Walking back home

PUJA THAPAR KHOSLA

SIMPLY PUNJABI intrudes into people’s home to unearth how the spaces they live in become extensions of themselves.

Earthen or starkly modern. Old or recent. SIMPLY PUNJABI tiptoes into people’s homes and their sensibilities to unearth how the spaces they live in have effortlessly become an extension of themselves. And why they come back to them…

The massive, ultra-modern space in Chandigarh’s Sector 19 that does a trapeze with glass and wood doesn’t let go of its exquisiteness, thanks to the many artefacts that Puja Thapar Khosla has been picking up in India ever since she shifted here , and ones she’d picked up abroad. “I have always lived in a joint family. I have seldom shopped for home accessories. This is such a new experience, something which I am enjoying thoroughly,” says the lady who just shifted into her new home.

Living here with her husband Manu Khosla and daughter Manavi, the owners’ obsession for greenery strikes the eye as one witnesses green spaces even inside the house, not to mention the massive lawns. “This is something which we were always very clear about. During our elaborate interactions with the architect Ashish Duggal, we made it clear that greens should be integral part of the house, and not merely a formality,” asserts Khosla.

For her, it is tough to be away from home for a long time. She says, “I never thought I would get so attached to a new house in such a short span of time. You will see me sitting in my library and reading for several hours in a day. This is also where I escape from the world and pray for serenity. There is a positive energy about this place. Maybe because my husband and the architect believe in Vaastu principles.”

In this well-ventilated and lighted multi-storied house, sunlight reaches all the way to the basement. “That is the best part of the house. Besides the private space it offers, there is no alienation from the world. You should see the basement at around 4 pm. The house has been designed in a manner that the sunlight from top touches the greens in that area effectively. It is a must watch view,” Khosla concludes.

STRIKING FEATURE ❍ Amalgamation of wood and glass ❍ Greens inside the house ❍ Private spaces ❍ Every corner designed as per Vaastu principles