A guide to creating a modern Indian home

The modern Indian home, as I see it, is not steeped in age-old traditions neither has it embraced the clean stark lines of the West. It is impacted and inspired by changing trends. This evolving cocoon, in fact, celebrates the blurring of lines. The language is sustainable, eco-conscious and modern – all in the same breath.

The narrative is simple — bold hues which soothe, lush seductive textures which beg you to drop everything and simply fold yourself in the richness, accents and elements which whisper a proud tale of yesterday – and all of this paired effortlessly with the contemporary masters of design. A step-by-step guide tells you how to create a stunning haven.

Draw Inspiration: Using metaphors from our grassroots, weave in elements that are inspired from what we have grown up seeing and adapt it to our modern lifestyle. The traditional Indian home was built on the tenet of building a house where family, and how we live, is the focus. The modern Indian home rests on the same language.

The Practice of Everyday Architecture: Harness technologies and exploring earth as a modern material to build sustainable spaces – use the window into the past to revitalize your space. Understand periods and creating dialogues between them is essential.The modern Indian home resonates the present and a sustainable future – narrowing the distance between nature and man. The house is welcoming and not intimidating.

The Psychology of Colour: Don’t be rigid when it comes to colour. Warm and charming, work with colour schemes to make a strong statement. Play with different textures to create drama. Clever combinations in contrasting forms and materials on the walls contribute to creating a perfect balance. There’s beauty in imperfection – so play with perspectives. Marrying jewel tone colours on every wall is not uncommon. But find the right balance and play with elements to thread a soothing tale. Marry grassroot shades to couture finishes to create that dramatic impact

Kaleidoscope of Accents: Welcome bright, bold tints and refurbished heirlooms and marry them with contemporary abstract forms in art. Use liberal expanses of wood in myriad textures to thread a narrative for relaxed comfort living. The flea markets and antique trails are your go-to-destination to bring in a dash of history and statement into your home.

Materials and Methods: Welcome unusual materials – forms of cane, cork, concrete and silicone into your living area. With sustainability taking over our everyday, paint a canvas keeping versatility in mind. Work with what you have but make sure the treatment is different.

A Globetrotter’s Aesthetic: A home is a beautiful book. Like a picture speaks a million words, the home is a window into your being. Thread a narrative around your travels and let it play the hero in your space. These pieces act as a window into great times and also play the role of conversation starter.

Finding the Right Balance: Treat the home like a painting – it’s all about colour placement, textures, finishes, proportions and balancing the right amount of edginess and marrying it with simplicity. So what if the elements don’t complement each other – it’s your essence which infuses life into the space.

Fabrics and Motifs: Everyone loves a good bale of fabric and we believe, it is one of the easiest ways to bring about a change in the overall scheme. Play up the sensory angle. Invest in different textures to heighten the effect and create an envelop of warmth. From solid colors in bold hues to playing with prints and textures– there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to playing with the combinations. Just keep an eye out for the scale and layer your scheme well – if it works for you, it works well. Welcome natural textures like linen, silk and cotton woven into dramatic checks. Bring back the jacquards, paisleys and mogul-inspired prints which are our evergreen classics and experiment with them to give it a modern twist.

Roll Out the Carpet: Romance the richness of our heritage. Invest in a good carpet to create a statement – a bright silk carpet in pastel blues or an earth tone kilim for that dash of instant drama. Picking up the right carpet is akin to picking up the right piece of art. The carpet needs to bring out the emotion in you – the minute you walk in, it needs to have the power to beckon you to sink yourself in its luxurious textures and lose yourself in the story that comes to life with the print.