CLO CK W I S E F RO M TO P LE FT: PA R O ‘ Si n d h’ va s e, ` 3, 8 0 0. G U L M O H A R L A N E ‘Lyo n Fre n ch B e d ’, ` 6 4 , 20 0 . S A R I TA H A N D A ‘C l a i re I vo ry Bl ue G re e n’ cot t o n cu sh i o n c over ( fo re g ro un d ),
` 3 , 7 00 , a n d ‘ New Fl eur Pr us s i a n B l ue’ cot t o n cu shi o n c ove r, ` 5 ,3 0 0 . J A I P U R R U G S ‘A Trek in Barsu’ (6x4 feet) from t he Re mi ni s ce nc e c o l l ect i o n by Hi ren Patel . S N U G S Q U A R E ‘V i t a’ l o un g e ch a i r i n ‘Purp l e Pa l m’ fa b r i c, st a rt i ng at ` 3 5 , 90 0 . I N D I A C I R C U S BY K R S N A A M E H TA ‘Eth n i c Ci rcl es’ le at he r t ray, ` 1 , 5 99 .
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ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST | SEPTEMBER 2020
B R ON Z E & B L U E S CLOCK W I S E F RO M TO P L EFT: K R E O O ‘P LU VI O ’ t a b l e by M att e o N unzi at i , at C B h o g i la l West- E n d . PA U L M AT T E R ‘M o n o l i t h’ t a b l e l i g ht i n a g e d b ra ss, fro m th e M o n o l i t h s eri e s . S Ā R ST U D I O ’A za’ l o ung e c h a i r, d e s i g n e d by Qu ent i n Vu o ng fro m th e C o . 1 Here, Th ere co l l ecti o n, ` 4 9 , 50 0 . B R A M W O O D C R A F T I N G ST U D I O ‘In j u’ c ro c ke r y un i t fro m Th e S ummer C o l l e ct i o n , ` 9 8 , 00 0 . F U S I O N A C C E S S ‘Qua r t z’ p e d est a l fro m t he Q ui c ksi lve r co l l ect i o n, ` 25 , 5 00 . T H E B I G P I A N O ‘S p i key ’ s i d e t a b l e , ` 3 5 , 00 0 . F o r det a i ls , see S to c ki st s .
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ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST | SEPTEMBER 2020
THE LAST WORD IN TRAVEL AUG-SEPT 2020 | 150
PE O P LE P OWER The faces behind the places
THE LAST WORD IN TRAVEL AUG SEPT 2020 | 150
PE O PL E POWE R The faces behind the places
PEOP LE POWER The faces behind the places
Presenting the 10th annual
Readers’ Travel Awards 2020
READERS’ TRAVEL AWARD S 2 020
B
ES
E
ICONS OF TRAVEL
D T O A F A DEC
Celebrating 10 years of Condé Nast Traveller in India
www.cntraveller.in/rta This is the last word in travel. Have your say.
Please vote online: www.cntraveller.in/rta
Voting ends 4 October, 2020 For 10 years, readers of CondĂŠ Nast Traveller India have selected the finest in the world of travel, tourism and hospitality. This year, the industry will appreciate your recognition more than ever.
VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITES Destinations FOR A CHANCE TO WIN ONE OF THESE Hotels + Spas Airlines LUXURY Airports & more STAYS *Terms and conditions apply
FIVE MASKS FROM CONDÉ NAST INDIA’S ‘BEHIND THE MASK’ PROJECT ARE INVITED TO PARTNER WITH FIVE ANTIQUE HEADS IN OUR WITTY MASQUERADE BALL PAIRINGS
Right when the entire country had just begun working from home, an idea was already brewing at Condé Nast India. What began in late March as a series of videos to be shot at home by leading Indian fashion designers—to give us a view into their lives in quarantine— soon turned into something much bigger. To Alex Kuruvilla, Managing Director, Condé Nast India, a video series about designers working from home seemed like an incomplete idea. “While I was mulling over the idea, it struck me that 10 years from now, when we think of this time in our lives, the one overriding symbol of it is going to be the mask,” says Kuruvilla. “It has evolved from a necessity to an accessory that can now become an extension of our identity. So why not use this opportunity to ask designers to create a prototype of a mask from home, all the while ‘unmasking’ their personalities, and giving viewers a look into their real, true selves through a series of videos shot by their families at home?” Over just a few Zoom calls, Kuruvilla and his team zeroed in on an impressive list of collaborators for ‘Behind the Mask’: Tarun Tahiliani, Gaurav Gupta, Rahul Mishra, Anita Dongre and Manish Malhotra. The idea, however, still wasn’t complete; not until Myntra signed on to produce the masks, TLC and Discovery+ agreed to air and stream the episodes, and GiveIndia came on board to direct all profits to seven NGOs helping several craft clusters across India. “With the ‘Vogue + GQ x Myntra Behind The Mask’ campaign, we wanted to do two things: encourage the wearing of masks and raise funds for the craftsmen affected by the pandemic,” says Kuruvilla. Indigenous crafts and art styles from across the country became a recurring theme through the initiative. An intricately detailed pichhwai wall painting in Anita Dongre’s home inspired her mask with motifs of birds and botanicals; Rahul Mishra tapped into memories of his grandmother block-printing her own saris for his floral-patterned prototype; and Gaurav Gupta delved deep into the history of Pattachitra paintings to create his pattern-heavy mask. Tarun Tahiliani found inspiration in the craft of quilting for his prototypes, while Manish Malhotra created a set as a tribute to the many tailors and embroiderers of Bollywood. These prototypes inspired the final set of 20 masks, which were streamlined for production and are being retailed by Myntra. The unsung heroes of the fashion industry are the focus of ‘Behind The Mask’, which is a concerted effort to support karigars. myntra.com/behind-the-mask
WRITER RITUPRIYA BASU. PHOTOGRAPHER NANDINI MEHTA NAIK.
A MASK INSPIRED BY MANISH MALHOTRA ON A DANCING MASK FROM THE KONKAN REGION, PHILLIPS ANTIQUES. ‘MALACHITE (W062D3UIY75)’ WALLPAPER FROM NILAYA BY ASIAN PAINTS.
A MASK BASED ON AN ANITA DONGRE DESIGN ON A VINTAGE HEAD FROM ELEMENT. ‘GULBAHAAR - PATIALA GREEN (W109WI24S75)’ WALLPAPER FROM NILAYA BY ASIAN PAINTS.
A MASK INSPIRED BY A RAHUL MISHRA PROTOTYPE ON A PROCESSIONAL HEAD FROM PHILLIPS ANTIQUES. ‘RANTHAMBORE (W046D299S75)’ WALLPAPER FROM NILAYA BY ASIAN PAINTS.
A MASK BORN OF A GAURAV GUPTA DESIGN ON A THEYYAM HEAD FROM KERALA FROM PHILLIPS ANTIQUES. ‘BALI LEAVES (W065D3NQY75)’ WALLPAPER FROM NILAYA BY ASIAN PAINTS.
A MASK CREATED FROM A TARUN TAHILIANI DESIGN ON AN AFRICAN ZULU TRIBE MASK FROM MAHENDRA DOSHI. ‘JUNGLE CHIC (W062D3U6Y75)’ WALLPAPER FROM NILAYA BY ASIAN PAINTS.
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST
` 200 JULY-AUGUST 2020 THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD
still, life
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST
` 200 JULY AUGUST 2020 THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD
INDIA
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AT N WITH
Poet and writer Vikram Seth’s 1993 novel ‘A Suitable Boy’ needs no introduction. It is that everlasting story that lives between tradition and modernity, politics and religion, love and conflict. As its screen adaptation by the inimitable film-maker Mira Nair brings it to life, AD takes a look at the cinematic as well as the design details that construct this charming world of 1950s India. And in classic AD style, it comes with an opening essay and handwritten annotations by the director Mira Nair. Ladies and gentlemen, we’re on location with ‘A Suitable Boy’.
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The brilliance of Vikram Seth’s novel is that it tells several stories at once— among them a vast, panoramic tale of four large families at a crucial hour of India’s freedom from the British, and a terribly human tale of a mother’s search for a suitable boy for her last unmarried daughter. It was the first novel that showed us Indians how we truly are: caught between ancient, strong cultures and modern, bewildering ones; immersed in English poetry, clothing, and attitudes, yet preoccupied with the quest to find our authentic voice in a newly formed country. Our story traverses the cacophony of our worlds, high and low. Luminosity, colour, life, sex appeal, batiks. With its foundation strong in the pulse of Anoushka Shankar’s sitar, the music is a kaleidoscope of Indian sound: the boatman’s songs of the river; the swinging dance bands of Goa; the exquisite ghazals of Ghalib, Dagh and Mir; and let’s not forget, the Indian college version of Shakespeare! All my cinematic life I have brought India to the world in a clear-eyed way: the unflinching yet phosphorescent look at street children in Salaam Bombay!, the juxtaposition of the largesse of spirit and secrets of a global Punjabi family in Monsoon Wedding, the elegiac seesaw between Calcutta and Cambridge in The Namesake, the coming of age of a Pakistani in America in The Reluctant Fundamentalist. These themes and ideas intertwine in A Suitable Boy, giving me the chance to create multilayered characters, to portray a world that in its diversity reflects the world we live in today, to see beyond the stereotypes that are constantly projected onto our television screens, and, if we have done our work right, to make us see ourselves in whom we thought of as the other.
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Facing page: Creating a newly free India. Lucknow’s Charbagh Station—all we had to do was take away the water tanks, the neon signs, the hoardings, the hundreds of modern cars and bikes, and there emerged a gorgeous IndoSaracenic stately railway station. Bring in the Packard Clipper, the tongas, rickshaws, red-shirted coolies, and a strange hush came over the space to give us 1951. Below: The Raja of Marh begins building a temple in the community square, in front of mosques that have been there for centuries. The great actor, Manoj Pahwa, brings electricity and sizzle to the Raja who knows only excess.
The annexe home-office with clattering screen doors, fronted by scrappy canna-planted gardens where fireflies roamed. Families sat together in the verandas in the evenings, drinking nimbu-panis and chai, and street vendors changed their calls according to the seasons...this was the inspiration for the young lecturer Pran Kapoor’s home in Brahmpur.
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Our set decorators—Mithva Krishen and Dhara Jain—brought in china from Laalji’s in Jodhpur and early-morning finds from Chor Bazaar in Bombay, Tantra paintings, Taherally’s lamps from the ’40s, antique children’s toys, Faberge-blue silk-upholstered sofas and settees, terrazzo flooring, and lo, swinging mercantile Calcutta was born. This house was a true tribute to the art deco bloom of ’30s/’40s India—and how it reflected the worldly elegance of Meenakshi.
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BY AMIR MINAI
महिफ़ल बखार्स्त हुई, पतंगे
The meeting has dispersed, the moths
ख्सत शमो से हो रहे ह
Bid farewell to the candlelight.
दुनिया का यह रंग, और हम
This is the world’s way, although we,
कुछ होश नह है, सो रहे है
Lost to the world, lie sleeping here. (ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY VIKRAM SETH)
The boarding houses of Cawnpore that we created within Salim and Noor Apa’s charming ancestral home, came with their own extraordinary pieces of Biedermeier-esque chairs, and more like Le Corbusier—simple Chandigarh-style pieces that we brought in. Once again—doors upon doors—the endless depth of field was a bounty for my camera.
Mahmudabad is the epitome of Nawabi architecture, a combination of European, Rajput and Mughal. We deep-cleaned the rooms for a week, making the stained-glass luminous, the pressed-tin walls gleam again. In came massive carpets, upholstery from my pal Akanksha of Atmosphere, and down came the dour portrait of Queen Victoria.
‘A Suitable Boy’ is executive produced by Mira Nair, Vikram Seth and Andrew Davies; Faith Penhale, Laura Lankester and Will Johnston for Lookout Point; Lydia Dean Pilcher and Aradhana Seth (who also produced); and Mona Qureshi for the BBC. Production design Stephanie Carroll. Costume design Arjun Bhasin. The six part series is distributed by BBC Studios. It is soon to release on Netflix India. ALL SERIES IMAGES COURTESY OF LOOKOUT POINT.
I left the group one day and wandered the streets of the Chidiya Bazaar in Old Lucknow, haltingly opening carved wooden doors to see where they took me. One such treasure was Moin Iqtida Khan’s haveli—an extraordinary ancestral home of perfumers. Amazingly, they opened their family home to us and welcomed the restoration that we embarked on: out with the green glass arches, in with the faux stone jalis. They allowed us to break the cement partitions in between the long rooms, and restore the flow of space. Creating a separate music room was important, both for singing and eros; chattai blinds with antique textiles silently came down when Maan visited Saeeda. It took ages to get the colour right of the onionskin–flavour of the exterior walls. In came the pleasure garden, dripping with age-old oleander. We even built a hamam!
IN A RETURN TO THE ORIGINAL, AD PICKS A SERIES OF STAND-ALONE EXCERPTS FROM VIKRAM SETH’S ‘A SUITABLE BOY’.
‘So you’re cultivating a rural constituency for the coming elections?’ Mahesh Kapoor smiled. Ever since 1937 he had stood from the same urban constituency in the heart of Old Brahmpur—a constituency that included much of Misri Mandi, the home of the shoe trade of the city. Despite his farm and his knowledge of rural affairs—he was the prime mover of a bill to abolish large and unproductive landholdings in the state—it was unimaginable that he would desert his electoral home and choose to contest from a rural constituency. By way of answer, he indicated his garments; the handsome black achkan he was wearing, the tight off-white pyjamas, and the brilliantly embroidered white jutis with their up-turned toes would present an incongruous picture in a rice field. ‘Why, nothing is impossible in politics,’ said Sharmaji slowly. ‘After your Zamindari Abolition Bill goes through, you will become The other chief host of the wedding was the groom’s fa- a hero throughout the countryside. If you chose, you could become ther, Mr Mahesh Kapoor, who was the Minister of Revenue Chief Minister. Why not?’ said Sharmaji generously and warily. He of the state of Purva Pradesh. It was in fact in his large, C- looked around, and his eye fell on the Nawab Sahib of Baitar, who shaped, cream-coloured, two-storey family house, Prem was stroking his beard and looking around perplexedly. ‘Of course, Nivas, situated in the quietest, greenest residential area of you might lose a friend or two in the process,’ he added. Mahesh the ancient, and—for the most part—over-populated city Kapoor, who had followed his glance without turning his head, said of Brahmpur, that the wedding was taking place. quietly: ‘There are zamindars and zamindars. Not all of them tie their friendship to their land. The Nawab Sahib knows that I am acting out of principle.’ He paused, and continued: ‘Some of my own relatives in Rudhia stand to lose their land.’ The Chief Minister nodded at the sermon, then rubbed his hands, which were cold. ‘Well, he is a good man,’ he said indulgently. ‘And so was his father,’ he added. Mahesh Kapoor was silent. The one thing Sharmaji could not be called was rash; and yet here was a rash statement if ever there was one. It was well known that the Nawab Sahib’s father, the late Nawab Sahib of Baitar, had been an active member of the Muslim League; and though he had not lived to see the birth of Pakistan, that above all was what he had dedicated his life to. The tall, grey-bearded Nawab Sahib, noticing four eyes on him, gravely raised his cupped hand to his forehead in polite salutation, then tilted his head sideways with a quiet smile, as if to congratulate his old friend.
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Several months had now passed since Savita’s wedding. Winter had gone and the pythons in the zoo had emerged from hibernation. Roses had replaced narcissi, and had been replaced in their turn by the purple-wreath creeper, whose five-bladed flowers helicoptered gently to the ground in the hot breeze. The broad, silty-brown Ganga, flowing due east past the ugly chimneys of the tannery and the marble edifice of the Barsaat Mahal, past Old Brahmpur with its crowded bazaars and alleys, temples and mosques, past the bathing ghats and the cremation ghat and the Brahmpur Fort, past the whitewashed pillars of the Subzipore Club and the spacious estate of the university, had shrunken with the summer, but boats and steamers still plied busily up and down its length, as did trains along the parallel railway line that bounded Brahmpur to the south.
The Imperial Book Depot was one of the two best bookshops in town, and was located on Nabiganj, the fashionable street that was the last bulwark of modernity before the labyrinthine alleys and ancient, cluttered neighbourhoods of Old Brahmpur. Though it was a couple of miles away from the university proper it had a greater following among students and teachers than the University and Allied Bookshop, which was just a few minutes away from campus. The Imperial Book Depot was run by two brothers, Yashwant and Balwant, both almost illiterate in English, but both (despite their prosperous roundness) so energetic and entrepreneurial that it apparently made no difference. They had the best stock in town, and were extremely helpful to their customers. If a book was not available in the shop, they asked the customer himself to write down its name on the appropriate order form. Twice a week an impoverished university student was paid to sort new arrivals on to the designated shelves. And since the bookshop prided itself on its academic as well as general stock, the proprietors unashamedly collared university teachers who wandered in to browse, sat them down with a cup of tea and a couple of publishers’ lists, and made them tick off titles that they thought the bookshop should consider ordering. These teachers were happy to ensure that books they needed for their courses would be readily available to their students. Many of them resented the University and Allied Bookshop for its entrenched, lethargic, unresponsive and high-handed ways. After classes, Lata and Malati, both dressed casually in their usual salwaar-kameez, went to Nabiganj to wander around and have a cup of coffee at the Blue Danube coffee house. This activity, known to university students as ‘ganjing’, they could afford to indulge in about once a week. As they passed the Imperial Book Depot, they were drawn magnetically in. Each wandered off to her favourite shelves and subjects. Malati headed straight for the novels, Lata went for poetry.
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The day after Saeeda Bai sang at Prem Nivas was Sunday. The light-hearted spirit of Holi was still in the air. Maan could not get her out of his mind. He wandered about in a daze. He arranged for her harmonium to be sent on to her house early in the afternoon, and was tempted to get into the car himself. But that was hardly the time to visit Saeeda Bai—who had, anyway, given him no indication that she would be pleased to see him again. Maan had nothing as such to do. That was part of his problem. In Banaras there was business of a kind to keep him busy; in Brahmpur he had always felt himself to be at a loose end. He didn’t really mind, though. Reading was not something he enjoyed much, but he did like wandering around with friends. Perhaps he should visit Firoz, he thought. Then, thinking of the ghazals of Mast, he jumped into a tonga, and told the tonga-wallah to take him to the Barsaat Mahal. It had been years since Maan had been there, and the thought of seeing it appealed to him today. The tonga passed through the green residential ‘colonies’ of the eastern part of Brahmpur, and came to Nabiganj, the commercial street that marked the end of spaciousness and the start of clutter and confusion. Old Brahmpur lay beyond it, and, almost at the western end of the old town, on the Ganga itself, stood the beautiful grounds and the still more beautiful marble structure of the Barsaat Mahal. Nabiganj was the fashionable shopping street where the quality of Brahmpur were to be seen strolling up and down of an evening. At the moment, in the heat of the afternoon, there were not many shoppers about, and only a few cars and tongas and bicycles. The signs of Nabiganj were painted in English, and the prices matched the signs. Bookshops like the Imperial Book Depot, well-stocked general stores such as Dowling & Snapp (now under Indian management), fine tailors such as Magourian’s where Firoz had all his clothes (from suits to achkans) made, the Praha shoe shop, an elegant jeweller’s, restaurants and coffee houses such as the Red Fox, Chez Yasmeen, and the Blue Danube, and two cinema halls—Manorma Talkies (which showed Hindi films) and the Rialto (which leaned towards Hollywood and Ealing): each of these places had played some minor or major role in one or another of Maan’s romances. But today, as the tonga trotted through the broad street, Maan paid them no attention. The tonga turned off on to a smaller road, and almost immediately on to a yet smaller one, and they were now in a different world. There was just enough room for the tonga to get through among the bullock-carts, rickshaws, cycles and pedestrians who thronged both the road and the pavement—which they shared with barbers plying their trade out of doors, fortune tellers, flimsy tea-stalls, vegetable-stands, monkey-trainers, ear-cleaners, pickpockets, stray cattle, the odd sleepy policeman sauntering along in faded khaki, sweat-soaked men carrying impossible loads of copper, steel rods, glass or scrap paper on their backs as they yelled ‘Look out! Look out!’ in voices that somehow pierced through the din, shops of brassware and cloth (the owners attempting with shouts and gestures to entice uncertain shoppers in), the small carved stone entrance of the Tinny Tots (English Medium) School which opened out on to the courtyard of the reconverted haveli of a bankrupt aristocrat, and beggars—young and old, aggressive and meek, leprous, maimed or blinded—who would quietly invade Nabiganj as evening fell, attempting to avoid the police as they worked the queues in front of the cinema halls. Crows cawed, small boys in rags rushed around on errands (one balancing six small dirty glasses of tea on a cheap tin tray as he weaved through the crowd), monkeys chattered in and bounded about a great shivering-leafed pipal tree and tried to raid unwary customers as they left the well-guarded fruit-stand, women shuffled along in anonymous burqas or bright saris, with or without their menfolk, a few students from the university lounging around a chaat-stand shouted at each other from a foot away either out of habit or in order to be heard, mangy dogs snapped and were kicked, skeletal cats mewed and were stoned, and flies settled everywhere: on heaps of foetid, rotting rubbish, on the uncovered sweets at the sweetseller’s in whose huge curved pans of ghee sizzled delicious jalebis, on the faces of the sari-clad but not the burqa-clad women, and on the horse’s nostrils as he shook his blinkered head and tried to forge his way through Old Brahmpur in the direction of the Barsaat Mahal.
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It was evening by the time Maan got to the Barsaat Mahal, and the grounds were not crowded. He walked through the arched entrance in the boundary wall, and passed through the outer grounds, a sort of park which was for the most part covered with dry grass and bushes. A few antelope browsed under a large neem tree, bounding lazily away as he approached. The inner wall was lower, the arched entranceway less imposing, more delicate. Verses from the Quran in black stone and bold geometrical patterns in coloured stone were embedded in its marble facade. Like the outer wall, the inner wall ran along three sides of a rectangle. The fourth side was common to both: a sheer drop from a stone platform—protected only by a balustrade—to the waters of the Ganga below. Between the inner entrance and the river was the celebrated garden and the small but exquisite palace. The garden itself was a triumph as much of geometry as of horticulture. It was unlikely in fact that the flowers with which it was now planted—other than jasmine and the dark-red, deep-scented Indian rose—were the same as those for which it had been planned more than two centuries ago. What few flowers remained now looked exhausted from the daily heat. But the well-tended, well-watered lawns, the great, shady neem trees dispersed symmetrically about the grounds, and the narrow sandstone strips that divided the flower beds and lawns into octagons and squares provided an island of calm in a troubled and crowded town. Most beautiful of all was the small, perfectly shaped pleasure-palace of the Nawabs of Brahmpur, set in the exact centre of the inner gardens, a filigreed jewel box of white marble, its spirit compounded equally of extravagant dissipation and architectural restraint. In the days of the Nawabs, peacocks used to roam the grounds, and their raucous voices would on occasion compete with the musical entertainments laid on for those reclining and declining rulers: a performance by dancing girls, a more serious performance of khyaal by a court musician, a poetry competition, a new ghazal by the poet Mast.
The ancestral Baitar House, where the Nawab Sahib and his sons lived, was one of the most handsome buildings in Brahmpur. A long, pale yellow facade, dark-green shutters, colonnades, high ceilings, tall mirrors, immensely heavy dark furniture, chandeliers, oil portraits of previous aristocratic denizens and framed photographs along the corridors commemorating the visits of various high British officials: most visitors to the huge house, surveying their surroundings, succumbed to a kind of gloomy awe—reinforced in recent days by the dusty and uncared-for appearance of those large sections of the mansion the former occupants of which had left for Pakistan.
PUBLISHED WITH PERMISSION FROM ALEPH BOOK COMPANY 2014. COPYRIGHT © VIKRAM SETH 1993, 2014.
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the Among the most recognizable locations of ‘A Suitable Boy’ are the romantic boat scenes shot by the ghats of Ahilya Fort, Prince Richard Holkar’s chic private residence and homestay in Maheshwar WRITER GAURI KELKAR PHOTOGRAPHER PAUL WHITBREAD
ghats
A view of the magnificent fort at Maheshwar, the Ahilyeshwar Chhatri and the iconic ghats of the central Indian town on the banks of the Narmada river. The chhatri (cenotaph) and the monumental fan-shaped staircase were made by Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Holkar I between 1810 and 1815.
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PHOTO: SULEIMAN MERCHANT.
Above: The garden (to the right) of Arjun’s Royal Tent with its private plunge pool and sit-out. The tent was made in Jaipur. Facing page: The sit-out in the garden of the tent area, which overlooks Ahilyeshwar Chattri and the river. The bamboo chairs were made in Indore.
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Above: The Nobut Niwas family suite comprises a mix of furniture pieces; at the desk is a restored chair; the chairs to the right are replicas of old pieces made by Ahilya Fort Hotel’s in-house carpenter Radhashyam. The dhurrie was made in Jaipur in colours that harmonize with the terracotta flooring in the room. Facing page: The Bulbul room in the Ahilya Fort Hotel, which features a recovered early 19th-century bed. The remarkable fine-chain-stitch embroidery panels on the wall are two of three family heirlooms. The panels feature ari embroidery, which has been done by the traditional Mochi (shoemaking) community in Bhuj, Gujarat, who typically use this kind of chain-stitch decoration on shoes.
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The Neem guest room located in the Lingarchan courtyard of the hotel features a chair designed by Latif and made by a local artisanal craftsman in Indore. The table lamp, of unknown provenance, is from the family collection.
ess than 100 kilometres from Indore in Madhya Pradesh, on top of a hill in the town of Maheshwar, the world falls away, time takes a breather and then spectacularly rolls back. The formidable ramparts of the Maheshwar Fort with the ageless Narmada River flowing below is not a sight that can be forgotten. The walls of this fort hold the architectural legacy of the 18th-century queen of Malwa, Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar. Here, too, lies Ahilya Wada, her personal residence, which was restored to its former glory and converted into the heritage Ahilya Fort Hotel. “Restoration has been a part of what we have been doing in Maheshwar for the last 25 years. In 2001, my father started the restoration of the wada, which was a three-year process,” says Yeshwant Holkar. Back then, when Yeshwant’s father, Richard Holkar, princely descendant of Maharani Ahilyabai and son of the last maharaja of Indore, chose to restore this home of the Holkars, he decided to turn it into a heritage hotel. He was helped along in this endeavour by his friend Dieter Meier, who “was a great support and advisor to my father as he started his journey in hospitality”, Yeshwant reveals. The delicate, painstaking work was handed over to Mysuru-based conservation architect Ravi Gundu Rao (of Ravi Gundu Rao and Associates). “Ravi specializes in stone structures; he basically wrote the conservation manual for basalt stone.” Given that this stone was the predominant material used in structures found here, Rao’s presence in Maheshwar (for a different project) was, according to Yeshwant, “divine intervention. He met my father over coffee and things naturally progressed from there.” It is an association that has endured over the decades, with Rao leading the restoration of other structures here too. The 244-year-old structure certainly looks like it’s supposed to: an 18th-century Maratha wada (castle) with stoic, well-crafted facades, meticulously detailed stonework, abundant wooden columns and carved arches, and fronted by the archetypal central courtyard. While staying faithful to the original material palette was a given, its reincarnation as a hotel too needed to be taken into account. “The original traditional flooring—earth flooring on wooden battens, with lime coba (lime mortar rubble) and surfaced with leepai (cow dung slurry)—was not practical for a hotel in modern times. We [thus] replaced it with kota stone in some areas, terracotta tiles or brick in others, marble in still others—and in some we have used reclaimed wood (like the Narmada Suite)”. This almost two-decade-old heritage hotel, despite the modern updates, is respectful to its towering past, which is evident in the furniture pieces seen around the hotel. “Many are restored pieces, made in Calcutta in the mid-1900s, that my parents found
when they first moved into the fort—probably there since the time of Chandravatibai Holkar, my father’s paternal grandmother.” These were supplemented with reproductions “where necessary. Some statement items are repurposed carvings from old homes in Maheshwar that were, sadly, torn down,” he says—the headboard in the Narmada Suite, for instance, was taken from a disused part of the wada. The interior decor found expression under the direction of Bronwyn Latif (whose credentials include boutique hotels like the Glenburn Tea Estate in Darjeeling and Kolkata’s Glenburn Penthouse). With the family’s deep roots within the community and their championing of the skilled weaving community (this is, after all, where the artisanal Maheshwari saris had their genesis) through the REHWA Society, the restoration offered an opportunity to showcase the artisans’ skills too—with the delicate Maheshwari textile used as blinds in the Narmada Suite, curtains in the Hawa Bangla, and cushion covers across the property, among other accents. This warren of six structures, housing 19 rooms, is woven together by courtyards, gardens, stone pathways and terraces, with the river spread out below— and ghats, monuments and temples surrounding it. This sublime scenery was what drew director Mira Nair to shoot scenes for her screen adaptation of Vikram Seth’s 1993 novel, A Suitable Boy. “They wanted to recreate the Benaras of the 1950s, and Mira, who is a family friend, has been here before, as has Aradhana Seth, one of the producers,” explains Yeshwant. And Maheshwar was up for the task. “The Baneshwar temple, in the middle of the Narmada, and the ghats are heavily featured in the series,” as are the Vithoji Chhatri and the bigger Ahilyeshwar Chhatri—both cenotaphs—which make up the Ahilyeshwar temple complex within the fort and are close to the hotel. The structures were restored with stone sourced from a quarry in Shirdi, Maharashtra. “Then we had to find master stone carvers from Udaipur for the more intricate finials and details.” For Nair and her crew, the ongoing restoration was hardly a deterrence. Yeshwant explains, “They supported the restoration work generously, offering to pay to take the scaffolding down for two weeks and put it back up again. That was great, because film shoots are an important revenue source that helps fund such conservation efforts.” For the Holkars, the Ahilya Fort Hotel and the restoration of the surrounding structures are clearly about more than preserving an inheritance, or even hospitality. They symbolize the honouring of a legacy, the enriching of a community and keeping traditions alive. And for visitors to the fort, underpinning it all is a realization that in an uncertain world, some things endure in the worst of times, just as they did in the best of times.
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WRITER DIVYA MISHRA PHOTOGRAPHER BJÖRN WALLANDER
Nur Kaoukji and Livio Delesgues in their living room. The candlesticks on the mantlepiece are from Ecru, Kaoukji’s interiors and apparel brand. The lithographs on the wall were a gift from Kaoukji’s Kuwaitbased gallerist aunt, Lucia Topalian; the tiger chairs were sourced from an antique dealer in Jodhpur.
Above, left & right: The bar in the living room, designed by Delesgues and Kaoukji, features ‘Pineapple’ tea-light holders, a rock crystal ‘Star’ bowl, brass candlesticks, and a ‘Palm Etched Glass’—all from Ecru. The brass bucket was sourced from an antique dealer in Jodhpur; the hand-painted parakeet is from AKFD, the bottle opener was a vintage find from Les Puces in Paris, and the brass pineapple trinket pots are from RusticVintageCountry on Etsy. Facing page: The divan in the living room was designed by Kaoukji and Delesgues. The ‘Nur Palm Tables’ are by AnanTaya. The cushions, light fixtures, rock crystal bowl (with limes and chillies), marble tray, ‘Palm Etched’ carafe and glasses, and ‘Star’ brass tray are all from Ecru. The kilim on the floor is from the Afghan Bazaar in Kuwait; on the wall is a Seydou Keïta print.
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Above left: In the second bedroom, the artwork on the wall was done by Ecru’s in-house team. The wire sculpture above the fireplace is is by Parisian artist Zoé Rumeau. The framed artwork above the divan is by Deborah di Fiore, and all the cushion covers are from Ecru. Above right: In the small living room, the ikat cushions are from a store in Hauz Khas; the table cloth, marble hand, vase, brass ‘Wide Eye’ coasters, and three marble vases on the windowsill are all from Ecru. Facing page: In this bedroom, the ikat on the wall is from Central Asia; the Raja Ravi Varma print on the wall is from Hot Pink, in Jaipur. The chair is an antique, and the round glass table is from AKFD Studio. The kilim is from Afghan Bazaar in Kuwait; the ‘Star’ marble bowls, brass ‘Leaf’ plate and hand-carved marble ‘Pumpkin’ are all from Ecru.
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Above, left & right: The hanging tapestry in this bedroom is from the Royale Treasure store in Jaipur, and is believed to have once have been inside a circus tent. The quilt is from Brigitte Singh, and the kilims are from Afghan Bazaar in Kuwait. The temple finials are from Johri bazaar in Jaipur; the terracotta heads were picked up at a party that Marie-Hélène de Taillac once hosted, and the marble plates they rest on are from Ecru. Facing page: At the entrance of the house is the mural designed by Delesgues and Kaoukji, inspired by the works of Henri Rousseau and botanical drawings. It was painted by one of Ecru’s in-house artists. The brass light fixture is from Ecru; the handwoven kilim was sourced from Afghan Bazaar in Kuwait; and the tiger on wheels is a children’s toy, sourced from an antique dealer in Jodhpur.
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Above: The cane furniture on the large terrace is from Kerala; the table was custom-made; and the small cushions were sourced from Saurashtra Impex in Jaipur. The tent fabric, the large cushions and the arabesque hanging lanterns are all from Ecru. Facing page: The kitchen table was designed by Delesgues. The chairs were designed and developed by both Delesgues and Kaoukji. They were upholstered in ikat fabric sourced from Hyderabad. All the pieces on the table (as well as the dhurrie on the floor) are from Ecru, except for the cloche, which was by AnanTaya for Ecru. The lantern on the floor, and the antique silver peacock teapot on the windowsill (one of a set of 12) were both sourced from an antique dealer in Jodhpur.
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The design on this bathroom wall was inspired by the Udaipur City Palace and hand-painted by one of Ecru’s in-house artists. The Jaisalmer stone eightpointed star plate, the hand-carved rock crystal perfume bottle, the arabesque carved marble plate, the arabesque mirror (designed by Kaoukji) and the hand-carved marble pumpkin are all from Ecru.
he city of Jaipur in eastern Rajasthan appears to exist in a state of cultural and temporal flux. Old and new rub shoulders everywhere. Its ancient palace hotels house the most modern amenities; its local craft traditions are finessed into contemporary, international designs; and at its traffic signals, sleek automobiles stand stoically next to the occasional camel waiting patiently for the lights to change. It is surreal and chaotic and the unlikely home of Lebanese designer Nur Kaoukji and her Parisian spouse Livio Delesgues, who came to India in search of inspiration, and ended up finding—among other things—each other. It all began in 2006, when Kaoukji first landed in Jaipur. “I remember it as clearly as if it was yesterday,” she recounts. “It was five o’clock in the morning and during the car ride to my then residence, I couldn’t take my eyes off the road! It was at that moment that I knew I would stay.” It has been 14 years since that first visit, and not only did Kaoukji stay, along the way, she founded the quietly dynamic lifestyle brand Ecru, learnt the workings of Jaipur’s traditional craft industry, designed the jewel-like boutique hotel, 28 Kothi, acquired a husband, and set up this sunny, colour-filled home in the heart of the city (not necessarily in that order). Kaoukji’s India connection goes back even further though. Her mother, Salam Kaoukji, is a curator of ancient Islamic artefacts, and frequently travelled to India when her children were young, returning with beautifully illustrated books and delicately crafted curios. “I was intrigued much before ever arriving here,” Kaoukji says. This fascination only grew over the three years that Kaoukji worked with the Kasliwals at Gem Palace, gaining an understanding of the Indian craft industry: “It is both quite similar and quite different from the Middle East,” she says, and it was here that she picked up what is, in her work today, the most necessary skill—connecting with artisans. This talent for exchange, of give and take, of listening and learning, also helped her set up Ecru with her childhood BFF Noor Al Sabah. For the duo, the brand became a classroom, a playground and a canvas all in one. Ecru was also where they developed the distinct aesthetic that brought together their Levantine backgrounds and love for Indian craftsmanship, and it is this aesthetic (with a smattering of French chic, courtesy Delesgues) that carries through in the couple’s Jaipur home. The home is one of several apartments inside a walled complex. The huge, high-ceilinged space (sprawled over 3,500 feet) has two bedrooms, each with its own terrace and en suite bathroom; a large living room and an extremely large kitchen—all of which are filled with products from Kaoukji’s own brand, Ecru; Indian and Middle Eastern antiques; and furniture designed by Kaoukji and Delesgues, who, by happy coincidence, is an interior architect.
Interestingly, Kaoukji and Delesgues, both have a history with this complex. In 2008, Kaoukji and two of her colleagues from Gem Palace moved into an apartment here, which became a sort of aesthetic laboratory-cum-playground for the three young women. Kaoukji fondly remembers how, despite being on tight budgets, they would “paint the walls, put crazy things all over the place, constantly change everything. We had the best time in that house!” So much so that when her colleagues moved out, she found herself unwilling to continue living there, and decided to move. In 2013, Delesgues (who was a friend back then), moved in. Four years later, he decided to leave India. In the process of selling his Ambassador and Kaoukji buying it from him, the two fell in love. (Needless to say, he stayed.) It was in early 2017 that Kaoukji first considered moving into this space.“I thought it was out of our means, and seemed like it would be high maintenance.” But it wasn’t, and it was over a dinner she was hosting for friends, that Delesgues saw the house. For him, it was love at first sight—with the house, that is; Kaoukji would come later—and he vividly remembers walking through it, “…eyeing each corner—the volumes were so impressive. It reminded me of my house in Tuscany. I later found out the architect was actually Italian!” The couple started work on the house in the summer of 2017. The structure was quite sturdy, and the main work centred around redoing the bathrooms and the walls. And it is through these walls— aside from the furniture and accoutrements—that the home acquires much of its personality. The entrance welcomes you into a burst of foliage courtesy a Henri Rousseau-esque mural; a hallway is turned into an Aladdin’s cave with foiled stars on the walls; and a bathroom features hand-painted surfaces inspired by the Udaipur’s City Palace. Where the walls are plain, they provide the perfect backdrops for tapestries, weaves, art and photography prints, and kilims. It is a wild profusion of influences, styles and textures and yet, somehow, it works. “And I wouldn’t say that it’s done yet,” Kaoukji says, cheerfully. “We are constantly adding and changing things. The house is very much alive.” Rather than the opening sentence of some supernatural tale, what Kaoukji’s declaration of life means is that the house responds to changes, within and without. The light that filters in during the winter is stunning; the monsoons, almost unreal. “It feels almost dreamlike to be protected by these thick walls when there’s a storm out,” Kaoukji says. As the fragrance of Lebanese coffee wafts through the house, Kaoukji tells me about her favourite part of it—the kitchen. “It has seen more parties, confessions of love, political debates and emotional banter than any other kitchen I know,” she adds, laughing. “If those walls could talk!”
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san ctu ary Studio Peregalli conjures a romantic hideaway deep in the Bavarian forest WRITER LAURA MAY TODD PHOTOGRAPHER ROBERT RIEGER STYLIST THOMAS ROOK
An early-19th-century sculpture by Antonio Canova overlooks the pool. Adding to the atmosphere is a hand-painted wall mural, bamboo shades and a custom brass sconce by Studio Peregalli, the Milan-based firm of Laura Sartori Rimini and Roberto Peregalli, who designed this chalet-style home.
The living-room walls and ceiling are covered with wooden Tyrolean panelling from the 18th century. A Werner Heldt painting hangs above a custom sofa by Studio Peregalli in red silk velvet; the Chinese low table in the foreground is an antique.
ARTWORK: WERNER HELDT © 2020 ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK / VG BILD-KUNST, BONN
A custom iron hood by Studio Peregalli mixes with Portuguese tiles in the kitchen, which also features peperino-marble countertops and fir cabinetry. Facing page: In the master bedroom, an 18th-century Persian suzani covers an antique gilded bed from northern Italy. The painting is by Jacob van Ruisdael.
Blue-and-white Portuguese tiles from the 17th century cover the walls of the entry hall. The artwork is by Giovanni Battista Piranesi; the iron lantern is an antique.
Hanging above the teak table and chairs, a laurel crown symbolizes the homeowner’s love of poetry.
ilan-based design firm Studio Peregalli are masters at conjuring spaces fit for dreaming. Otherwise known as Laura Sartori Rimini and Roberto Peregalli, the pair is renowned for concocting rarefied retreats, blissfully free from the unrelenting demands of modern life. Their atmospheric, enchantingly anachronistic style is, by definition, escapist, which is why it made perfect sense when a long-time client called on them to create a getaway on the shores of the Tegernsee, a lake in the Bavarian Alps. The homeowner had previously commissioned the team to design his primary residence in nearby Munich, as well as holiday homes in Corsica and St Moritz, and to work on the larger residence on this same property. The patriarch of an extensive family, his brief for Studio Peregalli was to fashion an intimate bolthole for himself and some choice selections from his accumulated treasures—a sanctuary he could slip away to when the ruckus in the main house proved too much. “The property sits between the mountains and a little lake, and it was designed very picturesquely,” he says. “It’s my private refuge.” “The owner is a very refined person,” notes Sartori Rimini of their frequent collaborator. “He has a passion for 18th- and 19th-century Italian architecture,” Peregalli adds. “He collects drawings and paintings—from the 17th century up to the expressionist movement.” For this reason, the pair envisioned the home as a Wunderkammer, a selfcontained jewel box tucked in among the trees. “He wanted a sort of dacha,” recalls Peregalli, referring to the traditional Russian holiday cottage, though in this case done up with Studio Peregalli’s richly layered nostalgic flair. The project’s starting point was an existing guesthouse on the property’s fringes, but when they surveyed the location, an aged structure and a crumbling foundation was all that greeted them. So they tore it down and started afresh, while replicating precisely the original building’s weathered-wood envelope and interior floor plan, and added a small pool house next door, connected by a glass-walled vestibule. From the outside, “it’s a house that’s simple as can be”, Peregalli muses of the little cottage, whose modest facade belies the opulent world within, “but when you step inside, it’s a surprise.” Crossing the threshold, visitors are greeted by walls clad in 17th-century hand-painted blue-andwhite Portuguese tiles, which, explains Peregalli, create a brightening “damask effect” in the otherwise shadowy entry hall. From there, a grand agedwood staircase—lined with stately pilasters that frame the owner’s impressive collection of 18thcentury architectural prints—winds up to the bed-
room and private studio above. Ornately carved wooden panelling, plucked from a drafty Tyrolean manse that time forgot, was expertly grafted onto the ceilings of the ground-floor rooms. “Normally, wooden boiseries were used in the past to protect and insulate these kinds of houses,” explains Sartori Rimini of the detail’s provenance. Here, they provided a touchstone for the home’s defining spirit: a cosy, site-appropriate Gemütlichkeit (the German word for a sense of warmth and good spirits) balanced with cosmopolitan flair. “Bavaria is in the south of Germany, very close to Austria,” notes Sartori Rimini, and Tegernsee was once a summer playground for the Bavarian royal family, “so there’s a long tradition of wooden houses and wooden chalets.” Indeed, salvaged antique timber features pop up throughout the home in every conceivable way, from 18th-century stencilled panels in the cosy sitting room to a patchwork of parquet flooring laid out differently in each room. “We always love the link between the project and where it is,” she continues. “We tried to stay true to the tradition of the local architecture but enriched by the personality of the owner.” In the sitting room, the faded-pink and deep-red tones snaking up the panelling are echoed in the 17th-century Oushak rug, the overstuffed rubycoloured corduroy sofa, and a Regency-style mahogany chair upholstered in a paisley textile, all masterfully clustered below a Max Beckmann still life, part of the owner’s vast collection of expressionist paintings. Furniture is a “mixture”, Peregalli says of the potent visual cocktail of antiques, sourced from auctions and dealers in Italy and abroad, “much like the houses of the past”. “It’s a balance,” Sartori Rimini chimes in, “between grandness and simplicity.” That dichotomy is easily understood in the upper-level bedroom, which is more subdued than the sumptuous lower floor. The room’s vaulted ceiling was painted with a sober trompe l’oeil timber pattern, which politely defers to the majestic antique bed frame and 18thcentury hand-embroidered linen suzani bedspread. Studio Peregalli’s team of craftspeople and artisans descended on Tegernsee to add the final touches, such as the arboreal mural in the pool room, which was painted on-site entirely by hand. The ethereal illustration was based on a similar one at a villa in Tuscany. Such theatrical moments bring to mind the duo’s mentor, Milanese decorator Renzo Mongiardino, famous throughout Europe and America for his brilliantly ornamented stage set– like rooms. “He wanted a dreamy place,” Sartori Rimini recalls of the client’s vision. “So, in every room here, we created a small world.”
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WRITER GAURI KELKAR PHOTOGRAPHER TOM PARKER STYLIST SAMIR WADEKAR
The living room features a George Smith sofa with custom upholstery. The coffee table, which features a brass inset from an old temple door, was designed by homeowner Priya Aswani; the chairs are from Soane Britain. The art deco sideboard is from Mahendra Doshi. The 1960s lacquered goatskin bar cabinet is an Aldo Tura design; above it are two artworks by KG Subramanyan.
Facing page: The chairs and rosewood dining table were designed for this home; above the table are two mid19th-century French gilded-bronze hanging lanterns. The art deco sideboard on the right is from Mahendra Doshi. Aswani’s mother purchased the oriental prints.
Antique Chinese furniture lines this corridor, which leads from the front door to the main bedroom.
Facing page: The passageway leading to the guest bedroom. The Chinese sideboard is a recent purchase. The lamp was bought from the now-closed Mumbai-based store, Malabar.
The guest bedroom—the headboard is an old piece that Aswani owned; the lamp from her old London house sits on a side table, which was bought in China; the bed linen is from Sarita Handa.
Facing page: The front doors open to an internal staircase—teak with a brass handrail. Aswani’s mother bought the botanical prints along the wall.
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The double front doors are made of teak.
j
ust off one of south Mumbai’s main thoroughfares, a road sweeps up and away, sloughing off the stridency of a city on the move. In this upscale residential neighbourhood, homes evoke a quiet sophistication that makes preconceived notions of luxury seem positively pedestrian. In one such building is interior and product designer Priya Aswani’s fourth-floor flat, overlaid with old-world elegance encased in a new, albeit timeless aesthetic. And to think it was a fire that started it all. “This flat, and the entire floor above, has always been my family home. This floor, which had four bedrooms, was originally meant for my four siblings. The floor above, connected by an internal staircase, had my parents’ master bedroom, my bedroom, the formal reception areas (the living and dining rooms), the study and the kitchen. Then, more than 14 years ago, there was a fire in the flat above ours. That was when I turned [the lower level] into an independent home for myself,” explains Aswani about her 3,300-square-foot home. Her mother and one sister live on the floor above. The fire presented the opportunity of doing away with the earlier floor plan in favour of something more fluid, open and airy. Aswani designed it with architect Anand Patel—with whom she collaborates on interior design projects as PA Works. They developed a neutral palette, an open-plan layout to give a sense of seamlessness, and back-pedalled into the past, in a sense, to ensure the space resonated with the original architectural intentions of this 1920s building. “Before, it was much more compartmentalized. The idea was to open and brighten it up, let light and ventilation come through, and maintain the integrity of the 1920s building. It has basically been taken back to the original layout, with a few minor changes to suit me,” says Aswani. And they certainly do suit her, starting with the double entry doors. “I find them charming. The portals in this building were wide enough to allow for double doors, which open to the spaces beautifully,” says Aswani. The understated palette is her hallmark. “The house maintains a neutral classic modernity throughout that allows for almost every style—modern, art deco, classic or eclectic.” But more than that, this apartment suits her in the way that it is infused with memories and expresses the personal history of its homeowner— through the furniture and objects that dot the space. “This is an eclectic collection,” says Aswani about the custom-designed furniture that sits comfortably next to newer acquisitions, throwbacks from her past, and pieces from her travels around the world. “My home is a collection of the family history, with my additions along the way. I keep adding and layering.” It is an approach that extends to her projects as well. “I think it is extremely important to understand your clients’ lifestyle, their tastes and needs.
And work with collections they may have, or assist in building new ones that can continue to grow. And, of course, work with what they like.” In this house, that approach brings together oriental art (her mother’s preference), Indian antiquity (which Aswani is partial to) and an eye for collecting. The furniture includes inlay pieces from Syria, Indian art deco, George Smith sofas, Italian papier mâché gilded furniture, some oriental pieces, as well as selfdesigned furniture, produced by skilled Rajasthani carpenters; their association goes back to the late 1990s, “at an architectural studio that I was a cofounder of before they branched out and set up their own outfits”. What all the pieces have in common is that they were brought into the home as long-term occupants. She says, “I believe that objects and furniture should be qualitative enough to last a lifetime if I want them to. I’m not in for quick changes. It is more about quality, craftsmanship and longevity.” Holding it together are the clean layout and understated aesthetic. The space comprises three layers along the length of the flat. The outer passage that brings you into the house leads you into the midlayer—the living and dining rooms and the master bedroom. On the other side of these areas is another passage that leads you to the guest bedroom, the cloakroom, the study, the internal staircase and, finally, the kitchen. “Anand’s forte is his ability to work with space efficiently and simply; no fuss. I think we achieved exactly what we set out to. It feels warm and welcoming every time I walk in,” she says. While the efficiency is evident, there is a rhythmic flow too, seen in the deliberate dance of wooden furniture on white flooring, intermittently offset with pretty rugs, white walls and the spaces woven around the building’s original columns and pillars. It is a space of fluid movement. Not in the least due to the in-situ flooring (typically made of marble chips and pigmented cement) that grounds the clean, classic aesthetic in elegance. “I have always liked the idea of an in-situ floor and felt that my home would be the perfect opportunity to make one in. I knew I didn’t want marble. I liked the seamlessness of using a liquid material that sets. It’s cool to the feet, but not cold, works nicely in our tropical climate, and the ivory shade is very easy on the eye.” Apart from its pleasing appearance, there was an element of functionality in the choice of flooring too. “We have done a wet lay of the skirting so it goes up the wall, resulting in a curve instead of a sharp joint line. This gets rid of the issue of dust or dirt collecting as well as allows for daily mopping, as we do here, without the dread of staining the wall.” Decorative and functional—just like this home in a British-era building on a tree-lined street, which also offers an eloquent narrative of its homeowner.
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WRITER MAYER RUS PHOTOGRAPHER JACKIE NICKERSON
The entrance hall features an Axel Vervoordtdesigned table.
The West family—(from left) Chicago, Kanye, North, Saint, Psalm, Kim—with a sculpture by Isabel Rower.
HAIR BY CÉSAR DELEÖN RAMIRÊZ FOR CROWDMGMT USING WILDFORM; MAKEUP BY MARY PHILLIPS
In the living room, Jean Royère upholstered seating surrounds a Limestone cocktail table by Axel Vervoordt. Facing page: A Jean Royère chair and table in the living room. On the wall is an Anish Kapoor fiberglass sculpture.
ANISH KAPOOR © 2020 ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK
A lush garden by Wirtz International Landscape Architects shields the window-walled master bath.
Top: Shiro Tsujimura ceramic vases top the kitchen island. Left: In this sun-drenched corner of the home are sculptures by Vanessa Beecroft and a Serge Mouille desk lamp. Above: The pool area. Facing page: Pierre Jeanneret chairs in a hallway.
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A soaring hallway is swathed in off-white plaster.
hen Kanye and Kim Kardashian West first encountered the house that would become their wildly idiosyncratic family refuge in suburban Los Angeles, the two had decidedly different reactions. “We passed by this incredibly extravagant house while strolling through the neighbourhood. I’d just had North, and we were doing a lot of walking so I could work off some of the baby fat,” Kim recalls of their first sighting in the summer of 2013. “I didn’t really know Kanye’s style at that point, but I thought the house was perfection. Kanye was less enthusiastic. He said, ‘It’s workable.’” Almost seven years—and three more children—later, the Wests have transformed that real estate into one of the most fascinating, otherworldly and, yes, strange homes on the planet. The metamorphosis of the house from suburban McMansion to futuristic Belgian monastery, as Kanye himself blithely describes it, is a story of probing and passion—a testament to the iconoclastic mind of the boundary-defying musician and the fearlessness of the zeitgeist-defining reality star and entrepreneur. Although architecture and interior design have only recently come to the fore as areas of interest for Kanye, he has had an interest in the built environment for years. “When I was growing up in Chicago, before the internet, I’d go to my local Barnes & Noble to check out Architectural Digest and other design magazines, along with the fashion and rap titles,” he says. “My father encouraged me. He always had graph paper around for me to scribble on.” As his career took off, and as his fortunes grew, Kanye was able to indulge his design jones in a serious way, becoming a habitué of the Paris flea markets and international design fairs, and diving into the deep end of the pool with major acquisitions like an original Jean Royère ‘Polar Bear’ sofa. “I sold my Maybach to get the Royère. People told me I was crazy for what I paid for it, but I had to have it,” Kanye says of the design trophy. One of those people was his wife. “I really didn’t know anything about furniture before I met Kanye,” Kim admits, “but being with him has been an extraordinary education. I take real pride now in knowing what we have and why it’s important.” The couple’s peregrinations through the design world eventually put them in the path of Belgian designer and tastemaker Axel Vervoordt, whom Kanye met at antiques fairs and exhibitions in Maastricht and Venice. The initial attraction for the musician centred on a signature Vervoordt design—a ‘Floating Stone’ table that seemed to encapsulate the seductive simplicity and wabi-sabi aesthetics that pervade the designer’s oeuvre. “When I saw the kind of work he was doing, I thought, ‘This man could design Batman’s house.’ I had to work with him,” Kanye says. “It was a coup to get Axel to come to Calabasas to redo a McMansion, which is essentially what the house was.” Vervoordt confesses that it was an unlikely meeting of the minds. “I’m not from the pop world, the rapper’s world. But I
discovered Kim and Kanye as wonderful human beings. We have common values in life, important human values, like a respect for the beauty and spirituality of art,” he says. “You can call it religion, but this is perhaps beyond religion, a search for cosmic values of peace and positive energy. We had very profound conversations about the space of the mind and the importance of silence.” Those conversations informed their plans to reimagine the house, a process Vervoordt describes in terms of distillation. “Kanye and Kim wanted something totally new. We didn’t talk about decoration but a kind of philosophy about how we live now and how we will live in the future. We changed the house by purifying it, and we kept pushing to make it purer and purer,” the designer explains. In practical terms, those lofty ambitions translated into a wholesale transformation of the proportions of the house’s many rooms, all of which are sheathed in a luminous, off-white plaster and accented with other pale natural materials. “The proportions are the decoration,” Kanye says of the rarefied architecture. The furnishings, kept to a bare minimum, consist mainly of Vervoordt’s characteristically subtle designs accompanied by sympathetic creations by the likes of Royère and Pierre Jeanneret. “The one thing Kanye and I had in common was our preference for a neutral palette. I love the simplicity of the design. Everything in the outside world is so chaotic. I like to come into a place and immediately feel the calmness,” Kim says. As for the uncompromising minimalism, she offers a different perspective: “Kanye would come up with the most far-out ideas, and I’d say, ‘This is not normal. We need drawers!’ I was the voice of functionality.” One might wonder about the challenges of raising four small children in such a pristine, cream-coloured environment, but Kim and Kanye are quick to point out that the house is eminently kidfriendly—and not just in the more traditionally cluttered play spaces and children’s bedrooms tucked away beyond the primary social zones. “The kids ride their scooters down the hallways and jump around on top of the low Axel tables, which they use as a kind of stage. This house may be a case study, but our vision for it was built around our family,” Kanye insists. Kim seconds the notion: “In the end, we don’t take it too seriously. We’re not going to be fanatics,” she says. Although Kanye describes the house as “90 per cent Axel”, several other prominent designers lent their talents to the proceedings. Minimalist architect Claudio Silvestrin—who worked on Kanye’s pre-Kim Manhattan loft and continues to collaborate with him on ambitious building projects still under wraps—designed the voluminous master bath. Vincent Van Duysen helped furnish the living room as well as the children’s bedrooms. And Wirtz International Landscape Architects, under the direction of Peter Wirtz, oversaw the design of the burgeoning, all-green gardens. One of the more curious rooms in Kim and Kanye’s hideaway is devoted exclusively to a gargantuan, creature-like soft sculpture fashioned by artist Isabel Rower. Asked whether the space is a playroom or an art installation, the indefatigably provocative musician demurs: “Everything we do is an art installation and a playroom.”
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The ‘Martha’ a r m c h a i r by I t a l i a n d e s i g n e r R o b e r t o L a z z e ro n i f i n d s a n ew avat a r t h i s ye a r a s a ro c k i n g c h a i r w i t h a c u r ve d b a s e i n s o l i d a s h . T h e l i g ht ly p a d d e d b a c k re st a p p e a rs t o h ove r ove r t h e s e at , w h i l e t h e c h a i r i t s e lf re st s o n a t r i a n g u l a r e a s e l st r u ct u re . W h i l e L a z z e ro n i ret a i n s t h e n ot a b l e ro u n d e d fo r m s a n d s a d d l e - l e at h e r s h e l l o f t h e o r i g i n a l ve rs i o n , h i s d e s i g n st r i ke s a p l ay f u l , a l m o st i r reve ra nt n ot e i n i t s l at e st e d i t .
ERRÉ HOME F CO
Wa r m a n d c ol d h u es , v i nt a ge m oti fs fro m t h e 1 95 0 s , a nd s en s ua l m at er i a l s c om e t og et her i n G i a nf ra n co F erré H o m e’s R oa d t o 2 0 21 co ll e ct i o n fo r t he J u m b o G ro u p. T h e ‘ Fra nkl i n’ a r m c ha i r, cra f te d i n b eec h w oo d wi th a s m ok y-g rey f i ni s h a nd b ron z e p i e d d e p ou le upholstery, emanates the Italian d e si gn ho u se’s int e nd e d m et rop o li t an yet c o mfo r ta b le s et t ing .
GIANF
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RUBELLI CASA
Inspired by the aesthetic of Milanese residences of the 1930s, as well as by the works of Italian designers like Gio Ponti and Guglielmo Ulrich, the ‘Velour’ sofa brings into its curved-shell shape a blend of tradition and modernity, sophisticated craftsmanship and modern design. The piece can be upholstered in either leather or fabric.
T he m ate r i a l p a l et te of t h e ‘A m os’ d i ni ng ta bl e by D ra ga & A u rel is def i n ed by i t s co ntra st s: t he b la c k wa xf i ni s hed co nc rete a ga i nst t he go ld la c q u ered a l um i ni u m , t o pp e d w i th gro u nd e d , s a n d b l ast ed gl as s. T he t wo p a r ts of th e ta bl e , i n of fs et ti ng t ex t u re s , co m e t og et he r to fo r m t he w ho le . In c r e a t i n g a n eq u at i on of m at er i a l s , t he d es i gne rs h i nt at t h e b ea u ty o V i si o nn a i re’s p i ec es .
SI
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‘ To r ii . Thei ’ sofa i Sato i k s par O r co h t of Mi l e wit m ty a notti’s 2 n of J laborati e plici 020 collection of the sam m apan i on beg s an in 2 rmal visu e a 018 and this year channels the fo al w se desig s and . e n n into i eigh l s slim pieces w tless gate i ith softly rounded edges, i r ness, c o d by t ourtesy the slender metal legs inspire
FLEXFORM
D es i g n e d by A nt o n io C i tt e ri o, th e ‘G reg ory ’ sofa hi g hl i ght s t he bra n d ’s foc u s on d e s ig n t hat is b oth at t ract i ve and f u nct i o nal . Pe rc h ed o n a s l im m eta l frame , t he p i l l owy s eat c u shi o ns a re h el d i n p l a ce by e l a st ic w eb b i ng that al s o prov i de s a n i nt e rest in g v is ua l a n d t ext ura l co nt rast agai nst t he u nf u ssy f rame . T h e ba c k re st c us h io ns a nd b olst er a re f i l l e d wi t h go ose dow n.
The great, silent beauty.
AD’s favourite writer in Milan, Cristina Piotti, writes a personal essay on the year that Salone didn’t happen. During the lockdown, in the second week of April, I went to the city center for an interview. It was a sunny spring day in the empty streets of Milan. I was walking from the incredibly chic Brera quarter to the majestic Duomo square, when my phone buzzed. With a kind of cruel precision, my phone had thrown up one of those memory videos made of pictures I had taken at the same time, in the same places, during last year’s glorious Salone del Mobile 2019. I felt lost, more than sad. For nearly 60 years, Milan Design Week has been a meeting point for internationally renowned artists, architects, designers, design-enthusiasts gathering for shows, meetings, previews, aperitifs, and dinners—not necessarily in that order. For a Milanese, Salone is like Christmas, Holi or Thanksgiving. It comes around once a year, and brings with it the best of art and architecture, conceptual museum shows, retail pop-ups, but most of all parties, friends and colleagues from all over the world. Once an industry-only affair, Salone has turned into a creative performance, a key pitstop for all kinds of design lovers. It is as much about fun as it is about furniture. Critics often say that Salone, and Fuorisalone, an accompanying design fair, has become a stereotype, merely a place to be seen at. But they forget that Milan has historically been Italy’s economic engine and, at the same time, a hub of counterculture. A Milanese knows the value of mixing grassroots initiatives with big ticket design brands and how to keep things both mind-blowing and inspiring. Work hard, party harder is a Salone mantra. In many ways, Salone is the most tiring week of my year. Yet as I looked at the pictures on my phone, I missed that gruelling, thrilling, glamorous week so much. Of course, a six-day event is a small loss in the middle of a gigantic worldwide tragedy, but who can reason with nostalgia? It used to begin with a sense of anticipation. First the invites and emails poured in. Condé Nast India colleagues would make last-minute calls to ask if I wanted some chai or haldi from my beloved Mumbai. We would all frantically collate our
intricate schedule of interviews and meetings. I would fondly expect a message from Greg (Foster) to ask if I could book a table at his favourite trattoria in Milan, (Torre di Pisa, if you must know), and we would catch up for dinner in the middle of his dizzyingly busy week. I loved to be WhatsApp-stormed by friends, colleagues, designers and architects from around the world; people who know Milan as much as I do, and yet wanted to be assured about the weather, the international phone code, the taxi numbers. The wellknown Delhi architect would have sent me a playful voice note with
Every year, Salone had a life, a kind of beating pulse that spread across the city, transforming it into a living, magnetic funfair. her to-do list; the haute-couture publicist friend from London would have rescued my social life by checking if I was on the right entry lists; the talented French-American designer would have curated the best must-sees before anyone else. Every year, Salone had a life, a kind of beating pulse that spread across the city, transforming it into a living, magnetic funfair. A disco-themed collection in a former cloister, a fashion show in front of the stock exchange building, a spaceship like installation parked in the courtyard of a private palazzo, a lavish arrangement set up just a stroll away from Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, a garden installation blooming in a former car park, a temporary diner in an abandoned train station—who said Salone was only about about furniture and furnishings? Salone is testament to a collective human inventiveness. This year, in its absence, I was strangely able to grasp its energy. Greek philosophers have said that from every crisis a palingenesis is born, that beauty takes its revenge. Perhaps a sense of wonder replaces this sudden, shocking feel of emptiness that we have all faced. In 2021, in its 60th year, perhaps Salone will be a zeitgeist, once again.
STYLE NOTES
FROM THE HOTTEST PRODUCTS TO THE COOLEST LAUNCHES, HERE’S THE LOW-DOWN ON THE LATEST IN THE MARKET THIS SEASON
TAKE A SEAT Amid an easing lockdown, Stanley Lifestyles—India’s only fully integrated furniture brand—opened three new Sofas & More stores across Bengaluru. Their complete, highly customizable range of products—which includes sofas, recliners, dining sets, mattresses and beds—are manufactured at Stanley Lifestyles’ facility in the city. The brand, which plans to counter an increasing number of imports, is focused on ramping up their manufacturing units and aims to open 100 stores across India by 2025. (sofasandmore.in)
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GRAND AFFAIR Since it was launched in 2007 by Neeraj and Rachna Harkut, Home Affairs has quickly added multiple verticals—Art Home Studio for lighting and accessories; The Cube, which offers the finest modular kitchens and wardrobes; and Nature Art, the recently launched line of veneers and wall decor panels. The brand constantly crafts new designs, while sourcing objects from the world-over to help customers find that unique something—for that nook by the bay window, a stairway landing or the heart of your living space. (09160810000)
Mercedes-Benz recently added two new top-end variants to its popular GLE line of SUVs. Both petrol and diesel variants—the GLE 450 4MATIC LWB and 400d 4MATIC LWB respectively—retain the elegant design and plush interiors of the range, and add cutting-edge tweaks, including the MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) infotainment system, making either of these perfect for people who seek comfort, luxury and off-roading prowess in their SUV. (mercedes-benz.co.in)
DRIVE HARD SEPTEMBER 2020 |
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST | 149
CURTAIN CALL D’Decor reimagines its range of curtains in a series of new collections. Senorita (pictured) is marked by its flair for drama, featuring everything from printed velvets dusted with foil finishes, to matt sequin embellishments and luxe satin bases—all in a glamorous palette of burnished metallics. While Lacee Wide introduces an array of delicate, neutral-toned, wide sheer curtains, Resham Silk offers a selection of abstract jacquard weaves on raw silk. (ddecor.com)
HOME GUARD Somany Ceramics, with its strong R&D team, has recently unveiled a collection of Germ Shield Tiles, featuring a special nano chemical coating that inhibits the growth of germs, bacteria, fungus and other microbes that it comes in contact with. The intrinsic properties of these tiles make them a perfect fit for both intimate spaces inside a home or public spaces and buildings. The tiles are available in four colourways: Perla, Moka, Beige and Olive Light. (somanyceramics.com)
TOP TAPS Toto Faucets’ latest range of products draws diverse inspirations— from Scandinavian minimalism for the GF series (pictured), to the sharp edge of a Japanese sword for the GE series and the bow-shaped arc atop traditional torii gates for the GM series. From sensor-activated systems that minimize touch to the sharpest designs in stainless steel, Toto Faucets’ innovation in its latest lines makes it one of the most exciting names in the market—and your home. (in.toto.com)
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A U G U S T 2 0 2 0 `1 5 0 GENTLEMEN OF OUR TIMES I BY SOLOMON SOUZA
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STOCKISTS
The merchandise featured in the magazine has been sourced from the following stores. Some shops may carry a selection only. Prices and availability were checked at the time of going to press, but we cannot guarantee that prices will not change or that specific items will be in stock when the magazine is published.
(CATTELANITALIA.COM); AT AND MORE STORIES: MUMBAI 9870201090 (ANDMORESTORIES. COM); AT VENTURA INTERIORS: BENGALURU 09590411119; HYDERABAD 09515050760 (VENTURAINTERIORS.COM)
A CUBE INC: AHMEDABAD 07926300020, 022-26302695 (ACUBEINC.NET) ARMANI/CASA: (ARMANI.COM)
FABINDIA: INDIA 08010488888 (FABINDIA.COM) FLEXFORM: ITALY 0039-036-23991 (FLEXFORM.IT); AT VITA MODERNA: MUMBAI 022-61270011; AT LIVING ART INTERIORS: BENGALURU 09481112340 (LIVINGARTINTERIORS.IN) FLOU: ITALY 0039-0362-3731; NEW DELHI 011-46102000 (FLOU.IT) FUSION ACCESS: MUMBAI 09321750027 (FUSIONACCESS.COM)
B&B ITALIA: ITALY 0039-031795111; NEW DELHI 0124-4103309 (BEBITALIA.COM); AT SCASA: HYDERABAD 09032456688 (SCASA.IN) BHARAT FLOORINGS & TILES: MUMBAI 022-40574400; NEW DELHI 09599766305 (BHARATFLOORINGS.COM) BRAM WOODCRAFTING STUDIO: MYSURU 08884455658 (BRAMWOODCRAFTINGSTUDIO.IN) CATTELAN ITALIA: ITALY 0039-04- 45318711
ELEMENT: AHMEDABAD 09825032920 (ANTIQUEELEMENT.COM)
GALLOTTI&RADICE: ITALY 0039-031-777111 (GALLOTTIRADICE.IT)
GIANFRANCO FERRÉ HOME: MILAN 0039-031-70757 (GIANFRANCOFERREHOME.IT); AT SEETU KOHLI HOME: NEW DELHI 09999966702 (SEETUKOHLIHOME.COM) GIORGETTI: ITALY 0039-0362-75275 (GIORGETTIMEDA.COM); AT SOURCES UNLIMITED: MUMBAI 022-62101700; NEW DELHI 08510098000 (SOURCESUNLIMITED.CO.IN) GULMOHARLANE.COM: JAIPUR 08824040096 HANDS: MUMBAI 09820494680; NEW DELHI 09313341775 (HANDSCARPETS.COM) HERMÈS: MUMBAI 022-22717400; NEW DELHI 011-14647111; LONDON: 0044-20-74888856 (HERMES.COM) INDIA CIRCUS BY KRSNAA MEHTA: MUMBAI 022-48931878 (INDIACIRCUS.COM) IQRUP + RITZ: NEW DELHI 09599110672 (IQRUPANDRITZ.COM) JAIPUR RUGS: JAIPUR 1413987400; MUMBAI 07230038884;
NEW DELHI: 07230005522 (JAIPURRUGS.COM) KREOO: ITALY 0039-0444-688311 (KREOO.COM); AT C BHOGILAL WEST-END: MUMBAI 022-61523100 (CBWESTEND.COM) LAGO: (LAGO.IT) LOCO DESIGN: GURUGRAM 07838139945 (LOCODESIGN.IN) MAHENDRA DOSHI: MUMBAI 022-23630526, 022-24101792 (MAHENDRADOSHI.COM) MINOTTI: ITALY 0039-0362343499 (MINOTTI.COM); AT DESIGN ITALIANO: AHMEDABAD 09879026328 (DESIGNITALIANO.IN) MOLTENI&C: ITALY 0039-0362-3591 (MOLTENI.IT); AT SCASA: HYDERABAD 09032456688 (SCASA.IN) MOROSO: MILAN 0039-02-72016336 (MOROSO.IT); NEW YORK: 001-212-3347222 MYNTRA: INDIA 08061561999 (MYNTRA.COM)
NILAYA BY ASIAN PAINTS: MUMBAI 022-26431074 (NILAYA. ASIANPAINTS.COM) PARO: NEW DELHI 08588886175 (PAROGOODEARTH.COM) PAUL MATTER: (PAULMATTER.COM) PHILLIPS ANTIQUES: MUMBAI 022-22020564, 022-22820782 (PHILLIPSANTIQUES.COM) POLIFORM: (POLIFORM.IT); AT VENTURA INTERIORS: BENGALURU 09590411119; HYDERABAD 09515050760 (VENTURAINTERIORS.COM) POLTRONA FRAU GROUP INDIA: MUMBAI 022-22614848 (POLTRONAFRAU.COM) PORTSIDECAFE: NEW DELHI 011-46054371, 09899774145 (PORTSIDECAFE.COM) RED, BLUE & YELLOW: MUMBAI 022-66260400 (REDBLUEYELLOW.IN) RUBELLI CASA: ITALY 0039-041-2584411 (RUBELLI.COM) SÄ€R: PUNE 09922442842 (SAR-STUDIO.COM) SARITA HANDA: MUMBAI 022-26462350;
NEW DELHI 09560278800 (SARITAHANDA.COM) SCARLET SPLENDOUR: KOLKATA 033-40501000, 09831010243 (SCARLETSPLENDOUR.COM) SNUG SQUARE: ANDHRA PRADESH 09494140123 (SNUGSQUARE.COM) TEMPLE TOWN: KERALA 07593072265 (TEMPLETOWN.CO) THE ANTIQUE STORY: INDIA 09606371111 (THEANTIQUESTORY.COM) THE BIG PIANO: MUMBAI 022-24310395 (SRDA.CO) THE CARPET CELLAR: NEW DELHI 011-41641777, 011-26808777 (CARPETCELLAR.COM) THIS AND THAT: AHMEDABAD 0940853100, 0940963100 (THISANDTHAT.IN) TURRI: ITALY 0039-031-760111 (TURRI.IT) TUSHANT BANSAL DESIGN STUDIO: NEW DELHI 09999622949 (TUSHANTBANSAL.COM) VISIONNAIRE: ITALY 0039-051-6186322 (VISIONNAIRE-HOME.COM)
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THE MUMBAI-BASED INTERIOR DESIGNER PICKS OUT HER LOCKDOWN ESSENTIALS IN HER HOME AWAY FROM HOME “The ultimate sunscreen from La Mer and a sporty navy swimsuit for the pool.”
“My ‘Original Panama’ hat manages to make me feel like I’m on holiday wherever I wear it, and these reflective D&G sunglasses deflect my sun allergies.”
“A handmade whale tail from Galle, Sri Lanka—one of my favourite objects. A little wood comb, ‘Soleil Blanc’ by Tom Ford, and white flip-flops—my go-to footwear.”
“I love this Moooi lamp because while it maintains the form of a classic chandelier it has a quality of lightness that makes it look as though it is floating.”
“A linen shawl to keep me feeling cosy at dusk and tulsi beads I bought in Rishikesh.”
“My Bali bag holds all. I picked it up in one of Goa’s night markets.”
“My everyday jewellery, watch, and a hand sanitizer from Khadi Natural.”
“My yoga brick and strap—I can’t live without them. The gentlest cotton face mask (made by my mother), and an old Hanuman carving from Ahmedabad that sits on my table.”
“One of my favourites—a white cotton dress by Savio John from Sacha’s Shop, Goa.”
“Geoffrey Bawa’s Lunuganga in Sri Lanka is my all-time favourite, a place I return to time and again.”
“The book I’m currently reading: Running in the Family by Michael Ondaatje.” PHOTO: RITU NANDA. ‘LUNUGANGA’ PHOTO: ASHISH SHAH.
Floor Tile Shown: Grande Caviar Olive Light
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www.somanyceramics.com | Toll-free - 1800 1030 004