While cookie-cutter moulds work delightfully for tiny pieces of confectionery, the brick-and-mortar reality of designer dreams, however, cater to a varying flavour profile, especially when it comes to the home. This is why we reached out to India’s top interior designers and architects to assemble a cheat sheet of what makes the grade for the finals—to craft a space that you love to come home to. This year is all about character-filled havens that whisper your individual story. From quiet luxury and cabincore to biophilic design and personalised eclecticism, each trend reflects a yearning for connection and comfort.
Quiet Luxury
Celebrate quality artistry and natural materials with a design aesthetic that distils tranquil spaces with rich texture and subtle elegance. Here, less is truly more: “The subtle interplay of sophisticated aesthetics and understated glamour creates a harmonious living environment, speaking volumes through refined simplicity. This trend has been redefining fashion over the past year. According to me, it will seep into the world of interior design as well this year,” says Mumbai-based interior designer Aashni Kumar.
In addition, there’s a certain refinement and elegance that comes from using materials that are unpretentious, environmentally sustainable, and showcase the beauty of the natural world. “I think the one interior design trend that is all set to dominate 2024 is the use of completely natural and raw materials. I feel there will be a gradual move towards the use of things in their purest form, along with a real focus on a return to lots of neutral hues and muted colour palettes,” adds Sarah Sham, principal designer of Essajees Atelier.
He gave the beat to the world
He would pick up the rhythms of each experience of mobility and weave them into his taals. Thus it was that he reflected joy and laughter in rhythmic cycles...such was the magic of Zakir's fingersText and photographs by Raghu Rai
KERALA TOURISM CAMPAIGN, 1989 - TICKETS TO PARADISE
All it took was a catchy tagline-'God's Own Country'-for the world to discover Kerala's wealth of natural beauty. It remains among the best tourism ad campaigns, earning the state a place among top 10 international destinations
SPIRITUALITY - THE GURUS OF COOL
Among the cult Indian gurus, no one had a bigger hold on western minds than 'Osho' Rajneesh. He's also perhaps the role model for the enterprise-building gurus of today
RETAIL SHOPPING - THE MALL MANIA
Shopping malls, a 1990s innovation in India, changed the way the Indian middle class shops. Their success now lies in being 'shoppertainment' destinations, offering something for everyone
CULINARY RENAISSANCE, 1978 - TANDOORI NIGHTS
ITC's Bukhara and Dum Pukht turned the world to tandoori cuisine and had an enormous impact on the F&B industry. Decades on, they are still a pit-stop for celebrities and heads of state visiting Delhi
INDIAN WRITING IN ENGLISH - REVENGE OF THE NATIVE
Rushdie lit the way but Indian writing in English has taken a life of its own in the past few decades, with translated Indian fiction most recently having its moment in the sun
INDIAN ART - A BRUSH WITH GOLD DUST
The 1990s economic liberalisation came as oxygen, lighting up the Indian art scene. Today, artworks by established masters routinely go for astronomical amounts
FESTIVAL OF INDIA, 1982 - CULTURE CAPITAL
The Festival of India grew into a symbol of our 'soft power', introducing our art and aesthetics to a global audience while also helping rebrand our domestic products
THE INDIPOP TREND - DISCO GOES DESI
For ages, the film song ruled. Nothing else was audible. Then came Nazia, charioteered by Biddu, and Indian ears went into a pleasant madness. Literally, Disco Deewane. A whole genre was born
SHOLAY 1975 - THE BIRTH OF THE FANDEMIC
India had seen hits before. But Sholay seared into its collective psyche like a badland bullet. The effect was on a scale never seen before- one film creating a new mass folk culture. And a trail of monster blockbusters that still continues
