EACH SHIFTING BRICK PATIENTLY PLACED

WITH IMAGINATIVE PURPOSE. INLAY, MOSAIC, AND STAINED GLASS CLEVERLY USED TO WEAVE MEMORIES INTO THE ARCHITECTURE. AD100 ARCHITECT SHONAN PURIE TREHAN'S GIFT TO HER PARENTS MADHU AND NARESHTHIS HOME IN DELHI IS A LESSON IN ARTISTIC FREEDOM AND PRECISE CRAFT.

- MOHIT GUJRAL

Writing about close friends’ homes is not always an easy task. Yet, instinctively I knew I was going to enjoy it when I was asked. I have known Madhu and Naresh Trehan for over 35 years, and have witnessed their daughter Shonan’s evolution as an architect and interior designer. It made me wonder if I would be doing the right thing.

The house, hidden behind giant mango and neem trees in Delhi’s Golf Links, weaves so many personal stories and memories for the family that are evident in the imagery and detail as you walk around. It is an intimate story of Madhu and Naresh’s journey, which finds material expressions in various forms and shapes.

It is all created in collaboration with various craftsmen who seem to have relished the process of creating the story, and it has been skilfully and ingeniously crafted by Shonan and her team. Elements of Art Deco, surprising images in the intricate inlaid floors, handcrafted tiles, clever artworks, and beauti ful personal photographs come together with vivid colours of furniture creating a visual feast for the eye.