E
RS ME
NTEN ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST
` 200 OCTOBER NOVEMBER 2020 THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD
INDIA
PHOTO: NANDINI MEHTA NAIK.
EDITORS AT HOME
CO VE R
at Les Ateliers 2M in Mumbai.
For the first time ever, seven AD
Ashiesh Shah collaborates with
editors from around the world—
Dimapur-based Heirloom Naga for
China, France, Germany, India, Italy,
a Naga-inspired chair. Seetu Kohli
Middle East and Spain—open the
Home brings the new Fendi Casa
doors to their homes, giving us a
collection to India. Jalebi, a book
glimpse into their lockdown lives.
on Southall by Priya Ahluwalia,
The cover captures that typical
celebrates diversity. Hong Kong–
sight—one we dearly miss—in an
based architect André Fu designed
editorial office of a soft board pinned
the perfect home for AD Casa, a
up with all the editors’ homes.
project by AD China. India Art Fair
22 ED I TOR ’S L E TTE R
director Jagdip Jagpal reports from
24 C ON T R I BU TOR S
the Berlin Art Week, with notes on
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER
new works by Olafur Eliasson and
31 ZE ITGE I ST
Sajan Mani. Studio Lotus redefines
Hermès turns Gianpaolo Pagni
glamping at the Raas Chhatrasagar
artworks into rugs, handmade
tented boutique hotel.
NTEN PHOTO: BILLIE CLARKEN/NOME GALLERY.
4 4
9 4 E N R I C PA ST O R
120 L U C A D I N I
The AD Spain editor-in-chief’s
AD Italy editor-in-chief Luca Dini
new home in Madrid is an exercise
has refurbished his second home
in colour that looks like his
in the Marche region, a place with
magazine come to life.
foundations that go deep into his
10 4 O L I V E R J A H N
70 ROLL CALL
The editor-in-chief of AD Germany,
family’s history.
128 B E R Y L H S U
Presenting the new line-up of
Oliver Jahn’s home is a tribute
A new passion for florals and
Contributing Editors at AD—the
to books and the written word,
botanical sculptures is evident
tastemakers and experts who bring
celebrating his penchant for
throughout the Shanghai apartment
magic to these pages.
collecting rare volumes.
of the editor-in-chief of AD China.
11 2 M A R I E K A LT
IN THE WORLD
The AD France editor-in-chief
To mark a century of showcasing
photographs her daily routine
beautiful interiors, all AD editions
over summer in Paris, revealing
present this gorgeously designed
a stillness to the city never
and curated coffee-table book.
seen before.
1 2 8
PHOTO: DIRK WEIBLEN.
8 2 THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ROOMS
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NTEN
PHOTO: EESHAAN KASHYAP.
1 6 6
1 54 M I N H O G G
184 ST Y L E N O T E S
The late founding editor of The
Our selection of the best design
World of Interiors was a legend
products to own this season.
in the world of magazines and
190 ST O C K I ST S An A-to-Z listing of stores.
decoration, as her own home in the Canary Islands shows.
1 34 TA L I B C H O U D H R Y
192 T H E C A R T O O N
16 6 E E S H A A N K A S H YA P ’ S
A hilarious new page by illustrator
Mini and Mouse, Talib Choudhry’s
KITCHEN SECRETS
unapologetic feline flatmates, offer
Chef and restaurateur Eeshaan
a tour of the AD Middle East editor-
Kashyap takes the reins for a very
The editor-in-chief of AD Mexico
in-chief’s Dubai apartment through
special Kitchen Report, with hand-
styles a personal, chic mood board.
a series of portraits.
written notes and recipes.
194 THE M OOD: M A R Í A A L C O C E R
1 4 4
18 0 W E E K E N D V I B E S
From DIY to a spring clean, it’s
A look back at the AD Weekender,
been one long styling session in
which brought together a line-up of
the cosy Mumbai flat of the
virtual home tours, art exhibitions,
editor of AD India.
conversations and masterclasses.
PHOTO: GREG FOSTER.
1 44 G R E G F O ST E R
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EDITOR GREG FOSTER MANAGING EDITOR Komal Sharma ART DIRECTOR Chandni Mehta DIGITAL EDITOR Aditi Sharma Maheshwari COPY DIRECTOR Tyrel Rodricks ASSISTANT DIGITAL EDITOR Kriti Saraswat-Satpathy DESIGNER Akshita Shrivastava FEATURES WRITER Ritupriya Basu PHOTO ASSISTANT Sarang Gupta JUNIOR STYLIST Mitalee Mehta JUNIOR FEATURES WRITER Shristi Singh EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Shalini Kanojia WATCH EDITOR Rishna Shah SYNDICATION MANAGER Michelle Pereira SYNDICATION COORDINATOR Giselle D’Mello PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Sunil Nayak SENIOR MANAGER - COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION Sudeep Pawar PRODUCTION MANAGER Mangesh Pawar SENIOR PRODUCTION CONTROLLER Abhishek Mithbaokar PRODUCTION CONTROLLER Geetesh Patil CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Channa Daswatte Divya Mishra Gauri Kelkar Gayatri Rangachari Shah Malika Verma Maximiliano Modesti Mayank Mansingh Kaul Nazneen Jehangir Priyanka Shah Roshini Vadehra Sunil Sethi Vivek Sahni Yeshwant Holkar CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Ashish Sahi Ashish Shah
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THE SECRET GARDEN BATHROOMS THAT MAKE A
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EDITORS AT HOME
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L SF T E
M S
At the beginning of lockdown, some eight months ago, the ten international editors of AD began a monthly Zoom call. Ostensibly, it was a forum to discuss the rapidly evolving editorial landscape (hello, IG live) and mastermind our move into virtual events (goodbye, cocktail parties). Perhaps the first few calls had some awkward silences but it quickly evolved into something where big ideas were born: the ‘I Love Salone’ campaign in support of the Italian manufacturers as their factories shut down; the panel discussion organized by AD Pro; and a few co-produced shoots. Collaboration does not come naturally to traditionally territorial editors, but we worked it out. Unusually, the AD editors are friends, not just colleagues. But by far the most delicious part of the call was the glimpse we got into each other’s homes. There were no hostile grey boxes on this Zoom. Instead, I spied AD Spain editor Enric Pastor’s sunny sofas, AD Germany editor Oliver Jahn’s library of old books, AD France editor Marie Kalt’s collection of Noguchi lamps and AD US editor Amy Astley’s sexy floating staircase. It got me wondering, what did the rest of their home look like? By my very nature, I wanted to see more. And if I wanted to see more, then I was sure our readers would too. I studied international relations in my final year at Oxford and, for the first time, I put my degree in diplomacy to use as I negotiated/harassed six of my colleagues to open their doors for AD India. Editors at Home is a fascinating showcase of how we, the editors of AD—apparently the arbiters of taste in the interiors industry—live. Certainly, these homes exhibit an authenticity of family life and the new reality of working from home that you may not always see in some of the interior-designed spaces we feature. While I’m still craving the inspiration of property porn, I think that realness is what we want to see right now. Which of the editors has the best home? Well, it’s not a competition. But the answer is border. Called Waterfall Mill, it is so close to the grotto-like falls that there’s a movement you don’t often find in AD photographs. Talk about living the AD dream! The story I’m most excited about is AD Middle East editor Talib Choudhry’s villa in Dubai. Together, we worked on a story that used Mini and Mouse, his adorable cats, as a vehicle to explore corners of his home. Lockdown chez Talib looks like a lot of fun. We should have more pets in our pages, that’s for sure. A huge thank you to the editors who took part. Despite the fact we ask this of people all the time, I think we all discovered that it is a deeply personal thing to have your home photographed and then published in AD for all to see. Let this set the tone for the future. I look forward to collaborating again.
GREG FOSTER
ILLUSTRATION: SHWETA MALHOTRA.
unequivocally AD Italy editor Luca Dini’s impossibly pretty weekend retreat near the Tuscan
PHOTO: ATHUL PRASAD.
TALIB CHOUDHRY
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, AD FRANCE
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, AD MIDDLE EAST
At the helm since 2008, Kalt is the creative force behind AD Intérieurs, the magazine’s influential interior design event. “It was interesting shooting these pictures for AD India (pg 112). It made me look at places I saw daily in a different way and catch them in the right light.”
Prior to heading AD Middle East, Choudhry held senior positions at several magazines and newspapers in the UK. In this issue, he photographed his cats, Mini and Mouse, at his Jumeirah villa (pg 134), which, he says, “was like herding cats!”
PHOTO: AARON SERRANO.
MARIE KALT
ENRIC PASTOR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, AD SPAIN
BERYL HSU EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, AD CHINA
Hsu joined AD China in 2013 and has been developing it as a multiplatform space for architects and designers. “Home is where the mind can rest. It is a pleasure to share my home, a place I find peace in, and creativity and love.” (pg 128)
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ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST | OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2020
Pastor has been with AD Spain since its foundation in 2006. He took over as editor six years ago and introduced a point of view of optimism, fun and a bit of sensible madness. “Having my flat photographed for AD India was an adventure. It will be an excellent memory of the shelter that protected us during these strange times.” (pg 94)
LUCA DINI EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, AD ITALY
Dini has always loved languages and travel, which is why he studied to be an interpreter, until he realized he found it boring. Then, he started to write. He hasn’t stopped since. In this issue, he takes us to the east of Italy, where he has recently refurbished a house (pg 120).
Zen door.
Design Giuseppe Bavuso
rimadesio.com
Rimadesio
Bengaluru +91 96 115 33 229 info@risegroup.in Hyderabad +91 99 59 755 688 info@scasa.in Mumbai +91 22 262 101 700 info@sourcesunlimited.co.in New Delhi +91 9560 444 907 info@sourcesunlimited.co.in
Systa Works contact@systaworks.com T +91 98 2014 2979
PHOTO COURTESY OF INDIA ART FAIR.
MANOLO YLLERA
JAGDIP JAGPAL
PHOTOGRAPHER
“I began taking pictures because I saw a picture of Henri CartierBresson that hooked me forever. I was 26 years old,” says the Spanish photographer who is a regular contributor to AD. In this issue, he photographs AD Spain editor Enric Pastor’s colourful apartment in Madrid (pg 94).
CURATOR
EESHAAN KASHYAP CHEF & RESTAURATEUR
PHOTO: ANA HOP.
Kashyap heads award-winning restaurants like À Ta Maison, Ping’s Café Orient, and Jamun, between New Delhi, Kolkata and Goa. In this issue, he gives a fun, new twist to the AD Kitchen Report (pg 166). “AD pushed me to draw inspiration from materials, textures and colours, which added a new dimension to the dishes.”
MARÍA ALCOCER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, AD MEXICO & LATIN AMERICA With a 12-year career at AD Mexico & Latin America, Alcocer was appointed Editor-in-Chief in 2017, and has been working to reposition Mexico on the global stage. “I believe the objects we choose to live with create bonds between past and present adding layers of richness and a depth of meaning to the everyday.” (pg 194)
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ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST | OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2020
Director of the India Art Fair, Jagpal’s career also spans law, publishing, radio and TV, whilst serving on the boards of the Wallace Collection and Royal College of Art. In this issue, she writes about her travel to Berlin (pg 44). “What better way to share my travel diary than with AD India—a natural home for everything art and architecture!”
OLIVER JAHN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, AD GERMANY Jahn is not only a design expert but one in literature as well. He has been with AD since 2006 and editor since 2011. In this issue, we get a glimpse of his home in Munich and his expansive library of over 20,000 books (pg 104).
Skorpio Keramik table Wanda chairs Apollo lamps
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PHOTO: PRETIKA MENON.
DIRK WEIBLEN
EKTA RAJANI
PHOTOGRAPHER
STYLIST
A Mumbai-based stylist and creative consultant with over 20 years of experience, Rajani’s area of interest lies in conscious consumerism, cleaner materials and processes and human rights in the fashion business. In this issue, Rajani styled our new Contributing Editors, remotely but personally (pg 70).
CYRUS DARUWALA
A German architect and photographer based in Shanghai, Weiblen is interested in how people interact with built environments. His photographic work extends into habitual aspects as well as lifestyle and fashion. In this issue, Weiblen shoots the Shanghai home of AD China editor-in-chief Beryl Hsu (pg 128).
ILLUSTRATOR
A creative director in advertising, and author of two humour books, Daruwala recovers from client feedback through the therapeutic power of creating comics. In this issue, he launches AD’s first comic strip, ‘The Cartoon’ (pg 192). “My blueprint for AD is to lay the foundation for a few good laughs. I’m relieved that I don’t have to submit scale models for each comic.”
NANDINI MEHTA NAIK PHOTOGRAPHER
For her second consecutive shoot for AD, Nandini shot the editor’s board for the cover. “From brief to studio to print, all in one day. It was a whirlwind shoot for an issue otherwise so meticulously plotted.”
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ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST | OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2020
QINGTONG QIAN STYLIST
A Design Shanghai award winner, Qingtong is passionate about colours and flowers. In this issue, she styles the home of Beryl Hsu, editor-in-chief of AD China, adding stunning floral arrangements to show off Hsu’s newfound love of botanicals (pg 128).
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MASSIMO LISTRI
All figures mentioned above are as of September 2020
R R ZEITGEIST The need-to-know news from the design world this month includes: the graphic new collection of Hermès rugs, which were hand-embroidered in Mumbai by Maximiliano Modesti’s ateliers; the real-world (not virtual) opening of a by-appointment apartment designed by André Fu in Shanghai; and a diary from Berlin Art Week by Jagdip Jagpal, India Art Fair’s director.
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TEXT: RITUPRIYA BASU. PHOTOS: STUDIO DES FLEURS/COURTESY OF HERMÈS.
MAGIC CARPETS A RARE FORM OF EMBROIDERY IS THE BASE FOR A NEW COLLECTION OF RUGS FROM HERMÈS, DESIGNED BY GIANPAOLO PAGNI AND CRAFTED IN MUMBAI BY LES ATELIERS 2M
I
t all began with a few humble, handmade stamps. For Italian artist Gianpaolo Pagni, the familiar printing tools became the building blocks for his graphic artworks, brimming with arresting patterns. “First, I create a personal, graphic vocabulary made up of shapes, lines and materials. Then these elements are turned into stamps that allow me to draw and compose endlessly,” says Pagni. For the Cordélie collection launched earlier last month, Hermès took two of Pagni’s artworks and turned them into rugs. The architectural lines and curves of the two designs—‘Escalator’ and ‘Tremplin’ (pictured left)—were inspired by the geometric forms of escalators and diving boards, and lent themselves beautifully to a technique never before used to craft rugs at Hermès, in which fine cotton cords are stitched atop a firm linen base. Each piece was hand-embroidered by a group of karigars at Les Ateliers 2M, the Mumbai-based studio of embroiderer and craft entrepreneur Maximiliano Modesti. “Cornely, an age-old European hand-guided machine technique is what we took inspiration from, which we tweaked to harmonize with the design,” says Modesti. “Historically, Cornely
33
uses threads with a certain thickness, but for these carpets, the cotton cord that we created in-house was much thicker, which meant the only way to embroider it properly was by hand.” Using a hook, each artisan attaches a two-millimetre-wide cord to the linen base with a series of stitches. In the hands of a karigar, the cord almost turns into a brush, as the stitches colour large swaths of the rugs in jewel blues and toasty oranges. The process itself is rigorous, with each rug demanding upto 2,600 hours of intensive handwork. “The rarity of the know-how and the beauty of the artisan’s gestures deeply informed this project,” says Florence Lafarge, Hermès’s creative director of home textiles. “The process requires precision and concentration because it is important to preserve the dimensional stability of the rug, while also maintaining the consistency of the embroidery.” Even before work had begun at Modesti’s studio, Lafarge had already spent 18 months researching the craft, testing the designs, deciding the direction of the embroidery, setting its density and ensuring the robustness of the final weave. Not a detail was amiss. For anyone unfamiliar with the embroidery technique, Lafarge has a quick tip. “To understand the craftsmen’s meticulous work, simply turn the rug over,” she says. “It’s impossible to miss the intricacy when you see just how many stitches each rug involves.” The art, then, simply switches mediums. Whether stamped on paper in Pagni’s studio in Paris, or embroidered on fabric by artisans at Modesti’s atelier in Mumbai, the magic of it is still the same.
34
ASHIESH SHAH TURNS A TRADITIONAL RAINCOAT BY HEIRLOOM NAGA INTO A CLOAK FOR HIS NEW CHAIR
T
he lean frame of the ‘Naga’ chair seems impossibly fragile. And still, cloaked in Heirloom Naga’s voluminous handmade raincoat, the chair’s design finds a curious balance. Imagined by architect and designer Ashiesh Shah in collaboration with Jesmina and Aku Zeliang of Heirloom Naga, the chair was born out of a need for an office chair for Shah’s atelier in Mumbai. While his initial design for the tactile, aluminium body of the chair was ergonomically sound, Shah noticed that it didn’t seem quite complete. “The chair was originally titled ‘Maman’, as a nod to the sculpture by Louise Bourgeois that inspired its form,” says Shah. “While it sat comfortably at our conference table, it lacked the warmth to offset the cold metal surface.” The problem found the perfect solution in a traditional raincoat called enhyie, hand-braided by artisans from Heirloom Naga using tender strands of a wild palm. Shah discovered the Dimapur-based design atelier as a juror for the AD x JSW Prize for Contemporary Craftsmanship; Heirloom Naga won the award in 2019. “A collaboration with them, while pairing their philosophies with ours, was inevitable,” he says. The raincoat, which wraps around the chair, is traditionally used by members of the Chakhesang Naga tribe as protection from lashing rains while they’re working on their farms. When weaving the cloak, the harvested leaves are cured for three days, and are then soaked in water and twirled into long strands, which are knotted using a macramé process. “The form of the chair allows you to appreciate the handwoven piece,” notes Shah, while the trailing cloak “reiterates the wabi-sabi aesthetic, where nothing is finished, nothing is perfect”. The warmth of the leafy cloak cuts through the coldness of the metal, and in tempering the two, Shah creates a chair that is a study in considered, untippable balance.
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TEXT: RITUPRIYA BASU. PHOTO COURTESY OF ATELIER ASHIESH SHAH.
A NAGA STORY
SHADES OF CHANGE
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ith the absence of Salone del Mobile this year, Fendi Casa resorted to the next best alternative, as did most other brands this year: A virtual launch of its 2020 collection of furniture. And for its design cue, it delved into that inexhaustible crucible of inspiration, nature. Elegant shapes were expressed with unique materials and layered with colours found in nature—ultramarine blues, garnet reds, the deep greens of a tropical forest. And all of it was fused with variations of the brand’s signature shades of black, tobacco and amber. The collection was brought to India by New Delhi–based lifestyle brand Seetu Kohli Home. “Fendi Casa is usually extremely guarded when it comes to showing their collection but we were thrilled to be personally presented with the collection— virtually, of course—by Olga Vignatelli and her team. The collection is gorgeous and fun with movable pieces and bold colours,” says Seetu Kohli, the founder of the eponymous lifestyle brand. The effortless harmony of bold colours and clean lines characterize the range of furniture pieces that comprise the collection. The ‘Anya Lite’ coffee tables and side tables, for instance, now come in a simplified base, a reference to the brand’s archetypal Astuccio pattern. And the maison’s iconic ‘Margaret’ armchair is reinvented with a padded frame and metallic details in gun-metal, Bronze Shadow and Palladium finishes. Fendi Casa is known for its flair to fuse design with fashion and this collection upholds that tradition. Only this time layering its timeless design in nature’s best shades. “The launch of this collection was surely our silver lining through this pandemic,” asserts Kohli. Design watchers and discerning homeowners definitely concur.
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TEXT: GAURI KELKAR. PHOTO COURTESY OF FENDI CASA & SEETU KOHLI HOME.
THE FENDI CASA 2020 COLLECTION, WHICH WOULD HAVE DEBUTED AT SALONE DEL MOBILE, SEES ITS MOST ICONIC DESIGNS REIMAGINED IN BOLD MONOTONES
THE 21 CENTURY ICON ST
Reserved for discerning connoisseurs of luxury, The iconic World Towers by Lodha is a tranquil oasis that is equal parts extravagant and opulent
When we think about New York and it’s most iconic structures, the Empire State building comes to mind first. Similarly, architectural marvels, Eiffel Tower and Burj Khalifa, are synonymous with Paris and Dubai. One such iconic structure redefining Mumbai’s skyline is The World Towers by Lodha Group which is truly a masterpiece that joins the ranks of these noteworthy structures. Located in the heart of Mumbai, at the confluence of Lower Parel and Worli, The World Towers is a manifestation of India’s stature on the global stage in the 21st century. With its commitment to provide the highest standards of luxury living to the new age Indian connoisseur, The World Towers is undeniably the city’s most sought-after address. Designed by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners (the minds behind the Pyramid at the Grand Louvre, Paris), The World Towers comprises three soaring structures—World One, World Crest and World View—each of which is a gateway to a world of unimaginable indulgence and comfort. Legendary designer Ken Smith has bestowed the property an expansive seven acres of lush green landscape—a rare luxury in Mumbai. Sprawled across 17 acres, the residential property flaunts capacious apartments kitted with modern amenities that offer idyllic views of the Bandra-Worli Sealink, Mahalaxmi Race Course and, on clear days, of the Elephanta Caves, too. Given its strategic location, The World Towers also offers easy access to the city’s elite restaurants and luxury shopping malls and entertainment hubs. A WORLD OF INFINITE EXPERIENCES Luxury at The World Towers isn’t limited to the three iconic structures; it is equally evident in the multitude of experiences that are on offer.
A trio of iconic towers offering a lifestyle beyond compare
Step out onto level six, and you will be greeted with a clubhouse, indoor and outdoor pools, a children’s outdoor play area, and an outdoor gym. Fitness and sports enthusiasts will love the two-acre rooftop sports arena, which comes equipped with a lap pool, athletic track, tennis and squash courts, and a football turf. While, those looking to rejuvenate mind, body, and spirit can indulge in immersive wellness treatments at the Six Senses Spa. That’s not all. The World Towers is home to an Art Lounge and Café along with a grand ballroom, which makes for the perfect venue to host all your soirées. A WORLD OF UNRESTRICTED ACCESS No matter what your idea of luxury, the Lodha Group’s in-house hospitality arm has got you covered. In its constant endeavour to bring its patrons the finest living experiences, Saint Amand
team strives to meet and surpass all residents' expectations. A never seen before service in a residential setting, all your demands—from the routine to downright whimsical—will be taken care of by the staff who have been handpicked from five-star hotels. Luxury living really does take on new meaning at The World Towers. Akin to checking into your own fivestar property, here, your every desire will be taken care of, and with a touch of class only made possible by the iconic development. For more information, visit www.lodhagroup.in/twt or call 022 61131113
TEXT: GAURI KELKAR. PHOTO: LAURENCE ELLIS/AHLUWALIA.
A photograph from Jalebi by Priya Ahluwalia. “Some things are very recognizable across the Asian and African diasporas. One of them is the way people cover everything in plastic, whether it’s sofas or cars. What better way to elevate plastic than turning it into silk?” says Ahluwalia.
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or Priya Ahluwalia, fashion designer and founder of the clothing brand Ahluwalia, her lived experience of Southall became the springboard for Jalebi, her second book. Much like the syrup-drenched sweet it has been named after, the selfpublished book is a visual feast of images that make a compelling narrative of the book’s primary focus—Southall, London. The inspirations were, in a sense, familiar—and familial. “I am really lucky that my family has a great archive of family photos. I have always looked at them for inspiration,” explains Ahluwalia, the daughter of an Indian mother and Nigerian father. “The aim was to celebrate [Southall] and all the beautiful nuances of diversity it represents.” Ahluwalia roped in photographer Laurence Ellis when she had the idea for the book. “We both care about sustainability and community so we have that in common. Laurence is from Hounslow and I was interested in how he would come at the story, having grown up nearby as a non-ethnic minority person.” Then she brought on board stylist Riccardo Maria Chiacchio, “who is a great visual storyteller”, and Troy Casting, “to cast families and people from the area”. Overlaying it all is Ahluwalia’s own instincts as a designer: “I often juxtapose different references and put things together in unexpected ways [and] I think this was the same while making the book.” Jalebi, Ahluwalia writes in her book, is “a love letter to diversity, and all the quirks and nuances that come with it”, but it is also a significant statement about the need to accept, acknowledge and embrace diversity in all forms. “When we started this book there was, and still is, so much hostility towards immigrants with Brexit. It’s offensive to read [this rhetoric] when you’re from an ethnic minority background. And it’s unfortunate because so many wonderful things come out of immigration. That’s the message Laurence and I want to send.”
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SOUL FOOD LONDON-BASED DESIGNER PRIYA AHLUWALIA CAPTURES THE DELICIOUS DIVERSITY OF SOUTHALL IN HER NEW BOOK, JALEBI
SHANGHAI HOUSE TEXT: SHRISTI SINGH. PHOTO: JONATHAN LEIJONHUFVUD FOR AD CHINA.
THE AD CHINA TEAM COMMISSIONED INTERIOR DESIGNER ANDRÉ FU TO DESIGN A POP-UP APARTMENT OPEN TO EVERYONE
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oing shoots for so many people’s homes made us wonder what it would be like for AD China to have its own home,” says editor-inchief Beryl Hsu. For a month starting midAugust, AD Casa took up space in one of the Capella Shanghai hotel’s last-standing 1930s shikumen townhouses—symbols of the blend of Chinese and European architecture that was popular at the time. The East-meets-West theme greatly informed Hsu’s choice of interior designer. “André Fu immediately came to mind. He’s born in Hong Kong and studied in the UK. He could integrate both styles and cultures into his design language.” Fu’s vision for the 420-square-metre residence was dominated by colours and the moods they dictate—from the dusty burgundy in the living room that references the past to the shades of green that bring nature into the dining area and the gentle beige that adds a touch of elegance to the bedroom. A collaboration followed soon after that saw floral artist 21 liven up the home with his oriental-inspired, bamboo-led arrangements; designer Danful Yang dot its walls with artworks from Pearl Lam Galleries; and Fu bring in homeware from his own atelier, André Fu Living. The three lend AD Casa a “compilation of remedies for metropolitan symptoms”, as Hsu puts it. She recalls her first reaction to the big reveal: “I wasn’t convinced it would be a real home. I thought it’d be more like a ‘model house’. But when I first stood at the entrance, I realized it was something you could actually live in. It’s very human.”
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The TV room on the basement level—the oak armchairs and chaise longue are from André Fu Living. The ‘Beovision Harmony’ TV is from Bang & Olufsen. The floral arrangement on the side table is by 21, and the artwork on the adjacent wall is by Zhang Tian-Jun.
TEXT: JAGDIP JAGPAL. PHOTO: BILLIE CLARKEN/NOME GALLERY.
Artist Sajan Mani at the Nome Gallery, Berlin.
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BERLIN DIARIES TAKING A BREAK IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC, JAGDIP JAGPAL VISITS GERMANY’S ART CAPITAL IN SEARCH OF OLD FRIENDS AND NEW WORKS BY OLAFUR ELIASSON AND SAJAN MANI, AMONG OTHERS
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way from my home in Delhi and after six months in isolation at my brother Raj’s in London—“rentfree”, as he often likes to remind me—I decided to take a trip to Berlin for a socially distanced cultural break. I set out hoping to shake off my lockdown torpor. Upon arrival at Tegel Airport, I was greeted by a stern immigration officer who suggested that I move to Germany after Brexit in order to lead a happier life. After a mandatory change of protective mask and gloves, I jumped into a taxi to Hotel Amano on Augustrasse—one of my favourites in the city for its warmth and simplicity, and all the art galleries, bookshops and eateries located around the corner. That first day, I walked all over the city, and eagerly looked forward to dinner—my first night out in a very long time—with a local art collector at Borchardt’s famous terrace courtyard. Having read about a project called Studio Berlin, a collaboration between collectors Christian and Karen Boros and the notorious nightclub Berghain, the next day I jumped on a bike to check it out. I cycled through Berlin’s hipster Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district until I spotted a large banner with the words “Morgen ist die Frage” or “Tomorrow is the Question” wrapped around the iconic concrete building, which started life as a power plant. A clever use of existing space while nightclubs are not allowed to operate, the exhibition featured works by over 85 artists. Striking works by Julius von Bismarck, Alicja Kwade and Julian Charriere decorated the walls and ceilings. My personal favourite was a video work by Wolfgang Tillmans in which he is seen singing—a must for all Flight of the Conchords fans. I spent the next couple of days exploring the 11th Berlin Biennale spread across multiple venues. A scaled-down biennale for the current times, the exhibition of extraordinary stitched canvases by the Ivatan and Philippine-American artist Pacita Abad at Gropius Bau shone—an artist that my Instagram followers from India demanded to know more about. I was lucky enough to join friend, Indophile and now visitorassistant Ingrid Jochheim’s 32nd public tour of the unique ‘Christo
PHOTO: JENS ZIEHE/NEUGERRIEMSCHNEIDER GALLERY.
Interpretive flare display of unthought thoughts by Olafur Eliasson at the neugerriemschneider gallery.
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and Jeanne Claude: Projects 1963-2020’ exhibition at Deutsche Bank’s very own art space PalaisPopulaire. Ingrid’s love for the artist duo and passionate storytelling brought the place to life. Next I made my way to neugerriemschneider gallery on Linienstrasse for Olafur Eliasson’s latest show. This relatively smaller show proved just as wonderful as his blockbuster exhibitions at Tate Modern, if not more so. It had an elegant sculpture in the gallery courtyard and a wonderfully calming digital installation placed in a black-box environment. I was pleasantly surprised with a cheeky hello from Burkhard Riemschneider and had the privilege of a personal tour by gallery director Augusta Joyce. We hadn’t seen each other since the India Art Fair in February and found time to share stories on the impact of the pandemic on Asia and Asians around the world. I slipped back later in the week to grab some books and for the most delicious vegetarian meal in the gallery’s canteen with Tim Neuger, one of the most quietly intelligent people in the global art sector. A 20-minute Uber ride later, I arrived to see my dear friend and artist Sajan Mani’s solo show and performance at Nome Gallery’s space near the Landwehr canal in the Kreuzberg district. Known for consistently lending a voice to marginalized Dalit communities in India, he rarely creates works for sale. I couldn’t resist an opportunity to see the works that had been created as part of his process and the makeshift library of reading materials. Not unsurprisingly, news about him and his show has spread by word of mouth and social media, leading to an extension of his exhibition at the gallery. I took some photos and short videos of his performance to send to my sister who was so concerned about Sajan’s well-being at the Heritage Hotel Art Spaces show at Chatterjee & Lal in 2015, that young Mortimer had to keep reassuring her that he would eventually emerge from the large pot. I know how much Sajan loves and misses his parents but it’s obvious that Berlin has had a positive impact on him. I recalled Nikhil Chopra reminiscing about his time in Berlin and his performances in a shop front in the Wedding district in the former East Germany. And look where he is now! One of Berlin’s many thriving art districts, Linienstrasse is littered with ground-floor galleries where works can be seen through windows. Although a much quieter than usual Berlin Art Week, there were plenty of reasons to step inside. Local artist Fiene Scharp’s papercut works at Kuckei + Kuckei, Ethiopian artist Dawit Abebe and Nigerian artist Gerald Chukwuma’s show at Kristin Hjellegjerde, and Andreas Eriksson’s landscape paintings at neugerriemschneider—all warranted further investigation. And a little further afield, based on a local tip, I managed to get to the show by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami at the former studio of the late artist Michel Majerus, which is now maintained by the Michel Majerus Estate. My week in Berlin was a real tonic for my mental health. My memories and books got me through my return to isolation in London. Needless to say, my brother Raj too enjoyed his break!
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THE NEW GLAMP TEXT: RITUPRIYA BASU. PHOTOS: ANDRÉ J FANTHOME/©️NOUGHTS AND CROSSES.
STUDIO LOTUS AND PRINTMAKER DHVANI BEHL BRING THE WILDERNESS RIGHT INTO THE TENTS AT RAAS CHHATRASAGAR
Perching on the branches of the woodblock-printed local trees are embellished appliqués of indigenous birds, handembroidered by artisans working with designer Dhvani Behl.
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t Raas Chhatrasagar, the birds are everywhere. They linger amidst prickly bushes and stroll past the shallows of the lake; some can even be found inside the Raas tents, imagined in delicate embroidery, flitting past woodblock prints of knobbly trees. The birds, in fact, are the headliners of the diverse wildlife that envelops Raas Chhatrasagar, a boutique tented camp perched atop a dam built in 1890 by Thakur Chhatra Singh of Nimaj. In 2019, his great-grandsons Harshvardhan and Nandivardhan Rathore—who created the camp in 2000—joined forces with Nikhilendra and Dhananjay Singh of Raas to reimagine the Chhatrasagar experience. The site itself brims with wildlife. A sprawling lake circles acres of grasslands that were rewilded in 2005 by the Rathore brothers. “Over the past few years, my approach to building hotels has changed,” says Nikhilendra Singh. “I have been longing to do something in the wild, with close proximity to nature, so when the owners of Chhatrasagar approached us to redo the camp on their lands, it was the perfect opportunity to do exactly that.” Singh commissioned New Delhi–based Studio Lotus for the project, the
firm with whom he’d created ripples of excitement in the boutique hotel scene with Raas Jodhpur in 2009, closely followed in 2016 by the Raas Devigarh, set amidst the rolling Aravallis. “Having worked with Nikhilendra for nearly a decade, there was a natural synchronicity of vision in play,” says Ambrish Arora of Studio Lotus. “The idea of keeping it simple, light and local was an unsaid understanding.” Together, Singh and Arora created 16 luxurious tents featuring roofs fitted with retractable skylights, and decks that opened up to the panoramic views. “Our plan ensured that the circulation, siting and architecture framed and captured the diversity of views on all sides, from the lake on the east, to the farms and forests on the west,” says Arora. Encounters with the wild, though, can happen anywhere. In the tents, the fabric walls are dotted with embroidered indigenous birds, some caught mid-flight, others shaded by the leafy branches of babul and neem trees. The woodblock prints and embellished appliquéd fabrics were all handcrafted by Delhi-based designer Dhvani Behl. When Arora introduced Behl to the project, she spent a week at Chhatrasagar, immersed in the wilderness. “I went on long walks and spent hours sitting on the dam overlooking the lake. There was constantly something to see,” she remembers. “As a printmaker, I work a lot with woodcut, normally carving the blocks myself. The character of the trees from the desert landscape really lent itself to the medium.” Working with giant teak woodblocks, often the size of surfboards, Behl hand-printed illustrations of local trees onto the fabric in jade greens and dusky oranges. The brightly coloured, hand-embroidered appliquéd fabric makes a subtle counterpoint to the rose-pink Chittar sandstone floors. From the locally sourced white marble of the en-suites to the Mangrove Collective furniture crafted with indigenous timber, the material palette of the project draws heavily from the landscape of Chhatrasagar. The quiet beauty of life at the shore of this reservoir in Rajasthan is felt most in the tents, where a nilgai peeks out of a corner, while a pelican soars across a fabric ceiling. Here, even when the curtains are drawn, the wilderness is never too far away.
Each tent is fitted with a private deck that opens up to sweeping views of the lake.
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SPECIAL FEATURE
IN FULL BLOOM
Colourful sprays of wildflowers, handcrafted designs, and signature prints define Good Earth’s latest festive collection, Puṣp.āñjali, which brings the beauty and colours of the natural universe of flowers into your homes in myriad ways This year has been a particularly challenging one for us all. Being homebound for months on end, we haven’t been able to step out to appreciate the beauty and bounty of nature. An instant mood uplifter, flowers hold a special place in Indian culture and are intrinsically tied to a number of sacred rituals and ceremonies. So, it’s only natural, then, that paradise gardens and their many blooms have moulded Good Earth’s Puṣp.āñjali collection to welcome the festive season with a showering of blooming goodness. Offering an array of festive cushions, a dinnerware range, and handcrafted home decor objects, with Puṣp.āñjali, the garden finally comes home. Speaking about the collection, Good Earth’s Founder and Creative Director, Anita Lal, says, “At Good Earth, we have always been inspired by the beauty and fragrance of flowers that surround us in abundance. Flowers are seeped in the traditions of the Indian subcontinent. Fresh flowers are used to decorate our puja thalis, rangolis, and corners of our homes to welcome guests on auspicious occasions and festivities.
Puṣp.āñjali, our festive collection, says it with flowers.” A TEXTILE TREAT The textile range transports one to a floral paradise with its bed and table collection, Ferdous, inspired by a Persian garden, blooming with slender cypress trees, flowering vines, and pomegranate-laden trees featured on the brand’s signature handblock prints handcrafted in Jaipur. The cushions, on the other hand, revel in the beauty of stylised poppies, roses, and Himalayan wildflowers, which come alive on printed and embroidered designs in soft pastels, vibrant shades, and jewel tones. DECOR DELIGHTS The bounty of nature resonates through the carefully hand-drawn motifs and delicate floral designs that extend to decoupage, tableware, and recycled glass decor pieces. Botanical renderings of flora and foliage vibrantly stand out in the brand’s original designs of PapierMâché, Naqashi, one of Kashmir’s most famous craft legacies steeped in the antiquity of this land’s cultural
and historical influences. The charm of Naqashi lies in its beautiful design vocabulary and the amazing transformation of waste paper into delicate, hand-painted, handmade decor objects that sustain the environment and bring everyday luxury to your living spaces. Tropical island blooms of champacas, hibiscus and passi flowers come handpainted against bold aquas, blacks and crimsons in their new Naqashi collection, titled Floare. The festive edit also features the launch of the brand’s latest dinnerware range Jessamine, which takes inspiration from the fragrant wild growing creepers and shrubs that dot the Himalayan countryside. Mixed creepers of jessamine and pink rose buds nestled in moss green foliage, delicately handcrafted on fine bone china with 24-carat gold detailing, delight the senses. For more information, visit www.goodearth.in
INDIAN LUXURY TAKES CENTRESTAGE With a design aesthetic that is deeply rooted in India’s oldest traditions yet suited to modern sensibilities, Svasa Homes, Basavanagudi, a residential project in Bengaluru, is redefining conventional notions of luxury living
Home. It’s your sanctuary; the place you retreat to for solace at the end of a long day. Unfortunately, given the fast-paced lives we lead, seldom do we get the chance to really connect with our homes and feel its restorative energies soothe our senses. Urging you to live a slower, more harmonious way of life, and offering a new dimension of experiential living in the heart of India’s Garden City, is Svasa Homes—a new luxury residential project in Bengaluru’s historic Basavanagudi neighbourhood. Conceptualised by the illustrious Machani Group for an exclusive league of individuals, Svasa Homes seeks inspiration from timeless Indian heritage, integrating it
seamlessly with contemporary conveniences to facilitate an elevated lifestyle. The project fosters an ecosystem wherein a sense of shared community is actively encouraged and where like-minded individuals can collaborate to create an environment of progress. Here, it’s not just about living a full life, but more importantly, a fulfilling one. SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW Svasa Homes is reimagining modern-day living experiences to make them more private, inclusive, and holistic through a contemporary aesthetic that spotlights the concept of Jivana Chakra (‘Wheel of Life’). This
concept centres on eight key areas of life-bringing balance—including Parisara (environment), Anuraaga (romance), Leela (recreation), Sattva (community), Vikaasa (growth), Aarthika (wealth), Praana (health), and Karya (career)—and dictates that when equilibrium is attained amongst these eight aspects, one’s life can truly be whole, complete, and fulfilled. A two-acre Balinese landscape flaunts a sprawling Vedic-inspired courtyard at the heart of the project, which is flanked by two 18-storey towering structures, aptly christened Praana and Dhyana, inspired by physical and mental energy respectively. Separate lobbies in each tower offer residents
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a reason to filter in and out to interact with fellow residents in the adjacent tower. Says Hima Reddy, design director for Svasa Homes, “When you have people flowing seamlessly from one tower into the next, across the garden, it creates a sense of shared ownership of the property. It is no longer defined by the thought of ‘this is my tower, that is your tower, and we never meet’.’’ Populating the two towers are 134 spacious, elegantly designed apartments that invite you to luxuriate in peace, with all conveniences readily available. A plush design sees the apartments flaunt exquisite marble floors, main doors crafted from solid teak wood, and German Schücho windows that
boast luxe wood-textured finishes. What’s more, a floor-to-ceiling height of 10ft7in ensures that there’s ample space for you to think freely and seek creative inspiration. But it isn’t just the residences that impress. The team at Svasa Homes firmly believes that the devil is in the details, and this is evident in the property’s lift lobby space, which has been designed to transform the experience of something as simple as waiting for the lift. The concave wall overhead has been festooned with a striking hand-painted thangka-style mural that, upon closer inspection, reveals varied Indian mythological tales. So, each time you look above you, you’re bound to notice finer nuances and
intricate details you never caught onto before. A CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY The soul of Svasa Homes is its 40,000sq ft clubhouse—The Commonhouse. Designed by Neils Schoenfelder and J.T. Arima of Mancini Enterprises, in collaboration with CORE Experience, The Commonhouse is a stunning contemporary interpretation of Vedic living. Shedding light on its purpose, Reddy elaborates, “We wanted every resident to think of this space as an extension of their home and one that facilitated interaction within the community.” Seeing as the word Svasa is Sanskrit for ‘breath’, the idea behind The
Commonhouse was to design a fluid area where the residents could seamlessly interact with one another. Inspired by the age-old concept of Tridevi, influences of goddesses Lakshmi, Saraswati, and Parvati permeate the interiors, lending it a sense of balance and calm. Think subtle elements of the goddesses represented in deconstructed formats designed by a selection of independent South Indian craftsmen and artists such as unconventional mixed media works and marble, glass, and stone sculptures. The Tridevi theme also finds expression in the four key spaces across The Commonhouse: the
Sattva Community Lounge, the Bodhi Library, the Karya Work Lounge, and the Krida Play Lounge. Designed using specially crafted elevational glazing that was custom-made for the project, all four interior spaces flow into the verdant exteriors, ensuring that there’s ample natural light and fresh air streaming in throughout and rejuvenating your senses. The Sattva Community Lounge: A serene space for leisurely interactions and conversations, the Sattva Community Lounge abounds with a number of antiques and artworks representing the
many manifestations of Goddess Lakshmi—including Dhairyalakshmi, Gajalakshmi, and Vijayalakshmi—all interpreted through details such as peacock motifs, temple elephants, parrots, and kalashams. The Bodhi Library: A homage to Goddess Saraswati, The Bodhi Library is dotted with motifs of knowledge, enlightenment, learning, and consciousness, and will feature a collection of 2,000 carefully curated books and periodicals on business and entrepreneurship as well as rare reads on the heritage of India. The Karya Work Lounge: This chamber of productivity is one for culture and collaboration,
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and strives to help the modern businessperson reconcile time and relationships through the options of a private meeting room, a conference room, discussion tables, and co-working spaces. The Krida Play Lounge: Influences of Goddess Parvati shine through the Krida Play Lounge—a space for recreation and light entertainment. Here, you can partake in a variety of indoor games, including billiards, chess, table tennis, and even ageold games such as chaupar and alli gulli mane. THOUGHTFUL AMENITIES To further bolster an environment of togetherness, Svasa Homes offers up a slew of amenities designed to immerse you in a different kind of luxury. At the tranquil Asana studio, you can practise yoga under the watchful eyes of experienced instructors. Interestingly, this space also doubles up as a screening theatre
should you want to get together with friends and bond over your favourite films. For kids, the Leela indoor play area on the mezzanine floor of the studio promises limitless entertainment and games. Fitness enthusiasts can cram in a workout at the well-equipped Vyayama Gym or sign up for a game of squash on Svasa Homes’ state-of-the-art squash court, built by worldacclaimed sports surface provider Syncotts International. That’s not all. The complex also features an amphitheatre, along with a serene koi fish pond surrounded by cosy seating pods where you can rest your feet after a stimulating jog. But, one of the property’s standouts is undoubtedly its rooftop infinity pool, Vimaana, that features separate Jacuzzis for men and women. Here, take a few refreshing laps at the end of a tiring day and soak in striking views of Bengaluru’s cityscape while at it.
Summing up the Svasa Homes experience, Schoenfelder states, “It is a project where a lot of human attention has been lavished on different spaces and details, and that gives an overall sense of being respected and cared for. It takes you seriously as a multifaceted being that not only needs shelter, supplies, and hot and cold water but also beauty, repose, reflection, and festivities—the things that we live for. And that is very precious.” We couldn’t agree more. Svasa Homes, Basavanagudi. For more information, visit www.svasahomes.com or call +91 77956 65156
STYLISTS AKSHITA SHRIVASTAVA & SHALINI KANOJIA.
CA ND Y S HO P C LO CK W I SE F RO M TO P L E FT: C O R ‘ F l o at e r ’ sofa by Pa ul i ne D e lt o ur, st a r t i ng at ` 6 , 5 0, 0 0 0, at Pl üs c h . M A R I O N I ‘P i n s’ si d e t a b l e by L a Ré créati o n - P A n g el o Ore c c hi o n i A rch , f ro m t he N ot o r i o us co l l e ct i o n . B A R O D E S I G N ‘Tea C o sy ’ ch a i r, ` 1 7, 0 0 0. M A M B O U N L I M I T E D I D E A S ‘Afri c a n See d ’ c era mi c d ec o rat i o n, fro m t he S a lvé Te rra c o l l e ct i o n , ` 1 0, 1 8 3. S U S A N B I J L ‘S h o p p i ng B a g Pa r t y Fl uo Pi nk ’, fro m t h e S u sa n B i j l x Be r tj a n Pot co l l e ct i o n , st a r ti ng at ` 3 ,4 4 5 . G E L I M ‘C o l o ur M o unt a i n L a ke’ r ug ( 7. 8 x5 .5 fe et ) , st a rt i n g at ` 1 , 3 3, 0 9 2.
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S U R R E A LI S T CLOC KW I S E F RO M TOP L E FT: F O R N A S E T T I ‘ So l ec e nt ri s mo’ ma ga zi ne ra c k fro m t h e I n so li t i Sa l ot t i c o l l ecti o n, ` 1 , 2 0, 7 80 . O C TA E V O ‘ Pa p er Va s e’ by Ja i me H ayo n , ` 2 , 1 15 . T H E F U T U R E P E R F E C T ‘N a l g o n a C ha i r 0 6 ’ by Chr i s Wo l st o n , fro m t h e N a l g o na s e r i e s. N A N I M A R Q U I N A ‘S i l ho uett e O ut d o o r ’ r ug ( 9 . 8x 6 . 5 feet) by J a i m e Hayo n , fro m th e Si l h o uet te co l l e cti o n , st a r t i n g at a p p rox i mate ly ` 1 , 92 , 4 10 . L R N C E ‘A F I A A 1’ wro ug ht- i ro n c a n d l e ho l d e r, ` 13 , 3 74 . D E G O U R N AY ‘ Ca b i net of C ur i o s i t i es’ h a n d - pa i nte d p a n o ra mi c wa l l p a p er fro m t h e Pa p i ers P ei nt s Pa n o ra mi q ue s c o l l ect i o n, st a r t i ng at ` 1 , 3 8, 37 2 p er p a n el .
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GET YOUR COPY OF GQ’S TH 12 ANNIVERSARY ISSUE AVAILABLE NOW
A TABLE OF INSPIRATION
Homegrown design brand Ikai Asai’s exceptionally crafted and thoughtfully designed tableware created in collaboration with artisans, artists, and designers from India promise to help you usher in the festive season in absolute style This festive season, homegrown artisanal brand Ikai Asai will begin its retail journey in India in an endeavour to offer soulful, small-batch products that are inspired by ancient Indian heritage, handlooms, handicrafts, and architecture. The brand’s identity is distinctly rooted in our culture: Ikai means ‘one’ in Punjabi and Asai translates to ‘wish’ or ‘desire’ in Tamil; thereby, it highlights the diversity within India and the beauty of co-creation. The brand’s vision is to pursue the idea of a global community and a movement towards contemporary artisanal living. With Diwali and much of India’s great gamut of festivals around the corner, it’s the perfect time to bring Ikai Asai’s thoughtful selection of offerings into your home. Festivities are not just a time for home
improvement but also for togetherness—a sentiment that Ikai Asai hopes to foster through its four gifting ranges. Through the process of co-creation with collaborators, the aesthetic vision currently rests on four collections, namely Deva, Lila, Kama, and Junoon. The brand’s product categories, which span serveware, drinkware, tableware, and decor items, are all aids to gather family and loved ones around full tables and spark stimulating conversations and forge unforgettable memories. Ikai Asai is where authentic craftsmanship meets imaginative design. This union of craft and imagination is where it begins to redefine the tenets of hosting and creates a new narrative of togetherness, starting with your home.
JUNOON An ode to India’s fearlessness and passion, Junoon is a reimagination of a soul-stirring emotion that fuels creativity in myriad ways and a celebration of deep-rooted emotions that are tempered with restraint and thoughtfulness. This delightful collection, designed in collaboration with Ashiesh Shah, champions the overlooked craft of toymaking—wherein toys are crafted from soft ivory wood and coated with lacquer made from vegetable dyes— that hails from the city of Channapatna in southern India (renowned for being India’s toy-making hub). LILA Inspired by urban folklore, Lila celebrates dreaminess, playfulness, and imagination that envelop one in a world of escapism. Working alongside weavers, spinners, and dyers across craft clusters from Gujarat and Rajasthan, designer Rina Singh brings her signature techniques of block printing and indigo dyeing on handwoven textiles to life in Lila. Here, delicate pastel ceramics that are accentuated by intricate floral motifs are coupled with handcrafted glass in watercolour-inspired hues to immerse one in a state of nostalgia.
KAMA This magical line of products chronicles India’s vibrant history through hospitality, colours, celebrations, and lifestyle, and harbours an intrinsic desire to help us experience life through sensorial indulgences. Refined by designer Ayush Kasliwal, in collaboration with some of Jaipur’s finest jewellery stone carving clusters, Kama places the spotlight firmly on the deep purple hue of amethysts so as to create objets d’art that mimic the geometric patterns of Islamic architecture and leverage the powers of curiosity and creativity.
DEVA This exquisite collection channels the meditative energy of pure and divine physical objects to evoke a sense of contemplation and calm and harnesses the power of silence to bring one closer to consciousness and mindfulness. Through Deva, designer Dharmesh Jadeja and master craftsman Matthew Sasa explore the wonders of the north-eastern Longpi pottery technique and the ancient Oriya and Gujarati craft form of bronzework (or kansa metal work).
For more information, visit www.ikaiasai.com, email anushree.shetty@ikaiasai.com or call 9819010708
S U R F A CE
DE E P
CLOC KW I SE F RO M TOP L E FT: A R K E T I P O ‘C hi me ra (s ma l l )’ c of fee t a b l e, fro m t h e C hi m era c o l l ect i o n . P U L P O ‘Ly n (sm a l l )’ c a b i net, st a rt i ng fro m ` 1 ,3 4 , 16 9. 1 ST D I B S ‘Cr ysta l Se ri e s _ Ta b l e 03 ’ by S a ero m Yo o n . YA L I ‘ To rcel l o’ li mi t e d - e d i t i o n g l a s s coffee t a bl e, ` 1 2, 9 4 ,2 3 8. A N A N TAYA ‘T h i k ri M i rro r’ s i d e t a b l e, fro m t he T hi k r i c o l l ect i o n. S C H O N B E K ‘G l i ss a n d o’ p e nd a nt l i g ht .
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ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST
O N
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST
O N
L O C A T I O N
W I T H
` 200 SEPTEMBER 2020 THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES N THE WORLD
M I R A
INDIA
N A I R
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST
INDIA
L O C A T I O N
W I T H
` 200 SEPTEMBER 2020 THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD
M I R A
N A I R
INDIA
FI FTY SHAD ES OF GR E I GE CLOC KW I SE F RO M TOP L E FT: L O N G H I ‘ Da i sy ’ s ofa , fro m t he R eg en cy co l l ect i o n, ` 9, 6 8 ,1 2 7 . C C-TA P I S ‘ Lun a r A d d i cti o n’ rug (9 . 8 x7 . 5 feet ) by S t ud i o p ep e, at So urc es U nl i mi t ed . F L E X F O R M ‘ Te ss a’ a rmc h a i r fro m t h e F lexfo r m 2 02 0 c o l l ecti o n. A K F D ‘Wra p B en c h’ fro m t he Wra p c o l l ect i o n . P O L I F O R M ‘ Le Cl ub’ a rmc ha i r by J e a n- M a r i e M a s s a ud . T U R R I ‘ Zen i t ’ vi t ri n e by A n d rea B o n i ni , fro m th e Ze ni t c o l l e ct i o n . F o r d et a i l s, se e S to c ki st s.
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KICKING OFF GQ ’S th 12 ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS WITH
A TOAST TO THE GOOD LIFE
Join us on this gastronomic journey through our love for food in A 2-DAY MEGA VIRTUAL EVENT
OCTOBER 2020 The festival spotlights individuals who define the food and drink industry and those who’re playing an integral role in pushing boundaries today. Through its focus on editorially-driven content, this event will include passionate personalities and sharp storytelling. Partner with us gqindiaadsales@condenast.in
THE AVANT GARDE PROJECT
R A R E LY D O E S A N A R C H I T E C T H A V E S U C H A N O P P O R T U N I T Y. To d e s i g n t h e h o u s e t h e y a l w a y s w a n t e d t o b u i l d . A n i d e a t h a t b e g a n a t a r c h i t e c t u r e school, that was honed through years of visiting the greatest sites around the world, the floorplan of which has previously only existed in their mind. In a one of a kind collaboration, AD and TRU Realty launches an architecture competition that will bring the blueprint to life. Designed for a lush, unusually hilly site of 36 acres in central Pu n e , T h e A v a n t G a r d e Pr o j e c t i n v i t e s a r c h i t e c t s t o s u b m i t p l a n s f o r l u x u r y v i l l a s a c r o s s t h r e e c a t e g o r i e s - c l a s s i c , m o d e r n i s t a n d c u t t i n g e d g e . Fo r m o r e d e t a i l s , s e e w w w. a rc h i t e c t u ra l d i g e s t . i n / t r u rea l t y
THE LAST WORD IN TRAVEL AUG-SEPT 2020 | 150
PE O P LE P OWER The faces behind the places
THE LAST WORD IN TRAVEL AUG SEPT 2020 | 150
PE O PL E POWE R The faces behind the places
PEOP LE POWER The faces behind the places
TH
I S’ KS EDITORS AT HOME
How do the editors of AD live? In a first-of-its-kind project, the editors-in-chief of the global editions of AD open the doors to their own homes. From Luca Dini’s postcard-pretty farmhouse in the Italian countryside to Beryl Hsu’s flower-filled apartment in Shanghai, they are special spaces that, perhaps predictably, look like the magazines come to life. Not overly decorated, but filled with storied objects, the editors’ homes exhibit the authenticity of family life and the new reality of working from home. This issue celebrates both our international colleagues and our new contributing editors.
R O L L
C A L L
INTRODUCING OUR NEW CONTRIBUTING EDITORS. THE CLEVER TASTEMAKERS WE RELY ON FOR INSIDER INSIGHT. FROM NEW YORK TO VENICE AND MUMBAI TO DELHI,
WE DRESSED THEM ALL IN GUCCI
FOR THEIR FIRST DAY AT WORK
P HOTO GR A P HE R AS HI SH SHAH. STY L I ST EKTA R A JA N I.
N A Z N E E N The very first time AD collaborated with Nazneen Jehangir, founder of the floral boutique agency Libellule and Dragonfly Events, we realized we had met someone special. AD asked her to rethink the traditional Christmas wreath for our final issue last year, and she created a ‘Curry W r e a t h ’, s y m b o l i c o f C h r i s t m a s i n I n d i a , perched between two cultures. Her version of the wreath was filled with Kashmiri chillies, curry leaves and sticks of cinnamon. For AD’s first virtual festival, the AD Weekender, Nazneen took us on a walk through the forests of Alibag, foraging for flowers, while giving us a glimpse of her deep knowledge of wild blooms, herbs and the history of floral design.
TEXT: RITUPRIYA BASU.
J E H A N G I R
SH IRT AND PANTS, BOT H GUC CI.
M A Y A N K
M A N S I N G H Mayank Mansingh Kaul’s expertise in the post-independence histories of textiles and design in India have set him apart as one of the most eloquent voices in this field. A graduate from the National Institute of Design, the New Delhi-based writer, speaker and scholar has also curated a series of exhibits across the country that have given a form, scale and frame of reference to textiles like never before. To the pages of AD, he has brought lesser-known and alternative perspectives on textiles, for instance his essay on vintage tapestries that defined Geoffrey Bawa’s aesthetic in addition to his architecture and gardens. His talk at the 2019 AD Design Show had a riveted audience witnessing the use of textiles as architecture, from the historic to the contemporary. HU NT E R-G R E E N B O MB E R, GU CCI.
K A U L
R O S H I N I
Director of the Vadehra Art Gallery, a
power
collector
and
a
patron
of
the arts, Roshini Vadehra first let AD into her world through a house tour for the 2016 Art issue, and her relationship with the magazine has only grown deeper since. One of our most passionate supporters, she has introduced us to stellar, blue-chip artists, and knows where all the best houses in Delhi are hidden. A few months into the lockdown, she took AD into her New Delhi home through an Instagram Live, walking us through the collection and how it is hung.
B R U SH E D WOOL C OAT, GU CCI.
V A D E H R A
M A L I K A
For the past few years, Malika Verma has been one of AD’s closest collaborators, opening our pages to remarkable grassroot stories of crafts of India. The founder of Border&Fall, a member of the advisory board of the Kalhath Institute and a jury member of the AD x JSW Prize for Contemporary Craftsmanship, she has been a vocal advocate for design and craft communities across the length and breadth of the country. Early last year, she took us to the rolling hills of Manipur to discover the black pottery of Longpi. And at the AD Design Show, she held a panel discussion with karigars in multiple languages, introducing AD audiences to voices we otherwise rarely hear.
B LU E S HI RT, GU C C I.
V E R M A
M A X I M I L I A N O
M O D E S T I Maximiliano Modesti has been central to the craftsmanship narrative that AD has taken in the past few years. The founder of the Kalhath Institute in Lucknow, he shuffles between Mumbai and Paris, the two cities where he established Les Ateliers 2M, his design and craft studio that counts fashion maisons like Hermès and Azzedine Alaïa amongst its many, many collaborators. In 2017, Modesti radically redefined what a traditional magazine cover could be. What AD imagined, Modesti made happen. With a series of textile-based covers, first using block-printing, embroidery and tie-and-dye, and two years later, using the kantha stitch to create a Vincent Van Duysen design, he set a benchmark for innovative, tactile craftsmanship covers that have now become an unmissable AD India signature. ST RI PE D SH I RT, G U CCI.
Y E S H W A N T
For decades, the Holkars’ roots have run deep into the community of skilled weavers of Maheshwar—the family’s home base for over 280 years—and their legacy of championing indigenous crafts and karigars is now spearheaded by Yeshwant Holkar, son of Richard and Sally Holkar, who founded the REHWA Society in 1979. Back in 2018, Yeshwant played a key role in conceptualizing and putting together the Power to the Karigar initiative at the inaugural edition of the AD Design Show, bringing the meticulous, age-old weaving techniques from Maheshwar right into the heart of Mumbai. Since then, Yeshwant has taken AD on many journeys, including a trip to Ahilya Fort and its ongoing restoration in our September 2020 issue. B LA CK WO O L SIL K JAC KE T, G UC C I.
H O L K A R
C H A N N A
A principal assistant to the late Geoffrey Bawa, today Channa Daswatte himself is one of the leading architects in Sri Lanka and a partner at MICD Associates. As chairperson of the Geoffrey Bawa Trust, he was a key contributor to our special issue last year dedicated to the birth centenary of Geoffrey Bawa. Daswatte gave AD unprecedented access to the Bawa archives, along with entry into some of his rare and lesser-known residences, and came up with ideas for shoots that combined architecture, wildlife and nature in a new type of storytelling. Even under lockdown this year, Daswatte took AD on winding walks through Bawa’s No 11 and the Lunuganga estate.
D A S W A T T E
P R I Y A N K A
A graphic designer–turned–art director and stylist, Priyanka Shah is one of the most exciting emerging creatives in Mumbai, who first collaborated with AD for the iconic Blue issue, for which she turned vases, bowls and blown-glass perfume bottles into curious still-life
compositions.
Her
uncanny ability to transform objects into conceptual sculptures took her ‘Nature Morte’ series of still lifes right to the cover of our first print issue since the lockdown. Her witty images of furniture-meets-vegetables-and-antiques was such a win that it even spilt over to an Instagram campaign, with architects, designers and artists whipping up their own still lifes, à la Priyanka.
B LA C K A C E TAT E D RE SS A ND FE LT HAT, B OTH GU CC I.
S H A H
V I V E K The man behind the luxury wellness brand Kama Ayurveda, founder of an eponymous graphic design company and the owner of Vayu, a lifestyle store tucked inside Bikaner House in New Delhi, Vivek Sahni is one of the most sought-after tastemakers in India. His relationship with AD began when he let us into his house in Lutyens’ Delhi, and since then he’s brought his obsession for design and the handmade to the pages of AD through many collaborations. For the Light issue, he reworked the old-world grandma lampshade into a contemporary cast-iron and raw-silk piece, and less than a year later, modernized the papier-mâché technique for the Craftsmanship issue by recreating the classic Kashmiri box, as if wrapped in a delicate suzani textile.
S A H N I
A ZU R E-BLUE S H IRT AND C OT TO N SI L K SUI T, BOT H G UC C I.
G A Y A T R I A long-time friend of AD, co-author of ‘Changemakers: 20 W o m e n T r a n s f o r m i n g B o l l y w o o d f r o m B e h i n d t h e S c e n e s ’, a n d podcast host, Gayatri Rangachari Shah writes for numerous publications on art and design. As vice president, Asia, of Tina Brown Live Media, a live journalism platform that produces the Women in the World summit, Gayatri works closely with the iconic former Vanity Fair editor. We bump into Gayatri everywhere from the World Economic Forum in Davos to the Messe design fair in Düsseldorf. One of the most stylish women we know, over the past few years, she has led us to some of the best homes in Alibag and Mumbai.
R A N G A C H A R I
PAST E L M I N T H ALT ER ST RA P D RE SS, GU CCI.
S H A H
A S H I S H Although best known for his fashion images, we think photographer Ashish Shah’s best work has been for AD. He’s taken us inside the iconic brutalist buildings of Ahmedabad, has whipped us off to Manipur to discover its unique black pottery, and has photographed the mystique of Geoffrey Bawa, in a cinematic recreation of the life and times of the legendary architect in his Sri Lankan homes and gardens. One of AD’s most inventive contributors, his ideas have shaped some of the most memorable editorials of the magazine, including one shot inside an imaginary panic room, created out of wardrobes and walk-in closets for AD’s 2018 Style issue.
S H A H B E IG E-G REY M ULT ICO LOUR V INTA GE S H IRT, GU C C I.
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ROOMS IN THE WORLD PORTFOLIO THE WORLD OF AD The recently published volume, edited by Marie Kalt, published by Rizzoli New York, curates a selection by all international editors of Architectural Digest, including AD US, Germany, India, France, Russia, Spain, China, Mexico, Italy, and the Middle East. As excerpted from the foreword by Anna Wintour, below, these are indeed the most beautiful rooms in the world. “The spaces we live in are extensions of who we are. The rooms in this book, curated from the archives of ten editions of Architectural Digest, representing nine countries and the Middle East, remind me that creative influence knows no borders. It is as exhilarating to see Old World glamour in a New York townhouse as it is to perceive the cool currents of American modernism in a chic home in Hangzhou. This is a book of globe-trotting fantasy and romance—you long to be in that book-crowded room in a 1930s house in Shanghai, that wood-panelled study in Eiderstedt, that open-air garden room in Ciudad de México, that lush townhouse on the Place des Vosges. Indeed these are the most beautiful rooms in the world. They burst with colour, with art, with maximalist fun, and with ethereal restraint. They bring a sense of intimacy and the familiar, even as they transport us to new places. They remind us of the power of interior design—and leave one feeling optimistic about how much we can learn from each other.” Anna Wintour Editor-in-Chief, Vogue; US Artistic Director and Global Advisor, Condé Nast
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Previous spread: For this 18th-century townhouse in Toulouse, France, interior designers Daniel Suduca and Thierry Mérillou composed a blend of neoclassical furniture and contemporary artworks. The dining table is by French artist-chemist Louis Durot. The chairs are by Maison Jansen. (AD France. Photo: Aurélien Chauvaud.) Above: A spectacular 19th-century mansion in Puducherry, India is home to French embroiderer Jean-François Lesage. The first-floor salon is lit by a crystal chandelier restored by Mathieu Lustrerie. The “tiger skin” rug and armchair upholstery were embroidered at Vastrakala. The polished cement tile floor is original to the house. (AD India. Photo: Björn Wallander.)
Facing page, middle: In this Beijing mansion, Shanghai-based French designer Baptiste Bohu created interiors that blend the homeowners’ dual French and Chinese cultures. Outside, the courtyard retains a richly layered oriental feel, with a tea pavilion and paved pathway laid in “gold bricks”, a feature widely used in ancient Chinese royal palaces, custom-made in the historic city of Suzhou. (AD China. Photo: Jonathan Leijonhufvud. Styling: Pete Bermejo & Kevin Ma.) Facing page, bottom: An artist specialized in ink painting and calligraphy, Meng Zhong may look old-school, but his avant-garde ideas inform this collaboration in Dali, China with the emerging designer Zhao Yang. Inspired by the residence of Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa, Zhao designed a series of functional rooms, punctuated by gardens and patios. In the living room, a large rubbing on the wall presides over a graceful space. (AD China. Photo: Jonathan Leijonhufvud.) Above: Forced to leave his beloved Bornstedt in the GDR’s early years, Wolfgang Joop now has returned to the family estate in Berlin. As his daughter lives in the villa, the fashion designer converted the old pig house and filled it with fine furniture and art. Eros and Thanatos rule the study from paintings by Ralph Peacock and Richard Müller, while the rococo side table by Otto Wagner’s bed adds a little Frederician spirit. (AD Germany. Photo: Gregor Hohenberg.)
The Lan Ying family’s old, threestorey house in Beijing plays up a love of wood with help from the Swedish architecture firm Claesson Koivisto Rune. On the first floor, an antique tea room becomes a haven of peace, with a distinctive traditional imprint and modern wooden flooring. Ideal for enjoying a moment of solitude with a small teapot and a white magnolia porcelain cup. (AD China. Photo: Jonathan Leijonhufvud. Styling: Pete Bermejo.) Facing page, top: A sophisticated tribute to the Mediterranean, the Barcelona apartment of Gabriel Escámez from Cobalto Studio creates a rationalist, artisanal and rough vernacular in concrete, lime, brick, ceramic and tiles. In the living room, a sofa in Dedar fabric finds a roughhewn counterpoint in a naga-wood table by Azul Tierra, a sleek rocking chair in wood and leather, artisanally crafted stools and a painting discovered at a local flea market. (AD Spain. Photo: Pablo Zamora.) Facing page, middle: For Stephanie Thatenhorst, traditional Bavarian farmhouses seemed too gloomy and cramped. So when her father offered her an unused barn in Chiemgau, Germany as a country retreat, the Munich-based architect seized the opportunity. Her conversion features exposed roof timbers, grey walls clad in mineral-based plaster, and a fireplace that’s no more than a hole in the wall. Spruce stairs lead up to the children’s quarters. (AD Germany. Photo: Elias Hasso.) Facing page, bottom: The owner of this Paris apartment asked Karl Fournier and Olivier Marty of Studio KO to give the interiors fresh energy. The dining room contrasts precious surfaces, like rosewood parquet and a brass screen, with more artisanal materials like a wicker armchair and vintage ceramic bowl. On the right, behind the partition, the apartment’s entrance is panelled entirely with mirrors. (AD France. Photo: Ambroise Tézenas.)
Fashion superstar Marc Jacobs’s New York townhouse is a tour de force of old-school glamour and serious connoisseurship. Designers Thad Hayes, John Gachot, and Paul Fortune all had a hand in crafting the high-style refuge for Jacobs and his bull terrier, Neville. The bluechip art collection—including works by John Currin, Cindy Sherman, Richard Prince and many others—sets the tone. (AD US. Photo: François Halard. Styling: Carlos Mota.)
Above & below right: In the Bulgari home in Marrakech, a tranquil green pool is surrounded by fragrant citrus trees and gardens planted with traditional Moroccan plants, such as orange and almond trees, rose bushes and mint. The traditional white marble fountain warbles gently. The ebonized cedar chaise longue was designed by the decorator, Pablo Paniagua, and the Alcala lanterns are of typical Marrakech style. In the library, ash-coloured tadelakt walls create an intimate feel. The iron fireplace inspired by the architecture of Marrakech is by Pablo. On the wall hangs an antique silk Berber wedding panel, mounted on Jim Thompson silks and velvet from Rubelli. The rug is an antique Moroccan kilim. The ceiling in oleander stems, by Gustavo Paniagua, is inspired by Berber tataoui decoration. (AD Middle East. Photo: German Saiz.) Left: Goa is where designer Vikram Goyal built his holiday home, with the help of local architect Tallulah D’Silva. The laterite structure—which also features Kadappa and Macherla stone and concrete—is home to many pieces of furniture and decor from Viya Home, Goyal’s design brand. (AD India. Photo: Björn Wallander.)
Above: An antique barn in the countryside near Padua, Italy was transformed into an apartment with a modern spirit. Architect Filippo Coltro preserved its authentic rural character by using the original beams and exposed brick walls, encasing the barn with glass, and enhancing the rooms with works of pop-inspired art, designer pieces and vintage movie posters. (AD Italy. Photo: Mattia Aquila.) Below: When contemporary artist Zhang Xiaogang converted a three-story villa with a courtyard at the far edges of Beijing’s Fourth Ring Road—near the 798 Art Zone and the Caochangdi (“grasslands”) art district—he worked with architect Cheng Hui of WM Space Design to create a modern house with pure lines and earthy materials such as cement and wood, accentuated by his own distinctive works. (AD China. Photo: Manolo Yllera. Styling: Patricia Ketelsen & Jin Chen.)
Left: Artist Nikolai Haas, half of the Haas Brothers design duo, and stylist Djuna Bel conjured an idiosyncratic wonderland for their family. The layered home, where choice furniture by Haas, Wendell Castle, and others mixes with boho-chic accessories, is made for entertaining, both indoors and out. (AD US. Photo: Jason Schmidt. Styling: Michael Reynolds.) Below: Studio Panebianco and Kast Studio, in collaboration with artist Thierry Jeannot, created an atmosphere full of light, textures, and reflections in this Mexico City home. Chandeliers made of recycled PET plastic, by Jeannot, give this sanctuary a playful sophistication. The rainbow-style bench by Platalea Studio complements the offbeat lighting. (AD Mexico. Photo: JosĂŠ Margaleff.)
Art expert Katya Gulyuk transformed a house in Kratovo, near Moscow, into a space “for a quiet life”. Everything centres around a living/dining area decorated with 19th-century furniture and angels by Belorussian artist Natalya Pinevich. A Swedish-style fireplace features artisanal tiles from Gzhel, while the frescoes in the staircase were inspired by Alpine interiors. (AD Russia. Photo: Mikhail Stepanov. Styling: Natalia Onufreichuk.) Facing page, top & bottom: One of three living rooms in the Bulgari home in Marrakech, with naturally coloured tadelakt plaster on the walls and a coffered cedarwood ceiling inspired by 17th-century Moroccan palaces. The latter was designed by architect Gustavo Paniagua, the brother of interior designer Pablo Paniagua. The sofa and velvet armchair are by the Spanish company Tapiceria Veroe. Cushions in Rubelli velvet add pops of colour. In the master bedroom of Maite and Paolo Bulgari’s riad, a 19th-century Moroccan tapestry adorns the wall; the bed canopy in silver silk is by Jim Thompson, and the knitted textile by Watts of Westminster. A bed designed by the decorator, Pablo Paniagua, and made by Tapiceria Veroe is flanked by antique Syrian night tables and a 1940s curule-style seat in gilded bronze, with green linen upholstery by Loro Piana. (AD Middle East. Photo: German Saiz.) Facing page, middle: Internationally renowned interior designer, set designer and director Matteo Corvino reinvented an ancestral spirit for this elegant 16th-century mansion with an eclectic collection. The historic Venetian home is decorated with a composite of paintings and objects from Directoire to Empire, confidently arranged like an ornamental, refined literary itinerary. (AD Italy. Photo: Massimo Listri.)
PHOTOGRAPHER MANOLO YLLERA
“This is my bedroom closet. I have always been fascinated by the maze of mirrors in amusement parks and with Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms,” says AD Spain editor Enric Pastor. The artwork in the background is from the ‘Selfhelp’ poster series by Miguel Ángel Rebollo.
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The living room in anthracite grey features custom-made sofas, Jonathan Adler cushions, Zara Home terrazzo tables, a Vitra ‘Plywood’ chair by the Eames and an Esther Partegàs artwork. Facing page: This HAY ‘Mags’ sofa from Domesticoshop is paired with a Berber white carpet and a coffee table from Habitat. Behind, a ‘Paper Floor Lamp’ by Studio Job and a wooden table, both by Moooi, sit with Vitra ‘Standard’ chairs by Jean Prouvé. 97
Above left: The bedroom has curtains that run along the wall and the headboard. It is decorated with Jaime Hayon’s ‘Formakami JH5’ paper lamp from &Tradition; a bed from Treca, Paris covered in a HAY quilt; ‘Cuatro’ small tables from Punt and ‘Funiculí’ lamps from Marset. Above right: In the bathroom, dressed in Neolith ‘Retrostone’, a House Doctor mirror and vintage 1970s sconces are paired with a custom-made wash basin. Facing page, left & right: The artwork by the dining table is by Marcel Dzama and the ceiling lamp is a Serge Mouille design. The cube in Neolith’s ‘Retrostone’ next to the dining room serves as an island in the ‘Serie 45’ kitchen by Dica, in the same grey colour as the walls. The ‘Ypperlig’ vases on the dining table are from the IKEA x HAY collection.
At the back is a drawing by artist Elena Alonso (left) and a large-format acrylic-on-paper work by Pedro Luis Cembranos. Jaime Hayon’s ‘Palette’ table from &Tradition accompanies the HAY sofa. Facing page: On the far end are a Serge Mouille wall lamp, Mathieu Matégot’s ‘Demon’ shelf from Gubi, and Cees Braakman’s ‘FM03’ seats from Pastoe. In the foreground, on the right, is Oskar Zieta’s Plopp aluminium stool.
A closer look at the kitchen island covered in ‘Retrostone’ from Neolith— lemons from a friend’s terrace sit on a Jasper Morrison ‘High Tray’ for Vitra, next to a vintage Fornasetti ashtray.
am writing these lines as the last details of our new house are being finalized. A year ago the house underwent a set of somewhat drastic changes—partitions were demolished, wooden floors were sanded, and polished materials were installed. We chose a comfortable, simple sofa, changed the paint on the walls, updated the kitchen and bathrooms in a minimalist way, added bookcases, and renewed every last door handle. Now, after living in, and experiencing our home so intensely over these last few months of confinement, we are happy to see that we made the right decisions. I always admired interior designers and architects for their agility in making decisions that affect how we live; there is a lot of excitement when it comes to the work of home renovation, but also stress and uncertainty. (I admit to having sleepless nights caused by the measurements of the doors and the tones of the matt varnish on the floor.) Madrid-based Cano Estudio helped us by transforming our ideas into spaces, and contributing with theirs when we didn’t have any. My friends think that I have it easy. Yes, working at AD opens your eyes to the latest in decoration, but you can easily end up overwhelmed by too much information, and opt for something classic and elegant instead of being adventurous. I’m hopeful that this was not the case with us. Inspired by the new Nordic minimalism (grey tones, beige with black, light woods, simple and soft furniture, colour flashes), what we carried out in this house was a decorative experiment. The late Andrée Putman taught us to appreciate spaces of a radical, Cistercian, timeless simplicity. To this great French lady we owe the attempt to turn our house into one of her interiors: very high ceilings, generous baseboards and a contained but theatrical use of colour. Thank you, muse! More than in square metres, a flat should be measured in calories. If the popular saying that happiness is fattening is true, good decoration, a studied distribution, an extra-large sofa or a large-format work of art can make you go up in size in a few weeks. That’s why my diet is aesthetic, decorative. Those of us who work in the interior design sector must have a certain discipline, restraint, a sense of abstinence. This begins with not taking your work home with you, and not suffering from the ‘I want to put everything in’ syndrome, so that your interiors end up being a baseless pastiche, the result of sudden impulses or the latest fashions. Restraint means something else. It reflects a new way of living that is more nomadic, flexible, and used to moving houses, or changing the decor. (My parents have moved only twice in their lives; I have already moved seven times.) That’s why you won’t see wasted corners, unnecessary corridors or tiny wardrobes in our space. This house is like an inhabitable Tetris grid where everything is tailor-made for us—although sometimes we do feel the sudden urge to readjust our lives and change the decor. The Italian-born Brazilian architect Lina Bo Bardi once said: “The purpose of a house is to provide a good and comfortable life. It would be a mistake to place too much value on an exclusively decorative result.” I agree.
WRITER & PHOTOGRAPHER OLIVER JAHN
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t’s all about books. As a son of a book dealer and grandson of a typesetter, my whole life is very deeply all about books and culture. One will find books in almost every part of my home and that reflects in each one of these photographs. Not only because books are beautiful—which they are!—but because books are the topic of my life. I’m a real-life version of Robin Williams’s character in Dead Poets Society. Imagine me with corduroy pants and Harris Tweed jackets back in the days when I was a student. The clothes got better but my heart is still, and will always be, all about the written word that comes in skilfully bound volumes. I feel like I’m living in a library. My office is the same. Jorge Luis Borges once said, “I’ve always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library.” Books are my religion. I have, over the years, acquired over 20,000 volumes, collecting books from the 17th century onwards; this includes a series of beautifully crafted handbound first editions from the early 19th century. To draw a reference from our chosen field of design and aesthetics—of which a 500-year-long history of bookmaking is a highly artisanal part—I quote the words of Charles Eames: “I take my pleasures seriously.”
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Above: Crossing the Seine on the Pont des Invalides. Facing page: Kalt added some greenery to her balcony with a butterfly bush, or Buddleja davidii.
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Above: Kalt’s bedroom in her Paris apartment. On the wall is an Edouard Boubat photo, titled Petite Fille aux Feuilles Mortes. A small Isamu Noguchi lamp sits by the bed. Facing page: Kalt’s office at the Condé Nast France building. On the table is a Charles Zana ‘Gigaro’ terracotta and enamel lamp with a raffia shade, and an Astier de Villatte coffee mug. The bookshelves are from USM.
This corner in the living room features an Isamu Noguchi ‘Akari BB1-YA1’ lamp. The sofa is from the Ghost collection by Gervasoni. Facing page: Another Isamu Noguchi lamp—the ‘Akari 1P’— occupies this corner of the apartment, paired with candelabras, a Baccarat candlestick, rock crystal cups from India, and a smoked rock crystal plate made by Kalt’s husband, who makes pieces for Galerie Chahan.
nI’s Italy. WRITER & PHOTOGRAPHER LUCA DINI
Luca Dini employed the services of architect Marco Olmeda to convert an old, abandoned mill—in the village of Borgo Pace in north central Italy—into his second home.
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Above: To retain the history and the spirit of the site, Olmeda connected the two surviving old stone structures—the mill and the miller’s house—using a wood-and-steel-frame building that mirrored the proportions of the original buildings.
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Dini remembered this view of the waterfall from his childhood, and purchased the property primarily because of it.
here are places you feel connected to even before you understand why. This is the story of one such place. Today, I live and work in Milan, but the corner of north central Italy where I grew up—a tiny village in the Marche region called Borgo Pace (literally ‘borough of peace’)—is a stone’s throw from the Tuscan border, and that’s how I came to exist. My father’s family, the Dinis, settled on this side of the mountains from the Lucca region, who knows how many generations ago. My mother’s family, the Franceschi, were thought to be the last remaining relatives of Piero di Benedetto de’ Franceschi— also known as Piero della Francesca—and never moved from the painter’s Tuscan neighbourhood on the other side of the mountains. Mum and dad would have remained strangers had it not been for this shared border. Back in the 1950s, a young teacher was sent on her first assignment to the most remote parish in her region; for my mother, nothing was more remote than the last Tuscan outpost just upriver from the border, a short hike from my paternal grandmother’s grocery shop where she bought food—and found a husband. They had my older brothers, then, me. A creek runs through Borgo Pace, and there was one particular waterfall in the woods that we used to dive from as kids. It was called Mill Waterfall, but what was left of the mill was so engulfed in vegetation that you could only see a doorway and darkness inside; we thought it was haunted and stayed clear of it. I left the village when I was 18, and as much as I remained attached to it, I never thought I would make a home here again. I almost forgot about the mill until a few years ago, when I casually found out that it was on sale and that there was more to the story. For several centuries, as I discovered, a miller’s house had been standing next to the mill, until retreating German forces blew it up in 1944. Only its stone dovecote tower remained, but the whole thing could be rebuilt. Something clicked in my mind. I bought the property—perhaps I should say I bought the view of the waterfall of my childhood—and started renovations. Work is very much in progress, but I can already picture the end result. What I really liked about the design submitted by Marco Olmeda, an architect from nearby Pesaro, was how it incorporated old and new elements to reflect the spirit and history of the place. The two surviving structures with their hotchpotch stonemasonry—a telltale sign of repeated reconstruction through the centuries—were connected by a wood-and-steel-frame building, modern, yet adopting details and proportions of traditional local architecture. The floors— coated in an epoxy-free, vegetable-oil-based, antibacterial and antiviral mortar (patented by Oltremateria, a local firm)—provide a sleek but warm counterpoint to the wood-trussed and brick-vaulted ceilings. An original water turbine has been set into a porthole as a kind of modern sculpture. The early-19th-century cast-iron pillars, which supported the millstones, have been turned into legs for a large glass tabletop. I like the idea of breaking bread over those parts of a machine once used to provide flour to the inhabitants of the valley, back when they had little more than bread to feed their families but would not hesitate to break it with foreign pilgrims, in keeping with the age-old rules of hospitality. I already knew that this valley had once been famous for growing woad, whose leaves were turned into the deep turquoise pigment used to colour skies and the Madonna’s veil in Renaissance tapestries, and in the frescoes and paintings of Piero della Francesca and his contemporaries. I knew that this was where the faded greenish-blue on the oldest doors and window frames in the area came from. I knew that the woad industry had been destroyed between the 16th and 18th centuries by the arrival of stronger, bluer indigo from Asia. What I didn’t know, till recently, was that long before converting to flour production, ours had most likely been a woad mill. What I also didn’t know was that Piero’s father, Benedetto de’ Franceschi, had himself been a woad merchant, buying the dye from mills in our valley—five centuries before another Franceschi, my mother, came to teach the children of lumberjacks. I like to think he bought it from this very mill, whose miller was a neighbour of my father’s ancestors. I like to see this as a place where my roots run deep. The natural pigment is back on the market; I just found it in a wood craft shop. The planks of my door and window blinds will be tinted in a beautiful shade of teal.
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我的家
be
u
WRITER BERYL HSU PHOTOGRAPHER DIRK WEIBLEN STYLIST QINGTONG QIAN
AD China editor-in-chief Beryl Hsu (right) and her friend Qingtong Qian, a designer who founded the brand Minimaïst. Surrounding the pair (from left) are a rubber plant, a pencil cactus, a Philodendron xanadu, and a pteridophyte. Hsu is sitting on an ‘LC1’ chair from Cassina.
In the dining area are a framed silk print from Petit h and Swallow on Horseback by Lin Yishu, a woodcut print. The lamps above the dining table are from Flos, and the chairs are from Cassina. On the table are a caladium bicolour and dahlia in a Minimaïst ‘Hallgrimskirkja’ vase. Above the sofa is an untitled ink-on-paper by Lin Fan-Wei. Facing page: Behind the chair are some lilies and dahlias in a ‘Glacier Blue’ classic vase from Minimaïst. To the right are: (clockwise from left) kikyō and carnations in a ‘Great Wave’ vase from Minimaïst; alocasia in a ‘Sérénité’ vase, also from Minimaïst; caladium bicolour, kikyō and gerbera in a wooden vase from PUSU, China; caladium bicolour in a Minimaïst ‘Snow Lodge’ vase; lilies in a vintage vase from Paris; and dahlias and carnation in a black ceramic vase from Yunnan.
hen the Covid-19 pandemic struck the world, it became obvious that people’s lives—and lifestyles—were changing. For me, the silver lining to this cloud is, perhaps, that I’ve developed a strong relationship with my green companions—to be precise, my plants and flowers. It started on a weekend spent with Qingtong ‘QT’ Qian, who is a young designer based in Shanghai and founder of Minimaïst, a home decor brand. She has a strong sense of colour, and has spent time in Jingdezhen—known for its ceramics—developing her vase collections. QT is not only a designer, but also loves plants and flowers. Every other week, she visits a flower market and, subsequently, spends a whole day, sometimes even two days, at home making flower arrangements. During the Covid-19 ease-off in China, we decided to go to the market together. It was a normal Saturday for QT, but for me, it was a day of exploration. I was fascinated by the plants and flowers, and imagined how they could be arranged in my apartment. At first, I simply observed—appreciating from a distance. Then, I learned— from my flower-loving friend—about how to take care of them. For me, it was understanding how to get along with these companions that I was not familiar with yet. The way they grow, wither and fade away changes the arrangement. It takes a keen eye to observe and get a sense of how these lifeforms grow, how they embody strength and portray the beauty of life. All lives are delicate. Too little or too much attention causes them harm. They need a balance—neither too much love, nor too little. Knowledge is surely important, but for me, what works best is when you closely feel what they need. My husband and I are both expats in Shanghai. In our 10 years of living here, we’ve moved numerous times. There have been old Shanghainese-style houses, newly furnished apartments and even some experiences that we don’t want to recall. Two years ago, we moved into our current apartment with our threeyear-old son. This top-floor, three-bedroom apartment meets our needs. Our son has a super bunk bed with all his cars, while we mostly spend our time in the living and dining room. We haven’t changed too much in the apartment. The green wall was left by the previous tenant. The most we have done is change all the furniture. As we both work in the design industry, we wanted our home to have its own character. Our contributions are the traces of daily life. These include a lovely breakfast every day, no matter how busy we are, or just staying home and playing bike-racing games, when the weather outdoors limits us. We’ve chosen chairs, lamps and side tables very carefully. Being an industrial designer’s wife and working at AD, it was very important for me to make our home ‘not too perfect’. Well, I guess I did alright. When my husband and son come back from their long-stuck-in-Europe journey (yes, due to Covid-19, the two boys have been stuck in South Tyrol, Italy for eight months!), the only major change to our home will be the many green companions. Gradually, flower shopping has become a regular part of my weekend itinerary. These plants have played a great role in my daily life. To make my new lifestyle during Covid-19 more fun, I started to read about Japanese, European and, of course, Chinese flower arrangement methods. It’s a blessing when you find a brand-new world and the search for knowledge becomes the greatest joy. Oh! One more thing about ‘not too perfect’. I remember the Japanese tea master Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591) and his garden sweeping story. One morning, the master was sweeping up the garden as he usually did. After he’d swept all the fallen leaves off the ground, the last thing he did to complete his clean-up was to shake the big tree in the garden so that some leaves would fall. The garden was then clean.
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WRITER & PHOTOGRAPHER TALIB CHOUDHRY
Mouse finds a tranquil spot in the sitting room—an ottoman reupholstered with H&M Home tablecloth fabric.
Mouse, Mini and an always stationary, spotty friend stand sentry. Facing page: Playtime during golden hour— leaping across sofas and armchairs, whizzing past glass vases and dislodging soil from plant pots are all part of the fun.
In the main human bedroom, Mini reclines on one of the many plush beds she has in the villa. Mouse watches parakeets in the tree canopy behind her. Facing page: Mini takes a languid mid-morning snooze in the dining area.
Wistful birdwatching in the afternoon is a favourite activity for Mouse. Playing among the plants (facing page) is another.
And so to bed. The guest room beds have textured throws to claw at and cosy cushions to lie on. This place is the cat’s whiskers.
I
was 40 years of age when I got my first pet. Actually that’s not strictly true; I was 40 when I got my first two pets, because they came as a duo: fluffy, mewling peas in pod, or rather kittens in a cage. Mini and Mouse—spindly, inseparable siblings—had a noticeably special bond in their litter of rescue kittens and so had been kept together. She and he were a non-negotiable ‘we’, whose prospective owners (not that you can ever really own a cat, of course) were asked to take together from a pet charity’s adoption day at the Dubai Garden Centre. Not that I had any intention of going home with a cat, never mind two. No, I was just window shopping, cooing at the kittens and murmuring sweet, empty words. Because, you see, I’m not a pet person. Or at least I thought I wasn’t a pet person. Like many South Asian families, the one I grew up in was not concerned with petting animals; steering children on the righteous path to success—no distractions, no decadence—was the overriding concern. My mother’s scrupulously clean and tidy home was (and still is) a symbol of her acuity and accomplishment as a mother, wife and woman of standing in our immigrant community in the UK. If the world outside was cold (quite literally), alien and full of things to be afraid of (both real and imagined), then home—the solid brick walls, and the idealized, diasporic vision of a homeland—could at least be comforting and controlled. My sister’s childhood asthma was always held up as a reason why we couldn’t have pets—“She’s allergic, beta,”—if we ever chirruped about wanting a kitten or puppy. Thrillingly, our great grandmother—very much the matriarch of the family when I was growing up, having been a child bride—had a cat that we spied occasionally on visits to the home she shared with my great uncle and his clan. But that was exotic and unusual, an aberration that was explained away and justified by the fact there were lots of people to care for and clean up after it. My perpetually tired parents ran two businesses that were open seven days a week, so a pet just wasn’t an option. No cat sat on the mat. That, thank you very much, was very much that. And so meeting Mini (a sassy girl cat) and Mouse (a timid boy) was a serendipitous blessing. Before I knew it, they were back at home with me and once the door of their carry cage was opened they darted off behind the bookshelves and squeezed into the safety of the improbably narrow space behind the books. Now they are 10 months older, it’s still where they dart off to if they feel unsafe (kitty basecamp, if you will) except now it’s much easier to spot where they are hiding with the displaced spines of books and the odd one that has fallen to the ground. They became a lot more adventurous, too, and now basically have the run of the house and their choice of furniture to snooze on, scratch and chew. Attempts at discipline have come too late. It’s their house now and I merely live in it. I wouldn’t have it any other way, though, because along with the seemingly endless hair they shed gladly (the maid was not gladdened by their arrival) they provide endless entertainment and joy. They have also taught me several valuable life lessons during lockdown and my time working at home, including: Always follow the light (a sunbeam to lie in, a flickering gleam to chase); take solace in nature (chatter at the birds, nibble a plant); and make time for rest and play (in truth, they do little else). It transpires that they are budding writers as well; one of their favourite pastimes is running across my keyboard when I’m typing, so it seems fitting to give them the final words. Here’s Mini’s sign-off: b67u896y5ujh.li . And this is Mouse’s more cautious riposte: oik, /@|±§§§[;p .
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WRITER GREG FOSTER PHOTOGRAPHER ASHISH SHAH STYLIST PRIYANKA SHAH
At 3.44pm g o l d e n h o u r begins, with a beam of sunlight that starts on the sofa. It grows slowly, crawling sexily along the carpet and up the Lekha Washington ‘Dot’ chair, where the rays soften and linger until around 6.14pm. I could watch this action all day.
I love the mood created by red light bulbs. An a t m o s p h e r i c surprise in an otherwise quiet interior.
I’ve been posting millions of pictures of my flat on Instagram. Like f l u f f y c a t s , I have discovered that an elegant chequerboard hallway is always a winner.
aking up in my flat on the morning of Wednesday, 18 March felt like a bit of a treat. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d woken up here and not felt total panic that I was late for the office or the airport. On that naive first morning of lockdown, before I’d read the news, it felt nice not to have to jump out of bed like a lunatic. I reached for a T-shirt from the cabin trolley that lay open at the end of my bed. For years, I’d travelled so fast that I’d lived out of a suitcase. It only took a week before I put the luggage away and started using wardrobes like everyone else. I have a wardrobe malfunction of sorts—I need to stand on my tiptoes to reach the hangers. Note to self: must order a little stool. How many notes like this have we made over the last seven months, as we all get comfortable? I thought I’d make myself some toast but there wasn’t a toaster. Tea? Turns out I didn’t even have a kettle. But what I did find was a fabulous antique plate from Nagaland that I refashioned into a little podium for my laptop, and took position on the sofa in my living room for the first Zoom call with my team. How great does that look? And so begins the story of how I finally got to know my own home—a lockdown romance if ever there was one. Today, my one-bedroom apartment doesn’t look like it did seven months ago. Not at all. Before, it felt half lived-in and, at the wrong side of 35, a little bit studenty. In fact, the first time my girlfriends from Paris came to stay, one by one they checked into the hotel next door. My parents did the same. But every day during lockdown, there have been tweaks to the placement of objects, a spot of home improvement, and a search along the lines of ‘where to buy a light bulb in Mumbai’. Slowly but surely my flat has evolved into a space that makes me happy. I hope people will want to stay now. Like everyone, I’ve been on a purge, throwing out stacks of empty Diwali hampers, millions of magazines and a heap of emotional baggage. In stark contrast to my chaotic cabin at the office, I’ve become house-proud and a neat freak. Messy mounds of papers have morphed into precise piles of coffeetable books. Beware: don’t move that Bawa ashtray from its position precisely perpendicular to the
papier-mâché boxes I bought in Srinagar or it will make me a nervous wreck. There’s even been a bit of DIY: removing an internal door to create one long entrance out of two narrow hallways; taking down mosquito nets from windows, which has brought in more light; and adding red light bulbs at the entrance for a sexy (not seedy) surprise to an interior otherwise low on colour. Like all new love affairs, the whole me-and-myflat thing has played out on Instagram. I’ve been posting pictures of the old Minton floor tiles, of the cushion-laden daybed, of the chiku tree that is so close I can pick fruit from my bedroom window. They certainly do better than a selfie. Like fluffy cats, I have discovered that an elegant chequerboard hallway is always a winner on Instagram. Yet I am aware that much is missing from the pictures I post. For a start, you’d never guess how cold it is in here. The AC in my flat is set permanently at 16 degrees, greeting anyone I open the front door to with a wall of cold that makes them take two steps back. I’ve lived in Mumbai for five years and love everything about it except the weather. I can’t take the heat. Also, you can’t smell the roses. Or at least the cabbage-like foliage and balloon flowers that stylist Priyanka Shah has been sending ever since I noticed the blooms she sourced for our July-August still-life cover. How cool does the Amaranthus look on that green marble coffee table by Case Design? After a few disasters with trees that I watched wither away, I’m a total convert to foliage at home. Please do stop me if I ever veer into flower arranging. You might get a sense of the amazing light in these pictures but you can’t feel the kiss of the sun. At 3.44pm golden hour begins, with an intense beam of sunlight that starts on the linen bolster of my sofa. It slowly grows, crawling sexily along the carpet and up the Lekha Washington ‘Dot’ chair, where the rays become softer and linger until around 6.14pm. I could watch this action all day. What’s also missing in these photographs are my neighbours. For six months, the family in the flat above sent me three meals a day. Can you imagine the extreme generosity of that? The mind-boggling kindness from people I barely knew before? Previously, I had thought that a good building was one where you didn’t see any neighbours. How wrong, how unappreciative, and how selfish that was. Having good neighbours has been a saving grace and being a good neighbour is a responsibility I had never felt before. What I’ve learnt from my lockdown romance is that there’s more to my home than high ceilings and low tables. More than a space or a collection of objects, home is a sense of belonging. People keep asking me why I haven’t gone ‘home’ during lockdown. What do they mean? It’s both joyful and terrifying to face a reality I didn’t know until now. This is my home.
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1938 -2019 WRITER MIN HOGG PHOTOGRAPHER JAMES MORTIMER
Above: A view of the interior courtyard garden with a latticework screen throwing shadows on to the veranda. The geraniums and bougainvilleas, which are native to the region, survived well between Hogg’s rare visits. Facing page: The trelliswork panels surrounding the veranda of the late Min Hogg’s home in the Canary Islands were the feature that first attracted her to it. The veranda, with its narrow table, was used for dining out on hot nights. The ceramic bowls are by Hylton Nel.
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Above: On the high shelf in the kitchen sit some of the pottery bowls from Samos. They inspired Hogg with the idea of one day finding a suitable home for them. Everything a cook might need is suspended from hooks in the shelf above the work area. Facing page: Hogg bought the pair of much-mended 18th-century gilt mirrors and painted screen at an antique fair in Toulouse. A Kingcome armchair covered in a yellow self-stripe from Nobilis-Fontan faces a folding planter’s chair purchased from George Sherlock. The striped cotton dhurrie is from Ciancimino, while the cushion on the sofa is by Christian Lacroix.
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Above, left & right: The French bed in Hogg’s bedroom is from Judy Greenwood and has been upholstered in antique toile de Jouy from Joanna Booth. Hogg bought the painted side table at Hepsibah Antiques. Facing page: In a guest room, gingham from Peter Jones is tented over a French bed from Judy Greenwood. The painted beams in the ceiling lighten the room. The double doors open on to sweet-scented datura trees.
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The colours found in traditional Canary Island homes inspired the palette.
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made myself a promise in the early 1960s. I had bought lots of rustic pottery bowls and dishes on Samos, and had a simple tin lantern welded together before my eyes in a Turkish market. One day, I was certain, there would be the right place in which to put them. That day arrived about 10 years ago (circa 1985) as I wandered through a village in the Canary Islands with my friend and host Christophe Gollut. Spotting an open padlock on a heavy wooden door, and being naturally nosy, we pushed it open and let out yells of pleasure. I saw it, I loved it, I had ghastly cold feet and I came to an agreement with the mightily surprised owner of the ruin all on that same day. What I now had on my hands was a doublefronted house with a fairly towny street facade, and a much more farm-like inner courtyard and sloping cobbled garden on to which every single room opened. The salon on the first floor gives on to a wide veranda shaded by the fine trelliswork screens (or celosías as they are known locally) that had caused Christophe and me to scream with delight on day one. God knows how the three families who had last occupied the place had managed with one tap, a few bare light bulbs dangerously strung about and a lone earth closet, but the absence of these creature comforts was a blessing, since it meant that I could work out exactly what I needed and where it should be put. Not that drawing up an electrical plan and drainage system came naturally, and my forced logic in the matter has not proved entirely successful either. Having restored his own house nearby a few years earlier, Christophe was a boon when it came to devising my own building work plans. He bequeathed me Marco, who single-handedly did the lot in the ensuing eight months. He roofed, cobbled, plastered, painted, wired, piped, uprooted tree stumps, pruned the palms and more. Marco drew the line only at bashing out the eight new openings I needed through my vastly thick walls in order to connect rooms. We felt the house might topple unless we got in a man with proper electrical drilling equipment and reinforced steel joists to span these openings. As nobody could remember the professional’s name he became ‘RSJ’ for short, which in due course—owing to Chinese whispers—evolved into ‘Irish Gay’. It is no picnic organizing such a putting-in-order at long distance; one invariably remembers on the flight home that one’s most vital instruction was never delivered. I divided my 25 days of holiday a year into six separate visits, during each of which I spent eight hours a day with Marco, taking decisions then changing my mind, sketching how things should look. I drew sizes and positions for new doorways, including one that, due to my miscalculations, burst straight from my bathroom into the neighbours’ hall. It was the carpenter who held up the work most— his adherence to a mañana philosophy being absolutely unbending. He advised making a good bonfire
with all the existing woodwork, but eventually I prevailed upon him to preserve the lovely heavy—if illfitting—double doors and shutters wherever possible. At one point, in order to placate me, he sent round an apprentice to mend part of the very tumbledown wooden trellis on the veranda. Dauntingly, the boy’s name was found to be Jesús, and such was his innocence of all carpentry skills that after a week of nil productivity I would happily have crucified him. The use of bright colours is traditional in the islands. Houses are gaily painted inside and out: lilac with chestnut, pink with green, and blue with ochre are combinations that are often sighted. The honky-tonk of it appealed to me, so I repeated what I found. However, I had a struggle with the decorators over the paint itself. They wanted emulsion and I wanted colour pigments in limewash. I only partially got my way. I moved in on Christmas Eve, which was the day my container-load of chattels arrived from England. The wide truck became stuck a street away and so the delivery men had to carry everything to my house. In doing so, they lifted a large pair of 18th-century gildedlooking glasses by the delicate carving of their frames— with disastrous results. We unpacked them with dismay and took mournful snaps of the mayhem. Then we remembered that seven people were coming to dinner and left the mess for another day. I have gradually eliminated a lot of the stuff sent out from England purely on the grounds of it being totally wrong in the house, in the light and in the climate. Pictures on walls, for instance, are banned. Whereas in London I hang them together as close as stamps, in the Canaries there is not one anywhere. Looking glasses, of which there are many, do the job of raising the horizon of furnishings above the height of a chair back, creating a fascinating play of shifting shafts of sunlight on the facing walls. Other furniture has been found locally. The village photographer, having decided to go modern, sold me two splendidly large antique chests of drawers and a set of rickety chairs. Set building and studio photography for The World of Interiors have also been a rich resource. Who would have thought that planks Tabby Riley painted so prettily for a shoot to resemble Marie-Antoinette’s door cases at Fontainebleau would one day get married with those curvaceous MDF legs from Jali, cut for a black antiques feature, to become my dining table? Now, a decade on, it all works pretty well; I’m obsessed with the garden and love the swish of the wind in my palm tree. I prune for hours without a care in the world. Some burglars dented the dream a couple of times—they took everything electrical, opened a bottle of Rioja and even nicked the screwpull (corkscrew)—but when I decided not to replace any of the stolen things, I realized I hadn’t missed them once. Now they are gone, I can’t imagine why I later bothered to install an alarm.
First printed in The World of Interiors, October 1998 issue. 163
INDIA GQ’s GLOBAL MANIFESTO
ECO WARRIORS `150
CONSCIOUS FASHION
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TH OUTS D R
INDIA GQ’s GLOBAL MANIFESTO
CONSCIOUS FASHION
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ECO WARRIORS
VIDYUT JAMMWAL
THE OUTSIDER
INDIA
ECO WARRIORS CONSCIOUS FASHION
VIDYUT JAMMWAL
THE OUTSIDER
AF R ARTY THE END Our annual kitchen report is a delicious collaboration with chef, restaurateur and food influencer Eeshaan Kashyap, a 14-page diary of recipes, advice and must-have tools for whipping up a storm in AD’s favourite room. Making its debut, in the grand tradition of all good publications, we launch The Cartoon, a page that gives a light-hearted laugh for the design community. And finally we sign off with a mood board created by MarĂa Alcocer, editor-in-chief of AD Mexico and Latin America.
eeshaan kashyap’s The food influencer behind the moreish Instagram handle @eeshaankas whips up eight dramatic dishes exclusively for AD, plating them with fabulous pieces from his personal collection of tableware. Think Nigella meets Dimore, in a recipe book written by Basquiat. PHOTOGRAPHS & ILLUSTRATIONS EESHAAN KASHYAP
kItchen secrets
PHOTO: GAËLLE LE BOULICAUT
PHOTO: YANNICK LABROUSSE
PHOTO: CERRUTI DRAIME
PHOTO: DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN
PHOTO: LAURE JOLIET
PHOTO: SIMON UPTON
PHOTO: DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN
PHOTO: SIMON UPTON
PHOTO: IVAN TERESTCHENKO
PHOTO: ADRIEN DIRAND
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FROM 25 TO 27 SEPTEMBER, WE CELEBRATED THE AD WEEKENDER, OUR FIRST VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EVERYTHING AD. CLASSIC HOME TOURS; VISITS TO CRAFTSMANSHIP ATELIERS AND GARDEN ESTATES; CONVERSATIONS ON DESIGN, CRAFT AND LUXURY; A ONE-OF-A-KIND ART PERFORMANCE; AND AN INSTA LIVE BY THE INCREDIBLE FILM-MAKER MIRA NAIR—HERE IS A GLIMPSE OF THE WEEKEND THAT WAS.
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1. Alex Kuruvilla, Managing Director, Condé Nast India. 2. André Fu. 3. AD editor Greg Foster. 4. Amit Syngle. 5. Tarun Tahiliani. 6. Nazneen Jehangir. 7. Mira Nair. 8. Aradhana Seth. 9. Sussanne Khan. 10. Channa Daswatte. 11. Vinita Chaitanya. 12. Diana Marian Murek. 13. Maximiliano Modesti. 14. Martand Khosla. 15. Iram Sultan. 16. Annkur Khosla. 17. Gayatri Rangachari Shah. 18. Régis Mathieu. 19. Nikhil and Shantanu Mehra. 20. Komal Sharma. 21. Ashiesh Shah. 22. Malavika Shivakumar. 23. Raghavendra Rathore. 24. Apoorva Shroff, Rajiv Parekh. 25. Ekta Puri, Maithili Raut. 26. AD Spain editor Enric Pastor. 27. Shabnam Gupta. 28. Samira Rathod. 29. Meera Pyarelal. 30. AD Italy editor Luca Dini. 31. Alexis de Ducla. 32. Gaurav Malhotra. 33. Amit Gupta. 34. AD US editor Amy Astley. 35. Madhav Raman. 36. Roshini Vadehra. 37. Abin Chaudhuri. 38. Manju Sara Rajan. 39. Seetu Kohli. 40. JJ Valaya. 41. AD France editor Marie Kalt. 42. Hetain Patel. 43. Rakesh Thakore and David Abraham. 44. Nikhil Chopra. 45. Prateek Jain. 46. AD Germany editor Oliver Jahn. 47. Rudra Chatterjee. 48. Gautam Seth.
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AN UNUSUAL YEAR, CALLS FOR UNUSUAL HEROES WHEN: 27TH-29TH NOVEMBER WHERE:
WATCH THIS SPACE FOR MORE
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FROM THE HOTTEST PRODUCTS TO THE COOLEST LAUNCHES, HERE’S THE LOW-DOWN ON THE LATEST IN THE MARKET
DEEP DIVE Unveiled earlier this year, the Oyster Perpetual collection by Rolex welcomed a range of new professional divers’ watches with a redesigned and slightly larger 41mm case. The ‘Oyster Perpetual Datejust’ (pictured) is presented in a white Rolesor version (combining Oystersteel and 18-carat white gold), featuring a completely customizable aubergine sunray-finish dial, with either baton or Roman-numeral hour markers in white gold, making this Rolex watch the most stylish one for a deep dive. (rolex.com)
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SAFE FLOORS In September, Welspun Flooring launched a collection of antiviral, antibacterial and antimicrobial flooring solutions, specifically tailored for post-pandemic homes, offices and hotels. The range comes coated in a blend of silver ion and titanium oxide that eliminates any virus that comes in contact with the floor, including the Covid-19 virus. Available across the brand’s wall-to-wall and carpet tile ranges, the new flooring options make every home and office a safer place to step into. (welspunflooring.com)
Loco Design’s experiments with carbon fibre, which began three years ago, reached a crescendo with the launch of their latest bench, titled ‘Ant’, which draws inspiration from the shape of an ant’s head. Its futuristic, curvilinear form perches delicately on three legs, creating a smooth, arched body that looks almost as if it was an element of a supercar. Pushing the limitations of carbon fibre, Loco manages to tweak the material’s innate qualities to create a bench that is a study in strength, versatility and lightness. (locodesign.in)
ANT-ASTIC DESIGN
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ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST | 185
LOUNGE STYLE Located in the heart of South Mumbai, Simone is a one-stop shop for the most distinguished designs, with their in-house collections ranging from furniture, artefacts and tableware to lighting solutions and decor. Seen here is a classic Simone chaise longue, upholstered in a soft, warm grey. The plush velvet and foil-printed cushions hint at the label’s obsessions with textures, while the carefully paired drapes, rug and artefacts nod at their eye for detail. (simone.com)
DETAILS-À-PORTER, Cattelan Italia’s latest collection’s core mantra reads: the difference is in the detail. The new line of beds, tables, chairs and bookcases delves deep into the details to uncover new finishes and experimentations with form and materials. A highlight of the collection is the new Masterwood finish available in the Tyron Wood tables designed by Paolo Cattelan. The range also features new surprises, like ‘Etoile’ (pictured), a pair of consoles in two heights, crafted in brushed brass, bronze and grey lacquered steel. (catellanitalia.com)
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FORM PLAY Geometrical forms and patterns are at the crux of the Duravit design vocabulary. From the oval basins of the Luv series, the precise rectangle of the DuraSquare wash basins to the circular mirrors of the Happy D.2 Plus ceramics, Duravit’s command over elemental and minimal designs makes the label a household name. Whether with sharp edges, soft curves or a blend of the two, the Duravit ranges lend individual flair to any bathroom. (duravit.in)
One of India’s leading brands offering window and door solutions, Fenesta has designed a range of products uniquely suited to the country’s extreme climates. Painted and polished prior to installation, Fenesta doors are made of a hybrid polymer that offers strength, stability and resistance to water, fire and termites. Requiring almost negligible maintenance, the doors are available in four finishes—white oak, natural oak, teak and walnut— that ensure that the front door of your home gives you every chance to make a grand entrance, each time you step in. (fenesta.com)
GRAND ENTRANCE
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Presenting the 10th annual
Readers’ Travel Awards 2020
Celebrating 10 years of CondĂŠ Nast Traveller in India
THANK YOU FOR YOUR OVERWHELMING RESPONSE. For 10 years, readers of Condé Nast Traveller India have selected the finest in the world of travel, tourism and hospitality, by voting for their favourite destinations, hotels, airlines and spas. This year, your recognition will help the travel industry more than ever.
For the results of our 10th annual Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards 2020, don’t miss the December-January issue.
Find out if you are one of the seven lucky winners to have won one of these luxury stays. *Terms and conditions apply
Worldwide
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The merchandise featured in the magazine has been sourced from the following stores. Some shops may carry a selection only. Prices and availability were checked at the time of going to press, but we cannot guarantee that prices will not change or that specific items will be in stock when the magazine is published. 1STDIBS: (1STDIBS.COM) A-CLASS MARBLE: NEW DELHI 09999800071 (ACLASSMARBLE.CO.IN) AKFD: JAIPUR 08952094400 (AKFDSTUDIO.COM) ALESSI: (ALESSI.COM) ANANTAYA: JAIPUR 08952094119 (ANANTAYADECOR.IN) ARKETIPO: ITALY 0039-0558876248 (ARKETIPO.COM); AT AND MORE STORIES: MUMBAI 09821040007 (ANDMORESTORIES.COM); AT ALTA VISTA LIVING: SURAT 09726203333; AT MEZTLI EXPERIENCE CENTRE: HYDERABAD 040-68171111 ASSOULINE: (ASSOULINE.COM) BARO: (BARO-INDIA.COM) BOSCH HOME: INDIA 1800-2661880 (BOSCH-HOME.IN)
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BULTHAUP: BENGALURU 09740696666 (BULTHAUP.COM); AT TOP PRODUCTS INDIA: MUMBAI 022-61311411 (TPI.BULTHAUP.COM) CC-TAPIS: ITALY 0039-028903884 (CC-TAPIS.COM); AT SOURCES UNLIMITED: MUMBAI 022-62101700; NEW DELHI 08510098000 (SOURCESUNLIMITED.CO.IN) CHRISTOFLE: 0033-02-35059958 (CHRISTOFLE.COM); AT EMERY STUDIO: NEW DELHI 09810081810 CLASSIC MARBLE COMPANY: MUMBAI 022-41404140 (CLASSICMARBLE.COM) COR: (COR.DE); SEE PLÜSCH DE GOURNAY: LONDON 0044-0207-3529988 (DEGOURNAY.COM) DESIGN HOUSE STOCKHOLM: (DESIGNHOUSESTOCKHOLM.COM) FABINDIA: INDIA 08010488888 (FABINDIA.COM) FLEXFORM: ITALY 0039-03623991 (FLEXFORM.IT) FORNASETTI: ITALY 0039-02-84161374 (FORNASETTI.COM) FREEDOM TREE: MUMBAI 09820918185 (FREEDOMTREE.IN)
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST | OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2020
GAGGENAU: MUMBAI 1800-266-1683 (GAGGENAU.IN) GELIM: LONDON 0044-7976-289848 (GELIM.CO) GOOD EARTH: INDIA 09582999555 (GOODEARTH.IN) GUCCI: MUMBAI 022-30277060; NEW DELHI 011-46471111 (GUCCI.COM) HÄFELE: INDIA 1800-266-6667 (HAFELEINDIA.COM) HANSGROHE: INDIA 1800-209-3246 (HANSGROHE.IN) HERMÈS: MUMBAI 022-22717400; NEW DELHI 011-14647111; LONDON 0044-20-74888856 (HERMES.COM) IKAI ASAI: INDIA 08693862041 (IKAIASAI.COM) KILOMETRE PARIS: (KILOMETRE.PARIS) KOHLER: INDIA 1800-103-2244 (KOHLER.CO.IN) KREOO: ITALY 0039-0444-688311 (KREOO.COM); AT C BHOGILAL WEST-END: MUMBAI 02261523100 (CBWESTEND.COM) LIEBHERR: MUMBAI 07038100400 (HOME.LIEBHERR.COM) L’OBJET: (L-OBJET.COM)
LONGHI: ITALY 0039-0362341074 (LONGHI.IT) LRNCE: (LRNCE.COM) MAMBO UNLIMITED IDEAS: PORTUGAL 00351-218-125101 (MAMBOUNLIMITEDIDEAS.COM) MARBLE CENTRE: INDIA 08046633737 (MARBLECENTRE.IN) MARIONI: ITALY 0039-055-8879346 (MARIONI.IT) MARIMEKKO: (FINNISHDESIGNSHOP.COM) MAUMASI FIRE ARTS: (MAUMASIFIREARTS.COM) MUJI: BENGALURU 08046693626; MUMBAI 022-24981911; NEW DELHI 011-40566955 (MUJI.COM) MUUTO: DENMARK 0045-3296-9899 (MUUTO.COM); AT ANGEL VENTURES: MUMBAI 022-22019414 (ANGEL-VENTURES.IN) NANIMARQUINA: (NANIMARQUINA.COM) OBJECT RIGHTS: (OBJECTRIGHTS.COM) OCTAEVO: (OCTAEVO.COM) OFFICINE GULLO: ITALY 0039-055-6560324 (OFFICINEGULLO.COM)
OLIVIA ASPINALL STUDIO: (OLIVIA-ASPINALL.COM) PHAIDON: (PHAIDON.COM) PLÜSCH: MUMBAI 022-24467750; NEW DELHI 011-41553333; BENGALURU 08025504444; HYDERABAD 040-23550346 (PLUSCHLIVING.COM) POGGENPOHL: (POGGENPOHL.COM); SEE PLÜSCH POLIFORM: (POLIFORM.IT); AT VENTURA INTERIORS: BENGALURU 09590411119; HYDERABAD 09515050760 (VENTURAINTERIORS.COM) PULPO: (PULPOPRODUCTS.COM) RALPH LAUREN HOME: (RALPHLAURENHOME.COM); AT SEETU KOHLI HOME: INDIA 09999966702 (SEETUKOHLIHOME.COM) SAINT-LOUIS: PARIS 0033-01-40170174 (SAINT-LOUIS.COM); AT EMERY STUDIO: NEW DELHI 09810081810 SAMSUNG: INDIA 1800-40-7267864 (SAMSUNG.COM) SCHONBEK: NEW YORK 001-800-8361892 (SCHONBEK.COM)
SHAZÉ: MUMBAI 022-49266266 (SHAZE.IN) SIEMENS: MUMBAI 1800-209-1850 (SIEMENS-HOME.BSH-GROUP.IN) SOMANY CERAMICS: NOIDA 0120-4627900 (SOMANYCERAMICS.COM) SMEG: ITALY 0039-0522-8211 (SMEG.COM) SUSAN BIJL: NETHERLANDS 0031-06-48444424 (SUSANBIJL.NL) THE FUTURE PERFECT: NEW YORK 001-212-4732500 (THEFUTUREPERFECT.COM) THE QUARRY: INDIA 09930544444 (QUARRY.ASIA) TOPSTONA: INDIA 09829795787 TURRI: ITALY 0039-031-7601111 (TURRI.IT) USHA: INDIA 1800-1033-111 (USHACOOK.COM) XAKA CUTLERY: NEW DELHI 09818869296 (XAKACUTLERY.COM) YALI GLASS: ITALY 0039-0412960190 (YALIGLASS.COM); AT CAFFÉ PALLADIO: JAIPUR 141-2563533 (BAR-PALLADIO.COM)
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BY CYRUS DARUWALA
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SEPT 2020 150
NORAH JONES
on fame, family and her father, Pandit Ravi Shankar
A SONG OF
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SEPT 2020 150
NORAH JONES
on fame, family and her father, Pandit Ravi Shankar
A SONG OF
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NORAH JONES
A SONG OF
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SCAN THE CODE AN EXCLUSIVE
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MARÍA ALCOCER
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THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST MEXICO AND LATIN AMERICA REVEALS THE OBJECTS THAT REPRESENT HER PASSION FOR BEAUTIFUL MEXICAN CRAFTS This hat is my travel companion. It is my good luck life charm.
Bird in Sunset— another beautiful photo taken by beco.mx, one of my favourite photographers.
This impressionist art piece is from the Museé Marmottan Monet, one of my favourite museums in Paris.
Espacio Positivo by Enrique Mandujano, Barcelona 2016.
A detail of an illustration by Pedro Friedeberg, a Mexican artist and designer known for his surrealist work filled with colour, geometry and religious icons.
The cactus is one of my favourite plants. I believe that these types of plants represent peace and serenity in a home. A chaquira bracelet, made by Huichol artisans, from the Sierra de Nayarit, Mexico.
This picture of flying birds, taken by Mexican photographer beco.mx, represents freedom in a world of chaos.
Contraluz, Biarritz by Joaquín Sorolla— my grandfather, Humberto Alcocer, sent me this beautiful postcard from Spain.
I have a predilection for fine craftsmanship. This represents architect Javier Sánchez’s artisanal work for photographer Graciela Iturbide’s home.
This cover is very important for me, since it’s my first anniversary edition as editor-in-chief of AD Mexico.
A ceramic vase from Onora Casa, a renowned design firm that collaborates with artisans from all over the country.
A wooden cross—a gift from renowned Mexican designer Ezequiel Farca.
A handmade pinewood basket by artisans from the Sierra Tarahumara in Chihuahua, Mexico.
A hand-lacquered and etched feline motif box crafted by artisans from Olinalá, Guerrero, Mexico.
This trio of handmade boxes is a nice reminder of one of my most memorable trips, to Morocco.
Yvonne Domenge’s Semilla de Opuestos in bronze—this piece was made exclusively for the Iconos del Diseño awards in 2018, which was my first edition as editor-inchief of AD Mexico.
My favourite notebook—it was a gift from my best friend, who bought it in Portugal. Le Corbusier’s Hands by Andre Wogenscky and Louis Kahn: Essential Texts are two of my favourite books, which I look up frequently.
A marquetry chess set by Jordanian artisans—a souvenir from my parents’ trip to the country. PHOTO: JOSÉ MARGALEFF.