Delectable design: A spatial story of art and solo travel triumphs in a South Delhi home by Sanjyt Syngh

Devouring all incident light, this raven-hued bachelor pad in South Delhi might seem like an apparition from a Wildean drama—were it not for interior designer Sanjyt Syngh’s decluttered, pared down approach that underscores the simple beauty of objects. Featuring walls inundated with old-school grayscale, virile accidents of pop art and esoteric sculptures, the 2,500 sq ft apartment hides in plain sight among reclusive by lanes of South Delhi like a portal to an alternate dimension. Full-bodied, wanton hedonism unfurls its dark talons across clean lines, a layered visual geometry and statement-making décor by Syngh culled from his studio Spaces + Objects. 

The philosophy of design

“Having worked with him on a couple of projects before, we knew his taste very well,” Syngh clues us in. “The client, a bachelor from the creative industry, wanted the space to scream that pleasure is the highest good and proper aim of human life.” Whether it be high concept objets d’art from Spanish manufactory Lladró or emotive lighting fixtures hand-blown by Czech glass masters at Bomma, each stylistic component of this netherworld abode reflects the homeowner’s voluptuous appetite for solo travel and intimate soirées. Think marble flooring, high gloss black paint and abstract motifs. Blurring the boundaries between beauty and belonging, each millimetre of the precisely delineated layout reflects an intrinsic affinity towards less-is-more essentialism. 

Composing spatial stories

As we glide through this very long and linear passage, occult animal masks and an ebony statue of crime fighting Queen Elizabeth II crack a whip across our senses, barbed with social commentary not for the faint-hearted. “Each room has its own identity, its own language,” Syngh elaborates. While the Living, Dining and TV Lounge areas constitute the publicly-accessible frontage, “bedrooms are to the back end of the space keeping that as a private zone.” Invading the bare husk of a structure that was mostly left intact, profuse daylight and negative space meld with a timeless binary colour palette of black and white to confer upon the collected handicrafts an impending gravitas. The design team at Spaces + Objects were also instrumental in repurposing one of the three bedrooms as a dining salon, eager to sever its jaded connection with the living room, relegating it to an exclusive purpose of its own. 

Holding up the sky

Plotting a course halfway around the world, silhouetted buildings and intersections on an aviation path emboss grid-like symmetry into the thematics, materialising first in the living room. In the shape of an ambiguous skyline, a strip of inky wooden paneling frames one corner, looming starkly against the all-white walls and sectional sofa. “I would call the palette minimal,” Syngh throws a hint about how nuanced his client’s brief was. “Extremely fond of entertaining he insisted we create a dialogue of levels, details, curios and texture.” Donning streamlined proportions of a sailboat, the monolithic coffee table usurps centre stage with irreverent matchstick figurines and a sculptural candle holder, illuminated by a deconstructed dew drop chandelier from above. A Jazz Age credenza, in the other end of the room, thrives with scarab beetles in porcelain and framed sketches of Dalí sporting his surrealist moustache.

The darkest possible black

Slinking into the shadows of the dining room, we experience a Hadean opulence, obsidian walls and white ceilings accented by wooden flooring and High Renaissance recreations of David’s limbs dispersed across a gleaming table like the spoils of a broody connoisseur. A graphic parody of the British monarch wolfing down a Happy Meal hangs in blasphemous nonchalance, eagerly showcasing the ‘go bold or go home’ bravado that Syngh is notorious for, when it comes to carefully thought out artwork. 

Brimming with wanderlust 

The homeowner’s Supertramp restlessness finds new expression in an illustration by César Santillán, depicting a pair of feet in worn out sneakers, standing out against a black-on-black polka dot wallpaper in the master bedroom. Epitomising the nomadic joys of exploring a post-lockdown world, an inspired headboard in the guest bedroom emulates waypoints on a flight map, custom bed linen and bespoke side table décor merging a homely intimacy with a clear articulation of personal style.

A sense of refined comfort

While his crepuscular narrative unfolds cohesively across the space, Syngh manages to retain the individuality of each room while contributing to the overall aesthetic. A sybaritic confluence of textural sophistication, thought provoking pieces and dual-toned chiaroscuro, this South Delhi apartment reflects a Weltanschauung of graceful repose. 

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