WHEN CONCRETE MET CRAFT

Ashiesh Shah and Verendra Wakhloo join forces to devise a truly bespoke and craft revivalist home in New Delhi

- SHRITI DAS

Artwork by Dr. B. V. Doshi from Vadehra Art Gallery at the entrance is set against a grey wall in cast concrete with the black bench from Atelier Ashiesh Shah, the ceiling light 6-Globe chandelier is by Entler from Studio Twenty-seven

FACING PAGE Antique Naga totems sourced from Kerala by Ashiesh Shah celebrate heritage on a grand scale in the double height passage, complemented perfectly with a carpet from Jaipur Rugs. The sculpture is by Ravinder Reddy and Alabaster Wall sconce is from Shailesh Rajput Studio

Poetry and prose meet a Bauhaus-inspired modernist home for a family of five in the quaint bylanes of Shanti Niketan, an upscale locale in New Delhi. Call it an idiosyncratic irony or a pleasant paradox, but this sprawling abode is a vision in concrete whose interiors exhibit a flair for expression in curvilinear silhouettes, soft edges and a melange of arts and crafts. Engineered by Verendra Wakhloo, Principal and Founder, Matra Architects, the 56,000 sq ft home is reminiscent of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s ethos, given his education in Germany. Ashiesh Shah, the brains and master designer behind the interiors is an architect by academic pursuit with a repertoire that encompasses art, design, decor, crafts and more.