Architectural Digest • 28th September 2022

Coimbatore: This architect's home borrows from her childhood memories

Of Sowmya Kumar's childhood memories, the most significant are those of her ancestral house in Kongu, Tamil Nadu. "Then, of course, are those of family holidays in the Nilgiris, and pilgrimages to my family's most revered temples," says the Coimbatore-based architect and founder of OWM Architecture. But for Kumar, the memories are special in more ways than one. "They stayed etched in my mind as architectural curiosities." So naturally, when it came time to buy and design her own home as an adult

Architectural Digest • 7th September 2022

In this minimalist pan-Asian Surat restaurant, the ceiling steals the show

Surat’s upscale Pal neighbourhood is one of those areas where the river and the farmlands and the malls and villas and bazaars take equal pride of place. So when the design brief for Soy, a pan-Asian restaurant, found its way to Chinmay Laiwala, Jigar Asarawala and Tarika Asarawala—co-founders and principal architects of AD100 firm Neogenesis+Studio261—there was much to be considered. “The interior design was rooted in creating holistic energies that would hold a mirror to the cuisine. It had to

Architectural Digest • 29th August 2022

This vacation villa in Gujarat camouflages into the landscape

On a plot of land in Himmatnagar, Gujarat, is a pied-à-terre that melds into its surroundings. To the front of the house, as well as on different levels within it, lives dense vegetation that inhabits the spaces in as equal a spirit as its human counterparts—a family of four—who, not a few years ago, decided they needed a nature-cloaked hideaway that would provide reprieve from city life. Soon after, they tapped Ashish Patel, Nikhil Patel, Vasudev Sheta, and Nilesh Damania of ACE Associates, to conjure up their dream weekend villa in Gujarat.

Architectural Digest • 27th August 2022

Step inside Tahir Sultan's bold and brooding Jaipur apartment

Tahir is a maverick entrepreneur who owns multiple businesses including Makaan, a concept store in Jaipur for artefacts and objets d’art. He is also known in the right circles for his pan-India gourmet catering business, specializing in Middle Eastern cuisine, which was born out of the much-loved dinners he would routinely host for India Art Fair’s collector circle at his apartment in Delhi. His community of friends in India is an eclectic mix of movers and shakers, who, he says, do a great job

Architectural Digest • 19th August 2022

AD Visits: Actor Aparshakti Khurana’s Mumbai home displays drama in the details

Even before they had finalised their house, or decided who would design it, actor Aparshakti Khurana and his wife, events entrepreneur Aakriti Ahuja, had a chandelier picked out and stowed away in storage. "I had spotted it some years ago in Delhi and just knew I had to buy it," laughs Aakriti, and Aparshakti chimes in, "We had no idea what our future house would look like. Nothing was set in stone, except this big, blue bhaisahab." The bhaisahab in question now occupies a corner of their living

Architectural Digest • 15th August 2022

This Gurugram bungalow is shaped like a sailboat

From a distance, it looks almost like a sailboat. The only things that give it away, then, are its hard-lined concrete surroundings. “The initial layout sketches and spatial progressions revolved around having well-lit and ventilated spaces,” says Mayank Khemka, one half of New Delhi-based architecture studio Design Acrolect, who, along with the firm’s other half, Vishesh Behl, was brought on board by a design-savvy couple to create a spiffy nest for their family. “The husband, who works in the

Architectural Digest • 10th August 2022

4 women-owned decor brands that will usher nature into your home

Gone are the days of mass-produced fabrics and cookie-cutter tableware. With shoppers becoming ever more discerning, and Instagram becoming an ever-expanding cabinet of curiosities, handmade, nature-inspired novelties—from pressed flower prints and flora-inspired artworks to handmade pottery and ceramics—have taken the spotlight like never before. Here are four homegrown brands that are rewriting the rulebook for handmade products with a nature-infused edge. For Charmaine Sah, her home garden p

Architectural Digest • 8th August 2022

Ahmedabad: No two rooms are alike in this gorgeous bohemian weekend villa

"Each room reflects the personality of its occupant at this Ahmedabad villa," says Ashish, as we make our way upstairs. Only, the question that momentarily dominates my mind is: what, or whom, is the staircase inspired by? For with its kaleidoscope of wall hangings, sculptures, and 3D paintings, it could well be the home's tour de force. "It's really a reflection of each of their personalities, and draws a little from each member," says Nikhil. Also read: This Chennai home with modern amenities

Architectural Digest • 25th July 2022

A Pune apartment that's a treasure trove of memories for a travel-loving couple

By the time they arrived in Pune, Anuj and Kanika Jain had already lived across Rajasthan, Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai, besides a few other cities on the Indian map. So it was only natural that by now, they felt a deep desire to put down roots. But when it came time to design the house they had chosen, they knew they needed to call in the professionals. After all, fitting their gloriously peripatetic past into four walls was no small feat. After scouring design websites and poking around on Instag

Architectural Digest • 18th July 2022

New Delhi: A 5-BHK bungalow gets an extension to make room for triplets

Natasha Jain and Priyank Sukhija know a thing or three about renovating houses. When the co-founder of Bent Chair and the MD and CEO of First Fiddle Restaurants found out they were expecting triplets, they knew they needed to make some changes for their growing tribe. "We were looking to not only make room for our children, but also baby-proof the house while maintaining our aesthetic sensibilities," says Sukhija. The natural next step, the couple decided, was to add a contemporary extension to

Architectural Digest • 15th July 2022

New Delhi: A trio of colourful bedrooms designed for triplets

The triplets' bedrooms (each boy has his own) were designed to reflect the budding personality of their respective inhabitant. "Whether it's the space-inspired wallpaper prints or the uniquely shaped headboards that evoke the animal kingdom, we incorporated imagery that would help the boys unleash their imaginations," says Jain. The furniture, all kid-friendly with rounded edges, is by Bent Chair.

Architectural Digest • 30th September 2022

This Gurugram apartment is a family venture that honours the environment

Neha and Jatin Kapoor had always dreamed of buying and designing their own apartment. In the years leading up to it, their brief had more or less remained the same: lots of natural light, good attention to detail, future-fit appliances. "A home that would evolve with our needs; with products that would elevate our quality of life—that's what we imagined," says Neha. But for a multigenerational family of six members, designing a home that matched everybody's needs was no mean feat. So when it cam

Architectural Digest • 26th September 2022

Mumbai: This Dadar home tips its hat to the owners' Tamil heritage

When it came to the bedrooms, the Sankarans were keen on making each room as functional as possible. What followed was lots of reorientations: an antechamber was conjured up for guests, two neighbouring bedrooms were combined to create a spacious suite for the mother, and the guest bedroom was turned into a part-time home office. In addition, a multipurpose bedroom with sliding doors was created next to the dining room, "in a way that it could be closed away for privacy, or opened to meld into t

Architectural Digest • 23rd September 2022

Ensemble Hyderabad is a stylish tribute to the brand's iconic Mumbai flagship

Also read: Glamour reigns at Falguni Shane Peacock's Hyderabad store, designed by Gauri Khan From the street, Ensemble Hyderabad gives little away. The facade is imagined as a grey monolith, with terrazzo poured onto the lower two levels and a punctured concrete screen on the second floor. The grey is nicely counterbalanced by pops of colour here and there: plants on the first floor, pristine marble framing the windows, and a large indigo double door that tips its hat to its sister stores. "The

Architectural Digest • 13th September 2022

AD Visits: Actor Aahana Kumra’s Mumbai apartment is a pretty-in-pink princess pad

In a building full of identical brown doors, Aahana Kumra's entrance is the only non-brown curiosity. "I absolutely love pink. It's my all-time favourite colour—that's why it's right at the front," she laughs, holding open the candyfloss-coloured opuscule as she ushers me inside. For Kumra, the home is a manifestation twenty years in the making, and one that nods equally to her Lucknowi roots and her life in Mumbai. "There are whiffs of Kashmir, London and Delhi too. It's a collection of all my

Architectural Digest • 7th September 2022

A 75-Year-Old Japanese House Was Transformed Into a Zen Weekend Hideaway

When Giselle Go and Philippe Terrien—cofounders of Japanese clean beauty brand DamDam—began searching for a quiet pied-à-terre on the fringes of Tokyo, they had a checklist at the ready: access to the city where they primarily reside, great privacy, and a mountainside build. So, when their list remained largely unchecked even after several potential matches, they knew they had to reconsider their options. “We were introduced to this house by our friend and now neighbor Naoko Kawamura (who overs

Architectural Digest • 10th August 2022

This 650-Square-Foot Brooklyn Apartment Was Upsized for a Mother and Daughter Duo

When Brett Masterson first became acquainted with the creative professional next door, he hardly could have imagined that their neighborly friendship would turn into a steadfast creative collaboration. “She was looking for someone to design her new one-bedroom nest, after having traded in her two-bedroom apartment in the same co-op,” says the architect, who helms Brooklyn-based Masterson Architecture & Interiors. As a recently divorced mother of a seven-year-old girl, and as someone who had live

Architectural Digest • 4th August 2022

This Chittorgarh bungalow is an eco-conscious haven made of locally sourced materials

Chittorgarh-based Umesh and Rashmi Jain had always harboured dreams of switching to a low-energy lifestyle. So when serendipity came knocking, they could hardly believe their luck. "With a background in construction, they had been keen on building an environmentally-friendly farmhouse with a minimum running cost. But they had decided to wait until they found someone completely dedicated and true to this method of building," says Shreya Srivastava, founder and principal architect of Studio Shunya

Architectural Digest • 28th July 2022

A simple and spiffy Mumbai home with understated elegance

When a young Chicago-returned couple bumped into Sahiba Madan at a mutual family gathering, little did they know that the chance encounter would turn into a life-changing liaison. "They had spent much of their lives travelling due to their careers and had finally decided to settle down in Mumbai with their two lovely daughters. They wanted their house to resonate with a certain youth without being perceived as too casual, in a hat-tip, of course, to their diverse past," says the principal archit

Architectural Digest • 11th July 2022

This 768-Square-Foot Austin Bungalow Got a Cool and Classic Refresh

Charlie Rice is the sort of person you’d want for a neighbor. Not only because his bungalow is always brimming with joyful gatherings, freshly cut flowers, and the occasional swing band on the front porch, but also because—if you’re lucky—you might even clinch an invite to one of his famous five-course dinner parties. “A true-blue Renaissance man, he is a consummate host, entertainer, and bon vivant with impeccable personal style... Having a place to celebrate community and host dear friends was