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Architectural Digest •

This Bengaluru home is a cosy French-country nest for a family of three

Nain Belliappa knows only too well the effort it takes to clinch a new project. So when a prospective client threw in an extra one as part of the deal, it was as if Christmas (and all the festivals before it) had come early for the interior designer and founder of Bangalore-based Houseof9Design. "She insisted that we take on two homes—hers and her business partner's—situated one below the other in the same building. Both homeowners were wonderfully easy-going, so saying yes was a no-brainer," sa
Architectural Digest •

This mountain home in Kullu is a thoughtful gift from a son to his parents

Not a few months after he had landed his first corporate job, freshly minted MBA and budding photographer Avinash Shashni returned home—much like the rest of the world. With the lockdown of 2021 well and truly underway, offices had shut down and work-from-home had resumed in full force, and for the 28-year-old Kullu native, it was a chance to disappear back into the mountains with his laptop in tow. Only, with ill-planned layouts and dysfunctional spaces, the Kullu home he shared with his parent
Architectural Digest •

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 •

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 •

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 •

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 •

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 •

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 •

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 •

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 •

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 •

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 •

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 •

Inside an East Hampton Farmhouse That Marries Old and New

When Jordan Carlyle and Mario Margelist first moved in together seven years ago, the thrill of being in the same city and, importantly, the same house was too great to risk jinxing. “We had been in a long-distance relationship for some time, and Mario was shuttling between Zurich and New York every month or so, working from here when he could. That is, until we realized there was no reason for him not to work from here full time,” recalls Carlyle, founder and principal of New York–based Carlyle
Architectural Digest •

A Tiny London Bathroom Gets a Forest-Like Makeover

Naomi Smart has always had a thing for matchbox living. After all, having spent a year in New York during her early 20s, she had aced the art of surviving—and thriving—in small spaces. “I was especially intrigued by the impossibly tiny bathrooms,” says the bona fide Londoner and commerce director at British Vogue. “Because somehow, I had an inkling that I might one day put my observations to good use.” The inkling, as it turned out, proved serendipitous for Naomi. Many years later, when she chan
Architectural Digest •

This seafront beach house in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri is an optical illusion

The architecture quietly nods to Charles Correa, under whose aegis Agshikar worked for almost eight years, and whose style continues to inform his designs today. Mind you, the interventions are all Agshikar's own. When he took the architectural reins, for example, the plot posed a conundrum. A mere 40 feet in width, there was no room for any additions, and so the structure had to be built on the plinth of the original house, which now lay dilapidated. "There was also a space issue," recalls the
Architectural Digest •

This 867-Square-Foot Parisian Pad Is at Once Zen and Zany

On Paris’s Avenue Mozart, where Haussmannian apartments appear almost frozen in time, there’s one that breathes an impossibly modern air—at least on the inside. “That’s what we were going for—equal parts considered and chic,” says Léa Levy, who purchased the two-bedroom apartment a few years ago with her husband, Alexandre Murciano. “We had been looking for an apartment in Paris for a long time. And when I saw the shape of these windows, I knew we’d struck gold,” says Levy, adding that at the ti
Architectural Digest •

Ritu Kumar's home in Goa is designed around a 400-year-old Banyan tree

“Goa is a place where we like to let our hair down and relax with family and friends. The home, styled by Prateeksha Kacker Tholia, had to be spacious enough for lots of people, but still have intimate corners. And so, we decided to follow the natural slope of the land to achieve an atypical layout with many private nooks. These allow you to remain completely undisturbed even when the rest of the house is full of guests.” Airy, welcoming, warm, bright: these are the descriptors that Ashvin offe
Architectural Digest •

In Chennai, an architect builds a peaceful home for her parents, inspired by her memories

Much like the light in Bawa's architecture, the home flows like sunshine. "We created a close arrangement of rooms, with one leading into the next. The intention was to minimise the use of corridors in favour of a more informal and intimate environment," says Ramanathan. As for the architectural placement, she chose to situate the house at the heart of the plot, adding a garden on either side. "We used materials that were largely sourced from the region: bricks made outside Pondicherry, stone fr
Architectural Digest •

Kozhikode: In this riverside bungalow, nature is the nearest neighbour

Feroke in North Kerala is a rich heritage zone famous for its history, the Chaliyar River, the railway bridge, the lush mangroves, and the numerous tile factories on the river bank. So naturally, when Aadil Salim first set eyes on the site that was to be his next project, he couldn't help but admire the view that lay before him. "The river bank was festooned with fishing boats that were once of cultural significance to the area. We wanted to reimagine all these hallmarks inside the house, but in
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