"I knew what they wanted, and they knew that I knew what they wanted. We didn't really verbalize things over detailed conversations," says Rajiv Saini. There's no substitute for the absolute trust you get when you collaborate with close friends on designing their home, as Saini did for this Delhi house of collectors.
Add a common passion for art to the mix and this turned into a rare, natural collaboration. "We bonded over our love for art and design in the mid-1990s, visiting galleries and buying art together. Over the years, we had also discussed working together on their house," he recalls.
The opportunity to collaborate came when homeowners called Saini to design their three-storey Delhi residence. "The structure wasn't new but adapted to suit the occupants' requirements with the parents' domain on the ground floor. I worked on the interiors of the top two levels." No one doubted that art had to be the soul of this house, and the design, a suitably restrained backdrop to it. "I didn't want it to feel like a brand-new space where everything is new and untouched. It had to embody exactly what it was: the home of a family passionate about art and design. I wanted it to look like a home that had always been beautiful."
In keeping with that, several old pieces that the family possessed, including a pair of art deco chairs and sofa, were retained in the new scheme of things. He also custom-designed several pieces.
For the overall design, Saini chose a grey, black and white palette with the warmth of wood. A fair bit of carbonized metal gave it that classic edge. The second floor, designed for entertaining, includes a dining space, bar, a second kitchen for catering large parties and a supersized drawing room.
This story is from the January - February 2025 edition of AD Architectural Digest India.
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This story is from the January - February 2025 edition of AD Architectural Digest India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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