CLASSIC HOME
Design ethos of Gauri and Nainika is all about timeless elegance and classic appeal, be it in designing homes or apparel
Gauri and Nainika Karan have created a name for themselves in the fashion industry with their label that is known most for feminine, minimalistic red-carpet gowns. With their home flagship store in the art hub of Lado Sara, New Delhi, Gauri & Nainika Home, the sister duo now offer bespoke interior solutions. Classic is something that is timeless. It can never be dated and passé. It has an element of luxury but at the same time, is very modern in appeal. It comes with clean, straight lines. It is never over-the-top, ornate like say the baroque style, but is nonetheless rich. I will go on to say that it’s not even a distinctive style but more of an ethos. Colours can be muted like charcoal grey but you can use rich colours such as maroons and blues as well. It’s not always necessary to have beige and earthy tones. But go as natural as possible; we use a lot of natural fibers such as jute, linen, materials and designs that stand the test of time. The best part is that a classic piece of furniture blends with almost any and every styleyou can mix it with traditional or with modern, and it will snugly fit in anywhere. The important thing is not to do excessive stuff. It’s nice to use large pieces of furniture or antique curios but that should be restricted to ‘statement pieces’, one or two in a room, never too many. Use of everlasting fabrics and upholstery such as leather is always recommended. The thing to remember is that classic designs are never too loud and always understated. There is a very fine line between something that is antique and a period thing, and something that is tacky. I don’t think it is expensive to do up a classic home but you surely need to have a love for history. We love the large winged chairs at our Store, the porter chairs which make quite an interesting statement piece; the Chesterfield and trestle tables in velvet or leather which look grand and the poster bed. Everything we stock is done in solid wood, the finest oak and teak with authentic hand craftsmanship to create a space that is warm and refined. I love gazing at the white bungalows, open spaces and arched doorways on Tughlaq road and all along Lutyens zone – they are mesmerizing and timeless in appeal. What you become is sometimes a fallout of what you have watched while growing up (laughs Gauri). Every collection we have ever worked on has something to do with the movie, My Fair Lady. It’s such an inspiration. While growing up, when we first watched the 1964 classic, My Fair Lady, we immediately fell in love with Eliza Doolittle, the film’s protagonist, played by actor Audrey Hepburn. Her flamboyant yet classy wardrobe and her romance with white wooed us. Later when both of us designed our home, we executed our dream house which is simple from outside but when you enter it has white cane and all white furniture – a cut from the same movie. From the very beginning, we were interested in art, aesthetics. We grew up with these occasional visits to our aunt’s home, an interior designer and we would enjoy browsing through her designs, read all furniture books and that was an amazing influence. It was also fuelled by the success of designing our own house which turned out to be understated, simple, brilliant and classic. Our father grew up in the royal palace of Hyderabad and hence was used to luxury – he would love the columns, the arches, the courtyard and the stately ambience. We wanted to attain a scale and a position as fashion designers before branching out to the interiors space. Perhaps after 10 years of establishing our brand, it was the right time to diversify. We are basically interested in beautiful things and thus the home interior space has been a natural transition.