Burma teak arches are the most striking feature in the living room

Sprawling bungalows with lush gardens are almost a given when you’re heading to the upscale Alipore area in Calcutta. But fashion entrepreneur Gauri Bajoria’s two-storeyed home is not just another, almost predictably, pretty bungalow. It’s a home with a difference — with a huge lush garden, arches dominating the interiors and a spacious outhouse.

“My dad got a Mumbai-based architect to re-design our old bungalow for a country house feel,” says Gauri, 30, who lives here with her parents and younger brother. The architect did just that, in-building aesthetic wooden arches into the structure, liberally using Spanish roof tiles and giving the house an L-shaped back garden with plenty of plants and trees.

The property, sprawling over a 28,000sqft plot (about 3,000sq yd), belonged to a British family. The extended family of the Bajorias bought it in the 1950s. And after Gauri’s father bought it from them, it took almost five years to get this house re-built. They shifted here in 1981. “The entire place was broken down and built anew,” says Gauri.

Built over two levels, the lower section of Gauri’s bedroom is a lounge that’s done in a contemporary way; (below) a marble lamp that Gauri’s father bought at a European art auction is placed at the entrance of the dining room

Well known for organising fashion and lifestyle exhibitions, Gauri says their home exudes the Art Deco style. “However, I tried to introduce a contemporary touch when I moved back in 2002 after graduating from the London College of Fashion,” she says. She brought showpieces from Lalique, candles and vases from Kosta Boda and crystal pieces from Orrefors.

The ground level — with the kitchen, a pantry, drawing and dining rooms and a sit-out area that opens into the garden — is where Gauri entertains. The four bedrooms and two living areas on the first floor are the family’s private space.

Marble steps from the porch land one into a waiting area, done up with plush sofas and a side-table. To its left, a glass sliding door opens into a huge living area split into two by sliding glass and wood doors. If the sheer expanse of the space doesn’t sweep you away, the high, Burma teak arches in the doorways surely will. The area has three alcoves — one on either side and another on the extreme left — each with sofas to sink into. One of the alcoves serves as the sheesha zone when Gauri she brings out her hookah for her parties. A beige and white lounger and a transparent Venetian glass lamp with black stripes create the perfect ambience.

The oval ceiling with a textured glass finish steals the show in the dining room; (below) the large garden is well-manicured and landscaped, and even has a pond with a fountain

The Bajorias’s taste for fine things is also reflected in a marble lamp that Gauri’s father bought at an art auction in Europe. This sits pretty at the entrance of the dining room, which is separated from this part of the drawing room by a glass sliding door. The most striking feature of the dining space is its oval ceiling with a textured glass finish. There are two dining tables — one is an eight-seater and the other a six-seater for a cosier family meal.

Another section of the massive living room is more formal and overlooks the back garden. The décor here is simple with six big chairs, a maroon carpet and three glass-topped marble side-tables with amethyst coasters for company. A sliding door opens into the sit-out area, which leads to the garden. “My parents have tea here and during parties this area doubles as our barbecue station and bar,” she adds. While the flooring of the entire house is in white marble, this space has been done in old red tiles. An antique wooden table and garden chairs upholstered in deep green leather blend with the outdoors.

Gauri’s two-storeyed home exudes a country house feel complete with a lush garden and an outhouse

Step into the manicured garden and the fragrance of flowers fills your senses. “My mother loves gardening and grows flowers like orchids, impatiens and Chinese ixora,” smiles Gauri. A small fountain with stone pigeons completes the pretty picture. Many of the plants here are backlit with halogen lamps, giving the garden “a spa-like feel” in the evenings. Across the garden is the outhouse with Spanish tile roofing and slate walls. This is a series of rooms running horizontally along the single-storey structure. There’s a storeroom, Gauri’s studio and a temple.

The first floor of the house has her parents’ master bedroom and Gauri’s bedroom. Her parents’ room is divided into three parts. One is the sitting area with parquet wood flooring and the other two areas are occupied by the bed and her father’s workstation. Interestingly, Gauri’s bedroom is built over two levels. The lower level is a lounge where a movie projector, a red floor lamp and a bronze rug create a den-like feel, and a flight of 12 steps leads up to her Japanese-style low bed.

“My room is my haven. Which is why, when I’m not working, you’ll find me at home,” smiles Gauri.