No Grey Areas

French designer Laurence Dolige recreates Parisian magnetism in a New Delhi villa by mixing flea market finds with bespoke pieces – all in black and white.

- Isha Singh Sawhney

Amidst the rising dust of Defence Colony’s building frenzy, old heritage bungalows are pulled down for homogenous flats, leaving gaping holes of historical proportions. Here, an old abode like designer Laurence Dolige’s corner house is a sight for sore eyes. As you walk up the winding staircase in this monochromatic haven, bordered by a wall painted black and white, the first thing you notice on a passageway wall, is the frame of a boy doing a back flip into a river next to that of a wizened band master. The two large black and white photographs by Oliver Saurabh Sinclair are arresting, but you are soon halted by a collection of horns and curios on a lightwood console table by Laurence.

MAKING ADJUSTMENTS

“My friend called me one day and said, ‘Lolo, I have found the residence for you...it’s very special, and has huge potential!’” explains the owner animatedly. The large living cum dining space was once a boudoir and a living room, and the kitchen, a room across the palm covered courtyard, was disconnected, like a