Cool HAVEN
Benarasi brand Ekaya’s founder Palak Shah’s Delhi home is ideal for summer as the fabrics and accents are restful and perfect for the season
THINK EKAYA AND IMAGES OF Benaras come to mind. It is a brand that has brought hand woven textiles to the fore by reinterpreting them for modern Indian through its swathes of gorgeous textiles under the Ekaya Thaan banner and sarees that have been woven by master craftsmen. Palak Shah, 27, is the young CEO of the brand and is full of ideas and creative energy. She was instrumental in giving Ekaya its modern identity when she and her father launched the first store in Delhi in 2012 and it is easy to see why the brand is so youthful despite relying on some traditional motifs that draw on Benaras. When Shah moved to Delhi in 2011 to set up the store in Defence Colony, she moved to a house which is a stone’s throw from this store and has all the makings of a summer retreat.
The house, located on the third floor in Defence Colony, reflects Shah’s quirky personality and her design aesthetic as well. The front door of the house scorns convention and is an aquamarine bluegreen in colour; bright and inviting. The door opens to reveal a landing area which is populated by a large settee and an antique Tibetan sideboard. To the left of the sideboard lies the powder room which has a brass, vessel-like sink and an oversized engraved mirror.
Shah has used accents intelligently and while most of the home uses restful shades there are pops of colour that are welcome. The living cum dining room has a six-seat round dining table that is done up in shades of yellow and gold, reminescent of the season’s first mangoes. Klove’s Prateek Jain and Gautam Seth have designed a hanging lamp that is made up of four gold-toned spherical globes with smaller brown domes beneath them. This lamp which hangs over the table gives it a contemporary look but is juxtaposed with a gold and brown Benarasi print fabric that covers the chairs.
The seating in the living room is a mix of beiges and brown, ikat print cushions and a carpet that has tones of brown as well. The centre table is made of black
glass and has a gold edging which makes the room look sophisticated and chic. Two large squares that are actually pieces of beautiful stone work have been framed and occupy central position behind the main couch. The fabrics used are a mix of Benarasi textiles and suede and velvet. Other interesting accents include a large, irregular-shaped mirror, small tray-like pictures that Shah picked up on her travels through Spain and two onyx-finished elephant tusks that rest on wooden stands. Shah has also got a comfortable, large ironframe chair with thick cushions furnished using a bright jamun colour and a vermillon fabric, once again from Ekaya Thaan.
The bedrooms are more muted and perfect for summer and all three bedrooms have customised beds with head boards clad in rich fabrics and cushioned well. The master bedroom has a charming bay window with blue and white printed fabric on the seating area and yellow and white chics instead of curtains on the windows. A funky, modern lamp lights up the otherwise calm, elegant room.
While Shah says that she has always been too busy to really enjoy the house she adds, “Nowadays I try and spend as much time as I can at home because I have started loving the idea of being in a space that’s truly me.”