2022-11-01 Architectural Digest India

ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2022 INDIA ₹200

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD
WHEN
ARCHITECTURE
MEETS
N AT U R E
An
AD100
C o l l a b o ra t i o n
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THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD INDIA
The
AlibagIssue
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE DOING BEAUTIFUL THINGS
PHOTOS: JIGNESH JHAVERI (NOVEMBER 2018, OCTOBER 2019); BIKRAMJIT BOSE (MARCH-APRIL 2019, SEPTEMBER 2019); ALL COURTESY OF AD INDIA
IN THE HAMPTONS OF MUMBAI
AD
THE MOST INFLUENTIAL
100
ARCHITECTS AND
INTERIOR DESIGNERS IN
THE SUBCONTINENT
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THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD INDIA ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST ` 200 OCTOBER 2019
THE
RED
LAKSHMI NAWAZ BOMBAY ISSUE

C O N T E N T S
COVER India’s best designers. A
WHEN
ARCHITECTURE AD sets off for Alibag, where new exhibition sinks into
MEETS
N AT U R E
An we find a sweeping weekend Mumbai’s Art Deco bones.
AD100
C o l l a b o ra t i o n
home perched on a hill Formafantasma’s new

PHOTO: ASHISH SAHI.
that is the perfect meeting collection of lights nod to
ground for architecture and Henri Matisse’s paper cut-
landscape design (pg 104). outs. Hermès’s touring
08 EDITOR’S LETTER exhibition lands in Mumbai.
10 CONTRIBUTORS Bijoy Jain sculpts a set of
THE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER villas for boutique hotel
ISSUE Amaya that sits lightly in the
13 DISCOVERIES lap of rolling hills in Kasauli.
For our last issue of the year,

33
we put together a list of art
and design programming

PHOTO: COURTESY OF HERMAN MILLER.
from across various cities
in India. Curio, a new digital
platform for collectible design
stars the works of four of
N OV E M B E R- D EC E M B E R 2 0 2 2 A D A R C H I T ECT U R A L D I G EST 3
C O N T E N T S
42 SHOP 49 KITCHEN REPORT 40
46 HELLO, BENGALURU AD’s annual report of the
Glimpses of a fabulous latest trends in kitchen
night at the Grohe design is back. This time,
PHOTO: COURTESY OF AMAN.

showroom in Bengaluru, chef Bani Nanda adds a new
which opened with flavour to AD’s showcase
a riveting talk by artist of fashionable tools and
and curator Subodh Kerkar gadgets for your kitchen. 66 ROLEX
of Museum of Goa and 58 AEQUŌ In a stunning evening at the
closed with a rocking AD visits aequō’s sun- Brooklyn Academy of
dance party by local band drenched space in Colaba, Music in New York City,
Best Kept Secret. where designer Cédric Rolex announced the next
Courtin unveils his debut set of mentor-protégé

58
line for the collectible pairs for the 2023–24
design gallery—a series cycle of their celebrated
of totem-like, leather- arts initiative, and also

PHOTO: TALIB CHITALWALA.
wrapped vessels, showcased the works
handcrafted at his atelier created by the class of
in Puducherry. 2020–22.
4 A D A R C H I T ECT U R A L D I G EST N OV E M B E R- D EC E M B E R 2 0 2 2
C O N T E N T S
82 82 BRAGANZA HOUSE 120 STYLE BOOK
Interior designer Chlöe Our selection of this season’s
Elkerton’s newly renovated best design products.
home in Sri Lanka is a labour 125 STOCKISTS

PHOTO: REBECCA CONWAY.
of love and clearly the most An A-Z listing of stores in
photogenic on the island. the issue.
94 NATE & JEREMIAH 126 THE CURATOR
72 VILLA PALLADIO When their former New York In the last issue of this
Follow the old camel City apartment became year, Amin Jaffer reminds
road out of Jaipur available, Nate Berkus and us of the Sidi Saiyyed
towards Agra and you’ll Jeremiah Brent couldn’t Mosque in Ahmedabad and
soon find the Pink City resist the call to return to its iconic jali.
takes on an altogether their aesthetic roots.

104
ruddier tone. A short drive 104 THE HOUSE ON THE HILL
away sits Villa Palladio, This Alibag home shows how
a fantastical new hotel architecture and landscape
conjured up by three of design can come together in

PHOTO: ASHISH SAHI.
the most accomplished a meeting of minds, hearts,
alchemists in the game. and sweet eccentricity.
EDITOR KOMAL SHARMA CNX
ART DIRECTOR Chandni Mehta DIRECTOR – CNX Richard Mascarenhas
COPY DIRECTOR Tyrel Rodricks CREATIVE LEAD – BRANDED CONTENT (VIDEO) Devika Luniya
SENIOR FEATURES CREATOR Ritupriya Basu CREATIVE LEAD – NATIVE, SOCIAL, & PROMOTIONS Sneha Mahadevan
DIGITAL EDITOR Harleen Kalsi SENIOR DIRECTOR – CLIENT SERVICING & PROJECT MANAGEMENT Neha Dhanani
CREATIVE STRATEGIC PARTNER Esha Singh
FEATURES CREATOR Arshia Dhar
CREATIVE STRATEGIST Shreya Baid
CONTENT CREATOR Nicole Newby
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Atul Hirijagner
VISUALS EDITOR Harshita Nayyar
CREATIVE STRATEGIST – ART Richa Jain (Consultant)
SENIOR MANAGER – INFLUENCER MARKETING Siddhant Salve
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Renuka Modi
ASSISTANT MANAGER – INFLUENCER MARKETING Preeti Perla
ASSOCIATE OPERATIONS Shalini Kanojia
PROMOTIONS WRITER Ritika Saundh
ENTERTAINMENT DIRECTOR Megha Mehta
DIGITAL WRITER Vanshika Jain
ART PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Mihir Shah
ART PRODUCTION MANAGER Aarti Tharwani COMMERCIAL TALENT DIRECTOR Devika Patne
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Selwin Edward HEAD – AD OPERATIONS Sachin Pujari

ASSOCIATE MANAGER – SOCIAL MEDIA Shrishti Bhatia MANAGER – AD OPERATIONS Shivangi Shinde
ASSISTANT MANAGERS – AD OPERATIONS Sagar Lund, Akanksha Malik
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Sunil Nayak
SENIOR MANAGER - COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION Sudeep Pawar DIRECTOR – COMMUNICATIONS Swati Katakam
PRODUCTION MANAGER Mangesh Pawar MANAGER – COMMUNICATIONS Waheeda Machiwala
SENIOR PRODUCTION CONTROLLER Abhishek Mithbaokar
MANAGER – CIRCULATION OPERATIONS Jeeson Kollannur
CRAFTSMANSHIP EDITOR Maximiliano Modesti FIELD ASSISTANT Tirupathi Dudam
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Amrit Bardhan

Amin Jaffer, Channa Daswatte, Cosmo Brockway, FINANCIAL CONTROLLER Viral Desai
Divya Mishra, Gauri Kelkar, Gayatri Rangachari Shah, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR – FINANCE Dattaprasanna Bhagwat
Malika Verma, Mayank Mansingh Kaul, Nazneen Jehangir, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR – REVENUE SUPPORT Vinayak Shetye
Priyanka Shah, Roshini Vadehra, Sunil Sethi, Vivek Sahni, SENIOR FINANCE ANALYST Yogesh Suresh Potnis
Yeshwant Holkar ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR – TAXATION Ankit Pansari
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR – GENERAL ACCOUNTING Sanket Deshpande
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS SENIOR ASSOCIATES – DISBURSEMENT Nikhil Rane, Devang Pandya
Ashish Sahi, Ashish Shah MANAGER – FP&A Vishal Darji
MANAGER – GENERAL ACCOUNTING Yogesh Gawde
MANAGER - DISBURSEMENT Ameya Namjoshi
ASSISTANT MANAGER – TAXATION Pranav Shah
ASSOCIATE – BILLING Shailesh Koli
CHIEF BUSINESS OFFICER PANKAJ SINGH PARIHAR
HEAD – WORKPLACE SERVICES Boniface Dsouza
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ASSOCIATE ADVERTISING DIRECTORS Varun Sama, Dia Sachanandani (New Delhi),
Aditi Sharma (New Delhi) BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP MANAGER – GLOBAL PRODUCT &
SENIOR ADVERTISING MANAGER Sana Fatima (New Delhi) TECHNOLOGY Vishal Ingale
ADVERTISING MANAGER Shanu Dahiya (New Delhi)
ASSISTANT ADVERTISING MANAGERS Jinal Goradia, Sharmin Jafri ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR – VIDEO COMMERCIAL Rahul Vetkar
ITALY SALES REPRESENTATIVE Angelo Carredu MANAGER – PROCUREMENT Anubhuti Sharma
US ADVERTISING MANAGER Alessandro Cremona
SENIOR DIRECTOR – GLOBAL AUDIENCE PLANNING & OPERATIONS Saurabh Garg
CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER – SALES Jabir Merchant
CONSUMER MARKETING LEAD Priyanka Shivdasani
ASSOCIATE MARKETING DIRECTOR Pooja Jaggi MANAGER – AUDIENCE ACQUISITION Srividya Iyengar
ASSISTANT MARKETING MANAGER Romaljit Banga
PEOPLE DIRECTOR – HR Coralie Ansari
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I must
admit that it is
PHOTO: SARANG GUPTA

ridiculously limiting to
judge the works of architects and
homes of people merely from photographs.
This is an idealistic lament of course, and I am fully aware to walk down stone steps, into someone’s bedroom, draw the
that we are living in a digital age—in an Instagram age, if curtains aside (which our stylist thankfully removed for the
I may—and I shall not attempt to, and do not claim to, visit sake of a better “photograph”), and imagine waking up to this
every home that we feature. But a few, we do, and apart from view that you see on the cover, of the coastline of Mumbai
a rare unfortunate experience, mostly it’s a pleasure and languidly sprawled in front. Oh the delight of discovery!
a privilege. In this last issue of this year—already!—we wanted to leave
This home on AD’s cover came with high expectations, you with a solid, beautiful and respectful, architecturally
considering it’s been made in collaboration by two brilliant strong project. This cover story is classic AD: a considered
A D 1 0 0 f i r m s —A rc h i t e c t u re B r i o a n d Ku n a l M a n i a r & point of view on architecture, nature, materiality, space, and
Associates. But as my two colleagues and I discovered a subtle, remote luxury.
few months ago, after a boat ride on a miserable, rainy And before you turn the page, I want to give you a heads-
monsoon morning, across to Alibag from Mumbai, the home up on what’s coming in December. The AD Design Show is
spoke for itself. back after a pause of over three years. We all met in October
We caught a first glimpse from afar driving up the slope, of 2019 last and what madness we’ve all been through since!
and saw it resting on a mountainside. It gradually revealed its This edition of the AD Design Show falls in the 75th year of
volume and scale, as the aged stonework rose high above India’s independence. We’re having a moment of self love, an
like a chapel. It’s remarkable when the ideologies of the India gaze, so to speak. We’re looking at our design history,
makers match and a vision is aligned. To not flatten vast some iconic post-independence architecture; pulling out
expanses of land for construction but instead play so product designs from the archives, textiles that lie in museum
poetically with the contours of a site; to not give in to the collections; and paying tribute to people who have
temptation of putting glass and concrete boxes on hillsides; contributed to India’s narrative—from the giants to the lesser
and to let it be a little wild, a bit of a jungle, with a trail going known to the forgotten, yet those who continue to inspire us
up and down and around. and feed the creativity of contemporary makers. This edition
Then in the middle of this walk around this vast property of the Design Show is all about India. And I really hope you will
on an otherwise overcast day, the clouds parted, the sun come. The dates are 16-17-18 December in Mumbai. I’ll see you
showed up, hanging in a brilliant blue sky, and a voice from there. Until then, I hope you enjoy this issue. —Komal Sharma
EDITOR’S
above said, “This is your next cover.”
So back at the office, we continue to depend greatly on
the work of the photogenic “image”—with a hat tip to John
NOTE
Berger and his Ways of Seeing. But once in a while, one gets

PHOTO: ASHISH SAHI/AD INDIA

C O N T R I B U T O R S
← ASHISH SAHI
PHOTOGRAPHER AD’s former art
director photographs a sweeping
weekend home in Alibag for our cover
story (pg 104). “This is the third project
that I have shot for Kunal Maniar. Being
a nature lover, I always enjoy being
part of and capturing his effortlessly
created, artwork-like landscapes.”
↑ SAMIR WADEKAR
STYLIST AD’s former stylist rolled up
→ REBECCA CONWAY his sleeves and hopped onto a ferry
PHOTOGRAPHER Conway, a British to Alibag to deck up the home that
photographer known for her extensive graces this issue’s cover (pg 104). “I
work spanning South Asia, travelled was transported to a bucolic world
to Sri Lanka to shoot the idyllic, newly over the three days that I spent at
renovated Braganza House (pg 82). this marvellous house. It was a joy to
“The tranquillity found photographing style the home and reveal its multitude
Braganza House on Sri Lanka’s azure of emotions.”
southern shore offered a serene retreat
in a palm-fringed hideaway on this
always-dazzling island.”
→ RAJASHREE BALARAM
WRITER Balaram is a journalist and
screenplay writer based in Mumbai. In
this issue, she writes about the Siddi
quilters of Karnataka (pg 24), and jets
off to Alibag to write our cover story
(pg 104). “It was truly exciting to write
about a home in which landscape and
architecture blended together with
such impeccable seamlessness.”
↑ COSMO BROCKWAY ← BIKRAMJIT BOSE

WRITER A contributing editor for AD, PHOTOGRAPHER Bose’s pared-
Brockway writes about Braganza House back aesthetic has been seeping
in Sri Lanka (pg 82), and Villa Palladio in through his years-long practice
Jaipur (pg 72). “Both the projects are and is best felt in his portraits.
creations of outsiders wholly in love For this issue, he moves his gaze
with their adopted settings, both loyal to interiors as he travels to Jaipur
to the vernacular and traditions of their to shoot the vibrant Villa Palladio
respective regions while unabashedly (pg 72), a palazzetto-turned-
steering new paths in their designs— boutique hotel, that has quickly
fresh, bold, and singing with colour.” become the talk of the town.
1 0 A D A R C H I T ECT U R A L D I G EST N OV E M B E R- D EC E M B E R 2 0 2 2
← AVESH GAUR
PHOTOGRAPHER A Delhibased
photographer and filmmaker, Gaur
popped by Bani Nanda’s home to
photograph the chef and the four
dishes that star in our colour
blocked Kitchen Report (pg 49).
“Being able to witness Bani’s
culinary skills at work made this one
of the most enjoyable shoots—and
one I’m always going to remember.”
→ BANI NANDA ↑ NEERJA DEODHAR

CHEF Chef and founder of Miam in WRITER
New Delhi—known for its exquisite Deodhar is a writer and researcher
baked goodies—Nanda is one of with five years of experience in
the most exciting chefs on AD’s Indian newsrooms. In this issue,
radar. For this issue, she whipped she writes about architect Ramu
up four delectable dishes for our Katakam’s moving, expansive
very special, coloursplashed memoir (pg 28). “Reading Ramu
Kitchen Report (pg 49). “The shoot Katakam’s book was like watching
was fun and candid, and the whole Indian history in action, right before
bunch of us had a pizza party my eyes.”
with my dog, Polly. The end result
speaks for itself!”
→ GAUTAMI REDDY
WRITER India Art Fair’s director of
digital and communications, Reddy
writes about Formafantasma’s
latest collection of sculptural lights
inspired by the iconic cutouts of
Henri Matisse (pg 27). “It was a
joy to step into Matisse’s world at
PHOTO: PADMA REDDY.

Maison Matisse in Paris—and be
soaked in Formafantasma’s lights
inspired by the artist’s colourful
paper cutouts.”
↑ VAISHNAVI NAYEL ← TALIB CHITALWALA

TALAWADEKAR PHOTOGRAPHER A Mumbaibased
WRITER Talawadekar is an arch photographer and former member
itecture, design, and art journalist, of the AD team, Chitalwala shoots
and a regular contributor to AD. In designer Cédric Courtin’s new
this issue, she discovers Amaya collection of leatherwrapped ves
(pg 38), a selfsustaining resort sels at aequō in Colaba (pg 58).
designed by Bijoy Jain, and Curio “Courtin’s collaboration with aequō
(pg 20), a new digital platform is an example of the beauty that can
that is rewriting the rulebook for be achieved when craftsmanship
collectible design. “Both are hidden and art come together.”
gems waiting to be discovered.”
N OV E M B E R D EC E M B E R 2 0 2 2 A D A R C H I T ECT U R A L D I G EST 11
← KATHERINE
MCLAUGHLIN
WRITER McLaughlin is the associate
digital features editor at AD US. In
this issue, she writes about Aman’s
latest hotel in New York City
that marries a slice of Big Apple
glamour with the calm serenity
that’s synonymous with the hotel
chain (pg 40).
→ ADARSH SONI ↑ KELLY MARSHALL

WRITER A regular contributor to AD, PHOTOGRAPHER Marshall is a
Soni writes about interior architect New York–based photographer
Kunal Shah’s ongoing exhibition at specializing in interiors, travel, and
47-A that sinks into Mumbai’s Art portraiture, and a regular contributor
Deco bones (pg 22). “Getting a to the Wall Street Journal and The
behind-the-scenes look at Kunal’s New York Times. In this issue, she
vision for the exhibition was as photographs Nate Berkus and
exhilarating as walking past a chic Jeremiah Brent’s Greenwich Village
Art Deco–style building in Bombay.” home (pg 94). “The apartment is
alive with joy and laughter, which
made the shoot feel more like a
family gathering than a day at work.”
→ JESSI KLEIN
WRITER Klein is the New York
Times bestselling author of You’ll
PHOTO: CARLENE FERGUSON.

Grow Out of It and an Emmy- and
Peabody-award-winning television
writer, producer, and creator. In this
issue, she writes about designer-
duo Nate Berkus and Jeremiah
Brent’s return to their former home
in New York City (pg 94).
↑ CRISTINA PIOTTI
WRITER A regular contributor to AD, ← DORCIA KELLY
Piotti writes about architecture and STYLIST Kelly has been behind the
design as well as geopolitics. She scenes in the luxury design industry
lives in Milan but is often spotted as an interior stylist, art buyer, and
in her second home, Mumbai. In designer. For this issue, she styles
this issue, she writes about the Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent’s
beauty of the Italian expertise and home in New York City (pg 94).
craftsmanship that sings through “I’ve seen many beautiful homes,
Visionnaire’s latest collections but they are kings when it comes
(pg 26). to creating interesting styles with
neutral tones.”
The ye ar might be coming to a close , but the art and de sign
s
e
community isn’t missing a beat. We bring you a crisp round-up of
i
unmissable exhibitions and events from Kochi, Goa, Hampi and
r
e
beyond. Curio, a new digital platform for collectible design, hand-
v
picks heirloom-worthy selections from Indian and international
o
c
designers. Hermès’s touring exhibition in Mumbai reflects on the
power and beauty of movement. And AD100 architect Bijoy Jain

i
D
unveils his latest project tucked away in the rolling hills of Kasauli.
The AD
Calendar For our last issue of the year, we
round up the upcoming art and design
festivals and exhibitions taking over
Kochi, Goa, Vadodara, and Hampi, along
with the opening of a much-awaited
private museum in Bengaluru.
TEXT: GAUTAMI REDDY. PHOTO: SAHIL NAIK/KOCHI BIENNALE FOUNDATION.

KO C H I - M U Z I R I S B I E N N A L E
T
here’s optimism even in the hangar, visitors are invited to walk on and
ALL IS WATER AND TO WATER WE MUST
RETURN, SAHIL NAIK, 2022—THE GOAN
darkest absurdity,” reads the inhabit the landscape of the site that now
VILLAGE OF KURDI, PHOTOGRAPHED BY curatorial statement by Shubigi lies submerged under water since the
NAIK, REMAINS SUBMERGED FOR MOST
OF THE YEAR. YET, AS A MIRACLE, FOR Rao for the fifth Kochi-Muziris construction of the Selaulim Dam in the
ALMOST A MONTH EVERY SUMMER, THE
WATERS OF THE RESERVOIR RECEDE
Biennale; it reflects the spirit of the mega 1970s, which comes to life for a brief spell
AND THE ENTIRE VILLAGE RETURNS showcase ready to return after the pande- each summer.
TO SING AND CELEBRATE—SOUNDS
OF WHICH CAN BE HEARD IN THE
mic with a cast of 80 artists and collectives All across the city, it is as if the very soul
BACKGROUND IN NAIK’S INSTALLATION. from 30 countries. As this year’s curator, of Kochi is on display. Beyond the main
Rao is set to champion stories and voices venue are a series of collateral exhibitions,
from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, including “Tangled Hierarchies”, which
responding to the powerfully evocative explores lesser-known stories from India’s
theme: “In Our Veins Flow Ink and Fire”. struggle for independence, curated by
At Aspinwall House, the traditional Jitish Kallat, and new projects curated
home of the biennale, there is an array by the Bangladesh-based Gidree Bawlee
of large-scale projects and installations, Foundation of Arts and the Chennai
including those by art-world bigwigs Photo Biennale. As art blends seamlessly
like Vivan Sundaram and Joan Jonas, into its surroundings, the city’s residents
and rooms of paintings by Arpita Singh, and thousands of visiting art lovers will
Richard Bell, and Vasudevan Akkitham. gather to celebrate the magic.
And yet, it’s Sahil Naik’s life-size lands- Kochi-Muziris Biennale will be held across
cape of the Goan village of Kurdi (pictured) multiple venues in Fort Kochi and Ernakulam
that steals the show. Laid out in a central from 12 December 2022 to 10 April 2023.

T
here’s yet another reason to visit
Goa. After skipping an edition
during the pandemic, the
otherwise annual Serendipity
Arts Festival is back and larger than ever.
Cutting across creative disciplines and
boundaries, this year’s programme will
span music, dance, theatre, crafts, and
visual and culinary arts, with each section
curated by an expert of the art form.
Over 10 locations across Panaji have
been transformed into cultural hotspots.
Facing the Mandovi River, the Goa
Medical College and Hospital in the
heart of the city—one of Asia’s oldest
medical institutions built in 1927—
THE PROGRAMMING AT SERENDIPITY ARTS FESTIVAL WILL BE FULL OF will house exhibitions, including an
EVOCATIVE PERFORMANCES, LIKE VISTAR, CURATED BY MAYURI UPADHYA.
immersive library of art books curated
by Pramod Kumar K.G., as well as the
beloved Goa Familia Project, a hit from
the festival’s 2019 edition, in a room filled
wall to wall with charming photographs
of local residents and families of Goa.
A contemporary black box space in the
complex will stage striking dance and
theatre performances (pictured) directed
by Mayuri Upadhya and Quasar-Thakore
Padamsee respectively, while the outside
courtyard will become a playground for
gatherings and intimate farm-to-table
experiences curated by Goa-based
chef Prahlad Sukhtankar.
“In many ways, the
festival aims to push beyond
accepted notions and
conventions of art and
culture,” says Smriti
Rajgarhia, director of
Serendipity Arts Festival. Indeed, from
craft corners in public parks to live music
on moving jetties and hip-hop and jazz
takeovers in multilevel car parks, it’s as if
TEXT: GAUTAMI REDDY. PHOTO: AJAY LAL.

the festival has permeated every corner of
the city. There’s something for everyone
at Serendipity.
Serendipity Art Festival runs from 15 to 23 December
2022 across multiple venues in Panjim, Goa.
S E R E N D I P I T Y A R T S F E S T I VA L
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2022 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST 15

A
museum in Amsterdam is
cheekily known as “The
Bathtub” because it resem
bles one, while another in
France is dubbed the “Chinese Hat” due
to its avantgarde design. When speaking
about designing South India’s first private
art museum, architect Soumitro Ghosh
highlights the humble “water tank” as an
unmistakable landmark in Indian neigh
bourhoods. But it’s not meant to be a MUSEUM OF ART & PHOTOGRAPHY
nickname like those European buildings—
TEXT: ADARSH SONI. PHOTO: SOUMITRO GHOSH AND MAP.

the sentiment has a deeper meaning.
“The space is designed to captivate
and connect as an identifiable landmark
through the materiality of its façade and
the metaphorical and historical recall
of its embossed panels on the exterior.
As one moves inside, they find the
naturally lit transition spaces built to
hold the art,” says Ghosh, of his design
of the Museum of Art & Photography
(MAP) in Bengaluru. “The architectural
groundwork for MAP, as one of the most
significant museums in India, was laid
to give complete foreground to art in all
possible ways,” he adds.
Spread across a 44,000squarefoot
plot, MAP’s new home was designed by
the renowned AD100 firm Mathew &
Ghosh Architects, and is located in
the heart of Bengaluru’s museum
quarter. It spans four galleries, along
with a café, rooftop restaurant, 130seat
auditorium, and two libraries. “Here art
rules—celebrating its challenging and
unpredictable nature while providing
neutral enclosures and spaces,” Ghosh
adds. Opening with a busy programme,
including a retrospective of photographs
by celebrated printmaker and painter
Jyoti Bhatt as well as the firstever solo
show by sculpture artist L.N. Tallur,
MAP promises to become one of the
foremost cultural hotspots in India.
Museum of Art and Photography (MAP) opens
to the public on 11 December 2022.
TOP: A SKETCH OF THE FAÇADE OF THE BUILDING BY SOUMITRO

GHOSH. THE SWEEPING SPACE WILL HOLD MAP’S PERMANENT
COLLECTION, INCLUDING A LARGE BODY OF INDIAN PAINTINGS AS WELL
AS HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY. ABOVE: DEVI
PISTOL WALI, ARPITA SINGH, 1990, ACRYLIC AND OIL ON CANVAS.

S
ince its inception in 2017, Raw City Art District, as a fourday event that
Collaborative has emerged as will bring together some of India’s finest
one of India’s most distin creative minds.
guished design symposiums. With equal room for emerging and
Keeping art, craft, architecture, and established talent, this edition will
heritage at its core, the platform invites include several oneofakind curations.
designers, makers, and craftspeople, Some standalone exhibitions on the line
annually, to showcase the processes up are “Intersection”, “Playground”, and
behind their products and peel back their “Young Designers Gallery”. While
layers—literally and figuratively. “Every “Intersection” will explore the confluence
year, participating designers see Raw of art, design, and craft, “Playground”
Collaborative as an opportunity to create will aim to engage patrons through
beyond their regular studio hours and objects and installations, that evoke a
bring to life ideas they have been longing spirit of discovery. Yet the crowning
to pursue. Bringing creative energies and glory of the symposium will undoubtedly
minds together under one roof allows for be “Craft Collective”, a curation that aims
a crosspollination of thoughts, inspiring to celebrate India’s artisans and craft
new discussions and collaborations,” says ecosystems. With a roll call of leading
Tanvi Karia, who cofounded the plat designers and makers, Raw Collaborative
form with Priyadarshini Rathore and will continue to pay homage to India’s
Vishwa Bhatt Weir. This December, evolving design landscape. QUCORR, A COCOON-LIKE HANDMADE
Raw Collaborative’s fifth annual edition Raw Collaborative will be held from 1-4 December LAMP BY NAMEPLACEANIMALTHING—
ONE OF THE MANY BRANDS THAT WILL
will take place at Vadodara’s Alembic at The Art District, Alembic City, Vadodara. SHOWCASE THEIR PRODUCTS AT THE
“PLAYGROUND” AT RAW COLLABORATIVE—
MADE FROM CORRUGATED CARDBOARD.
R AW C O L L A B O R AT I V E
TEXT: VAISHNAVI NAYEL TALAWADEKAR. PHOTO: NAMEPLACEANIMALTHING.

A
garment with a history as
old as India herself, the sari
has remained relevant for
hundreds of generations—a
precious inheritance often passed on
through time. It was this idea of time
lessness that seeded the inspiration for “Red
R E D L I L I E S , WAT E R B I R D S — Lilies, Water Birds—The Saree in Nine
Stories”, an exhibition presented by the
Registry of Sarees in association with the
THE SAREE IN NINE STORIES Kishkinda Trust, and curated and desi
gned by AD contributing editor Mayank
L TALAWADEKAR. PHOTO: THE REGISTRY OF SAREES.

Mansingh Kaul and Reha Sodhi resp
ectively. The exhibition—on view across
several locations in Anegundi, near Hampi,
Karnataka, between 14 November and
6 December 2022—will unveil 108 saris,
most of them handwoven, from the
permanent collection of the Registry of
Sarees, a multidisciplinary research and
study centre that focuses on design,
curatorial, and publishing projects in the
realm of handspun and handwoven textiles.
With a selection that spans 150
years—from the third quarter of the
19th century to the present day—the
TEXT: VAISHNAVI NAYE
exhibition will showcase the sari through

various cultural lenses by way of
performances, talks, and craft workshops
with local artisans and designers. “The
selection is presented through nine
stories, each highlighting an aspect of
Indian textiles, be it aesthetic, material,
technical, or historical,” says Kaul,
for whom the choice of location is as
attentionworthy as the exhibition itself.
“As a curator, it has been a longheld
dream to stage an exhibition of textiles
in Hampi. But given the fragile state
of the saris and the dearth of formal
infrastructure in the region, we have had
to be considered in our approach,” he
notes. By taking such exhibitions beyond
large urban cities, Kaul hopes to inspire
a new generation of textile patrons and
practitioners alike.
Red Lilies, Water Birds—The Saree in Nine Stories
will be held across multiple locations at Anegundi,
Hampi, between 14 November and 6 December.
WITH 108 VINTAGE SARIS ON SHOW, THE EXHIBITION TURNS

THE LENS ON THE GARMENT’S EVERGREEN CULTURAL
SIGNIFICANCE. SEEN HERE IS A 19TH-CENTURY SILK SARI,
HANDWOVEN IN DOUBLE IKAT, FROM PATAN, GUJARAT.

WHAT A MAN'S GOT TO DO
PHOTO: R BURMAN/GQ INDIA
Collectors,
Take Note Ashiesh Shah, Tarun Tahiliani,
Vikram Goyal, and Klove Studio
feature in the first edit of Curio, a
digital platform by Shalini Misra
that curates from the finest
Indian and international names.
G
rowing up in India, Shalini
Misra was always
surrounded by exemplary
artisanship. “It always
fascinated me, and today, most of my
work is bespoke, with layers of
materiality that hold a mirror
to their maker,” says the
London-based interior
designer, whose Delhi
home previously
graced AD’s cover in
January 2020 with its
spectacular Charles
Jencks–designed
garden. Over the
course of her 20-year
career, Misra has discovered
and collaborated with some of
the world’s rarest craftspeople, and
remains inspired by their untold stories.
Curio was born from this experience. A
digital platform, two decades in the
making, it features collectible furniture,
lighting and accessories and is set up to
. PHOTOS: COURTESY OF CURIO.
democratize collectible design for

discerning patrons around the world.
With the aim of spotlighting global
craftsmanship and cultural vern-
aculars, its debut exhibition, “Hand
in Hand: Making in the Modern
Age”, opened at the Nehru Centre,
Mayfair, at the London Design
Festival in September.
TEXT: VAISHNAVI NAYEL TALAWADEKAR
In a fitting hat tip to her roots,

Misra’s curatorial ethos for
THE HAND-SCULPTED VELO DB
CHAIR BY ENGLISH DESIGNER JAN
Curio is informed by regional
WATERSTON, NAMED SO FOR ITS as well as global design lan-
DYNAMIC BICYCLE-LIKE SHAPE.
guages. “We work with both
established and emerging
designers and makers, united
not by a particular typology,
style, or material, but by exceptional
creativity and skill. Emerging talent is of
great interest, as are traditional skills and
crafts,” says Misra.

Some noted Indian names in Curio’s
repertoire include Vikram Goyal, Tarun
Tahiliani, and Ashiesh Shah. Goyal’s
bouquet of brass tables, screens and murals
(pictured) are artisanally crafted, while
Tahiliani’s pichhwai renditions are a muted
take on the traditional art form. Shah’s
Bird Lamp is also of special note, its
feathered tail mimicking that of a
resplendent bird. By the same token, the
platform is underpinned by over 60 other
international makers, including such
names as Tamsin van Essen, Tom
Faulkner and Amelia Lancaster.
Although the objects are prized for their
provenance, they are curated to be acc
essible. At its very foundation, Curio
removes the white gallery walls and
replaces them with windows through
which connoisseurs and enthusiasts can
appreciate the honesty and integrity of
these craftspeople, designers, makers,
and artists. It is Misra’s belief that one
shouldn’t have to visit galleries and art fairs
to be “in the club”.
For designers like Shah, the platform has
helped shine a light on the makers behind
each object. “At the atelier, we endeavour
to give Indian craftsmanship a voice,” he
says. “Curio has served as a welcome
medium to reshape the perception of ver
nacular crafts, and in turn, inspire a spirit of
karigari amongst curators of art and design
across the world.”
“SOARING IN FUJI”, A BRASS

WALL MURAL WITH REPOUSSÉ
MOTIFS, FROM VIKRAM
GOYAL’S JAPPONISME SERIES.

The
Eye Has to
A
fter spending time with his
beloved grand aunt, whose
father built the majestic
Travel Kapur Mahal on Marine
Drive, interior architect Kunal Shah
instantly knew what his next show was
From fine jewellery to going to be about. But it wasn’t just an
lithographs, interior overnight revelation. Having grown up in
architect Kunal Shah’s latest
TEXT: ADARSH SONI.
Mumbai, Shah has always maintained an

exhibition at design gallery affinity for the city’s opulent Art Deco
47-A spotlights Mumbai’s architecture. “Art Deco is gentle, gracious,
and egalitarian, especially given its history
glamorous Art Deco era. as a response to colonialism,” says Shah.
“There is a certain familiarity as well and a
thrill when you encounter anything of
that style,” he adds. From Nanavati
Hospital in Vile Parle West to the iconic
Regal Cinema in Colaba that started it all,
Mumbai simply doesn’t exist without
Art Deco.
To Shah those buildings represent a
new India, a youthful and exuberant
nation that dared to step outside the
looming shadow that the British had cast.
Shah’s ongoing exhibition—titled Art Deco,
which opened earlier this month at 47-A,
A VINTAGE TEAPOT FROM a design gallery in Khotachiwadi—doesn’t
THE COLLECTION OF
CURATOR KUNAL SHAH
just explore the ornamental surface of the
(PHOTO: KUNAL SHAH).

design movement that was founded in the
1920s, but sinks right into its bones. It sifts
through the fabrics woven by Hema Shroff
Patel, who works with Maheshwari
artisans to modernize their offerings.
It flirts with jeweller Hanut Singh’s
gem-encrusted danglers that have been
worn by celebrated Hollywood icons.
It waltzes into imaginary
ballrooms that are covered in
artist Vishwa Shroff’s study of
floor tiles. It’s everywhere.
Tea pots, bookends, and
other objects procured
through an antique dealer
are delicately displayed on
vintage furniture pieces.
Everything is assembled
in front of embroidered wall-
paper panels of Art Deco-
style imagery from the famed
DeGournay—as if a ritualistic
offering. Tucked within it all
are some stand-out mo-
ments. “I’m currently taking
great delight in a pair of
bookends made of various
marbles, with a view of the
seaside etched on one of their
surfaces,” says Shah. “It’s an
incredibly unique piece!”
he adds.
The exhibition serves up a
slice of important design
history with a side of con-
temporary tributes to the
movement, all done with a
tasteful flair. “The aim of
this show is to simply draw
attention to Art Deco, to
understand it, and to cherish whatever is
left of it—so we can make an informed
decision about its future,” says Shah. “We
must find ways to stimulate conversation
about our cosmopolitan heritage, before it
vanishes under the wrecking ball.”
Art Deco is on view at 47-A, Mumbai, from
15 October till 13 November 2022.
ABOVE RIGHT: EARRINGS TAKING

INSPIRATION FROM ART DECO
CHANDELIERS, DESIGNED BY HANUT
SINGH (PHOTO: HANUT SINGH). ABOVE
LEFT: SUNSHINE, 2021. LITHOGRAPH
BY VISHWA SHROFF (PHOTO: VISHWA
SHROFF). LEFT: AMBA WEAVE
CREATES SCARVES WITH ART DECO
MOTIFS, HANDWOVEN IN MAHESHWAR
(PHOTO: COURTESY OF AMBA WEAVE).

The Sisterhood
of Quilters
For years, a little-known cluster of women
quilters in Karnataka has been creating
bright patchwork quilts laced with their
memories of home and belonging.
N
early a decade ago, Bengaluru-
based art historian and textile
curator Anitha N Reddy found
TEXT:
herself in Analesara, a remote
village in Karnataka. Reddy remembers her
RAJAS
first sight of the village—patchwork quilts,
patterned like mosaic, were draped on
HREE B
bridges, courtyards, and roofs. The quilts,
ALARA
locally referred to as kavand, were made by the
women of the Siddi community. The Siddis,
M
who arrived in India in the 16th century, are of
. PHOTO
African descent and purported to have
travelled from Mozambique, as soldiers and
: ANITHA
slaves on Portuguese trading ships.
“They are deeply sentimental about
N REDDY.
these quilts, as they are patched with pieces
of clothing that represent a family’s private
memories,” says Reddy. Made of remnants
of old saris, children’s clothes, sarongs, and
petticoats, these quilts are used to swaddle
babies, and as mattresses and blankets.
Soon after, Reddy began working closely with
the women to revive the quilting practice. As the
conversation deepened, she supplied the artisans
with a greater variety of upcycled and fresh
fabrics. “In each quilt, it’s the running stitch that
governs the design. The quilt is not planned, but
‘emerges’ as women make spontaneous choices
in geometry and texture, based on the material
available,” marks Reddy. Where earlier, there was
one master quilter in each village community,
now a larger number of women from many
villages have taken up quilting. More than 80
women are now part of Reddy’s initiative.
Over the years, Reddy has showcased
THE FREEWHEELING
these quilts at prestigious exhibitions across SPIRIT OF THE QUILTING
India. While the lives of the Siddi women PROCESS IS REFLECTED
IN THE PATTERNS
are changing for the better, some good old AND ASSEMBLY OF
EACH QUILT, WHICH
things remain the same. Just before they put COMES TOGETHER IN A
in their last stitches, the women continue to PATCHWORKED MOSAIC IN
BOLD, VIVID COLOURS.
insert a few grains of rice under the final
layer as a symbolic gesture of prosperity for
the quilt owner. They describe it as a nod to
the Kannada saying ‘hotte thumbisodu’ (‘May
your belly be full’). It’s only when art reaches
for your heart, after all, that it becomes a
true masterpiece.

A House of
Words
TEXT: SWAREENA GURUNG. PHOTO: DANIEL SCHÄFER.
T
he Meisterstück, Montblanc’s Once inside the three-storeyed,
most iconic model, has been so 38,000- square-foot space, bathed in
Montblanc’s newly often wielded by political and various shades of white, visitors are
opened experiential cultural icons that it has been immersed in the brand’s history. Along
space in Hamburg dubbed the “power pen”. In 1963, John F. with a cafe and boutique, it houses a
chronicles the Kennedy famously offered his personal permanent exhibition of over 400 writing
Meisterstück to German Chancellor instruments, including archival pieces and
contribution of the
Konrad Adenauer to sign the Golden rare collect ables. An ode to the art of
German luxury brand Book of the city of Cologne when the handwriting, the autograph library fea-
to the art of writing. latter had forgotten to carry a pen. James tures 30 original handwritten notes, from
Bond’s version in Octopussy, on the other Ernest Hemmingway and Albert Einstein
A DISPLAY OF MONTBLANC’S ICONIC
hand, contained an earpiece and dispelled to Frida Kahlo and Spike Lee. Visitors are
MODEL, MEISTERSTÜCK, AT THE highly concentrated acids. themselves encouraged to leave a mark by
MONTBLANC HAUS IN HAMBURG.
When the renowned Spanish firm signing the digital guestbook, testing
Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos designed Montblanc writing instruments, and
Montblanc Haus, the brand’s new experi- participating in calligraphy classes.
ential space right next to its headquarters “Montblanc Haus is a special home for
in Hamburg, they had its iconic pens appreciating the art of writing. It is a place
in mind. The building’s rectangular struc- where visitors and guests can discover
ture imitates the historical shape of writing the power of handwriting and the creati-
instrument packaging while the dark vity and emotions it unlocks in everyone.
mineral façade recalls the Meisterstück’s It narrates this story through the eyes of a
deep-black resin body. The snow-capped company that has been at the heart of the
Montblanc mountain is rendered on culture of writing for over 115 years,” says
the façade through cut-outs on the Ne e r a j Wa l i a , M D a n d C E O o f
striated concrete. Montblanc India.

Sense and
Sustainability
D
esign, luxury, and environ-
mental sustainability lie at the
heart of Italian luxury brand
Visionnaire. Founded in 2004
Intimate and organic by the Bologna-based company IPE, the
are the magic words brand blends art and design to develop
for the Italian luxury meaningful luxury, led by the inspired
brand Visionnaire. vision of art director and co-founder
Eleonore Cavalli.
To celebrate this moment in time,
the brand recently unveiled the Mythica
collection, an ode to our intimate and
powerful daily rituals, narrated by the
brand’s long-term designers, Alessandro
La Spada, Mauro Lipparini, Draga &
Aurel, and m2atelier—together with
two new entries, Studiopepe and Marta
Naddeo. They worked on six thematic
chapters: the winter garden, the atrium,
the convivium, the daytime oasis, the
alcove, and the boudoir—the latter,
implies a setting of profound and complete
privacy, with two pieces (Blanche
mirror and Parade lighting system) by
Studiopepe. The unmistakable Italian
expertise is also felt in the glassmaking
and mirror etching: “The Blanche mirror
bears an image etched on its surface by
hand, concealed by a curtain of thin
leather strips. To see it and then to see
your reflection, the fringe has to be gently
IRE.
moved, implying the use of both sight

NA
and touch,” Cavalli explains.

VISION
All Mythica pieces are designed with

a focus on sartorial curation, material
ESY OF
research, and low environmental

impact. Consider the delicate and
COURT
discreet lines of Alessandro La

Spada’s Astrid chair (pictured): the
PHOTO
sinuous shape is subtle and yet

welcoming, while at the back,
TI.
the leather variant with its

A PIOT
embroidered foliage motif, an

RISTIN
evident tribute to botany.

A deep love for nature and organic
TEXT: C
contours have always been a visual signa-

ture of the brand. “From the definition of
the creative concept all the way to the
choice of colours and materials connected
with the earth, love of the natural envi-
ronment is expressed in the entire design
process of this collection,” says Cavalli.

Tower of
Light
0
Formafantasma’s new lighting ne of the greatest modern
collection inspired by Matisse’s artists, Henri Matisse was also a
vibrant paper cut-outs is a perfect man of interiors. From books
to crockery, rugs to chairs,
balance of form and colour.
objects of daily life delighted and inspired
him. He collected obsessively and painted
‘a world of things’ in the brightest, most
expressive colours. Now, almost 150 years
TEXT: GAUTAMI REDDY. PHOTO: DELFINO SISTO LEGNANI AND PIER CARLO QUECCHIA OF DSL STUDIO.
after his birth, the artist’s family–led by his

great-grandson Jean-Matthieu Matisse–is
building on his legacy through the design
house Maison Matisse by inviting iconic
and emerging designers to create objects
celebrating the joie de vivre spirit of his art.
The newest entrants are Italian designer
duo Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin
of Formafantasma who have produced
Fold, a lighting collection inspired by
Matisse’s famous paper cut-outs, a medium
that the artist turned to in his 70s in what
marked the beginning of his “second life”
and a period of vibrant creativity.
“We have always been fascinated by
how Matisse used paper cut-outs to
investigate shapes and colours,” says
Farresin. The duo have beautifully
translated the artist’s emotion and
effervescence in metal. “I have always
admired Formafantasma and their poetic
aesthetic,” adds Jean-Matthieu, “and with
this collection, they have found a way to
combine their minimalist style with the
ultimate expression of the colours of
Matisse, both in their treatment of the
pieces and hues.”
The collection ranges from chandeliers
and wall lights to table and floor lamps.
Additionally, for Maison Matisse’s
permanent collection, Formafantasma
designed a candleholder and table
centrepiece that draw from the floating
forms in Matisse’s 1950 painting Les Mille et
Une Nuits. “Ours is a family that counts on
the finest designers to create forever pieces
that bring joy to both present and future
FORMAFANTASMA’S DESIGNS WERE generations to come,” says Jean-Matthieu.
SENT TO SPECIALIST CRAFTSMEN
WHO LASER-CUT AND BENT
Walk into Maison Matisse’s boutique
METAL INTO GEOMETRIC SHAPES, store in Paris, and it’s immediately clear:
WHICH WERE THEN POLISHED
AND VARNISHED IN DEEP GREENS, His dreams are coming true.
BLUES, CORAL PINKS, AND REDS.

Making
TEXT: NEERJA DEODHAR. COVER DESIGNED BY RUKMINEE GUHA THAKURTA.
of a Memoir
PUBLISHED BY ARTHSHILA. PHOTO: HARSHITA NAYYAR.
Architect Ramu Katakam’s

memoir offers an evocative
glimpse into the history
of post-independence
architecture in India.
THROUGH HIS BOOK, ARCHITECT
T
RAMU KATAKAM DEMONSTRATES HOW
CHANCE ENCOUNTERS AND DEEP
he memoir of an architect has Katakam to reflect on his practice, as ENGAGEMENTS WITH BUILT SPACES
the potential to be many well as the years before he became an CAN SHAPE AN ARTIST’S VISION.
different things, all at once: a architect. He paints a portrait of the early

documentation of their oeuvre, years after 1947, when India’s citizens
the structures that moved and inspired were eager to experience “the beginnings
them, and the people and politics that of freedom”, as a resident of a tent
shaped their world view. Ramu Katakam’s colony in Lutyens’ Delhi. He recounts
Spaces in Time adds another dimension—of weekends spent at Teen Murti Bhavan
serving as a record of history. with Rajiv Gandhi when they were both
A veteran whose practice began in the schoolboys—idyllic days of swimming
late ’70s, Katakam wanted his memoir to in the president’s pool and witnessing
depict changes in India’s architecture in Jawaharlal Nehru at work.
the period after independence. Katakam’s Of a visit to the Piazza del Campo in
first-hand experiences—whether his Italy, the architect writes as evocatively
involvement in setting up Dilli Haat, a about the terracotta-coloured bricks as he
crafts bazaar in the capital, or building does of a young couple in love. Structures
a secretariat building in Saudi Arabia— such as the Piazza and architects such as
reveal details beyond what is known. Louis Kahn and Luis Barragán deeply
Consider, for example, a retreat in inspired Katakam. “Both attempted to
Haryana’s Sohna that Katakam had to bring a spiritual quality to the spaces they
work on in secret, because it was to be a designed,” he says. “Barragán even talks
meeting place for cabinet ministers during of enchantment, serenity, intimacy, and
Indira Gandhi’s tenure as prime minister. amazement. If a building gives me these,
The writing process prompted I find myself drawn to it.”

More Than
a Chair
C
hennai-based product studio style coffee filters and leather pouches,
BeatRoot Co is on a mission to which allowed them to experiment with
create a more efficient craft designs while minimizing financial risk.
economy. Founded in 2017 by The whimsically detailed seating series
That Chair by BeatRoot Co is architect and industrial designer That Chair, which comprises four pieces,
an eye-catching consequence Shreelekha Lakshmipathy, the brand is the brand’s first foray into the furniture
of the Chennai-based studio’s investigates the intricacies of small-scale space. The collection, crafted in teak
manufacturing in all manner of industries, wood, is punctuated with curvilinear,
craft-forward design process.
from stoneware to leather and wood- geometric forms distilled from traditional
working. “We pick artisan clusters and try South Indian design motifs. “The idea was
to understand how they work,” says to create something that would bring
Lakshmipathy, “and we eventually try to visual value to a space,” she says. “But that
discover something that we could do did not guide our design–our first concern
differently.” was structural stability and ergonomics.”
Lakshmipathy’s experimental approach The creative process is an ever-evolving
to manufacturing processes draws from adventure for Lakshmipathy. Currently,
her background in architecture and in- she is focused on making the collection
dustrial design. “We are still in the process flat-packable, and introducing modern
PUNCTUATED WITH GEOMETRIC FORMS
of finding the perfect balance between technologies–like MDF templates–to
INSPIRED BY THE CULTURAL MOTIFS OF what works for us and the artisans,” says make the hand-crafting process more
SOUTH INDIA, THAT CHAIR REMAINS AN
OPEN COLLECTION THAT BEATROOT Lakshmipathy. She offers the example of a consistent. “Our designs are inspired by
CO HOPES TO INVITE MORE DESIGNERS rug cluster in Bhavani, Tamil Nadu that our surroundings,” she says, “But 90
TO CONTRIBUTE TO IN THE FUTURE.
was losing business because their designs percent of our work goes into improving
weren’t evolving to suit the contemporary the manufacturing process—making sure
market. “We intervened to rework the the craftsmen are working efficiently and
designs, while making an effort to main- getting paid fairly, and that quality is not
tain the quality of the craftsmanship.” compromised. In that sense, we’re not just
The brand initially launched a set of designing a product, we’re designing an
small objects, including South Indian– entire ecosystem.”
TEXT: AVANTIKA SHANKAR. PHOTO: ROOPIKA LAKSHMIPATHY.

TEXT: ARSHIA DHAR. PHOTO: EDWARD HENDRICKS.
A Leaf
out of
History
Hermès returns with its
third edition of the brand’s
Heritage Exhibition in
Mumbai to celebrate the
joy of movement.
I
n 2019, only months before the world Gaudichon, he mentions the striking
went into lockdown, Hermès miniature child’s carriage (pictured),
celebrated its second edition of its that sits petite in its unique structural
touring Hermès Heritage exhibition integrity. The quaint metal coach that
with all things red, a colour deeply is over a century old is a stellar example
embedded in the brand’s prolific legacy. of the brand’s craftsmanship that has
While its maiden chapter explored the stood the test of time. “This object is
theme of “Harnessing the Roots”, the a perfect example of the combination
French maison is back with its third of both aesthetics and technicality
chapter after three years, this time that Hermès creations seek to attain,
commemorating objects that are “in and even if this model vehicle is over
motion”, carefully curated from the a hundred years old, it perfectly
Hermès archives and conservatory, the expresses the principles that are still
Emile Hermès Collection, and Hermès’s relevant today for creation at Hermès,”
contemporary collections. the curator says. Besides this, the host
“The idea of movement is at the origin of interesting objects that will be on
of the maison. It is the foundation of display include a stirrup heater, an
Hermès’s raison d’être and evolution,” aeroplane change tray, a 19th-century
says Bruno Gaudichon, curator of the tobacco box, among numerous others.
exhibition. It’s this philosophy that The idea fuelling these exhibitions is to
guided him while choosing the objects foreground the stories woven into the
and iconography to be put on display brand’s history and identity over its
from 11–20 November at the show in 180-year-old presence, and what better
Mumbai’s IF.BE Gallery. way than this to set the wheels back in
Of all the curios handpicked by motion after three years of hitting pause.

On the AD100 architect Martand
Khosla talks about his art as an
Brink
F
extension of his architectural
or AD100 architect Martand
Khosla, his art is an extension— practice, which explores the
and a reflection—of his two- nuances of the urban condition.
decade-long architectural
TEXT: ARSHIA DHAR. PHOTO: COURTESY OF NATURE MORTE.

practice, where he explores the urban
condition through both metaphors and
materiality of construction. A strange
paradox looms over his artworks—that of
concurrent disarray, even distortion, and
stillness bundled into visually arresting
commentaries on what comprises the
cycle of life on earth. At times, his objects
seem to be suspended mid-air or stuck
mid-movement; at others, you can see
through them. This interdependence
between his artistic and architectural
practice was brought to light in Khosla’s
exhibition, titled “On The Brink”, which
was on view till 1 October at Nature
Morte in New Delhi.
“Almost all my artistic practice ref-
erences architectural and construction
materials. In broader readings of the city,
social anxieties are perhaps one possible
aspect. However, I see there to be several
others: benevolent and violent, creative
and destructive aspects to the city are
equally important in understanding our
urban realities,” says Khosla. As an archi-
tect, his works are spread over both public
and private domains. Within private
spheres, shared spaces lend to lesser
hierarchical interactions, which may
not necessarily be the case with public
spaces—an area in which his architectural
practice lays emphasis. “In my work,
both art and architecture occupy these
critical conversations,” he says.
Khosla’s artworks have a chimeric,
almost fluid lyricism to them, despite
being crafted out of elements generally
perceived as “industrial”, and therefore
rugged and lifeless. They meld the lines
between sculpture and object, as is evident
in the repeated motif of the door in his
oeuvre. “Symbolically and literally, doors
denote transitions and thresholds. When I
look at domestic objects, neighbourhoods,
and cities, I begin to formally push these
simple objects and ideas to unexpected ON THE BRINK II, 2022, STEEL AND PAINT.
forms and materials,” he says, underlining

how art and architecture can collide to
lend a more holistic view of the world.

O
n a walk in Paris in the early table in The Italian Job (1969), two
1960s, Italian brothers Achille illuminated an office in Diamonds Are
and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni Forever (1971). Over the years, the best-
had a light-bulb moment. seller has lit up the homes of tastemakers,
In the elegant arch of the city’s street from Andrea Molteni to Willy Rizzo.
lights, they found an enduring design “She’s tall and thin,” says interior design-
solution—a directional light that didn’t er Darren Brown, who used one in a
require ceiling suspension. soaring LA living room. “And there are
Enter: Arco, a flexible floor lamp that few alternatives that bring light to a
emerged from a hunk of marble and could coffee table.”
function over a dining table or as a reading The 60-kilogram Carrara base has
light. No ceiling fittings needed. In 1962 it bevelled, bump-proof corners and a hole
was released by Italian manufacturer Flos, that makes the lamp easy to pick up.
The which has produced it ever since.

The stem, made of three stainless-steel
pieces that extend like a telescope, stret-
The aluminium shade is perforated so it
does not overheat. Look for these clues if
you’re trying to verify the much-copied
Timeless ches to nearly seven feet wide, allowing

the Arco to sit easily out of foot traffic. “It’s
a ceiling lamp without being a ceiling
Arco. Or order the Arco K, a limited,
crystal-based edition Flos just released for
the lamp’s 60th birthday. Its NFC tag can
Arco lamp,” explains Giovanna Castiglioni,

daughter of Achille.
It became a screen star almost imme-
be scanned to confirm authenticity. But
knock-offs usually reveal themselves, says
Flos CEO Roberta Silva. “Making a copy
diately—one arched over a conference is not easy.
How Achille and
Pier Giacomo
Castiglioni’s 1962
light for Flos
became a living
room essential.
TEXT: HANNAH MARTIN. PHOTO: STUDIO CASALI/COURTESY OF FONDAZIONE ACHILLE CASTIGLIONI.
A 1969 ARCHIVAL
IMAGE OF THE ARCO
LAMP BY FLOS.

TEX
T: SWA
REENA GURUNG. PHO
TO
S
C
O
UR
TE
SY
O
FH
ER
MA
NM
ILL
ER.
Evergreen
Eames
Here’s a fun yet practical
retelling of classic Eames
furniture by Denmark-
based design brand, HAY.
I
n the mid-19th century, the designers “The Eameses were very experimental in
Charles and Ray Eames pioneered taking advantage of new technologies,”
materials and techniques ahead of their says Rolf, “And they were having fun.”
time. Their 1946 LCW chair, for Mette cites this playful yet rigorous
instance, has been dubbed “the chair of approach to design as the model for their
the century” and was a by-product of their own creative process.
experiments with moulding plywood— In the Hays’ hands, the furniture pieces
initially to make leg splints for the US are reinterpreted in sustainable materials
Navy. Launched a decade later, their and fresh new colours like toffee, iron
THE EAMES MOULDED Lounge Chair, which combines moulded red, and powder yellow. The Eames Shell
PLYWOOD LOUNGE CHAIR
UPDATED BY HAY IN A RICH plywood with cushioning, became one of Chair—the first-ever plastic chair, launched
FOREST GREEN COLOUR.
the most sought-after pieces of furniture in 1950—now comes in 100 percent post-
and a perennial status symbol. industrial recycled plastic and in six fresh
Several decades later, when a young new colours; their Hang-It-All coat rack
Rolf Hay attended an exhibition about is fitted with cast-glass balls instead of the
the Eameses in Germany, it left a lifelong original painted wood; two tables are now
impact on him. Today, he and his wife topped with cast-glass too, while wire
Mette head the design brand HAY, which chairs have been powder-coated and can
they founded in 2002. be outfitted with weatherproof cushions.
When Herman Miller, the American “A unique vision of colour, the
company that produces Eames furniture, evolution of thoughtful materials, and a
approached the couple to re-envision beautifully interconnected story of design
eight Eames mid-century classics for the partnership harness the enduring spirit of
21st century, they used the Eameses’ col- Herman Miller,” adds Ben Watson, the
laborative design ethos as a starting point. brand’s president.

Tiled
The award-winning Palacio
collection by Orvi Surfaces
Wonders
is a symphony of materials,
TEXT: AVANTIKA SHANKAR. PHOTO: COURTESY OF ORVI DESIGN STUDIO.

brought together by
impeccable craftsmanship.
A
pattern of wood grain,
straight-lined and shaded,
invites the eye to wander.
Suddenly, a block of polished
black commands a moment of pause. The
spell is finally broken by a glimmer of
brass, weaving into view and carrying the
gaze onward. The landscape unravels into
a tapestry of wood, metal, and stone,
perfectly balanced in a geometric tableau.
Orvi Surfaces’ Palacio collection of
tiles, which won the European Product
Design Award for “Home interior
products/materials and surfaces” this year,
witnesses a rare combination of opulence
and restraint.
“It took us a while to understand the
characteristics of each material, and how
they can be brought together,” explains
Orvi Surfaces founder Sanjeev Agrawal.
“We were among the first to [add high-
quality] metal inlay in stone and wood,
and now we’re looking at how that can be
translated into designs that can appeal to a
global audience.”
Agrawal is part of a burgeoning
movement in the Indian design landscape
that seeks to revive traditional crafts—such
as stone inlay—through design interven-
tions. “It made me sad to see that crafts
from India were still being practised in a
very old-fashioned manner,” he admits,
“There was no modernity in the designs.”
In a bid to offer traditional craftsmanship a
ORVI SURFACES’ DESIGNS STRIKE A DELICATE BALANCE
platform in the contemporary market, BETWEEN MINIMALISM AND FLAMBOYANCE, CREATING
Agrawal enlists the sensibilities of PATTERNS THAT TRANSCEND GEOGRAPHY AND CULTURE.
designers from around the world; Orvi has

previously collaborated with Italian des-
igner Matteo Cibic on the Filo collection
of objects crafted in marble and brass. “If
we enhance craftsmanship with contem-
porary design and modern technology, we
might be able to help those traditions
survive,” he insists, “That is the intention
with which we founded Orvi.”

THE LAST WORD IN TRAVEL
PHOTO: ERRIKOS ANDREOU/CONDÉ NAST TRAVELLER INDIA
On the Terraced
Farms
TEXT: VAISHNAVI NAYEL TALAWADEKAR. PHOTOS: HASHIM BADANI.
of Kasauli
Opening this month, the
Bijoy Jain–designed Amaya
is a self-sustaining boutique
hotel etched sensitively into
its Himalayan ecosystem.
S
omewhere near Kasauli,
4,600 feet above sea level,
hides a secret gateway to the
Himalayas. Nestled inside a
sustainably managed forest, Amaya is
tailored for the thoughtful traveller. It is
slowly and harmoniously cultivated into
the earth, and is as much a part of the
landscape as the magpies and milk thistles
that neighbour it. But what is perhaps
most noteworthy of all is that the modern
mountain village—whose name nods to
the Sanskrit word for simplicity—is a self-
sustaining sanctuary that elevates the
Himalayan topography.
When founder Deepak Gupta con-
ceived the idea in 2013, his vision was
crystal clear: an ecosystem of villas that
would marry into the terraces, paddy
fields, water channels, and walking paths
that had been bequeathed upon the land.
It was an endeavour in reforestation that
would restore the people and the place
alike. “In essence, our vision was to create
a mountain habitat that didn’t displace
nature, but rather rejuvenated the parts of
THE BUILT FORM IS PERCHED the mountain landscape that had been
ON GENTLY SLOPING TERRACES
WITH PAVED STONE PATHWAYS. disrupted by development,” he says.
Recognizing that it was a tall order, Gupta
reached out to the one architect he
believed could match his sensibility:
AD100 architect Bijoy Jain of Studio
Mumbai. After all, for a site so ecologically
fragile, it was an architectural undertaking
achievable by but a precious few.
For Jain, the landscape served as the
point of departure for the architecture.
After several visits to the forested site, he

made up his mind: He would use a small
section of the once-upon-a-time farm
terraces to sensitively root the villas to the
hillside. The gentle approach, which holds
a mirror to his time-honoured ethos of
local sensitivity, was parlayed into the
material palette, with local materials like
wood, lime, brick, timber, and stone
nodding to the land’s pastoral heritage. “It
isn’t just the fuel, manpower, and building
materials we need to take into account
[when we build spaces], it’s also the value
of the people—and every other living
being—that has participated in the
creation of each structure,” says Jain. “Our
studio views the landscape as a resource,
using readily available materials and
technologies to create spaces adapted to
local climatic conditions.”
True to Jain’s signature, the villas,
chalets, and suites—of which there are
five, nine, and six respectively—wear the
colours of the landscape, both inside and
outside. Yet, the interiors are a world
unto their own, underscored by a
RIGHT: BIJOY JAIN AND DEEPAK
GUPTA IN CONVERSATION AT
decidedly Nordic aesthetic, courtesy of
STUDIO MUMBAI. BELOW: A London- based interior design firm
TRADITIONALLY OUTFITTED
ROOM WITH TEAK-AND-MARBLE Viewport Studio. The walls and floors
SHUTTERS AND A LOUNGE CHAIR
BY MAHENDRA DOSHI. THE BED
WEARS A GHONDAGI WOOL
BLANKET FROM MAHARASHTRA.

sport earthy finishes, while wood and
rattan accents serve as rustic counter
points to the muted shell. In the same
vein, the furniture and furnishings are a
collection of pieces from Denmark, Italy,
and the UK, with the exception of some
bespoke items that were designed by
Viewport Studio and made in India.
Each villa has a study or artist’s studio,
dining and living spaces, a fully equipped
kitchen, and three independent ensuite
bedrooms with wraparound porches.
In most seasons, Amaya’s kitchen and
herb gardens burst with lush, organic
fruits and vegetables, offered fresh and ripe
or turned into gourmet fare for discerning
patrons. Other novelties in the sanctuary
include Finnish saunas, a charming
library, a heated swimming pool and
sylvan landscapes that roll on unto
oblivion. Brimming with influences from
near and far, Amaya’s footprint—delicately
tempered by Jain—is an equal reflection of
global sensibility and local sensitivity.
TOP LEFT: A LIVING ROOM CORNER, FEATURING A RESULT CHAIR BY HAY,

BASKS IN THE FOREST LIGHT. TOP RIGHT: A DINING ROOM CHANNELS A
MINIMALIST VIBE WITH A CUSTOM TABLE IN MARBLE AND TEAK, CHAIRS BY
TON, AND A BENGAL SHELF BY MAHENDRA DOSHI. ABOVE: A VILLA LIVING
ROOM STARRING A CHAIR BY SIBAST, A SOFA BY &TRADITION, A SIDE
TABLE BY MENU, AND A CUSTOM COFFEE TABLE BY VIEWPORT STUDIO.

IT'S WHAT'S NEW NOW
PHOTO: TARUN VISHWA/GQ INDIA
Inside With its newest opening
in New York, Aman brings
Aman New a slice of serenity to the

bustle of Fifth Avenue.
York
A
man New York is
redefining the
luxury hotel scene
in Manhattan. In
a city as storied as New York,
luxury, for better or worse, is
often synonymous with
historic. Or, in less romantic
terms, old. Places like The
Plaza, St. Regis, or Algonquin
have long dominated when it
comes to lavish accomm
odations and, naturally, the
look of these hotels—Gilded
Age glamour with hints
of neoclassical grace—has
prevailed as the aesthetic of
highend hospitality. Aman
New York, decked out in a
modern organic style, wants
to change that narrative.
As the newest addition
to the hospitality brand’s
extensive property list, Aman ABOVE: INSIDE THE CROWN BUILDING,
AMAN NEW YORK MERGES NEW YORK
New York is the brand’s first location on HIGH SOCIETY WITH THE BRAND’S
the East Coast and only the third in the REPUTATION OF REMOTE TRANQUILLITY.
TEXT: KATHERINE MCLAUGHLIN. PHOTOS COURTESY OF AMAN.

RIGHT: A MURAL INSPIRED BY THE 15TH-
United States. First established in 1988 in CENTURY MASTERPIECE PINE TREES
(SHŌRIN-ZU BYŌBU) BY JAPANESE PAINTER
Phuket, Thailand, Aman was imagined HASEGAWA TŌHAKU IN THE SUITE.
as a collection of intimate retreats and
has carved out a niche as a power player
in remote luxury. Since then, Aman
has spread its wings to many countries
across the world—from Amangalla and
Amanwella in Sri Lanka; Amanbagh
and AmaniKhás in Rajasthan, India;
Amankora in Bhutan; to Aman Tokyo
and Amanemu in Japan—each touched by
the sensitive, mindful approach of some
of the finest minds in architecture: Jean
Michel Gathy of Denniston Architects,
late Ed Tuttle and late Kerry Hill.
Sitting on Fifth Avenue just below
Central Park, Aman New York is located
in the historic Warren & Wetmore–

designed Crown Building. Gathy
oversaw the transformation of
the building that once housed
the Museum of Modern Art into
the exclusive accommodations.
At the nexus of two histories—
the building’s in New York high society
and Aman’s in Asia—instead of avoiding
this perceived dichotomy, the hotel chose
to lean into the contradiction. Small
gold details honour the structure’s roots
from the Gilded Age, while wood and
stone floors resembling a rattan basket
and straw marquetry on fireplaces pull
from the Asian design vernacular. For
the New Yorker or tourist still looking
for the calm they would easily find in
one of Aman’s more secluded locations,
the Big Apple hotel has another trick up
its sleeve. Spanning 25,000 square feet,
Aman New York contains the brand’s
flagship urban spa, which offers seven
treatment rooms with a long list of high-
tech beauty technologies. In addition to
the bedrooms and spa, guests can also
find two signature restaurants, a fitness
centre, a 65-foot reflective pool, a hair
and nail salon, a garden terrace, a jazz
TOP: THE DINING AREA IN THE SUITE FEATURES SUBTLE CONTRASTS IN
TEXTURES AND A GENTLE PLAY OF LIGHT. ABOVE LEFT: THE SOARING club, and a lounge bar.
VOLUMES OF THE SPACE ARE SEEN IN THE SPA AND POOL AREA. ABOVE
RIGHT: THE INTERIORS OF AMAN NEW YORK EMBRACE A DARKER, MORE
Vlad Doronin, owner, chairman and
MODERN AESTHETIC COMPARED TO OTHER LUXURY HOTELS IN THE AREA. CEO of Aman Group tells AD, “We have
one clear design language, which creates a
feeling of harmony and serenity, reflective
of the Aman ethos and feeling.” Instead of
looking to replicate the New York of the
past, Aman looks to the future—one
where a sliver of Fifth Avenue can be both
a quiet respite and one of the busiest
blocks in the world.

PIERR E AUG U STIN RO SE
Duo (oak)
c offee table s
STYLIST: SHALINI KANOJIA.

THIER RY LEMAIRE
R12 (bronze)
side t able
GI OBAGNAR A
E loi s e c hair
PACO CA M Ú S
Sa i gon c ab inet
S H O P

EK DESI GN
H e m po uffe
L AK K AD HA A R A
Ra ja st ha ni d oo r
ST RO M BOL I D ES I GN
Kri d ben ch
P
O
H
S
I SKO S
Sofa f ro m the Sli c e c o lle c ti on,
by A leks ej Isko s and
Yukifumi Shibas aki

C EC C OT TI C OL LE ZI ONI
Imrat cons ol e,
designed by Ya mo
S H O P
K AS SL ED ITI O N S
P illow s ofa ,
by Mu lle r Van S evere n
NIL AYA
Benito s ofa , from
th e U topia collecti on
TH E INVI S IB LE C OL LECTI O N
Cro isil lo n L amp 1 928,
by Jean- Miche l Fra nk

HERMÈS
H Ri vi era b lanket
BAR EEK I
Surudoi t able
DESI GN B OHIN C STU DI O

Derriere chair
P
LO UI S V UIT TO N
Bomb oc a Sofa G M (grey) ,
by Estu di o Ca mpana
O
H
S

Hello, Bengaluru
HERE ARE SOME GLIMPSES OF A FA B U LO U S NIGHT AT THE GROHE
S H OW R O O M IN B E N G A LU R U, WHICH OPENED WITH A RIVETING TA L K
BY A R T I ST AND C U R ATO R SUBODH KERKAR OF MUSEUM OF G OA
A N D C LO S E D W I T H A R O C K I N G DA N C E PA R T Y BY B E ST K E P T S EC R E T.
11 2
2
3
1. Te am Grohe . 2. Bobby Jose ph, Shibane e Sagar,
AD e ditor Komal Sharma. 3. Subodh Ke rkar. 4. Bijoy
Ramachandran. 5. Nisha Mathe w Ghosh. 6. Dhaval
Shellugar, Manisha Mittal, Jeenesh Nahar, Farah Ahmed.
7. Gine lle Gabrie lla Lope s, Chintan Singh, Likhitha
Shivmay. 8. Be st Ke pt Se cret pe rforming at the eve nt.
9. Joshua John, Juhi Patel.
6 7 7
8 9
8
1 2
4 5 6
7
10 11
1. The Lixil Studio installation. 2. Rahul Mistri. 3. Gue sts

during the band’s pe rformance . 4. Grohe clie nts.
5. Amrita Guha. 6. Disha Mankikar. 7. Catering courtesy
of Single Thread by chef Manu Chandra. 8. Kavita Sastry.
9. Te am AD. 10. Sumit Dhawan, Harjas Kaur. 11. Nare sh
V. Narasimhan.

THE LAST WORD IN TRAVEL
PHOTO: ATHUL PRASAD/CONDÉ NAST TRAVELLER INDIA

K I T C H E N R E P O R T
W I T H
BANI NANDA PORTRAIT, FOOD PHOTOS: AVESH GAUR. PRODUCT CURATION: SHALINI KANOJIA.
C H E F
F R O M A Z I N GY, F R E S H S A L A D TO A
B A N I
S I L K E N VA N I L L A M O U S S E T H AT M E LT S I N YO U R M O U T H , C H E F B A N I N A N DA
A D D S A F E I ST Y F L AVO U R TO A D ’S C O LO U R - S P L A S H E D K ITC H E N R E P O RT,
DOT TED WITH SOME OF OUR FAVOURITE PRODUCTS THIS SEASON.
Le Creuset
Pepper mill
(bamboo green)
Phaidon
The Irish
Cook Book
Material Kitchen
The Trio of
Knives (sage)
PHOTO: PAUL MASSEY.
The Plated Project

The Muse plate
Great Jones
Hot Dish & Lid
Häcker
AV2035 kitchen
Caraway
Ceramic sauce pan
with lid (sage)
Vista Alegre
Bread-and-butter plate
from the Amazōnia
collection
Casa Bugatti Grohe

Kiss salad tongs Our Place Blue Pure Minta
Oven pan single-lever
sink mixer
Marimekko
Pienet Elokuun
Varjot apron
Officine Gullo
OGS88 free-standing
range cooker
Ikai Asai
Amphora Noir
carafe
SALAD VERDE
Somany Ceramics A small bunch of rocket leaves

Vivo Plazo Beige tile Segments of one whole mosambi (sweet lime)
1/2 fennel bulb, sliced on a mandoline
1/2 avocado, diced
1 small cucumber, sliced on a mandoline
A bunch of microgreens
1-2 tsp dill, chopped
For the dressing

2 tsp olive oil
PHOTO: JUTTA GOESSL.
1/2 lemon, squeezed

1 tsp yellow mustard
1 tsp maple syrup
A pinch of garlic powder
Salt and pepper for seasoning
To make the dressing, mix the olive oil, lemon

juice, mustard, maple syrup, and garlic powder.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk this
mixture till it emulsifies (you can also blend this
in a mixer). Toss all the ingredients in a large
mixing bowl and add a few spoonfuls of the
dressing, ensuring that you add just enough for
the salad leaves to retain their texture.
Asa Selection
À La Plage
bowl, available
at FCML
DREAM WEAVER, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: PHOTO, PRUE RUSCOE.
BURRATA WITH
SESAME OIL
Plate up a plump portion of burrata on
a medium-size plate. Pour some honey
and sesame oil on top, and drop a few
pink peppercorns around. Garnish with
microgreens and serve with warm bread.
The plate should look inviting so your
guests dive right into the oozing burrata!
PHOTO: MIGUEL FLORES-VIANNA.
Caraway
Circle pans
(perracotta)
Ikai Asai
Blaze dinner plate
Decorfur
Stainless steel
champagne glass
Our Place
Flipping platter
Häfele
Revolving kidney-
shaped-tray set
Sir/Madam
Franconia kettle
(copper)
PHOTO: JENNA PEFFLEY.

Williams Sonoma
Copper pepper mill
Williams Sonoma
Mauviel copper
butter warmer
Balineum
Hanley tube-
lined tile
Siemens
EC9A5RB90I five-
burner gas hob
Xaka Cutlery
The Decor Circle
Celebration cake
Golden Peach Girl
set (gold)
serving tray
Gado Living
Elan trinket tray,
Tiipoi available at The
Ayasa Copper House of Things
storage jar
N OV E M B E R- D EC E M B E R 2 0 2 2 A D A R C H I T ECT U R A L D I G EST 5 3
Williams Sonoma
Pinecone cut
pitcher (red)
PIERRE YOVANOVITCH SHOWROOM: PHOTO, JEAN-PIERRE VAILLANCOURT.

Jonathan Adler
Vice Woof canister
(orange)
Grandeur
Viento dining chair
by Bonaldo
Seletti
“Shit” thermal bottle
by Toiletpaper
Marimekko
Keidas oven mitten
Plüsch
Kitchen by
Beckermann
Küchen
Bottos Design Italia

Coffee table from
the Reflective
collection
Officine Gullo
Double
Casamania & Horm fridge-freezer
Chariot table
Fornasetti
Don Giovanni
porcelain tray
Smeg
Manual espresso
coffee machine
Gorenje
RK6192EO free-
standing fridge-
freezer (juicy orange)
Kohler
Single-handle faucet
Mario Luca Giusti
Milly tumbler
Our Place
Perfect pot (rosa)
PHOTO: PAUL MASSEY.
CONFIT TOMATOES
2 cups cherry tomatoes
5-6 orange chilli peppers
7-8 cloves garlic
A sprinkle of sea salt
4-5 sprigs thyme
Olive oil in abundance
In a 9x4 inch baking tray, tumble all the

ingredients and sprinkle with sea salt. Add
glugs of olive oil to fill up the tray, ensuring
that the tomatoes are submerged in oil.
Let them confit in an oven set to 170
degrees Celsius. This could take 30–40
minutes—until the tomatoes are blistered.
Be sure to remove them from the oven
instantly or they’ll get mushy.
Emile Henry
Large bread loaf
baker
VANILLA
MOUSSE
170g milk
1/2 vanilla pod
3 egg yolks
30g sugar
6g gelatin sheets
170g whipped cream
PHOTO: ASIER RUA. STYLING: AMAYA DE TOLEDO
Make an anglaise with the milk, yolks,

scraped vanilla pod, and sugar by mixing
them all together, and heating them in a
shallow saucepan till the mixture comes to
a very slight simmer. Check the anglaise
for its consistency; it should coat the back
of a spoon. Soak the sheets of gelatin in
ice-cold water till they hydrate. Add the
gelatin sheets to the warm anglaise mixture
and mix till they dissolve. Cool down. Whip
the cream and fold into the anglaise and
gelatin mixture gently. You will end up with
a light fluffy mousse. You can fill silicon
moulds and freeze them overnight so they
Suite No. 8
take shape or simply set the mousse in
Mehrab cake stand individual trifle bowls. Serve cold.
(azure)
Tiipoi
Jonathan Adler Ayasa Colour
Scala Stripe storage jar
canister
Great Jones x
Molly Baz
Dutch oven
Liebherr Gentner
Double-door Design
refrigerator Paper I brass
bowl
Philippe Starck
Broom high chair
Mario Luca Giusti

Italia water glass
(blue)
Phaidon PHOTO: SIMON UPTON.

The Arabesque
Table cookbook
PHOTO: HELENIO BARBETTA.
Gucci Décor
Eye yellow
porcelain bowl
Cabana
Galeano oil and
vinegar set (blue)
Sir/Madam
Rialto coupe glass
Kiki Goti
Messed Up
coaster, available
at The Artling
aequō
Text Ritupriya Basu. Photographs Talib Chitalwala.
E
N
O
O
A r r i v i n g a t a eq u ō feel s l i ke s t ep p i n g i n t o a n o t h er w o r l d . Ta ke a
I
L
s h o r t wa l k u p a f l i g h t o f s t a i r s a t D e v i d a s M a n s i o n — a h e r i t a g e
O
building that sits in the bustling design district of Colaba in

F
M u m b a i — a n d t h e w o r l d fa l l s away a s y o u a r r i v e a t a s w e e p i n g ,
T
R
w h i t e c u b e s p a c e, w h i c h i s n o w h o m e t o I n d i a’s f i r s t c o l l ec t i b l e
O
d es i g n g a l l er y, c h r i sten ed a eq u ō ( p ro n o u n c ed “ec h o” ) . Fo u n d ed
P
b y Ta r i n i J i n d a l H a n d a a s a p r o j e c t t h a t f o r g e s a n e q u a l
d i a l o g u e b e t w e e n m a t e r i a l s , m a ke r s , a n d d e s i g n e r s , a e q u ō i s
u n l i ke a ny t h i n g I n d i a h as s e e n b e fo re . Fu e l l e d by a r t i s a n a l
c o l l a b o ra t i o n s , t h e g a l l e r y l o o k s a t c o l l e c t i b l e d e s i g n i n a n e w
l i g h t b y t u r n i n g t h e l en s o n I n d i a n c ra f t s m a n s h i p. I t a i m s t o p a i r
t h e w o r l d ’s b e s t d e s i g n e r s w i t h I n d i a n c ra f t s t o c re a t e p i e c e s
o f f u r n i t u re a n d c o v et a b l e o b j ec t s t h at s i t at a n i n t er s ec t i o n o f
c u l t u res a n d p ra c t i c es . C a s e i n p o i n t : T h ei r l a t es t c o l l ec t i o n o f
objects unveiled by master craftsman and designer Cédric
C o u r t i n , w h o w ra p s a ra n g e of tote m - l i ke ve s s e l s i n s u p p l e
l a y e r s o f l e a t h e r, h a n d c r a f t e d a t h i s a t e l i e r i n P u d u c h e r r y.

F O R A S H O W - S T O P P I N G P I E C E I N H I S
D E B U T C O L L E C T I O N O F O B J E C T S F O R
A E Q U Ō , C É D R I C C O U R T I N S E L E C T E D T H E
M U C H - A D M I R E D S I L H O U E T T E O F A N A G A
C H A I R , D R A P I N G I T I N A C A S C A D I N G
8 - M M -T H I N , H A N D - C U T L E AT H E R F R I N G E .
T H E L E AT H E R I S M O D E L L E D A F T E R A
C R I N O L I N E — A P E T T I C O AT T H AT WA S
P O P U L A R I N M I D -1 9 T H - C E N T U R Y FA S H I O N
A N D G AV E V O L U M E T O S K I R T S . T H E
D R A P E , W H I C H A P P E A R S S O N O N C H A L A N T
A N D N AT U R A L , WA S I N FA C T F I T T E D B Y
C O U R T I N ’ S T E A M W I T H G R E AT P R E C I S I O N .

T H E M A K I N G O F T H I S C O L L E C T I O N D E M A N D E D M A N Y T H I N G S F R O M
C O U R T I N — PAT I E N C E , P E R S I S T E N C E , A D I P I N T O H I S U N M AT C H E D
K N O W L E D G E , A N D A C O N S I D E R E D L O O K B A C K AT H I S D E C A D E S - L O N G
C A R E E R . S I F T I N G T H R O U G H 2 6 0 B O X E S O F H I S C A R E F U L LY P R E S E R V E D ,
R A R E LY S E E N A R C H I V E , C O U R T I N A N D C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R F L O R E N C E
L O U I S Y P U L L E D O U T T E C H N I Q U E S T H AT W E R E U S E D T O W R A P A
S E L E C T I O N O F F O U N D O B J E C T S — E N V E L O P I N G T H E I R C O N T O U R S I N
B R A I D E D , W O V E N , O R F R I N G E D L E AT H E R W O R K , A N D I N S O M E C A S E S ,
I N T E R L AC I N G T H E M W I T H L E AT H E R RO P ES R E M I N I S C E N T O F F I S H I N G N E TS.

C O U R T I N W O R K E D W I T H A R A N G E O F W O O D E N O B J E C T S — F R O M
H I M A C H A L I M I L K C O N TA I N E R S T O W O O D E N S T O O L S , B O W L S , O I L
G R I N D E R S , A N D H I G H - B A C K C H A I R S F R O M N A G A L A N D — W R A P P I N G
E A C H I N L AY E R S O F L E AT H E R , I N G L E A M I N G S H A D E S O F R E D ,
B L A C K , A N D H O N E Y. S E R E N D I P I T Y A N D E X P E R I M E N TAT I O N L E D
T H E C R E AT I V E P R O C E S S , L E T T I N G C O U R T I N P L AY W I T H PAT T E R N S
A N D M I S TA K E S , S U C H A S S P L I T T I N G A B R O K E N V E S S E L I N T W O ,
A N D T H E N W R A P P I N G T H E T W O PA R T S I N L E AT H E R B E F O R E T H E Y ’ R E
P U T B A C K T O G E T H E R — A S S E E N I N T H E “ S P L I T ” V E S S E L B E L O W .

t aeq
u
heart õ, Indian
found of everyth craftsman
s
direct er Tarini ing. In a hip lies a
o J t
a sing r Florencindal Han process le the
d d
each ular, oftene Louisy, a and cre by
and b object th languishi the galleryative
r n
appro ought to at’s imag g craft an lets
a l in
the d ch to let ife at the ed, scul chor
i g p
elevat alogue an craftsman allery. It i ted,
e d s
that s aequõ’s the creat ship lead this
a i
and u re equal p objects t ve process both
nex art o w th
“Wit pected. s contem orks of at
the c h aequõ porar art
raft, , y , fresh,
to pu the cr I wante
a d
diverssh the bo ftsman, a to chal
e u n l
want medium ndaries in d the des enge
o i
I wan ur approa s,” says T working gner
t c a
produ ed it to be h to be re rini. “I dwith
p
woul ction proc complex, etitive; ins idn’t
d e w t
few p perhaps ss for each ith a nua ead,
i o n
Tarin eces of eac nly allow collection ced
i
latest speaks o h object.” us to m that
f T a
Cédri collection reveals i he comp ke a
c b t le
that p Courtin y designe self in ae xity
— r q
envel resents a released and craft uõ’s
o r i s
wrap ped in C ange of to n Septem man
ping our tem ber—
“I firs techniqu tin’s signa -like vess
story t came es. ture els
a le at
says published cross Céd her-
Tarin
his in i. Co in AD a f ric’s work
credib urtin’s ew y
ears b in a
le art crafts a
istry
with manship, ck,”
leathe
r, wa and
s for

across the gallery.
ips on pedestals spread space, created by
th e co lle ct io n was developed—sl tic
The sparse, monas sed architect Ivan
of
m e a ca re fu lly gu arded secret of ro u gh in th e m ak ing of the pieces. In Paris- and Mumba
i-ba
a long ti
e founder of the
th
e tightly coiled in an sign ed to be a perfect
the fa sh ion w or ld . T h one, leather cords ar Courtin, “echoes Oddos , w as de
s programme of
C ou rt in w or ks hops based in the , to
intricate weave that ots of a plant take shell to h ol d ae qu õ’
Atelie rs
belt, Courtin is ro h e sp ac e, which used to
Pudu ch er ry -A uro vi lle
t the shape that the ble when someone exhib it io n s. T
d for light-hande
d
n fo r h is rese ar ch and developmen visi
within a pot, only here, he uses strips be a h os p ic e, ca lle
ed
kn ow
ound leatherwor
k, ew os opened up the arch
in te ch n iq u es ar
ed breaks the pot”. Els to create rippling to u ch es , so O dd
g them in wood. H
e
ave long-since grac er
and ropes of leath ilk containers from s, w ra p p in
flashes of which h s w in do w
paint from the tw
o
r celebrated maison m
patterns on wooden iniscent of a bird’s peeled off layers of uncover old teak
couture runways fo e, Burberry, and
elin
such as Chanel, C is debut collection Himachal Pradesh,
rem
a central columns to rved out spaces
h in g tu fts of grass, caught in wood underneath workshops and a
; ca
Louis Vuitton. For fted through his n est or “s w ay
g over a field”. o
for aequõ, Courtin and pulled out
si gust of wind blowin es, each unlike for the gallery, tw d double wood-
de
ives
decades-long arch to wrap a set of Courtin’s techniq ars of in-depth
u showroom; and ad eate a greenhouse
his ye cr
signature techniqu
es the other, speak of opment. Twisted and-glass doors to
swathes of leather
, el m e of an outdoor covered
vess el s in glea m in g research and dev by fishing nets are that “r em in ds
French abbey or
cr afts m an sh ip as a medium, ed
leather ropes inspir , while a cascade galle ry in an ol d
is
usi n g
pot n vi lla ”, says Oddos. H
ge.
method, and messa ion to have a sense interlaced over a er M ed iter ra n ea full
fr inges lend anoth in te rv entions are on
“I wanted the collect . While Louisy of lo n g, sl ic k
ro ck-and-roll edge.
co nsi de re d
aling their beauty
in
ourtin
of mystery,” says C gh his rarely seen vess el a d ec id ed ly t display now, reve rtin’s vessels
rou in th e collection are a se passing m om en ts w h en C ou
and he browsed th n to collect a series A ls o se en
an d three high-bac
k,
ca tc h th e light streaming in
ga rs , th ey
archives, they also be across India that of bo w ls , ja
airs. “For me th
e gleam as
eight windows.
from
of wooden vessels ouettes of furniture leather-wrapped ch on lies in the way from the double-h for materials and
ti ve re n ce
lh
are redolent of the si and and the north. beauty of this collec Cédric’s expansive Th e de ep re
an ch ors aequõ’s world
of th at
agal
and objects from N in’s playground as it tells the story w on der in itself,” crafts m an sh ip
lle ctions and the spac
e
rt h ic h is a th in it s co
These became Cou different weaving archives , w
ev el op in g this collection
is felt bo
co m e alive. A playgrou
nd
in y. “D ic h th ey
he wrapped them g, says L ou is
perience. We learn
t in w h
, conversation, an
d
an d techniques—fringin was an in cr ed ib le ex fo r co n te m p la tion d
finish es
g, interlacing, an
d d off each other’s the many minds an
braiding, embossin ing in conceptual, from ea ch ot h er , fe creation, it’s where aft
opened up new way
s eet, as equals, to cr
basket weaving—re
sult kn ow le d ge , w h ic h makers of aequõ m ble objects with a
both of us.” contemporary, cove Indian soul.
ta
unexpected forms. e bucolic beauty of of thinking for the the vessels, each bly
Courtin’s love for th At the exhibition, distinctive, undenia
of his atelier, and took pride of place
Kotta ku pp am — th e ba se
s a thing of beauty,
th e pla ce w h er e each of the 39 piece
also

Rolex
Text Komal Sharma Photographs Courtesy of Rolex
O
W
MENTOR & PROTÉGÉ ARTS INITIATIVE 2020–2022
T
Spike Lee was in the house. Let’s start there: the film-maker whose body of work
exploring and expressing the African American identity has cut through noise
O
and triggered a change in culture and perception itself. That’s the power of art.
I
L
Every two years Rolex’s Mentor and Protégé programme pairs stalwarts like Lee
O
with emerging, unstoppable talent to give them the space, time, and atmosphere
F
to grow. Early this September, Rolex held its annual Arts Weekend in Brooklyn’s
T
very own BAM, the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York, to celebrate this
R
year’s mentor-protégé pairs and showcase the works of the 2020-2022 pairs.
O
Lee knew he wanted to mentor a native American film-maker and chose Kyle
P
Bell. Prolific artist Carrie Mae Weems, of the “Kitchen Table” series (1989-1990)
fame, leaned into the practice of Colombian visual artist Camila Rodríguez Triana
as she worked with textiles, embroidery, photo, and film. British director Phyllida
Lloyd—known for her spectacular all-female Shakespeare trilogy—chose
director, musician, and composer Whitney White, sharing each other’s
experiences in a male-dominated theatre production world. And award-winning
actor-producer-songwriter-director Lin-Manuel Miranda stepped into the bold
vision of upcoming Argentinean director and cinematographer Agustina San
Martín as she blurred the boundaries of documentary and dream.
In a post-pandemic, post–George Floyd world, issues of privilege, race, gender,
and migration were front and centre. Who teaches and who learns was a question
turned on its head. There is, it seems, nothing prescriptive about mentoring. What
one witnessed in that weekend was how tacit knowledge, skill, and artistry flow
among individuals, and that process remains a beautiful, undefined enigma.
THEATRE PROTÉGÉ WHITNEY WHITE AT THE PETER JAY SHARP BUILDING
AT BAM, BROOKLYN—WHITE IS A DIRECTOR, MUSICIAN, COMPOSER, AND
ACTOR. SHE PRESENTED “THE CASE OF THE STRANGER”, A STAGED
CONCERT EXPLORING THE THEMES OF IMMIGRATION, BORDERS,
AND CROSSINGS. POWERFUL AND POIGNANT, IT PICKED UP RECENT
IMMIGRATION NEWS STORIES AND HUMANIZED THEM, SO THEY CAN
BE EXPERIENCED ON AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL RATHER THAN AS NEWS
STORIES THAT HAPPEN SOMEWHERE ELSE, TO SOMEONE ELSE. WHITE’S
PERFORMANCE—HER PRESENCE, HER MUSIC, HER VOICE—WAS BINDING
AND INSPIRING. SHE WAS MENTORED BY THE EXEMPLARY BRITISH THEATRE
DIRECTOR PHYLLIDA LLOYD (PHOTO: © ROLEX/RETO ALBERTALLI).
ABOVE: THE FOUR MENTORS OF THE 2020–2022
ROLEX MENTOR AND PROTÉGÉ ARTS INITIATIVE AT THE
BAM HOWARD GILMAN OPERA HOUSE IN BROOKLYN—
IN A PANEL DISCUSSION TITLED “FROM GENERATION
TO GENERATION”, MODERATOR GINA DUNCAN (FAR
LEFT), PRESIDENT OF BAM, SPOKE TO MENTORS
(LEFT TO RIGHT) LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA, SPIKE LEE,
PHYLLIDA LLOYD, AND CARRIE MAE WEEMS ABOUT
THE PROCESS AND EXPERIENCE OF MENTORING
AND THE MAKING OF ART. LEE CONCLUDED THE
SESSION WITH AN UPLIFTING THOUGHT: “IF YOU’RE
IN THE ARTS, DOING WHAT YOU LOVE, AND MAKING
RENT AND PUTTING DINNER ON THE TABLE, YOU’RE
ALREADY GOOD.” (PHOTO: © ROLEX/RETO ALBERTALLI)
BELOW: AFTER THE SCREENING OF CHILDHOOD ECHOES AT THE HARVEY THEATER
IN BROOKLYN, ARGENTINIAN FILM-MAKER AGUSTINA SAN MARTÍN AND LIN-MANUEL
MIRANDA REFLECTED ON THE UNIVERSAL HUMAN EXPERIENCE OF MUSIC AND ITS
POWER TO TRAVEL THROUGH TIME. CHILDHOOD ECHOES IS A NOVEL HYBRID OF
A DOCUMENTARY FILM AND MAGICAL APPARITION BY SAN MARTÍN, PROTÉGÉ TO
MIRANDA. INSTANTLY HEARTWARMING AND RELATABLE, IT EXPLORES THE IDEA
OF HOW CERTAIN SONGS EVOKE SPECIFIC MEMORIES IN EACH OF US (PHOTO:
© ROLEX/RETO ALBERTALLI). BOTTOM, THIS PAGE AND FACING PAGE: SCENES
FROM PATRIMONIO MESTIZO BY CAMILA RODRÍGUEZ TRIANA—A MIXED-MEDIA
WORK THAT EXPLORES HER IDENTITY AS A MESTIZA (A WOMAN OF MIXED RACE)
FROM COLOMBIA, AND THE CONFLICT BETWEEN A HERITAGE ONE IS BORN INTO
AND WHAT ONE EXPERIENCES AND WHERE THE TWO MEET. ART AND ITS POWER
AS AN AESTHETIC, SOCIAL, AND POLITICAL COMMENTARY WAS EVIDENT NOT
ONLY IN RODRÍGUEZ TRIANA’S WORK BUT IN THE CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN HER
AND HER MENTOR CARRIE MAE WEEMS (PHOTOS: © ROLEX/RETO ALBERTALLI).
LEFT: FILM-MAKER SPIKE LEE NEXT TO HIS PROTÉGÉ KYLE BELL, A
NATIVE AMERICAN FILM-MAKER WHO USES HIS FILMS TO BRING FORTH
UNTOLD STORIES OF HIS PEOPLE—BELL’S SHORT FILMS LAKOTA AND
SPIRITS WERE SHOWN IN A SPECIAL SCREENING; THE FORMER PROFILES
A YOUNG WOMAN GRAPPLING WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND THE
LATTER FEATURES A YOUNG BASKETBALL PLAYER LEAVING HIS HOME
TOWN TO PURSUE HIS DREAM (PHOTO: © ROLEX/RETO ALBERTALLI).
ABOVE: A MENTOR TO COMPOSER WHITNEY WHITE, BRITISH DIRECTOR
PHYLLIDA LLOYD’S ALL-FEMALE SHAKESPEARE TRILOGY—JULIUS
CAESAR, HENRY IV, AND THE TEMPEST—WAS DESCRIBED BY LONDON’S
OBSERVER AS “ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THEATRICAL EVENTS
OF THE PAST 20 YEARS”. SHE HAS ALSO DIRECTED THE MUSICAL AND
FILM MAMMA MIA! AND THE MARGARET THATCHER BIOPIC THE IRON
LADY (PHOTO: © ROLEX/WILLIAM LACALMONTIE). BELOW: AT THE ARTS
WEEKEND, ROLEX ANNOUNCED THE MENTOR-PROTÉGÉ PAIRS FOR
2023-2024. FRENCH ARCHITECT AND PRITZKER PRIZE–WINNER ANNE
LACATON (LEFT) WILL BE MENTORING UPCOMING LEBANESE ARMENIAN
ARCHITECT ARINE APRAHAMIAN (PHOTO: © ROLEX/AUDOIN DESFORGES).
70 A D A R C H I T ECT U R A L D I G EST N OV E M B E R- D EC E M B E R 2 0 2 2
ABOVE: CARRIE MAE WEEMS (LEFT)—WHO MENTORED
COLOMBIAN ARTIST CAMILA RODRÍGUEZ TRIANA—IN A
CONVERSATION WITH THE OTHER MENTORS, SPOKE
HONESTLY ABOUT HER INTENT AND THE MENTORING
PROCESS. “I REALLY WANTED TO SEE HOW PEOPLE DO
THINGS, MORE THAN THE ART ITSELF. I’M INCREDIBLY
SELFISH.” SHE LATER WENT ON TO CAPTURE A SUMMARY
OF HER OWN PROCESS FOR RODRÍGUEZ TRIANA: “IT
IS TO UNDERSTAND PATIENCE, BE ACCEPTING OF THE
PROCESS, TO KNOW WHEN TO GET OUT OF YOUR
OWN WAY.” (PHOTO: © ROLEX/ARNAUD MONTAGARD)
FOL LOW T H E O LD CA ME L ROA D O UT O F JA IP UR TOWA RD S
AG R A AN D YO U ’LL S O O N F I N D TH E P IN K C IT Y TA K ES O N
A N A LTO G E T H E R R UD D I E R TO N E . S CAR L E T S UN LOU N GE R S,
A W N I N G S , P A R A S O L S , A N D J A Z Z Y C H E V R O N S T R I P E S
S I G N A L T H AT Y O U ’ V E A R R I V E D AT V I L L A P A L L A D I O ,
A FA N TA ST I C A L N E W H OT E L C O N J U R E D U P B Y T H R E E
A C C O M P L I S H E D A L C H E M I S T S I N T H E G A M E — B A R B A R A
M I O L I N I , M A R I E - A N N E O U D E J A N S , A N D V I K A S S O N I .
W R I T E R C O S M O B R O C K WAY P H OTO G R A P H E R B I K R A M J IT B O S E
THIS SUITE IN JAIPUR’S VILLA PALLADIO HOTEL—BY AD100 DESIGNER MARIE-ANNE OUDEJANS, BARBARA MIOLINI OF BAR PALLADIO, AND RAJASTHANI PAINTER VIKAS
SONI—IS FORMED OF AN ENFILADE OF PURE FANTASY, ITS FOREGROUND ARCH ARTFULLY HAND-PAINTED TO EVOKE, IN THE OWNERS’ BRIEF, “A GARDEN GATE; LEAVES
MIXED WITH MUGHAL BERRIES WITH A TOUCH OF FRENCH MINT”. THAT SAME MOTIF IS CARRIED THROUGH TO THE DOOR SURROUND, DADO PANELS, AND CORNICE.

LEFT: MEALS COME WITH VIEWS OF THE GARDEN
AND A MIRRORED MEDITATION PAVILION AND
ARE SERVED ON CHINA BEARING HAND-PAINTED
MOTIFS INSPIRED BY MUGHAL MINIATURES.
BELOW: MARIE-ANNE OUDEJANS DESIGNED THE
SCALLOPED TABLES AND HAND-BLOCK CUSHIONS
SEEN ON THE BREAKFAST VERANDA. FACING
PAGE: A BLACK-AND-WHITE CHEQUERBOARD SUN
TERRACE ANCHORED BY A CENTRAL SANDSTONE
FOUNTAIN ADDS THEATRE TO THE FAÇADE OF
VILLA PALLADIO. THE RED WINDOW AWNINGS
AND ITALIAN PARASOLS OFFER A CLUE TO THE
PUNCHY PALETTE THAT AWAITS GUESTS ONCE
THEY’VE PASSED THROUGH THE MUGHAL ARCHES.
We loved the
simplicity, it felt like
a villa in the Italian
countryside somehow.”
—Marie-Anne Oudejans

ABOVE: “WE COULDN’T RESIST TENTING THESE BEDS. IT IS SUCH A PALLADIO TOUCH,” SAYS OUDEJANS OF THE WHIMSICAL SCALLOPED CANOPIES IN THIS ROOM. THE
TWIN BEDS THEMSELVES HAVE HAND-BLOCKED QUILTS MADE IN JAIPUR; THE PRINT IS BASED ON A CENTURIES-OLD SANGANERI PATTERN FROM THE SOUTH OF THE CITY.
FACING PAGE: THE SHADED ENTRANCE VERANDA LOOKS ACROSS TO THE ARAVALLI HILLS AND IS FURNISHED WITH HANDCRAFTED CANE CHAIRS AND TABLES PAINTED THE
SAME WINE RED AS THE WALLS. THE LATTICE PATTERN IS A MOTIF USED ELSEWHERE IN THE HOTEL, WHILE THE BAROQUE-STYLE BRASS SCONCES WERE MADE LOCALLY.

ABOVE: THE SCARLET CHEVRON STRIPES OF THE POOL-
HOUSE ARCADE CAST A PLEASING REFLECTION ON THE
WATER—AN EFFECT ENHANCED BY THE BLACK KOTA
STONE ON THE WALLS OF THE SWIMMING POOL ITSELF.
EVEN WHEN TEMPERATURES IN RAJASTHAN REACH THEIR
HIGHEST THE WATER FEELS COOL BECAUSE OF THE
COLOUR OF THAT LINING. RIGHT: OUDEJANS PAINTED
JAUNTY STRIPES ALONG THE BEDROOM CORRIDOR TO
EVOKE A PLAYFUL TENTED FEEL AND PAIRED THEM
WITH THEATRICAL SHADED SCONCES IN BLACK AND
SCARLET; THE EFFECT IS BOLD AND ENVELOPS THE
SENSES. LEFT: THE DOUBLE-HEIGHT HALL FEATURES JALI
SCREENS—PAINTED PINK ON ONE SIDE AND A SHADE OF
GARNET ON THE OTHER—AND A FLOTILLA OF TENTED
DAYBEDS. THE FLOOR AGAIN IS A CHEQUER PATTERN,
ALBEIT HERE IN WHITE AND IMPERIAL-RED MARBLE.
When it comes to
colour, Marie-Anne
really is brilliant. She
just feels it, lives it.”
—Barbara Miolini

IF SLIM AARONS DID RAJASTHAN: SITARAM, A WAITER, HOLDS A
BOUQUET OF LILIES, HIS FLORAL-PRINT TROUSERS (DESIGNED BY
OUDEJANS) CO-ORDINATING JAUNTILY WITH THE HAND-PAINTED
CHEVRONS OF THE POOL HOUSE—OR “MUGHAL-INSPIRED BELVEDERE”,
AS BARBARA MIOLINI PUT IT—AND THE SURROUNDING FOLIAGE.

pierced jali screens. “It was in a remarkably our memories of Rome.” No doubt the
good state. We loved the simplicity, it arching rooms will shimmer by night as
felt like a villa in the Italian countryside the jeunesse dorée flock. “Villa Palladio is
somehow,” Oudejans says. Of course about play and delight,” she adds. “And
nothing is ever really that simple in India when it comes to colour, Marie-Anne
and there were inevitably hoops to jump really is brilliant. She just feels it, lives it.”
through, in addition to the pandemic, Everywhere are touches of levity
but it was “destined to be given a new and wit, from the red, white, and black
chapter as part of the Palladio family”. chequerboard marble floors up. The vast
While modern Jaipur has no dearth heights of the central hall-cum-salon
of debonair digs, Miolini and Oudejans have been bedecked with jaunty made-
instantly knew that the palazzetto up crests of bears and roosters, while
was perfect for the boutique-hotel palm trees entwined with scarlet fronds
venture they had been dreaming of. snake up the walls. I am enchanted to
Just a 20-minute drive outside the city, catch sight of a huddle of artisans applying
the journey flashing with tantalizing Orientalist gold leaf to canopied daybeds.
glimpses into turquoise-screened haveli Scarlet-striped corridors lit by black and
courtyards, Villa Palladio is on the cusp of red sconces suggest My Fair Lady but with
being unveiled. Miolini, who relishes the a surreal twist. In all, nine bedrooms lead
respite it offers from the Jaipur noise, says off them. One twin room sports pagoda-
that “the creation, despite the obvious shade bed canopies against walls painted
stress of starting any project, has been with splendid palm trees and vibrant red
such a pleasure. Each day I find myself treillage; another chamber beckons with a
again in the fresh air, amid village living scalloped four-poster flanked by stained-
and a simple way of life.” glass arches. A vaulted kitchen, strangely
Who among us, on visiting Jaipur, has Curled up on the veranda steps, reminiscent of an English country house,
not stood silent at the very first sight Oudejans explains the initial vision for was designed by the talented ceramicist
of Bar Palladio? Surrounded by the this modern-day interpretation of a Simon Marks, alongside a fragrant herb-
peacock-strewn lawns of Narain Niwas desert caravanserai. “I had an idea of arium brimming with fruits of the soil.
Palace, the pavilion, with its Gothic- mingling the exuberance and decadence “We wanted there to be a strong
flavoured windows, tented daybeds, and of the maharajas with a heady dose of element of privacy and peace,” Miolini
cool frescoes, might just be the most Italian flair,” she says. Her eyes fixed on says as we stroll through the scented
visually hypnotic restaurant in the world. the horizon beyond the castellated walls, trees. “So we constructed the ramparts
The daydream-turned-triumph of Swiss she adds: “The countryside has given me to enclose the space and make it feel
Italian Barbara Miolini, a resident of the countless moments of visual inspiration. more intimate—a secret garden. There
Pink City, it has already once spread its The women in the fields, scarlet, yellow, is something conspiratorial and playful
wings beyond the palace gates in the aquamarine figures, the Rajput princesses here that is meant to evoke a sense of
form of another whimsical set piece—the celebrating in their finery, their veils.…” childlike fantasy.” The Alice in Wonderland
tangerine- and mint-hued Caffé Palladio The kaleidoscope of influences from air continues beyond a tall hedge where
on a bougainvillea-lined road nearby. her meanderings across Rajasthan has there is a chevron-striped pool house, its
Now the triumvirate responsible— been shaken down and poured out awning reflected in the glistening water
Miolini; Marie-Anne Oudejans, AD100 of the designer’s imagination as…a below. Concealed by royal palms and
designer and fellow expat; and Rajasthani brilliant, pulsating red. The villa is the hibiscus, it is “a nod to European formal
painter Vikas Soni—have struck again, reddest—and pinkest—apparition I have gardens with their garden follies”. At that
this time alighting on a small palace ever seen. What a shame that Diana precise moment we spy one of the staff,
nestled among the dromedary humps of Vreeland is no longer with us to arrive on devilishly slim-hipped in a pair of floral
the Aravalli hills on the old camel road a caparisoned elephant and then sweep trousers, holding a bunch of lilies. One by
to Agra. Possibly a former hunting lodge into the galleried hall, a symphony of her one the Rajput men, all bridal innocence
for a noble family, the pearl-white edifice, favourite colour. “Red,” she held forth, “is and curling moustaches, line up to snap
surrounded by neem and almond trees, the great clarifier: bright, cleansing, and each other clasping the bouquet.
was ripe for the plucking. revealing. It makes all colours beautiful.” It provides a lasting image as I prepare
Miolini and Oudejans’s first heart- It is certainly a typically self-assured to set off on my way—along with the
stopping tour of this sleeping beauty, choice from the duo. “This is all about colour, of course. Here Miolini has the
where leopards might be found taking how pattern and colour work to create final word. “When travellers leave us here
shade under the chhatri domes, provided a mood,” Miolini explains. “The red was in the Pink City,” she says, “I would like
evidence of echoing empty rooms and actually inspired by cardinals’ robes and them also to remember the red.”

SIMPLICITY OF
GREEK HOUSES SET
AGAINST THE TROPICAL
GREEN OF TALPE BEACH IN GALLE,
S RI L A NK A , I NT ER IO R D ES I G N E R C H LÖ E E L K E RTO N ’S N E W LY
R E N O VAT E D B R A G A N Z A H O U S E H A S B E E N A L A B O U R O F
LOV E A N D C L E A R LY T H E M O ST P H OTO G E N I C O N T H E I S L A N D.
W R I T E R C O S M O B R O C K WAY P H OTO G R A P H E R R E B E C C A C O N WAY
THE LIVING ROOM IN BRAGANZA HOUSE IN GALLE, SRI LANKA, DESIGNED BY INTERIOR DESIGNER CHLÖE ELKERTON. SHE HAD THE “LOCAL TEAK-BARLEY-TWIST
COFFEE TABLE MADE BY MY LOCAL CARPENTER. HE IS A GENIUS. I UPHOLSTERED THE RATTAN SOFA IN WALTER G, AN AUSTRALIAN FABRIC HOUSE I USE A LOT IN MY
PROJECTS. THE EMBROIDERED CUSHIONS ARE FROM [UK-BASED FURNITURE AND DECOR STORE] VAUGHAN, WHILE THE BOBBIN PEDESTAL TABLE IS AN ANTIQUE FIND.”

I felt it would be exciting
and rewarding, both as a
designer and also for my own
creativity, to build a house in
Sri Lanka.” —Chlöe Elkerton
ABOVE: A GLOSSY WHITE BULBOUS TABLE

CUSTOM-MADE IN SINGAPORE STANDS BELOW
A LARGE WOODEN PEACOCK MIRROR WHILE
TRADITIONAL SRI LANKAN BRASS TEMPLE VASES
AND A WICKER LAMP—WITH A LAMPSHADE IN A LISA
FINE FABRIC—ADD INTERESTING TOUCHES. THE
FLOORING IS PATTERNED ENCAUSTIC TILES. RIGHT:
IN THE MAIN POWDER ROOM, A HAND-BEATEN
BRASS SINK FROM BALI STANDS ON AN ANTIQUE
WOODEN VANITY TABLE. ELKERTON WANTED
A FRESH TAKE ON TROPICAL SIMPLICITY WHEN
DESIGNING EACH CORNER. BELOW: THE OPEN-
TO-SKY COURTYARD HAS MOROCCAN BEJMAT
FLOOR TILES AND AN ANTIQUE CARVED DOOR,
WHICH ELKERTON FOUND IN A LOCAL ANTIQUES
BAZAAR. FACING PAGE: THE COOL SHADED
BARREL HALLWAY LOOKS THROUGH INTO THE
SUNKEN SITTING ROOM BEYOND; THE DESIGNER
EMBEDDED TABARKA TILES IN THE ARCHWAY.

VAUGHAN LAMPS ADD POISE AND MOOD IN THE SUNKEN SITTING ROOM. THE BUILT-IN POLISHED CEMENT SEATING
SPORTS UPHOLSTERY IN PETER DUNHAM FABRIC ALONGSIDE CUSHIONS BY BEATA HEUMAN (PALM DROP) AND PENNY
MORRISON. ORNAMENTAL ANTIQUE FANS USED DURING TEMPLE CEREMONIES FLANK EITHER SIDE OF THE HALLWAY.

LEFT: THE PALM SUITE BATHROOM—THE WHITE POLISHED CURVED CEMENT IS SMOOTH
AND COOL EVEN IN THE FIERCEST HEAT; THE ANTIQUE VANITY WITH A MARBLE TOP IS
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF BRAGANZA’S ECLECTIC CONTENTS ALONGSIDE THE MOROCCAN
BEJMAT TILES. BELOW: IN THE PEACOCK SUITE, ELKERTON HAS PAINTED THE BARLEY-TWIST
FOUR-POSTER BEDS IN DULUX’S “KELLY GREEN”. ON THE BEDSIDE STANDS A VAUGHAN
“RUTHERFORD” LAMP WITH A POOKY SHADE ATOP A WOODEN INLAY SIDE TABLE FROM
INDIA. THE BEDS ARE GIVEN ADDED ZING WITH BEATA HEUMAN “PALM DROP” CUSHIONS
AND SYBIL COLEFAX “SQUIGGLE ORANGE” CUSHIONS. THE CURTAINS ARE A WALTER G
DESIGN. BOTTOM: ELKERTON HAD THE FOUR-POSTER RATTAN BED IN THE PALM SUITE
CREATED BASED ON A VINTAGE DESIGN. THE BED UPHOLSTERY IS A PETER FASANO DESIGN
WHILE THE BED CUSHIONS WERE SOURCED FROM PENNY MORRISON AND VAUGHAN. THE
WOODEN-INLAY BEDSIDE CHESTS WERE FOUND IN RAJASTHAN. FACING PAGE: GUESTS
ARE SERVED COCKTAILS FROM A POLISHED TERRAZZO BAR (FOREGROUND) PARTNERED
WITH THIS RATTAN DISPLAY CABINET. ELKERTON HAS A PASSION FOR COLLECTING,
INCLUDING THE ANTIQUE GLASS BOTTLES AND BABA TREE BASKET SEEN HERE.
I really enjoyed custom-

designing a lot of the
furniture, such as the bamboo-
effect four-poster bed, and we
worked with some wonderful local
craftsmen.” —Chlöe Elkerton

LEFT: THIS CORNER OF THE KITCHEN HAS A SCALLOPED TILE
DESIGN BY ELKERTON. BELOW: THE TABLE IN THE AMBALAMA
SET FOR A MEAL WITH PENNY MORRISON CROCKERY, WHICH
WAS HAND-PAINTED IN INDIA. BOTTOM: ELKERTON HAS USED
PETER DUNHAM OUTDOOR UPHOLSTERY FOR THE AMBALAMA,
WHICH SHE FELT WAS THE PERFECT FOIL TO THE FRETWORK
INSPIRED BY THE MOSQUES OF GALLE FORT. FACING PAGE: THE
SHELL ROOM IS A COCOON OF COLOURFUL AND BOHEMIAN
STYLE. ELKERTON KNEW AS SOON AS SHE SAW THE ANNA
FRENCH WALLPAPER THAT IT WAS THE PERFECT CHOICE. THE
BANQUETTES ARE UPHOLSTERED IN FERMOIE AND SCATTERED
WITH CUSHIONS BY CAROLINA IRVING AND GUY GOODFELLOW.
THE ANTIQUE CHEST WAS PAINTED WHITE TO HELP SET OFF THE
STRIKING ART COLLECTION—WHICH INCLUDES WORK BY MARY
MAGUIRE—COLLECTED BY ELKERTON OVER THE YEARS.
Elkerton also loves to sit

under the shaded cinnamon-
stick roof of the outdoor
“Lionel’s Bar and Ambalama”—
named after a rickshaw driver.

LOOKING ACROSS THE VERDANT LAWN TO THE ELEGANT SRI LANKAN VILLA, WHICH IS, TODAY, A PICTURESQUE RETREAT THAT IS AVAILABLE TO RENT.

t all began with childhood decided to sell. It was just a few minutes antiques source and Braganza houses
memories of the white inland from the best beaches and the several of his wonderful Dutch antiques
simplicity of Greek houses,” location was perfect.” Pausing, she smiles, such as the chair in the Palm suite and the
muses Chlöe Elkerton as we “The moment I stepped foot on the land dining furniture on the veranda alongside
wander through the clean- at dusk, I knew it felt right.” Elevated and the antique windows and doors through-
lined rooms of Braganza fertile, the plot sported some wonderful out the house. The mosques in nearby
House. Nestled down a mature trees including a dramatic trav- Galle provided inspiration for the fretwork
winding country road, just eller’s palm, and seemed destined for such through which the light dapples onto
inland from Talpe beach in a happy new chapter. striking patterns and layering.
Galle, Sri Lanka, the villa, Starting from an initial vision of a An early riser, Elkerton is up and awake
although only recently single-storey house with rooms leading off by 5:30 most mornings, soaking up the
completed, has already been a central courtyard, rather than the more atmosphere of this enchanting place. “The
hailed as the most photo- predictable gazing onto a pool, Elkerton magic of the early hours, when the
genic on the island. It has worked directly with a local contractor peacocks are strutting and monkeys
been a quiet labour of love and engaged a Galle-based architect for swinging from the trees…it is a time when I
for the Singapore-based the roof design. “One of the unexpected think my greatest thoughts,” she laughs,
interior designer through building challenges was the fact that we adding, “Sunset can be immensely pretty
the peaks and canyons of sourced a lot of antique windows and too, when the sky is various shades of pink
the pandemic. Its interiors doors and they came in different sizes!” and coral over the turquoise pool.” Pressed
have drawn attention across Another hurdle to overcome was the on her favourite spaces within the villa,
the world for their East- organically shaped infinity pool, inspired Elkerton cites the Shell room, cocooned in
West aesthetic and firmly design-forward by one seen in Zanzibar, which required a Anna French wallpaper, Carolina Irving
take on modern island living. natural gradation into the water. The cushions, and Indian miniatures, and the
Walking through the colonial Dutch- result is naturally beguiling. sunken sitting room with its polished
style carved front door to an open A seasoned traveller, who regularly cement seating upholstered in Peter
courtyard paved with seaweed-green explores India, Mallorca, and Andalucía, Dunham fabrics. She also loves to sit under
Moroccan Bejmat tiles, Elkerton’s vision Elkerton knew instinctively that she the shaded cinnamon-stick roof of the
unfurls for the eyes. “Living in Asia moved wanted to avoid the sterile “villa look”. She outdoor “Lionel’s Bar and Ambalama”—
me away from traditional English deco- sourced antiques and textiles from a vast named after a rickshaw driver—for long
rating and towards a more tropical chic net of contacts, both locally and further lunches of freshly sourced local ingredients.
style,” she explains before requesting fresh away. “The fabulously clever work of Nearby Talpe beach, with its ever-changing
coconut water for us from the charismatic Marie-Caroline Willms, for the Marbella horizon across the sea and giant ancient
house manager, Kumara. “Living on the Club; Mark D. Sikes; and Celerie Kemble turtles bobbing on the surf, is a daily escape.
oceanfront in Singapore for several years were all inspirations,” reflects Elkerton. “I Tropical living has its challenges. Elkerton
while setting up my practice, E&A really enjoyed custom-designing a lot of points out, “The maintenance is never-
Interiors, had infiltrated my tastes more the furniture, such as the bamboo-effect ending, especially during the monsoon
than I realized until I began designing four-poster bed, and we worked with season when the weather can quickly wear
this retreat.” Realizing her dream to create some wonderful local craftsmen.” down building materials.” When I ask
somewhere that guests could come and Turning to the leading lights of the what a regret might be, she swiftly answers,
rent from around the world, Elkerton British design scene was an obvious choice “I chose to use a lot of white, which also
wanted it to feel not like a hotel but a for the designer as a way of making the stains easily—there is a reason why most Sri
beloved and comfortable private home. interiors stand out in the southern hemi- Lankan properties are full of grey cement!”
Braganza House has achieved just that. sphere. “Vaughan Designs’ embroideries are Mindful of sharing the joys of Braganza
Having taken the plunge and sold her a highlight and I chose textiles from Guy House and also playing a part in supp-
London apartment in 2013, Elkerton was Goodfellow, Beata Heuman, Fermoie, and orting the local economy, Elkerton has
strongly drawn to create something in Sri Teyssier among others,” says Elkerton, in a opened its doors to guests for exclusive
Lanka as a very personal escape. “My conscious move away from the “ethnic” rental. She is also busy with exciting
mother and I spent Christmas here one look so espoused by other villas. “I was so projects with E&A Interiors: “We are
year and it got under my skin,” she aware of avoiding the typical look, found working on a glorious villa in Canggu,
explains. “I felt it would be exciting and here, the dark wood and white concrete. I Bali, and a historical shophouse in
rewarding, both as a designer and also for wanted something fresher, brighter, which Singapore,” she mentions. “This is a time
my own creativity, to build a house there.” I felt represented me and my journey more, when we all take nothing for granted
The universe rewarded her dream with a the things I am passionate about.” anymore and relish the privilege of travel
lucky hand as she explains: “I looked at However, the island’s spirit is found in and seeking something of a legacy.”
dozens of plots near Galle and then a good many of the interior elements. In Sri At Braganza House, there is a footprint
friend of mine, who is an Italian architect Lanka, Aladdin’s cave “Gamini”, which of love and creativity outside conventional
we used to stay with at Talpe beach, can be found on the road to Galle from lines that is palpable—with a sun-drenched
showed me some land that he had finally Taupe beach, is the designer’s local go-to future ahead.

W H E N T H E IR
B E LOV E D FO RM E R
A PART ME NT IN
G R E E N W I C H
V I L LAG E , N EW
YOR K C I T Y,
S U D D E N LY B ECA M E
AVA I LA B L E , N AT E
B E R KU S A N D
J E R E M IA H B R E N T
C O UL D N ’ T R ES I ST
T H E CA L L TO
R E T UR N TO T H E I R
A EST H E T I C ROOTS.
WRITER JESSI KLEIN

P H OTO G R A P H E R K E L LY M A R S H A L L
ST Y L I ST D O R C I A K E L L E Y
GROOMING: JESSICA PADILLA FOR SHISEIDO. ARTWORKS: COURTESY OF MATT CONNORS, CARLOS FONSECA.
NATE BERKUS (WEARING A GREY CASHMERE SWEATER BY ALLUDE, RALPH LAUREN TROUSERS, AND CELINE HOMME LOAFERS) AND JEREMIAH
BRENT (IN A BOTTEGA VENETA SWEATER, HARUYAMA PANTS, AND VIBI VENEZIA SLIPPERS) WITH THEIR CHILDREN, OSKAR (IN A MAKIÉ SHIRT AND
PANTS) AND POPPY (IN A MAKIÉ DRESS AND SABAH KIDS SLIPPERS), IN THEIR NEW YORK CITY APARTMENT. FASHION STYLING BY SHANDI ALEXANDER.
ABOVE: A MIRRORED WALL BRIGHTENS THE
DINING ROOM. JACQUES ADNET DINING
CHAIRS SURROUND THE FRENCH GATELEG
BLEACHED-OAK TABLE; ABOVE IS A 1930s
SWEDISH ALABASTER PENDANT LIGHT. THE
CABINETRY WAS CUSTOM-MADE. RIGHT: A
VIKING RANGE STANDS IN THE KITCHEN.
FACING PAGE: THE KITCHEN COUNTERS
AND ISLAND ARE CLAD IN CALACATTA
PAONAZZO MARBLE. PORTOLA PAINTS &
GLAZES’ SAINT SAUVANT COLOURS THE
CABINETRY. ABOVE IS A 1950s ITALIAN
LIGHT FIXTURE. A CUSHION IN HOLLAND
& SHERRY LEATHER SITS ATOP THE PIERRE
JEANNERET TEAK STOOL. THE BRONZE
SINK FITTINGS ARE BY VAN CRONENBURG.
It looks like an old

Parisian apartment, with
all the plaster and the
French doors.” —Nate Berkus

ARTWORK: COURTESY OF JUAN OTERO.

ABOVE: CUSTOM MILLWORK BY FANUKA INC.
KEEPS THE DRESSING ROOM ORGANIZED.
RIGHT: NINETEENTH-CENTURY ITALIAN CARVED-
WOOD MIRRORS HANG ABOVE WATERWORKS
SINKS AND FITTINGS IN THE PRIMARY BATH.
BELOW: THE FAMILY ROOM IS OUTFITTED WITH A
CAMELEONDA SECTIONAL BY MARIO BELLINI FOR
B&B ITALIA IN A MAXALTO VELVET AND A MOHAIR
VELVET RUG BY MARC PHILLIPS. THE FLOOR
LAMP IS BY CHARLES DUDOUYT FROM REWIRE.

ABOVE: GLAMORA’S PANORAMIC BELLAGIO
WALLPAPER ENVELOPS BERKUS AND BRENT’S
BEDROOM. THE ROOM ALSO FEATURES A 1960s
LEATHER SOFA BY FRITS HENNINGSEN, SAMUEL
MARX TRAVERTINE CUBE TABLES, ROMAN
SHADES BY THE SHADE STORE, AND AN RH RUG. [This home] really
was like a crash course
in understanding the
vision of the person that
you love.” —Nate Berkus

THIS PAGE: ARTWORK COURTESY OF MICHAEL HAINEY. FACING PAGE, BOTTOM: ARTWORK
COURTESY OF JAMES HD BROWN © 2022 ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK/ADAGP, PARIS.
ABOVE: POPPY’S ROOM IS SWATHED IN KRAVET’S
MYTHICAL LAND WALLCOVERING, AND FEATURES
APPARATUS CLOUD PENDANTS, A LOUIS XVI–STYLE
BED AND NIGHTSTAND, A VINTAGE FOLDING SCREEN
IN A ROSE TARLOW MELROSE HOUSE LINEN, AND A
CARPET BY ATHENA CALDERONE FOR BENI RUGS.
LEFT: THE ENTRY HALL IS FLOORED WITH RECLAIMED
BLACK-AND-WHITE TILES FROM PARIS CERAMICS.
FACING PAGE: PIERRE FREY’S SUR LE NIL WALLPAPER
DEFINES OSKAR’S ROOM. THE RH BED IN A COTTON
CANVAS BY MOOD FABRICS IS ACCOMPANIED BY A
MICHAEL HAINEY BIRD PAINTING, A 19TH-CENTURY
ENGLISH PAINTED CHEST OF DRAWERS, A 1950s
SWEDISH FLOOR LAMP AND A CARPET FROM STARK.
Conversations about having

children, conversations about
planning a wedding—[this home]
is where all the dreaming began
for us.” —Jeremiah Brent

TRIANGLE ARTWORK BY RICKY SWALLOW: COURTESY OF DAVID KORDANSKY GALLERY.
THE LIVING ROOM IS FURNISHED IN A CONGENIAL MIX OF VINTAGE PIECES.

here’s the old saying, So it was a bit of kismet when two Nevertheless, when it was over, retur-
taken from the 1940 years after they had relocated back to the ning to a home they’d already loved was
Thomas Wolfe novel of East Coast, they were the ones on the a different emotional experience from any
the same title, that “you receiving end of a call that now seems like of their prior moves. “It was like a wave of
can’t go home again”. destiny: Their buyers were ready to sell; relief,” says Brent. They’ve embraced the
But diving into the would they perhaps still be interested? opportunity to create a new space that
latest chapter of Nate Says Brent, “I was like, ‘Pack your bags.’ ” represents how they’ve evolved as a family.
Berkus and Jeremiah What was it about this place that Berkus says they’ve “found our own style
Brent’s search for where spoke to them so deeply? Obviously, its together. It’s a blend of his modernity and
to put down roots, aesthetic beauty is hard to miss. “It’s like rule breaking, with my sort of traditional-
one is inspired to learn a wedding cake,” says Berkus. “I mean, it ism and crazy auction-house encyclopedic
that while returning looks like an old Parisian apartment, with furniture history that lives in my brain.”
home may be incredibly all the plaster and the French doors.” One new treasure is a Carlo Bugatti
difficult to pull off, And with the sun-drenched kitchen’s chair Berkus gifted Brent for his birthday
it’s not impossible. And for the family, arced windows, the marble fireplaces, last year. In the kitchen, the walls’ subway
their reunion with their Fifth Avenue and the incredible location, it’s an apart- tiles were removed, the black cabinetry is
apartment has been made sweeter by the ment anyone would covet. now white, and the butcher block on the
realization that this particular address, But there is a house and there is a home, countertops and the brass wrapping the
more than any of the others, is an essential and the qualities that make a residence island have been replaced with Calacatta
and ongoing part of their love story. feel so profoundly like the latter run Paonazzo marble. And while the public
For those who have been follow- much deeper than a list of comely details. rooms are bathed in creamy neutrals that
ing this couple through the years, their Brent describes the house as being filled allow the architectural details and fur-
Greenwich Village home may look with “echoes” of all the conversations that niture to star, the bedrooms feature bold
familiar. This is because the “new home” birthed the intertwining of their lives: wallpapers that cocoon their inhabitants.
is in fact their old home; they lived here “Conversations about having children, Beyond combining their voices as de-
from 2013 to 2016, and its first iteration conversations about planning a wedding. signers, they’ve seized the opportunity to
graced the cover of AD US in October It’s where all the dreaming began for us.” make other changes they hadn’t been able
2015. Since then they travelled to LA, Berkus agrees. “It represented a build- to a decade ago, like the entry’s flooring,
where a sprawling Spanish Colonial villa ing block for us, a very important one in a tan limestone that leaned a bit “fancy
in Hancock Park received a Brent-Berkus all the ways of being seen and being heard granny”, for Berkus’s taste. This time,
makeover. Then, after three years of West and being known.” As the first project Brent found beautiful reclaimed black-
Coast living, they realized New York they designed together, this home “really and-white Spanish tiles. For Berkus, the
City was where their family (which in- was like a crash course in understanding home felt truly theirs when those new
cludes son Oskar, now four, and big sister the vision of the person that you love”. tiles went in. For Brent, it was when
Poppy, now seven) belonged, and they Still, there was an issue. Now that they Poppy’s and Oskar’s rooms were ready.
decamped to the West Village, renovat- were a family of four, they would have to When asked how the kids responded to
ing an 1899 town house. Although the expand the space—but how? Brent was their new home, the couple beams. Brent
two declared then that they would never undeterred: “Great love. You have to fight recounts that Oskar declared it “the best
again call a place their “forever home” in for it. And I was willing.” house in the world” and that Poppy said,
a publication, one couldn’t be blamed for And fight he did. When they couldn’t “I love the light in here.” A sophisticated
thinking that…perhaps this was it? find an adjacent apartment to connect, observation for a seven-year-old, sure,
So how did they end up back here? Berkus was admittedly ready to give up, but it is a familiar line in her dads’ love for
When plotting their return to NYC, but Brent figured if they couldn’t grow this place. For Brent, who is the first one
the AD100 talents (on the US list) tried laterally, they could expand downward. up in the family, it’s the first 20 minutes
contacting the original Fifth Avenue He slipped a note under the door of their of the day in that glow that grounds him:
buyers to see if they might possibly be in- downstairs neighbour, who was willing “Every morning when I come upstairs
terested in selling. Unfortunately, no dice. to sell only if the couple find them an into the kitchen, with the light coming
Berkus, who describes himself as someone apartment in the building to buy—which through, I’m just so grateful.” For Berkus,
who philosophically “doesn’t hold on to Brent promptly did, searching floor by his favourite moment is waking up and
real estate”, was at peace. “I could live in floor until all the pieces fell into place. pushing the button that raises the shades,
a studio apartment, and as long as I was The one last hurdle—for Berkus, hearing the sounds of little feet and giggles
surrounded by things that matter to me, at least—was that the majority of the as he watches the sunshine hit the peace-
I would feel like I was at home.” But for family’s furniture, some of which had ful forest-scape wallpaper that lines the
Brent, this apartment “was always the one travelled with him for decades, ended up bedroom. Like Brent, he feels thankful
that got away”. And even though Berkus being part of the sale of the town house. for what they have been able to build to-
was content with where they landed, ul- He can’t help but confess that for him, gether: “I just take a beat every morning.…
timately, there was something undeniable the process of saying goodbye to pieces I just am filled with like, This is our family
about the pull of their first home together. he’d owned for years was painful. and this is where we live.”

T H E
A C O L L A B O R AT I O N BETWEEN AD100 FIRMS ARCHITECTURE BRIO
H O U S E
AND KUNAL MANIAR A S S O C I AT E S , THIS WEEKEND HOME IN ALIBAG
O N
EXEMPLIFIES HOW ARCHITECTURE AND LANDSCAPE DESIGN CAN COME
T H E
TO G E T H E R I N A M E E T I N G O F M I N D S , H E A R TS , A N D S W E E T E C C E N T R I C I T Y.
H I L L
THE VERANDA OF TY BHOJWANI’S ALIBAG HOME, EDGED BY THE INFINITY POOL, OFFERS A PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE BAY. COVERED WITH AN ALUMINIUM
STANDING-SEAM ROOF, IT IS SUFFUSED WITH OUTDOORSY VIBES. BHOJWANI ENTRUSTED THE HOME’S CREATION TO AD100 ARCHITECTS SHEFALI BALWANI
AND ROBERT VERRIJT OF ARCHITECTURE BRIO, AND ITS GARDEN TO AD100 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT KUNAL MANIAR OF KUNAL MANIAR & ASSOCIATES.
W R I T E R R A J A S H R E E B A L A R A M P H OTO G R A P H E R A S H I S H S A H I I N T E R I O R S T Y L I S T S A M I R WA D E K A R

PHOTO: GAJENDRA D. MANDREKAR.
THE HOUSE COMPLEX, DISTRIBUTED INTO TWO PAVILIONS ON THE SLOPE OF A HILL, HAS NO INVIOLABLE LINES THAT ALIENATE LANDSCAPE FROM STRUCTURE.

Every part of the house
is designed to meet
the landscape halfway.
ABOVE: THE LUSH, SLOPING LAWNS CONTINUE FROM THE AREA

ADJACENT TO THE POOL AND THE STEPS DESCENDING FROM THE
MAIN BEDROOM, A COUNTERPOINT TO THE STARK SCULPTURAL LINES
OF THE SILK COTTON TREE. LEFT: THE FREE-FALL WATER SLIDE—
ENVELOPED BY FRAGRANT MILLINGTONIA, BAMBOO GRASSES, AND
FLAT BLADES OF HELICONIA—IS DELIBERATELY OBSCURED TO HAVE
A SECRETIVE PRESENCE. BELOW: BOULDERS EXCAVATED DURING
CONSTRUCTION AND SPECIALLY MADE GRAVEL MINIMIZE WATER
CONSUMPTION, AS OPPOSED TO LAWNS, AND ACCENTUATE THE
FRANGIPANI TREE AND BOUGAINVILLEA ON THE LEFT. FACING PAGE: THE
NATURAL ELEVATION OF THE LAND UNDER THE POOL, CLAD WITH
LIMESTONE AND A PROFUSION OF IVY, DESCENDS INTO ONE OF THE
FEW LAWN SPACES IN THE PROPERTY. ABUTTING THE IVY ARE SHRUBS
OF MURRAYA EXOTICA FOR A FRAGRANT WHIFF BY THE POOLSIDE.

CADILLAC CONVERTIBLE (1947, SERIES 62): COURTESY OF AMAL TANNA.
ABOVE LEFT: THE AMPHITHEATRE-STYLE
STEPS AT THE ENTRANCE ARE COMPOSED
FROM RAMMED EARTH, CONCRETE BLOCKS,
AND GRAVEL SPECIALLY MADE FROM THE
WASTAGE OF THE LIMESTONE BLOCKS.
ABOVE RIGHT: DHRANGADHRA LIMESTONE
WALLS SET IN A COLONNADE DEFINE THE
GAMES ROOM THAT SURROUNDS THE POOL
COURTYARD. RIGHT: THE STEEL-BARRED
WINDOW IN THE ARRIVAL FORECOURT, SET IN “I like the way Robert
A RANDOM-RUBBLE BASALT WALL, OFFERS A
VIEW OF THE LUSH TROPICAL LANDSCAPE AND
A SLIVER OF THE MUMBAI SKYLINE. FACING [Verrijt] and Shefali
PAGE: THE NATURAL SLOPE OF THE LAND
HAS BEEN RETAINED TO FORM AN UNUSUAL
COURTYARD OUTSIDE THE GUEST BATHROOM.
[Balwani] have been
extremely sensitive towards
the natural contours of the
land.” —Kunal Maniar

RUGS: COURTESY OF JAIPUR RUGS.

FERNS AND ALOCASIA CULTIVATED IN THE TIMBER LOUVRED WALLS OF THE FOYER SPILL ONTO THE SIDES OF THE FAÇADE OF THE LIVING ROOM BRINGING
THE OUTDOORS INSIDE. AD100 ARCHITECTS SHEFALI BALWANI, KUNAL MANIAR, AND ROBERT VERRIJT ON THE SPIRAL STEPS MADE FROM CAST CONCRETE
WITH A STUNNING FACETED SOFFIT THAT DESCEND FROM THE FOYER. FACING PAGE: THE SUNKEN LIVING ROOM FEATURES A NEST SECTIONAL SOFA IN
WHITE LINEN, SET AGAINST A FOUR-METRE-LONG RECLAIMED COFFEE TABLE, BOTH CONFIGURED BELOW 28 HANDMADE PENDANTS OF IRIDESCENT GLASS—
ALL BY TIMOTHY OULTON. THE CORTEN-STEEL PLANTER—WHICH HOLDS A 15-FOOT-TALL BRASSIA TREE—WAS MADE BY KUNAL MANIAR & ASSOCIATES.

FACING PAGE, BOTTOM: “BATTA PETITE” AND “BATTA MAGNA” SNACK BOWLS, COURTESY OF IKAI ASAI.
ABOVE: THE WALLS AND FURNISHINGS IN EVERY ROOM
REPRESENT A MUTED COLOUR PALETTE, AS IF TO
FURTHER EMPHASISE THE LUSH, GREEN VIEW OUTSIDE.
LEFT: THE PEBBLED FLOORS OF THE GUEST BATHROOM
MAKE FOR AN INTERESTING PLAY OF TEXTURES, IN
SYNC WITH THE LIMESTONE WALLS OF THE SHOWER
CUBICLE. BELOW: A LIGHTLY FRAGRANT KAMINI OUTSIDE
THE KITCHEN WINDOW. FACING PAGE: THE CUSTOM-
DESIGNED DINING TABLE FROM TIMOTHY OULTON
WAS MADE USING 100-YEAR-OLD RECLAIMED TIMBER
AND HAS A CALCITE CRYSTAL INSERT IN THE CENTRE.
HANDMADE RATTAN CHAIRS AND ALABASTER LIGHTS
HEIGHTEN THE TEXTURAL PLAY OF NATURAL MATERIALS.
The view from every part of

the house is overwhelmingly
beautiful. We wanted to ensure
that we do not overplay nature. We
chose foliage that does not compete
with the structure.” —Kunal Maniar

RIGHT: THE TUB IN THE MAIN BATH UNDERLINES
THE SIMPLICITY THAT PERVADES THE REST OF
THE HOUSE. BELOW LEFT: ROCKS EXCAVATED
DURING CONSTRUCTION HAVE BEEN SEAMLESSLY
INTEGRATED INTO THE ARCHITECTURE. BELOW
RIGHT: THE EXPOSED BAR AREA IN THE CONNECTING
CORRIDOR BETWEEN THE TWO PAVILIONS FACES
AN OLD FRANGIPANI TREE, FOREGROUNDING THE
INFINITY POOL. THE SLIDING DOORS ALONGSIDE
OFFER A SENSE OF PRIVACY AS WELL AS
OPENNESS. FACING PAGE: THE LAWN FACING THE
MAIN BEDROOM IS BORDERED WITH WILD TROPICAL
PLANTS THAT BLEND INTO THE SURROUNDING
LANDSCAPE EXTENDING TOWARDS THE HORIZON.
What I deeply admire

about [Kunal Maniar]
is how he responds with
interesting landscaping ideas
that can be seamlessly integrated
into the architecture.” —Robert Verrijt

hen we first visit Ty and Esha Bhojwani’s
weekend home in Alibag, they are away
on a trip. Later in the day, when the team
catches up with Ty over a phone call,
he admits to acutely missing his pet
Labrador, and requests for a candid
picture of his fur baby. The pampered
canine, though, seems too distracted to
face the camera; her attention is divided
between the iridescent garden skink
slithering on the branches of the towering
brassia in the corner of the living room,
the posse of showy butterflies that have
fluttered in to hover over the swimming
pool, and the conspicuous clique of
ladybirds ambling around the fantastic
glass façade of the house.
It’s in moments like these that one
cannot help but observe how mother
nature asserts her largesse in a profusion
of delightful moments throughout
Bhojwani’s 4.5-acre undulating home-
stead. Every part of the house is designed
to meet the landscape halfway—a resolute
metaphor, as if, to the spectacular collab-
oration between Shefali Balwani and
Robert Verrijt of Architecture Brio and
landscape architect Kunal Maniar from
Kunal Maniar & Associates. “Robert and
Shefali are extremely confident architects,”
says Maniar. “This is the first time that we
collaborated on a project, and it feels good
that all three of us always worked towards
the project and not once towards each
other’s ego.” Such frictionless rapport is
not easy to come by—not when landscape
design and architecture are so inextricably
tied in a project that has taken nearly five
years to complete.
Bhojwani’s brief was simple enough: to
execute a modern take on a traditional,
all-white plantation home. The remote
site of the house—atop a hill, facing the
bay—not only served as a privileged
vantage point but also announced its
prominence from a distance. “An all-
white house on a hill could also end
up looking like an enormous mansion
spoiling the scenery,” says Balwani. “So it
was important to understand how it will
be perceived from a distance.” To summon

a clear reference point, she and Verrijt Verrijt. Much like in a castle, a maze of not overplay nature. We chose foliage
worked on several models and decided to pathways connects the spaces spread over that does not compete with the struc
use the subtle white of the Dhrangadhra different levels. The panoramic view of the ture. That’s why the scale of leaves is tiny.”
limestone for the overall cladding. “We bay and the hills in the distance is not Secondly, water scarcity being a major
imagined a building that would be humble revealed when you enter the gates, or the problem in the area, Maniar opted for a lot
yet not shy away from its own presence,” intimate foyer, or even spiral your way of gulmohar as their smaller leaves trans
says Verrijt. down into the living room, but only fully late into lesser transpiration. “Mostly, we
The land, characterized by slopes and confronts you in an “aha” moment when have indigenous, xerophytic trees, such
inclines (the entrance to the house sits you step into the sitout near the edge of as the natural variety of frangipani—not
more than three metres lower than the the infinity pool. the hybrid ones—besides a lot of fruit
road outside the gate) presented the first “We even had a dialogue with Kunal bearing trees in the lower reaches, and
of many challenges. As Bhojwani wanted about creating a lot of dense planting fragrant kamini.”
flat terrace spaces for parties and play before we went into the parking space. The greatest challenge for Balwani,
areas, the team started by creating a What I deeply admire about him is how Verrijt, and Maniar arrived in the form of
retaining wall to encompass the raised he responds with interesting landscaping the massive boulders that were excavated
terraces and depressions. “I like the way ideas that can be seamlessly integrated into at the site. “We instinctively knew that
Robert and Shefali have been extremely the architecture—as if it always belonged these had to be an integral part of the
sensitive towards the natural contours of there. This is not easy because the material architecture, as such sculptural boulders
the land,” says Maniar. “Typically, the he works with is organic matter that has a are not easily found in all sites in Alibag,”
easier way to address such unevenness is mind of its own. It takes amazing expertise says Verrijt. “In particular, what we
to level it up with soil. But depleting soil to orchestrate its presence and growth.” hoped for came true. We, for example,
by digging one part of the earth to fill up The shroud of foliage that envelops the found this obeliskshaped rock that is
another is a rather thoughtless way to water slide, which lands in the children’s now placed next to the pool like a
treat mother nature.” Fortunately, having pool, is one such mindful landscaping bench.” As these were not accounted for
worked on similar topographies earlier, intervention that prevents the slide from in the original design, Bhojwani was ini
Verrijt and Balwani were adept at being seen as a jarring addition against the tially unsure of retaining them. Much
tweaking odd contours into interesting façade of the house. persuasion later, today he considers them
architectural interventions. For example, Similarly, the amphitheatre steps co among the most interesting features of
the slopes facing the guest bathroom and designed by Maniar and Brio, which lead his property.
kitchen have been designed to resemble the preliminary introduction to the house, Bhojwani, who is passionate about
inclined courtyards that flow into these before you reach the foyer, blends intel details, worked in close collaboration with
spaces. Upping the enchantment a notch ligent sustainable design with a playful Timothy Oulton for the home’s interiors.
higher, Maniar turned the elevation vibe. “We made those steps without using Built on the principles of the brand’s
outside the kitchen into an aromatic any cement,” says Maniar. “Instead, we Noble Souls collection, which champ
garden filled with brahmi (waterhyssop), opted for rammed earth. Concrete blocks ions natural vegetabledyed fabrics and
curry leaves, aloe vera, basil, turmeric, were placed on compact soil, and then the reclaimed timber, the house celebrates
and ajwain (carom). whole arrangement was interspersed with simple, raw, and authentic materials
Team Brio started by building two gravel to ensure that when it rains water rooted in natural beauty.
pavilions that would be placed delicately percolates efficiently.” The plants that edge For Bhojwani, sunrise is his magic hour.
at two strategic points: a plateau to hold these steps are strategically planted to The coolness of dawn, the warmth of the
the main bedroom, game room, and guest soften the bold lines of the hardscape, and first rays of the sun, and the rustling of the
bedrooms, and a lower level for the court the gravel was made by crushing the tall pampas grass edging the property as
yard, the infinity pool, and the sunken remains of the cladding. the sea breeze whispers through it—all
living room. The latter, with its ethereal, “When you have a strong line of bold distil into a moment of unblemished tran
airy feel of a chapel, has high ceilings architecture, you need to think harder quillity. It’s the same breeze that brushes
trussed with steel cables, louvred shutters, about how you are going to approach the against the snakeskin shed by a nocturnal
and slender metal columns. The drama is landscape around it,” says Maniar. “The visitor under one of the shrubs on the
further heightened by the way the house view from every part of the house is over property. For Bhojwani, it’s a moment
reveals itself to a visitor. “There was eno whelmingly beautiful. So, my team defined by the joys of coexistence when it
ugh scope to build a sense of anticipation [Pandurang Patil, Pranjali Dharaskar, and is easier to believe that all is well with
and not disclose everything at once,” says Tejas Kathe] had to ensure that we do the world.

style book DESIGN NEWS, TRENDS AND MUST HAVES
FROM THE MARKET
CONVERSATI ON PI ECE
One of the most cherished pieces of furniture at
Valaya Home, the Asisa loveseat (pictured) was
sculpted out of a piece of antique carved wood,
discovered by J.J. Valaya during one of his visits
to south India. Meaning “blessings” in Punjabi,
Asisa features an intricate carving of Guru
Nanak, which becomes the focal point of the
conversation piece. Warm and inviting, the Asisa
loveseat encapsulates the old-world charm and
romantic glamour that are synonymous with the
world of Valaya Home. (valaya.com)
H OMECOM IN G
In this sprawling 4,500-square-foot apartment
in Hyderabad, designer Keerthi Tummala—
founder and creative director of Sage Living—
crafts a meeting of two worlds. A considered
blend of the past and future, and tradition
and modernity is felt across the space, in its
juxtaposition of vintage urns with handcrafted
wallpapers, brass-accented furniture, and
prized family heirlooms, like an old veena that
takes pride of place in the family room and
pulls the space together. (sageliving.in)

C OLOUR PL AY
Marble never goes out of style. An
evergreen, versatile stone that can
be used for both flooring and surface
solutions, marble effortlessly adds
a dash of luxury to any space. R K
Marble—a pioneer in the natural stone
landscape—offers a selection of
marble in a diverse palette of colours:
from cool and warm white to a range
of greys. For the experimental, there
is also a collection of vibrant, exotic
granites and backlit quartzite slabs
(pictured) to add a pop of colour to
any space. (rkmarble.com)
E ASY LUXURY
Founded in 1999 by Farhan Furniturewalla,
this furniture, lighting, and home decor
brand—simply named Furniturewalla—
carries on its founder’s family legacy in
product design. It’s hand-picked range of
products is infused with a richness felt
in the details—from the wood, metal, and
glass work, to the handcrafted upholstery
and finishes. (furniturewalla.com)
R I VE R S ON G
Drawing on both the gentle fluidity of calm
rivers and gushing beauty of cascading
waterfalls, Zoya—the diamond boutique
from the House of Tata—recently launched
a new collection of jewels titled “Beyond—A
Boundless Journey”. Dotted with a bouquet of
emeralds, morganites, tourmalines, and pear-
shaped and round diamonds set in rose gold,
the gem-crusted beauties reflect a myriad
shades—soft hues of champagne, rich greens,
sparkling whites, and blush pinks. (zoya.in)

E AG LE- EYE D
Chopard recently added two new 41-mm
models to its celebrated Alpine Eagle range
of watches, both with dials in an original
“Pine Green” colour (pictured). Available
in either “Lucent Steel A223” or 18-carat
rose gold, the watch upholds Chopard’s
commitment to the preservation of the
Alpine environment and its biodiversity.
Part of the proceeds from sales of these
models will be donated to the Alpine Eagle
Foundation, who have already enabled the
reintroduction of the white-tailed eagle in
the Lake Geneva region. (chopard.com)
T I ME FOR A DIP
Seamlessly crafted from high-quality
PMMA, minerals, and resin, Artize’s
new range of free-standing bathtubs
flaunts the brand’s superior “solid
surface” material technology, which
gives them a luxurious smooth texture
and ups their heat-retention ability.
Case in point: the asymmetric Tiaara
bathtub (pictured) that makes every
dip a comfortable experience with its
high back support and natural, stone-
like texture. (artize.com)

WOODWORK
Now more than ever, the practice of sustainability
is at the crux of the design process. It’s also an
idea that lies at the heart of Canadian Wood, a
company specializing in furniture made of wood
that is seasoned, graded, and certified, and
sourced ethically from sustainably managed
forests in British Columbia, Canada. Working
with western hemlock, yellow cedar, and
western red cedar, Canadian Wood handcrafts
furniture that’s not just produced mindfully, but
is also built for the ages. (canadianwood.in)
TAB LE TA LK
The Boulevard dining table was recently crafted
by Archirivolto Design for Cattelan Italia. Here,
the beauty hides in the details: The legs have
a vertical cavity that is enhanced by a range of
varnished finishes. The top is customizable too,
available in glass, spatulated clay, or ceramic
(pictured). There’s something for everyone at
Cattelan Italia. (cattelanitalia.com)
ES SENTIA L LUXURI ES
Square Foot—one of India’s most trusted flooring
companies, founded in 1995—recently unveiled their
latest experience centre in Kavuri Hills, Hyderabad,
which gives customers a close look at their exhaustive
range of wooden flooring solutions. Here, you’re
sure to be spoilt for choice—choose from laminated,
engineered, or solid-wood flooring. Square Foot’s
wide range of offerings—which lend themselves
equally to indoor and outdoor settings—ensure that in
your home, the floors do the talking. (squarefoot.co.in)

ZE N GA RDEN
Zencha, a new collection of bathroom
fittings (pictured) designed by Sebastian
Herkner for Duravit, flaunts a range of
above-the-counter basins, bathtubs,
and minimalist furniture, redolent of the
quiet beauty of traditional Japanese
rituals and craftsmanship. Its rounded
contours and tactile materiality are
gentle to the touch and make for objects
that are at once functional, easy to use,
and beautiful to behold. (duravit.in)
THI N GS O F BE AU T Y
Every object designed at Queo embodies
the idea of thoughtful, handcrafted luxury.
Led by ergonomics and an unmatched
sense of minimalism, Queo creates
fittings and objects that turn baths,
lounges, and washrooms into the talk of
the town. It’s all about the little details—
tempered water pressure for the perfect
massage, colours to fit your mood, and
intuitive technologies crafted to create a
world of comfort, elegance, and ultimate
relaxation. (queobathrooms.com)

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The
Curator
AMIN JAFFER
In the last issue of this year,

the curator reminds us of
the Sidi Saiyyed Mosque in
Ahmedabad and its iconic
jali—its history, its exquisite
craftsmanship, and how it
has inspired many iterations
through time and place.
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES.

T his pierced stone screen—or jali—is
one of ten that dec orate the
semicircular windows of the mosque of
their type, reflecting a naturalism and
freedom of line in the carving of stone that
is rarely surpassed.
example of the success of Siddi merc-
enaries may be seen in the case of Piram
Khan, an admiral in the service of the
Sidi Saiyyed in Ahmedabad, constructed in It is not known to what extent the ruler of Ahmednagar who captured
1572-73 (AH 980-81) during the final years superlative design of the mosque was Janjira, eventually establishing Siddi rule
of the Sultanate of Gujarat. It represents a determined by its patron, Sidi Saiyyed, over the state.
centrally positioned tree—a theme familiar a mercenary of African descent who Eventually falling into disrepair, the
across civilizations and faiths whether served in the army of the Sultan of British period saw the mosque of Sidi
representing creation, life, or knowledge, Gujarat Mahmud III before joining that Saiyyed used as an office, the interior
or whether associated with paradise and of General Bilal Jhajhar Khan. His whitewashed. It was during a tour of
the promised blessings of the afterlife. excellence in warfare eventually won Ahmedabad that Lord Curzon, viceroy
Pierced screens executed in marble, stone, him noble status, a jagir—or grant of of India from 1899 to 1905 and a promoter
or wood are traditional elements of the land—and a sizeable fortune. Sidi Saiyyed of the Archaeological Survey of India,
architecture of South Asia, where they assembled a significant library, travelled ordered its restoration. The quality of the
were used to divide space, ensuring privacy to Mecca to perform hajj, and embarked composition of the Sidi Saiyyed Mosque
and blocking direct light while admitting on philanthropic projects, among them jalis also caught the attention of American
the free flow of air. With patterns that are funding a public kitchen and erecting a designer Lockwood de Forest, who
geometric, drawn from nature or some- mosque in his name. His status and ach- reproduced them in his woodwork
times even calligraphic, they are seen ievements represent the extent to which creations manufactured for the American
throughout the subcontinent, in various descendants of Africans with outstanding market, among them screens, sideboards,
degrees of sophistication. The jalis in the talents were integrated into the culture of and sofa backs. Today the motif is used
Sidi Saiyyed Mosque—and this one in Muslim states in India, sometimes rising as the logo for the Indian Institute of
particular—are outstanding examples of to positions of high authority. A further Management, Ahmedabad.

PHOTO: JIGNESH JHAVERI/AD INDIA
PHOTO: BIKRAMJIT BOSE/AD INDIA

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ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2022 INDIA ₹200

ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST ` 200 SEPTEMBER 2019

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD

home perched on a hill Formafantasma’s new

that is the perfect meeting collection of lights nod to

ground for architecture and Henri Matisse’s paper cut-

landscape design (pg 104). outs. Hermès’s touring

08 EDITOR’S LETTER exhibition lands in Mumbai.

10 CONTRIBUTORS Bijoy Jain sculpts a set of

THE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER villas for boutique hotel

ISSUE Amaya that sits lightly in the

13 DISCOVERIES lap of rolling hills in Kasauli.

For our last issue of the year,

and design programming

from across various cities

in India. Curio, a new digital

platform for collectible design

stars the works of four of

42 SHOP 49 KITCHEN REPORT 40

46 HELLO, BENGALURU AD’s annual report of the

Glimpses of a fabulous latest trends in kitchen

night at the Grohe design is back. This time,

PHOTO: COURTESY OF AMAN.

which opened with flavour to AD’s showcase

a riveting talk by artist of fashionable tools and

and curator Subodh Kerkar gadgets for your kitchen. 66 ROLEX

of Museum of Goa and 58 AEQUŌ In a stunning evening at the

closed with a rocking AD visits aequō’s sun- Brooklyn Academy of

Courtin unveils his debut set of mentor-protégé

design gallery—a series cycle of their celebrated

of totem-like, leather- arts initiative, and also

wrapped vessels, showcased the works

handcrafted at his atelier created by the class of

82 82 BRAGANZA HOUSE 120 STYLE BOOK

Interior designer Chlöe Our selection of this season’s

Elkerton’s newly renovated best design products.

home in Sri Lanka is a labour 125 STOCKISTS

of love and clearly the most An A-Z listing of stores in

photogenic on the island. the issue.

94 NATE & JEREMIAH 126 THE CURATOR

takes on an altogether their aesthetic roots.

away sits Villa Palladio, This Alibag home shows how

a fantastical new hotel architecture and landscape

conjured up by three of design can come together in

the most accomplished a meeting of minds, hearts,

alchemists in the game. and sweet eccentricity.

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Selwin Edward HEAD – AD OPERATIONS Sachin Pujari

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Amrit Bardhan

6 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2022

QUEEN Published By Condé Nast

ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST ` 200 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022

Taiwan: GQ, Vogue

Published Under Joint Venture

Condé Nast is a global media company producing premium content

PHOTO: SARANG GUPTA

8 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2022

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD

↑ COSMO BROCKWAY ← BIKRAMJIT BOSE