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A waterbody with a brass sculpture gives the entrance a serene feel |
Fashion designer Payal Jain likes to say that her home is work in progress. It took over three years to build — and even today there are sections that are under construction. Teams of carpenters and handymen are giving finishing touches to the gym and the designer’s studio at her sprawling home on the outskirts of Delhi.
The designer lives in a two-and-a-half acre home in Chattarpur, the green farmhouse belt of Delhi, with her husband, Manish Mehta, their twins Jai and Yash, 12, and her mother-in-law. She says: “I conceptualised the design and it took me over two years just to put it on paper,” she says.
Since the house was taking ages to be built, the couple decided to move in as soon as one bedroom and the kitchen were completed. “We moved in a little over two years ago and have seen the house come up brick-by-brick,” she says.
The five-bedroom, L-shaped structure is a study in understated luxury what with its waterbodies, Balinese sculptures and spa-like bathrooms, that are also outfitted with carpets.
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(From top) the conversation piece in the formal living area is a huge sea stone from Bali that serves as a base for the centre-table;
vibrant artworks lend splashes of colour to the otherwise stark walls |
The two-storey house spreads over two separate wings connected by an open corridor that’s covered by a wood roof. The main wing has two drawing rooms, a lavish dining area on the ground floor, four bedrooms on the first floor, and a den in the basement. The other wing has Jain’s bedroom on the first floor and she’s planned for a gym on the ground floor along with a basement studio. “We decided to keep our bedroom separate so that later when our children grow up they can have their own space and privacy,” says Jain.
Jain loves the Balinese look and so she brought a huge sea stone from Bali to be used as the base for a table in the living room. “It took us 12 hours to get it in from the driveway,” she laughs. She also picked a mango wood side-table from Bali and a stone Buddha statue that sits in the porch.
Jain’s home reflects her creativity through colours — from the elegant white walls to tantalising tones in the artwork. And her artistic touch is everywhere — from the porch to the bedrooms. The porch looks serene with a blue-tiled water body with a brass statue rising from it. Another impressive piece is a giant Nataraja at the entrance, a housewarming present from Jain’s parents.
You enter the house from the main wing which has two drawing rooms — an informal one near the kitchen to the right of the house and the other, a formal dining-cum-drawing room. The high-end leather sofas in this room have been imported from Italy. “We wanted straight-line furniture and had these designed to our specifications,” says Jain.
The first floor of this wing has four bedrooms. The twins have a set of two rooms which are a mirror image of each other. Across the hall from their rooms is Jain’s mother-in-law’s room as well as a guest bedroom. This floor is clutter free. The hall has a shell light installation from Bali.
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Jain’s two-storey house spreads over two separate wings that are connected
by an open corridor; (top) a Buddha statue that Jain picked up from Bali sits in the front porch |
In the basement of this part (and directly under the kitchen and the informal sitting area) is the television-cum-entertainment room. A load-bearing pillar here has been clad with chunky wood-stubs and given wood slabs which now function as bar tables. “This was the best way of covering up an unseemly pillar,” she says.
Jain has used a variety of woods throughout the house — in the furniture, on the floors and railings. The tables are made from mango wood brought back from Bali. She has also used railway sleeper wood and Burma teak on other pieces of furniture and floors.
The entire house, including the washrooms, has a spectacular collection of carpets from around the world. Jain usually looks for hand-woven, aged carpets that she buys through a distributor in Delhi. And instead of curtains Jain has opted for stylish blinds by cutting-edge brand, Hunter Douglas. “We didn’t want curtains as it could trigger allergies if they collected dust,” she says.
The couple is particular about their privacy. So, their part of the house is located across from this main wing, at the far end of a connecting corridor. Jain’s favourite part of the house is the bay window to the right of her bed. “We have our morning tea here. And even when I have my thinking cap on, it’s the ideal place to hang out,” she says.
A set of three paintings from artist Pradeep Puthoor adds a splash of colour to the otherwise stark white bedroom walls. The room also boasts of a walk-in closet and a large bathroom with wall-to-wall Italian marble finish.
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A show area next to the
entrance was created for the express purpose of hosting
private fashion shows |
Some of the other impressive pieces in and outside the house include bronze and iron statue, named Twins, a piece her aunt made and presented to her sons.
Another interesting design feature is a small show area next to the entrance. Jain has designed this ‘open ramp area’ for her fashion shows at the basement level. The steps going down to this area can seat upto 30 people.
Despite the grandeur, Jain loves the back-to-nature feel of her farmhouse — from chirping birds to peacocks that strut about the gardens during monsoon. “We achieved our goal, to design and live in a home in a big city and yet feel like we are far from it,” smiles Jain.
Photographs by Rupinder Sharma |
