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.
Shuttle Star
Ashwini Ponnappa was the only Indian to compete in the inaugural edition of BDMNTN-XL, a new international badminton tourney with a new format, held in Indonesia
There's No Planet B
All Living Things-Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF) returns with 72 films to be screened across multiple locations from Nov. 22 to Dec. 8
AMPED UP AND UNPLUGGED
THE MAHINDRA INDEPENDENCE ROCK FESTIVAL PROMISES AN INTERESTING LINE-UP OF OLD AND NEW ACTS, CEMENTING ITS REPUTATION AS THE 'WOODSTOCK OF INDIA'
A Musical Marriage
Faezeh Jalali has returned to the Prithvi Theatre Festival with Runaway Brides, a hilarious musical about Indian weddings
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM
Nikhil Advani’s adaptation of Freedom at Midnight details our tumultuous transition to an independent nation
Family Saga
RAMONA SEN's The Lady on the Horse doesn't lose its pace while narrating the story of five generations of a family in Calcutta
THE ETERNAL MOTHER
Prayaag Akbar's new novel delves into the complexities of contemporary India
TURNING A NEW LEAF
Since the turn of the century, we have lost hundreds of thousands of trees. Many had stood for centuries, weathering storms, wars, droughts and famines.
INDIA'S BEATING GREEN HEART
Ramachandra Guha's new book-Speaking with Nature-is a chronicle of homegrown environmentalism that speaks to the world
A NEW LEASE FOR OLD FILMS
NOSTALGIA AND CURIOSITY BRING AUDIENCES BACK TO THE THEATRES TO REVISIT MOVIES OF THE YESTERYEARS
