Living inside a colourful painting

Andy Warhol would approve of this pop art-laden Bandra home by Ayesha Puri Kanoria

28 Mar 2025

Envision a pop art painting turned inside-out to create a home. The result? Just as colourful as you’d imagine. Ayesha Puri Kanoria of Sanjay Puri Architects takes it several notches further in this Bandra home. She adds digital screens, creative chutzpah and material innovation aplenty to the mix to create nothing less than a life-sized art installation.

The 1,800 sq ft space is a mishmash of the homeowner’s favourite pop art artists from the Indian subcontinent and across the globe. Basquiat’s crowns, Yayoi Kusama’s dots and Andy Warhol’s silkscreen prints wedge themselves between furniture and across canvases. Not ones to be one-upped, the sofas, tables and stools are bespoke works of art in their own right.

“The project began with a vision to create a space that transcends traditional boundaries between art and living.” — Ayesha Puri Kanoria

A moving canvas

“The project began with a vision to create a space that transcends traditional boundaries between art and living,” enthuses Ayesha. Each corner of the space is punctuated with spurts of art against stark white walls — a symbolic no man’s land that lets the bespoke pieces shine unabashedly. But that’s not all. Beyond traditional art canvases and avant-garde furniture, it even contains digital screens! Displaying graphics that move and evolve with time, the screens add a surreal touch to the overall atmosphere.

The sofa is from Mozaic, with custom prints made with a graphic designer; The artworks are from Sanuj Birla, Smriddhi, Angelo Accardi; Photography by Pankaj Anand

From the living room to the bedroom, each piece — from the furniture to the moving graphics — has been curated by both Ayesha and the homeowners. “This collaborative process focused on creating a space that would feel alive and constantly engaging for the occupants,” enthuses Ayesha.

Masterpieces with accents to match

The art goes eye-for-eye with the furniture, punctuated with similar flashes of colour. Hand-painted bar stools with donut-shaped backs and multi-hued legs stand in front of the bar. An L-shaped sofa features 9 individually designed modules emblazoned with 17 prints, bridging art movements and styles. The glass coffee tables enclose chrome sculptures within — works of art in their own right. Coupled with vibrant, tinted wardrobe shutters and vivid rugs, the home abounds in every colour of the rainbow.

The pouffe is from Missoni, table accessories are from Jonathan Adler, Custom tables and glass bricks were made on-site; Photography by Pankaj Anand

The wardrobes and dressing were custom designed and made; Photography by Pankaj Anand

Located in a basement, the space’s lack of natural light was an additional challenge. The solution? A myriad of reflective surfaces were utilised for their refractive properties. The piece de resistance of this philosophy is the glass brick bar, coupled with a feature wall that extends into the living room. Shedding light on its creation, Ayesha explains, “The glass brick bar’s placement in the basement area was challenging due to the lack of natural light, but the choice of transparent materials and design elements made it possible to bring light and life into that space.” The bricks resemble blocks of ice, stacked together to create an awe-inspiring monolithic structure. “It was exciting to see how such a bold design element could transform an otherwise dark area into something bright and engaging,” affirms Ayesha.

A technicolour paradise for pop art enthusiasts, the home sheds the conventional to embrace unbridled creativity.