SPACES | QUIRKY FRESH IN DELHI

Shruti has been creating handcrafted textiles for the home for over a decade. She has a variety of creations from cushion covers and quilts to bags and diaries. Her style is undeniably fresh and original, with a dash of quirky. With great attention to detail, she designs with appliqué and embroidery to make your home and daily essentials a source of constant joy. She started her own brand a few years ago called nana. Her beautifully handcrafted and distinct style had people knocking on her door to request home styling services.

When we found out she and her designer husband Rahul were moving into a new apartment, we waited impatiently for the completion of the interiors. We knew the outcome would be unique as it would be a mix of their styles. Rahul is a fashion designer drawn to minimalism. As expected, the finished product was delightful and airy. A great aesthetic for any city apartment given the Indian climate.

How would you describe your style? What is your inspiration | My husband and I have distinct preferences when it comes to design, color and interior styling.

Even if you have to spend a little extra for good quality work, you will save in the long run

How would you describe your style | What is your inspiration | My husband and I have distinct preferences when it comes to design, colour and interior styling. While my husband leans more towards the clean, minimalistic approach of the Scandinavian and the Japanese sensibility; I love colour and pattern and I have a soft spot for English country. The blend of both our styles gives our home a unique scandal-country aesthetic.

We find inspiration in everything we find appealing; nature, our travels, and meeting different people. We love to travel and make sure we visit flea markets wherever we go for unique and quirky finds. Everything in our home has a little story behind it.

You recently moved into a new apartment, what was your starting point for designing the layout and styling the interiors | Why did you decide on this particular color palette | Since we bought a flat that was already structurally ready, we could not really modify the layout much. But natural light is a top priority for us, so first we focussed on the windows and thought about what we could do to modify them.

Our home overlooks the JNU greens on one side, so there is potential for plenty of natural light, but the existing windows were cubby sections of aluminum with grills which allowed minimal light. We removed the grills and metal windows and replaced them with plate glass and solid wood frames. This change practically brought the JNU forest into our home and flooded our bedroom with natural light.

Then we worked out how much storage/cupboard space we would need, and removed extra inbuilt cupboards to add depth and make our home more airy and spacious.

Finally, we redid the floors with the woodiest light laminate we could find for an airy and natural feeling.

As for colors, we were very clear that we wanted to have all the doors, windows and furniture pieces in a mixture of white and French Grey so it would complement the color we brought in with our soft furnishings and art.

What was your biggest challenge | The bedroom had a column in the middle of the room, which we could not remove for structural reasons? So our biggest challenge was to work around it, as there was a lot of empty space behind it.

As most difficulties lead to creative solutions, we found one and decided to divide a portion of the room into two with wood shelving. This not only gave us an added space for our favorite books and quirky finds from around the globe but also created a little study nook

The biggest mistake you made that others should not | You must choose your contractors very carefully. Since we were working on a budget, we decided to work with a team of people that offered better rates. But often better rates means shoddy work and that is exactly what happened. Eventually, we had to redo quite a few things which were a sheer waste of time and money. So our advice is to go with someone reputed and trustworthy, even if you have to spend a little extra, in the long run, you will save, have good quality work, and fewer maintenance issues.

Do you have a favorite feature in the finished home | Our favorite feature in our home is the shelf/divider that we built in our bedroom? It not only gives the room depth and makes it appear larger, but the added study nook is where we sit, dream and create our designs.

Your textiles have exquisite embroidery work. What advice can you give others about pairing fabrics | Embroidered, solids, prints and so on? What’s the starting point in making choices for upholstery | I really feel we should all follow our hearts when it comes to decorating one's home? It is such personal space and it should really be about what you like as opposed to what’s in trend or what is the “right’ way. Think of the things and colors you like. Make a mood board with everything from photos of your favorite places, to swatches of colors and fabrics you like, to images of objects that you are drawn to. This will give you a good starting point for the kind of colors that will give you the look and feel that appeals to you. You will probably find a common color through this exercise. Use this as the underlying theme color of your home to give it a cohesive style.

I personally do not follow any rules while putting fabrics together. I love mixing things up. However aesthetically I prefer using colors that delicately enhance each other rather than having bold and loud combinations. I also prefer prints, patterns, and colors that will not become an eyesore over time. For example, dark colors mixed with bright may be great fun initially, but over time their effect on the mind is not nourishing. And I feel your surroundings should nurture your mind and encourage lightness of being. If you enjoy color like I do, then make the backdrop of colorful fabrics neutral to give that pop while keeping the aesthetic inspiring and positive.