An Eye for Art
ASHISH AND SHEFALI PODDAR
Entrepreneur Ashish Poddar and wife Shefali’s home on Gurusaday road is a lesson in biophilic design. Designed by Ashish, a scion of the illustrious BP Poddar family, the architecture incorporates the natural light and surrounding greenery into the stunning interiors of the house through a liberal and strategic use of glass.
Cozy Corner
A more intimate space is a cozy lounge with a low lounge bed strewn with colourful cushions and sink in couches. Interestingly, this room has been christened The Cow Room after its walls which are lined with paintings and artworks—oil paintings by Laxman Aelay, an antique Kamdhenu Tanjore painting and a gold foil mural by Kamal Sharma—all depicting cows. On the coffee table sits a motley wood-carved cow brought from Rajasthan
Prized Possessions
A signature Narayan Sinha Durga installation crafted with curious objects like bronze thalis, manjeera (cymbals) split into halves, a broken fragment of a pancha pradeep and other scrap metal bric-a-brac, which stands on the foyer is a stunning introduction to this home. Shrinathji is ubiquitous in the form of Pichhwai paintings and ornate sculptures. A particularly fetching piece is an intricately woven image of Shrinathji in silk, crafted by weavers at Shefali’s own textiles workshop that caters to a niche clientele.