A MUSEUM OF MEMORIES

A chair from Goa, Tanjore paintings, broken pieces of a haveli remodelled into decor pieces...

- SRESTHA SARKAR

Upasana Sharma's home in Gurugram is unapologetically maximalist. According to her, minimalism means a lack of opinion or personal style.

A great room is the one that holds a thousand memories together," says Upasana Sharma, a mother and a social worker, as we walk into her home in Gurugram. It's a home transformed into a mini museum, with artefacts, antique furniture, and collectibles from around the world. Be it a British-era shelf or an old Indian barrel every piece is restructured into furniture.

Colour drenching was one of the core interior trends of 2025, with maximalism back in the reckoning. Sharma's living room is a breathing testament to this trend, long before it actually became a thing. Warm lights in huge modern chandeliers, a huge maroon canvas used as a backdrop for the sofa, endless paintings of her son placed all over, and ceramics and artworks from renowned artists form a tiny bit of the living room.

Sharma says minimalism for her means a lack of opinion or personal style. The chairs come from Goa, the table is from a British-era collection, and the barrel turned into a bar is another antique piece. Breaking the monotone of brown and maroon stand her green indoor plants, extremely old photographs of Delhi and her son's artworks in canvases of all sizes.

A wall with pictures of Hindu gods, including Tanjore paintings, calendar-like frames, and Japanese tile work is her favourite parts of the house. She says the images of gods and temple architecture attract her. much; however, thanks to her son, she started perceiving art in every form. "Earlier I was not a fan of abstract works; I felt they do not mean anything. The beauty and details of vintage pieces attracted me; anything that's old was precious. But my son changed my outlook; he made me realise that beauty can be appreciated in all forms of art," she said.

Down the lane