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| The living room exudes a comfortable feel with cotton blinds, made-to-order furniture and studio lights highlighting the paintings |
It’s a dream home that looks a bit like a mini art gallery. And that’s hardly surprising because its owners, Rajeev Lochan and his wife Yuriko, are both artists — and Lochan is also the director of the National Gallery of Modern Art.
So as you walk around their spacious two-year-old home, you won’t be surprised by the studio lights that shine directly on paintings by Rajeev and Yuriko. Or the gallery-like hall on the ground floor that functions as their living room and another hall on the first floor which is the studio where they both work.
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| The open plan kitchen overlooks the back lawn |
The Lochans moved into their three-storeyed home two years ago, having painstakingly built it with the help of an architect friend. Says Rajeev: “Building a house is so gruelling that we now understand what people mean when they say that you build your dream house just once in your lifetime.”
Yuriko, who visited the construction site almost everyday, says that building a house can test one’s patience.
Now that it’s all over they can look around them and reckon that it was worth the effort. Built on a 224 sq-yard plot, the house is clad in red brick tiles with strips of turquoise tiles edging the borders. The tiny front lawn and the small garden at the back add to its charm. The no-fuss house has clean lines — both inside and outside — which gives it a contemporary look.
You are greeted by a very Japanese touch at the entrance. Visitors remove their footwear and slip into one of the cotton slip-ons kept in a bamboo basket at the front door. Yuriko insists: “This is not just a Japanese tradition but is also practiced in south India.”
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| Yuriko and Rajeev chill out in their studio on the first floor |
There’s a feeling of space inside the house. They believe that partitions make spaces appear smaller. So, on the ground and first floor, the house has no dividing walls, except in the bedrooms.
The large house has just three bedrooms — two on the ground floor and a guestroom on the first floor. “There are days when I don’t visit the first floor at all. But it’s a nice feeling to have the space,” says Rajeev.
The ground floor is basically just a rectangular hall which serves as a living room that seamlessly flows into an open-plan kitchen and a dining area. The kitchen overlooks the back lawn while large windows let in fresh air and light.
The living room is done up with made-to-order furniture that’s upholstered in leather and natural fabrics. Tall moorahs (cane stools), beige cushions and a beige cloth blind accentuate the earthly tones of the room. Large paintings by Yuriko adorn the living room.
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| One of Yuriko’s paintings |
The Lochans opted for green Kota tile flooring instead of Italian marble.
Yuriko says: “In simple interiors, any object or artefact that you place in it stands out.” Rightly so, the artefacts — like the Buddha’s head in golden clay, the ceramic Laughing Buddha and brass deities kept on a side table — attract attention.The two bedrooms on this floor have tall windows that look out to the back garden.
What the Lochans love about their home is the space that it offers. But this comes with a price. “Maintenance isn’t easy,” says Rajeev.
The Lochans say that there is no comparison between this home and their previous three-bedroom apartment in Sarita Vihar where they lived for 15 years. Space was a constraint says Yuriko and adds: “Even though I converted one bedroom into my studio, we still fell short of space. So, the main purpose was to get more elbow-room, especially for our art.”
House-guests usually stay on the first floor, which in a way replicates the general layout of the ground floor. The second floor has a servant’s quarter and also doubles as a storage area.
The first floor also has a spacious hall that serves as a studio. And when they are painting, they always have soft instrumental music playing in the background. One corner of this hall is Yuriko’s den while the other is Rajeev’s work station.
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| Artefacts like the Buddha head in golden clay and metal deities stand out in the living room |
This is where the Lochans spend most of their time, more so Yuriko who paints when Rajeev leaves for work. The artists’ arsenal is stocked in cabinets. There are also piles of blank canvas neatly placed in a corner. Yuriko’s unfinished works are lined along the hall while the walls display past works.
In Rajeev’s corner, you’ll find a shelf full of reference books and unfinished paintings. One of his large paintings adorns a wall. “In the last few years, painting has taken a back seat for me. But now I am trying to get back to it,” he says.
Yuriko on the other hand is gearing up for an upcoming solo show this Nov-ember. So she’ll be spending more time in the studio in the next few months. Clearly, for the Lochans their home has become a larger canvas for their life.
