The Inside Story

THESE HOMES IN THE CITY ARE A VISUAL DELIGHT AND A WHOLE LOT OF INSPIRATION FOR THOSE LOOKING TO REVAMP THEIR INTERIORS.

Homes in the city that are a visual delight and a whole lot of inspiration for those looking to revamp their interiors.

Strong Statement PATRICIA FERNANDEZ

Spanish expat and luxury furniture designer Patricia Fernandez’s sprawling Alipore home occupies the ground floor of an old, colonial-style bungalow with high ceilings, large French windows and retroesque black-and-white chessboard floor. The dramatic interiors—moody, mysterious and bold, brilliantly showcase Fernandez’s creations for her brand Sibarita, while cleverly combining them with collector’s pieces from around the world—a vintage Timothy Oulton chair, a wood-and-lacquer Mongolian cabinet picked up in Singapore and a mirrored mahogany sideboard revived from a crumbling North Kolkata mansion. The space is speckled with bold, statement pieces like an enormous wood-carved statue of an anonymous king from Srilanka that stands near the bar, an 18th century papier mache Buddha from Burma, and a giant, architectural bird-cage (a Sibarita signature piece) imaginatively used as a candle holder.

Star Spot

Done predominantly in black and white, the sizeable bedroom with its lacquered wood Art Deco four-poster bed from luxury furniture house JC Passion, a black Louis XV sideboard with gold trimmings, a burly, dark wood study table and plush black leather chesterfield is decidedly Parisian with a touch of Goth. On the wall behind the bed hangs a particularly striking piece, a black-and-white abstract nude on canvas. “On one of our trips to Brazil, my husband and I spotted a local artist adding finishing touches to this painting, inside a small art gallery tucked in an obscure lane in Salvador de Bahia and I simply couldn't resist it," says Fernandez, 38.

Quirky Additions

The house is a treasure trove of eccentric accessories ranging from dramatic Venetian Mardi Gras dolls and anthropomorphic rabbit dolls to flamboyant hats, a reindeer hide rug from Finland, smiling human skulls (thankfully, an imitation) and a spraypainted door lifted out of Fernandez’s previous apartment. A series of artist Bakula Nayak’s quirky and endearing doodles on vintage papers ranging from old legal documents and store receipts to love letters adorn the walls in the stunning bar-cum-lounge.