Back to the classic

By Papri Das

Just like fashion, one?s home interior not only reflects one?s personality and taste, it also resonates the ideas of their time. Keeping that in mind, in this current high tech world one would expect that people who splurge on their homes are populating it with robots, gadgets, droids and the likes. However, interior designers catering to high-end clientele observe that there is a gradual inclination towards ?classic? style home decor -- more wood, earthy colours and elaborate designs.

Indiantelevision.com?s Exec Lifestyle spoke to well-known celebrity architect and interior designer Parag Pandya from Hauz Kraft to give us an insight into what it means to design a home for the A-listers, and the top trends that are emerging in interior designing.

Pandya has handled many executive and celebrity clients, including Amitabh Bachchan, Mukesh Bhatt, Emraan Hashmi, Sunidhi Chauhan, Javed Ali and more. Given the choice between designing a corporate space and a home, he would gladly choose the latter. ?It?s much more challenging and there is more scope to renovate. Each space has a different layout and therefore no two living rooms, kitchen or bedroom can be the same. As a creative person, it?s the natural preference.?

When Pandya walks into a new home, the first thing he notices in the living room is the sofa, and the decor around it. ?It speaks volumes about the resident?s taste. If there is a painting on the wall behind it, which is accompanied by a fawyer, it shows that minimalistic sophistication appeals to them. Similarly, if the interiors have darker hues and more earthy designs and furniture, it reflects that that while the residents keep up with times, they are more rooted. On the other hand, if you see colonial designs in someone?s house, it means that they travel a lot, mostly to European countries,? points out the interior designer, who prefers contemporary minimal when it comes to decorating his own office space.

?The colour palate of minimal contemporary is mostly pastels and subtle hues like beige and white. When it comes to the furniture, it?s more glass and metal (steel). Over the last few years, minimal contemporary has been the ?in thing? and we have seen some amazing innovation in design with just these,? Pandya explains.

However, the trend seems to be shifting. ?Rather than extreme minimal contemporary, recently people are going for a more fusion-like approach to it, where simple architecture and lighter hues complement elaborate furnitures. Five years from now, I believe that home decor will do a full circle and classic designs will once again be popular,? Pandya points out.

?I can already see the trend emerging. What's interesting is that with classic, one can not only do the tried and tested western classic designs, but also look within our country?s rich heritage for inspiration,? he adds.

Following are a few tips that can give your home a classic look:

1) Rajasthani Dewans:

Rajasthani dewan sets and ornate chairs, which are often used as props in traditional or period drama film sets serve as wonderful accents in homes. These chairs or dewans can be upholstered with rich cloth like velvet or silk in warm colours like red, orange or magnolia. You can also raid old carpets, sarees or bedcovers for the same.

2) Wooden Swings:

Full wooden swings inside homes have been a trend for a long time. Rich wooden swings are a fashion statement and a chill out zone in homes. These can be decorated with good looking fabric and cushions and you?re good to go.

3) Flower Arrangement:

Somehow, vases and flowers seem indispensable for living rooms. Nothing encourages positivity and radiates happiness in a family like flowers do. You could arrange long-stemmed flowers in vases, or put them in crystal bowls with water, or just have a lot of them in ceramic jugs.