Kitsch is the key

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  One wall of the living room is dominated by posters of French films, small metallic plates with images of Elvis Presley and comic book covers that date to the '60s

No trespassing! Violators will be shot, survivors will be shot again...'

The ominous sign hanging outside one of the bedrooms pretty much gives you an idea about the space you have dared to enter.

Over the years, Nida Mahmood has earned the sobriquet of The Queen of Kitsch, courtesy her quirky fashion collections. Nida, the young and spunky designer on the Indian fashion firmament has created her home clearly as an extension of her own bubbly personality and on the lines of it being fun yet simple, quirky yet soothing.

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  In Nida Mahmood's cosy yet minimalist bedroom, stark white walls and bed have been offset by cushions and curtains in vibrant colours

Nida lives in a 3,000sqft, five-bedroom duplex apartment (two guest bedrooms downstairs and three bedrooms on the first floor) in Sheikh Sarai in South Delhi. Her lawyer husband, Dr Saif Mahmood, works out of his office on the ground floor while the first floor is a private space shared by Nida, her family and her cat named Toffee.

It's a chic space dominated by bright, pristine white walls and furniture that sits close to the floor, where the only pops of colour come from the bright tones of the quirky sofa cushions and upholstery —and lots of artwork. 'I didn't care much about white for interiors but one visit to Greece many years ago changed my perspective completely,' says Nida and adds: 'I was spellbound by the stark white tones that dominate Greek buildings and interiors. I decided to replicate the look at home.'

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The living room on the first floor is filled with paintings from different parts of the world. One wall is dominated by posters from French films, small metallic plates with images of music icon, Elvis Presley and comic covers with images of famous cartoon characters.

'I'm very inspired by street art,' says Nida. 'I picked up some of these from Portobello Market — a notable street market in London — and others like the French posters from France many years ago. The two Mickey Mouse covers are original comic book covers dating back to the '60s,' says Nida.

Sharing space on this wall with all these artworks is a clutch of paintings done by Nida herself. What makes these unusual is that she has painted on used postcards which she collected over the years. These watercolours bear faces that reflect the moods and emotions that each postcard conveys. 'There are people who haven't understood or taken to email and still send letters and postcards back home,' says Nida.

On the facing wall is a huge poster by Nida that's inspired by the iconic Bollywood film, Deewar, starring Amitabh Bachchan. She says that this painting in mix media is a part of the collection for her joint venture called the New India Bioscope Co in partnership with Raul Chandra. 'It's an initiative to revive poster art and help the artists earn a living,' she says.

Nida confesses to being an odds-and-ends junkie. Just below this huge Deewar display is a shelf that displays an assortment of colourful bottles in different shapes and sizes. 'I love collecting bottles and I bought these from France, Switzerland and Delhi,' she says.

Facing the living room is the dining area that continues the white theme. So everything is sparkling white — from the floor to the ceiling. Porcelain wall-curios and a huge blue-and-white cabinet add to the visual appeal of the space. The area opens into a spacious balcony.

The maverick designer was expecting guests and had decided to set up the dining table in the manner of a zany and colourful Mad Hatter's Tea Party. The long table was covered with wine glasses, teapots, teacups and saucers spilling with colourful sequins and beads.

She explains the look: 'I thought about taking fashion elements like beads and sequins and other material used in embroidery to create beautiful and sparkling scones and cupcakes.'

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  Nida has collected an assortment of bottles in different colours from Switzerland, France and Delhi

Adjacent to the dining room is Nida's brother-in law's bedroom and the kitchen. On the left of the kitchen is Nida's bedroom. It's cosy and minimalist yet modern. The stark white walls and white bed make the room look larger while the silk curtains in indigo and cushions and pillows in bright colours (planted on a neutral shade bedspread) make the bedroom vibrant. The designer has created a corner that livens up the room with a collection of family photos and bright floor cushions.

'The central piece is one of my designs,' says Nida pointing to an artwork just over the bed. 'These posters on either side of the design are from France,' she adds.

You can't help but notice another warning sign that hangs outside the washroom of her bedroom. 'Pay toilet 10 cents, persons caught crawling under the door will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.'

It's a kitschy, fun space that Nida calls her home!

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  The designer often puts together zany settings like the time she gave her dining table a wacky Mad Hatter's Tea Party theme

Photographs by Rupinder Sharma