(Above) The lobby area has intricately carved chairs that the Kochhars bought in Spain; (top) Marble pillars, high roofs and lush lawns give a grand look to Rohit Kochhar’s home

This one would make it to the list of the most spectacular homes in Delhi’s exclusive Chattarpur Farms area. It’s a study in opulence starting at the giant wooden gates (watched over by intimidating guards). Reclusive yet cutting-edge lawyer, Rohit Kochhar’s three-acre home is a medley of sweeping staircases, marble columns and pillars, Italian art, and well-manicured lawns.

This is where Kochhar lives with his wife Sonali and two daughters along with a retinue of over 20 staff. Kochhar, managing director of legal firm, Kochhar & Co. Advocates and Legal Consultants, moved out of his parents’ home in south Delhi’s Anand Lok some seven years ago to build this dream mansion.

He found the greenery of Chattarpur Farms irresistible. “It’s peaceful here and I love it. I feel my soul has been set free in this environment,” he says.

The Kochhars have been living in the house for the past five years, and two years before that were spent in rented accommodation close to the site. “I wanted to supervise the construction of the house closely,’’ he says.

Kochhar says that building his dream house was tougher than running his law firm. “I wanted everything custom-made,’’ he says.

Sonali and Rohit Kochhar have been living in their dream home for the past five years

And of course, the house also ‘had’ to be very spacious. For, Kochhar confesses to being obsessed with space. So when he travels, he only checks into a suite with rooms of a specific size. And he travels in a customised stretch Mercedes.

It’s no surprise then that the rooms in his home are so large that they are a bit more like mini-halls. The dining hall, for instance, is probably large enough to host an official state banquet.

The three-level house has a basement with an indoor swimming pool, a gym and a play station for his girls. Incidentally, Kochhar says he spends a lot of his time in the gym when he’s home. “I feel uncomfortable if I’m not fit,” he says.

(Clockwise from top left) The well-stocked bar is the highpoint of the living room; the grand entrance of the house has a rich display of art and sculpture; a marble sculpture from Italy; the dining area is roomy enough to accommodate an 18-seater dining table

The ground floor has four bedrooms, a huge atrium, a drawing room and a dining area. The furniture in all the rooms has been made-to-order (obviously) so, there are bespoke fluffy sofas and curvy chairs in dark wood.

The first floor is dedicated to the puja room, Kochhar’s office and a study area crammed with legal reference books.

The plan, concept and design of the house was entirely Kochhar’s and he says that he was bent upon going with Roman and Greek architecture. The well-designated columns and multiple pillars in the house, along with ultra-high roofs, became the central theme of the design.

When the house was ready, Kochhar filled it with artefacts from Italy and Spain. He made a special trip to Prague to hand-pick a fine collection of chandeliers. Looking around him he says with satisfaction: “It’s a great feeling to be living in a customised home.’’ The house sits in the middle of manicured lawns and an aged bonsai tree greets you at the main gate and a giant bronze Ganesha welcomes you under the porch.

From the porch you step into what Kochhar calls the “grand entrance’’, a hall that connects you to the rest of the house and is marked by twin sweeping staircases leading upstairs.

The flooring is in flawless Italian marble that’s trimmed with black edging. A crystal chandelier drops from the ceiling, while paintings by Italian artists, gilded mirrors and a sculpture add to the elegance of the room.

Kochhar is a collector at heart — and one who is fixated on Italian painters. He even commissioned an Italian artist to paint most of the artworks. But it was only after he had seen over a thousand paintings in Italy by different artists that he decided on who would paint for his home. The only paintings done by an Indian artist are the portraits of his parents that were painted by a Rajasthani artist. The centre of attraction is a 22-ft tall painting that decorates the wall of the atrium.

The hall is connected to a living room that’s made gallery-like with its collection of paintings and sculptures. Kochhar’s favourite is the replica of the famous Dancer by Antonio Canova, a sculpture of three semi-nude dancers, the original of which is in the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. Another sculpture, The Three Cupids, weighing about 400kg, is placed in the passage between the dining hall and the living room. Kochhar is a perfectionist and he has more plans up his sleeve for the house. He feels that the 18-seater dining table is inadequate amd plans to expand it to a 20-seater soon.

But Kochhar rues the fact that since he keeps punishing schedules, he has little time for relaxation. “But I am now looking forward to spending more time at home so that I can enjoy all the effort I have put into it.’’