TOUCH WOOD

This earthy, warm home designed by Suparna Mehra and Richa Vohra shows how to master the neutral palette while adding oodles of personality

- PRAGNYA RAO

The living room plays up on different shades of beige. On the console to the right is a lamp from Ranji Goa, the upholstery is from Cotton and Satins while the paisley cushion is from Pottery Barn. At the far right is an antique vase from Mahendra Doshi and on the centre table is the Bahasa pitcher and glass from Ikai Asai

The dining table is an older piece from Goodearth while the pendant lamp, Galaxy is by Siddharth Sirohi. On the sideboard behind the dining are artefacts from Mahendra Doshi

I have always wondered if it's a tad harder for a designer to do up their own home? Are theymore exacting, less tolerant or simply too tired of all expectations? So when I came across Richa's lovely home in the city suburbs, I was curious to know what kind of a client she was to herself, and her business partner, Suparna. Having worked together for over 20 years, designing some of the plushest homes in the city, sure had its advantages. "We were totally in sync, we knew what the house was going to look like right from the first moment we sat down to design it. My personal style is old world," reveals Richa, "I wanted a house that was a sanctuary," she says of the home that she shares with her husband Rajat, his mother, their 9 year old daughter Arya and their year old Bichon Frisé pup, Otis.