Homegrown!
February 2007
Text: Neha Saxena Gulati
Photographs: Ravi Dhingra

Better Interiors’ reader Nilanjana Sen Gupta has recently been bitten by the interior design bug. This is her first project — her own home.

She doesn’t come from a design background nor is she a qualified in interior designer. Nilanjana Sen Gupta, an English Honours graduate and ex-employee of Thai Airways International, was driven by the need to do something design-oriented on her own. The outcome is a warm, stylish and contemporary home.

A nook to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature

The yellow wall was specially created to flaunt daughter Jahnvi’s creations

A corner in the children’s room features a collage showing Nilanjana’s two daughters in different moods

Nilanjana bought her house when it was at the construction stage. This let her modify the original layout, which, in turn, made the planning process easier. The main door of the house opens in to a corridor. The first thing in your line of sight is the transparent door, which is bedecked in beiges and browns and leads into the living room . To add a dash of colour, Nilanjana opted for glassware and accessories in red and green. The dining space occupies what was once a bedroom. Nilanjana decided to break down the wall between the living room and dining area to create a larger living space.

The L-shaped living area features a bar counter, but the highlight of this space remains the corner with a textured yellow wall that displays her daughter’s paintings. “It was a four-bedroom flat, but as I have a small family I did not require so many bedrooms. Also, while designing I have ensured that the rooms are child-friendly,” Nilanjana tells us.

Intelligently created niches in one-inch deep pillars hint at Nilanjana’s sense of spacing

An inlay breaks the monotony of the marble flooring

These niches were created and ornamented with colourful glassware to enliven the corridor

As you follow the corridor into the house, you can’t help but admire the collection of masks that takes up one of its side walls. The facing wall has niches that flaunt equally interesting glassware. The corridor ceiling bears a contemporary version of rafters. The corridor ends in the cozy lounge area where the family spends time together. There’s stark contrast in the subdued green sofas teamed with the bright orange carpet and wall. “The colour detailing gives a space it’s meaning. I used bold colours but only to a certain extent. You cannot have bright colours all around, so I used some muted colours to accentuate the bright ones,” explains Nilanjana. She has made the most use of her space without overcrowding it. Moreover, you’ll find interesting concepts spread out all over the space.

Each bedroom has a distinct appearance, but when it comes to comfort and basic necessities all the rooms are equally well-equipped. In the children’s room, the colour scheme is blue and pink. Knick-knacks find space in the efficiently planned storage space. The elevated study adds unusual charm to the space. Subtle colours mark the master bedroom, which has a sprinkling of magenta and yellow courtesy the cushions, bed-cover and decorative accessories. The room is flooded with diffused light pouring in from the false ceiling. A single painting split between different frames adorns the wall above the bed. The highlight of the guest room is ancient property-related document in ornate frames that finds space on the wall at the head of the bed.

A brick-textured wall, bamboo sticks and pebbles bring the elements of nature in to the living room

A harmonious and understated corner of the living room

Circular cut-outs similar to port-holes in a ship cabin

The ‘close to nature’ concept runs through this home via the use of pebbles, bamboo, plants as well as enormous windows that provide lush views and allow natural light to flow in generously. “Nature in houses is generally restricted to terraces and gardens, but I made a point to draw it inside.” mentions Nilanjana. Bang in the centre of the house, in the lounge area to be more specific, is an atrium that lets light flood the house.

The appreciation she received for her house interiors has prompted Nilanjana to take up designing as a profession. She says, “It’s very fulfilling, when you receive compliments for your work. I have already enrolled myself for a diploma course in design. I feel this will help me understand the technicalities better.”

Here is looking to more from her, soon!

The bright and vibrant children’s room. More niches, created this time to hold soft toys and other knick-knacks

The wall of the guest room is bedecked with ornate framed ancient stamp papers from Rajasthan. Simple yet stylish!

Satiating a creative craving: Nilanjana Sen Gupta