Sunshine on her shoulders

This New Delhi residence by Vaishali Kamdar Associates is a gallery of art and antiquities

15 Mar 2024

In New Delhi’s Friends Colony, is a home that unfolds in phases. Each angle presents a different view, beckoning you to venture ever closer to uncover what lies within. And contrary to the ease with which this home navigates various vistas, its kaleidoscopic avatar is hardly happenstance. With interior designer Vaishali Kamdar at the helm, a volume with multiple vignettes was always a certainty.

The entrance lobby is a transitional space between the formal living room and the dining area. The gilded cane sofa and the antique urn are by Mahendra Doshi. The black and white striped fabric is from JAB and the sisal rug is from Vinayak International. The Scoop table is designed by Ravi Vazirani Design Studio. Art by Martand Khosla, Arshi Irshad Ahmadzai, F. N. Souza, Atul Dodiya, Ayesha Sultana and Jogen Chowdhury elevate the space. The lighting is by Flos; Photography by Suleiman Merchant

What was not was the sheer magic behind each. “I’ve always been fascinated by what you see when you’re looking at a home from the outside. I wanted glimmers of art, light and furniture to peep through and evoke moments of curiosity,” says Vaishali who is Founder and Principal of her eponymous Gurugram-based design studio.

The formal living room is the designated entertaining sanctuary. A custom coffee table, made by Mahendra Doshi from a single block of raintree wood, foregrounds a white linen sofa from apartment9. Two-seater and single-seater sofas from DeMuro Das square off the seating area. Table lamps from Beyond Designs sit atop the solid limestone side tables from Rufre. A suite of cast concrete works by Rathin Barman punctuates walls in open grain oak veneer. The coffee table accessories are from 101 Copenhagen and Shweta Mansingka; Photography by Suleiman Merchant

She was tapped by the homeowners, a couple with two teenage boys, to transform their newly built 6,500 sq ft residence into an elegant, understated and inviting home. The home is composed of a formal living room, a dining room, a double-height terrace, four bedrooms and a double-height lounge that revels in natural light, a fact made possible by spatial planning that keeps the sun close.

A French style gilded sofa by Mahendra Doshi with black and white fabric from JAB adds drama by creating a focal point within the entrance lobby with its striped fabric. A sculptural lamp by Atelier Ashiesh Shah, sits atop a low slung bookshelf that spans the entire art wall, with works by F. N. Souza, Martand Khosla, Atul Dodiya, Ayesha Sultana, Jogen Chowdhury and Arshi Irshad Ahmadzai. The sisal rug is from Vinayak International; Photography by Suleiman Merchant

This is evidenced in the foyer, where Georgian doors open to alternating stripes of turf and tile on the outdoor terrace, inviting the light and breeze to pay a visit. In the same spirit, the first-floor double-height lounge that is designed as a den for the teenagers, appears as if it is reaching up to the sky, its dramatic black-and-white flooring complemented by the abiding whiteness of the morning light.

The pièce de résistance of the formal dining room is the river-washed black riviera stone fireplace. A Chandigarh chair by Mahendra Doshi, upholstered in olive faux horsehair by Rasulbhai Adamji & Co, and a coffered cane ceiling amalgamates old-world charm with contemporary glamour. The antique carpet is from The Carpet Cellar, while the artwork is Jeram Patel’s; Photography by Suleiman Merchant

True to Vaishali’s philosophy, the home reads like a carefully orchestrated production, where each scene comes to life at the right time and angle, before ceding the spotlight to the next. The frangipani-scented terrace garden is a classic case in point, taking centre stage when viewed from the lobby. The vantage is inverted to frame the lobby from the garden as Georgian doors capture a ten ft long French sofa and focal art wall featuring works by Martand Khosla, Arshi Irshad Ahmadzai, F. N. Souza, Atul Dodiya, Ayesha Sultana and Jogen Chowdhury.

The lounge on the first floor is designed as a den for the young adults. It doubles as a dining area with a dining table by Mangrove Collective alongside sofa seating by Apartment9 and a mix of Mademoiselle dining chairs by Kartell. Built-in shelves with artworks by Mansha Chattwal, and accessories sourced from Eeshaan Kashyap, Sarita Handa and Beyond Designs, line the wall. A cluster of Formakami rice paper lamps designed by Jaime Hayon for & Tradition serves as the room’s centerpiece with an artwork by Nidhi Agarwal; Photography by Suleiman Merchant

As unapologetic bon vivants, and connoisseurs of music, food and art, the homeowners were clear about one thing: the ground floor had to be the designated entertaining zone. The design team embraced a muted palette, to serve as a backdrop for the outdoor areas as well as the homeowners’ stunning art collection. Walls wrapped in open grain light oak veneer were juxtaposed with mirror panelling, the latter strategically placed to catch the light and reflect the greenery from the outdoors. The existing stone floors were softened with sisal and vintage carpets.

The second-floor study is cocooned in fluted white panelling with a seating area. A sofa from Maxalto sits below a picture window that frames views of the outdoor treetops. A cluster of wooden log coffee tables from Mangrove Collective, with miniature book sculptures by Ananya W, a floor lamp by Boconcept and a mid-century modern armchair by K2India complete this frame with a carpet from Jaipur Rugs. Artworks by Puja Mondal make their presence felt next to a bookshelf from BoConcept with accessories from Moonriver and 101 Copenhagen. The lighting is by Flos and the fabric for the accent cushions is from Dialogues by Nirmals; Photography by Suleiman Merchant

To allow for ample seating in the formal living room, the design team created a floor plan with two separate seating areas that could be used independently, or together, depending on the occasion. Some focal points across the combined space include a Nepal chair by Baxter, a cylindrical Flos floor lamp, and a custom coffee table by Mahendra Doshi, made from a single block of raintree wood. A bespoke bar in fluted Verde Tifoni Stone stands sentinel in one alcove, promising evenings of high spirits.

A chandelier by Klove Studio graces the formal dining room. The coffered cane ceiling serves as a foil for the bottle green chairs by Maxalto. The 18 ft long custom made sideboard with fluted marble shutters and green Raku glazed tile drawers is by K2India. On the solid wood dining table by DeMuro Das are Shweta Mansingka’s coconut sculptures; Photography by Suleiman Merchant

In the formal dining room, the sculptural 14-seater dining table is crowned by a custom-sized Klove chandelier and a coffered cane ceiling. “It took us thirteen iterations to arrive at a dining room layout that we could all agree on!” laughs Vaishali, adding that they are usually not a studio that believes in Plan Bs. “We were unable to convince the homeowners to seat fewer people at their table! They are all about the food and really love hosting large family gatherings.”

The Georgian doors from Mangrove Collective frame the outdoors, with a 10 ft long built-in seat, that serves as the crown jewel of the terrace. With its alternating stripes of turf and tile, the terrace also plays host to an antique Naga table and a pair of outdoor armchairs from K2India. The Balinese lava stone side tables are from Zikwa Lab and the outdoor cushions and fabrics were sourced from Perennials, D’Decor and Pottery Barn, Dubai. A built-in planter, with bamboo screening veils the home from the world beyond, creating their own private retreat. Outdoor planting is by Kanika Kumar of Apartment9 Outdoors; Photography by Suleiman Merchant

While the dramatic first-floor rooms were allocated to their children, the second floor was converted into a luxurious and serene master suite, complete with a lounge, study and terrace. The study is one of the homeowners’ favourite parts of the house. “From the subtle white fluted wall panelling and the ‘spectacle’ artwork by Baaraan Ijlal, to the swing on the verandah and the beautiful grey sofa, the room is a soothing haven for working or relaxing,” they share with much joy.

“One of the main challenges was working with a shell that we inherited, as we came in at a later stage, when the flooring, HVAC and windows had already been completed. Given the clients’ preference for minimal changes, it was critical to design the space to accentuate the positive aspects and downplay the features beyond our control,” avers Vaishali. What she also learned is that when the homeowners said they were all about food, they truly meant it. “Over the course of the project, we enjoyed the most divine curated small plates at every site meeting. I believe I even graduated a few dress sizes,” she finishes with a laugh.

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