ANUJA & MAYANK GUPTA

THIS STYLISH COUPLE KNOWS THE ART OF CURATING BEAUTIFUL HOMES, AND THROUGH THEIR POPULAR INTERIORS BRAND, THEY HAVE BECOME THE GO-TO ADVISORS FOR INDIA'S SWISH SET. HELLO! GETS A TOUR OF THEIR BEAUTIFUL GURUGRAM HOME - AND A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS TREAT!

- NOOR ANAND CHAWLA

“A home should reflect who lives in it," says Anuja Gupta, her statement truly evident in the beautiful house she shares with her husband Mayank in Gurugram's posh address, DLF The Camellias.

Their three-bedroom apartment is the last word in understated luxury. Each room is thematically different from the other, yet exudes a lived-in comfort that makes the space a cohesive unit reflecting their personalities.

Whether it's the plush and spacious living room, the cosy and nature-inspired family lounge, the equestrian and clean-cut Ralph' bedroom, the decadent and old-world 'Garcia' bedroom, the classic and commanding master bedroom, or the striking oriental bathroom, where a larger-than-life golden dragon adorns an entire wall, every nook is an advertisement of the creative acumen of its owners and designers. An unsurprising fact considering they are the proprietors of one of India's most successful furnishings and interiors brands, which they built from scratch 17 years ago Anuja and Mayank are the co-founders and creative directors of apartment9.

"We were both part of the family business, which made linens for the best international brands. Some of our friends asked us to retail what we made in India, and so we established the apartment9 retail store as a weekend passion project," says Anuja.

Mayank adds: "We both have MBA degrees and never studied design, but we intrinsically like to design our own spaces. In fact, we designed our own retail store. People loved it so much that they started asking us to design their homes. Since then, it's grown very organically. We were retail-centric at the beginning, but slowly and gradually, we've grown the business to what it is now."

Over time, apartment9 expanded to include furniture manufacturing and interiors curation to its portfolio. The two are now experts at putting together an entire look for clients.