Delhi’s layered history encompasses a multitude of design inspirations. Most recent and indelible is the lasting impact of Lutyens and the classicised Mughal aesthetic that he championed. Central Delhi is home to hundreds of these aging villas, designed in the manner of country manors, with deep verandas, high ceilings and minimal, yet classical interior detailing.

When asked to reimagine two disconnected floors in an aging building, the decision was to furnish it in a continuity of the influences of the Mughals, the British and now the modernists. Located in the heart of Delhi, the apartment was combined, yet the bedrooms were limited to the upper floor. A series of increasingly private spaces greet the visitor, commencing with a receiving room on the lower floor. At the rear, opening up to the sun and the deep views is the main living room.

At the heart of the design intent is to recreate the sense of spatiality so familiar to those who frequent the corridors of power in the capital. The crown mouldings are offset by the delicate framed wall mouldings. Doors are panelled white to add richness of detail, and the floors follow a herringbone pattern that echoes the parquet flooring of the Imperial buildings. The bathrooms are executed in white marble, but softened with classical detailing around the mirrors and at the floor junctions. A dramatic oculus above the private dining area outside the bedrooms is underscored by sunset yellow dining chairs.

As with all our projects, this one too is inherently sustainable - not only is it planned for minimal heat gain, it is also designed to breathe and allow for natural ventilation. Double glazed aluminium windows, sensor based LED lighting and FSC certified hardwood flooring are now minimum standard across all our buildings. Locally sourced finishing materials such as Indian marble for the bathrooms and wood for the furniture are not only kinder to the environment, but inevitably maintenance free.

The interior furnishings, furniture and wall details all speak to the confluence of the multitude of inspiration that Delhi offers to the keen observer.