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India's first immersive design destination is here

Ideas & Inspiration

By Prerna Makhija

Mar 01, 2025

Yellowish Golden Wall and Décor Pieces on Table - Beautiful Homes

Nilaya Anthology by Asian Paints is where global craftsmanship, collectible design and cultural experiences converge. It juxtaposes vast open galleries with intimate rooms, inviting exploration and a deeper engagement with design

There are few places in Mumbai that can truly pull you out of the city’s frenetic pace. But Nilaya Anthology, Asian Paints’ ambitious foray into the world of design and curation, does exactly that.

Set within an expansive 100,000-square-foot space in the city’s erstwhile mill district, it is more than a grand store. A portal—like stepping into Narnia—a world where design, craft, and culture converge to create something altogether new. A design museum that you can shop at. A cultural hub that invites you to linger.

An exhaustive showroom of the finest international and Indian design. A space so immersive and exquisitely put together that you will forget, if only for a while, that you are in a corporate park in Mumbai.

Designed by award-winning architect Rooshad Shroff, Nilaya Anthology juxtaposes vast open galleries with intimate rooms, inviting exploration and a deeper engagement with design.

Nilaya Anthology’s identity is shaped by three creative pillars: Curation, Creation and Experience. Led by creative director Pavitra Rajaram, its curatorial approach is rooted in thoughtful storytelling and product innovation. “Anthology emphasises the importance of preserving India’s unbroken tradition of craftsmanship by showcasing the stories behind artisanal creations,” says Pavitra, a champion of India’s art and design legacy. “We want to showcase the finest Indian craftsmanship at the highest level of luxury and curate craft and modern makers from India and around the world.”

India’s first immersive design destination is here. Introducing Nilaya Anthology by Asian Paints with its Creative Director Pavitra Rajaram.

The Orangery: A Serene Start

Once you step into Nilaya Anthology, the city shifts. The air changes. Your design journey begins at The Orangery, a soaring, light-filled atrium. Historically, orangeries were the mark of aristocratic estates, glass palaces that housed exotic citrus trees. Here, rare plants, towering trees, sculpted topiaries, life-size planters and ornate chandeliers compete for your attention. The best part? Anything that catches your fancy can be yours to take home.

Soon, a restaurant will open, extending the garden experience to leisurely lunches and afternoon teas. For now, it serves as a tranquil interlude between the chaos of the city outside and what lies ahead—a meticulously curated world of refined design, artful innovation, and masterful craftsmanship.

Golden Themed Painting of An Aesthetic Corner on The Wall - Beautiful Homes — The Shop House at Nilaya Anthology is a meticulously curated labyrinth of rooms showcasing textiles, ceramics, glassware, antiques and handcrafted design from India and beyond.

Statement Lighting that is Also Minimal - Beautiful Homes — The Palm Lamp by Michael Anastassiades is part of Nina Yashar’s showcase at Nilaya Anthology, as she brings her iconic Milan-based Nilufar Gallery to India for the first time.

The Galleries: Collectible Design Comes to India

Step past The Orangery and the space unfolds into two galleries that signal a shift— India’s first true home for collectible design. A bold foray for the brand, these dedicated venues provide a platform where international names and Indian talent can be exhibited beyond fleeting design shows and trade events. The first is a showcase curated by Nina Yashar of Milan’s legendary Nilufar Gallery, making her India debut with a selection of avant-garde designs, vintage treasures and iconic furniture that wouldn’t be out of place at the world’s most prestigious design fairs.

Groovy chaise lounges by Lebanese designer Khaled El Mays, upholstered in psychedelic prints are straight out of an Austin Powers dream sequence. Nearby, a striking hand-painted dining table by Filippo Carandini, in electrifying hues of green, purple and blue, stops you in your tracks. And then there is the Asta ceiling lamp by Danish designer Vibeke Fonnesberg Schmidt, a striking interplay of coloured plexiglass and brass that calls to mind Bauhaus, Art Nouveau and 1960s Italian design all at once.

The second gallery turns the spotlight to Vikram Goyal, the Delhi-based designer and founder of Viya Home, whose sculptural brass pieces bear Yashar’s seal of approval. Here, sleek consoles, large sculptural décor, and ornate wall art are the finest expressions of traditional Indian metalwork.

Statement Art Décor in Golden Colour - Beautiful Homes — Silken Passage by Vikram Goyal, part of his larger showcase at Nilaya Anthology, is a 28-ft-long repoussé brass mural inlaid with semi-precious stones, crafted by artisans reinterpreting the artistic legacy of the Silk Road.

The Shop House: A Labyrinth of Design Treasures

If the galleries are about statement pieces, the Shop House is about discovery—a labyrinth of interconnected rooms, each a world unto itself.

Yellowish Golden Wall and Décor Pieces on Table - Beautiful Homes — The Sanctum, one of many rooms at Nilaya Anthology’s Shop House, is a gold-leafed, vaulted space showcasing a masterful curation of pottery, ceramics, candelabras and textiles from around the world.

On one end is the Candle House, where hand-poured Moroccan candles from Côté Bougie sit alongside British brand August & Piers, known for their cheeky olfactory storytelling. At the other, in a much larger space, rugs are unfurled with the theatricality of a Middle Eastern souk.

To get there, you pass through The Reading Room, a quiet nook of antiques and rare objets d’art. The Dining Room is a tableau of the finest tableware sourced from Egypt to Jaipur, including Nilaya Anthology’s exquisite collaboration with Khanoom, featuring handcrafted pieces inspired by Mughal miniatures. And then, there’s The Glass House—displaying 19th and 20th century vases, Zafferano’s Murano glassware, Polspotten’s playful designs from the Netherlands and everything in between.

Textiles find their own temple here, with a dedicated room celebrating Indian handlooms. Other chambers are hidden in plain sight—The Sanctum, with its gold-textured walls illuminated by flooding skylights, showcases the finest pottery, ceramics and sculptural basketry from Ghana. Meanwhile, the light-filled Glass Conservatory sets yet another distinct mood—devoted entirely to Italian porcelain by Ginori 1735 and décor objects from Viya Home.

There’s even a shop-in-shop by Natesan’s Antiqarts, the famed Mumbai-based antiques dealer, alongside a private viewing room for consultations.

Wooden Cabinet Filled with Aesthetic and Beautiful Crockery - Beautiful Homes — The Dining Room at Nilaya Anthology feels like stepping into a collector’s home, showcasing rich textures and handcrafted tableware, including Nilaya’s collaboration with Jaipur-based pottery studio Khanoom.

Room Filled with Display Shelves and Grey Floor - Beautiful Homes — The Glass House at Nilaya Anthology presents a curated selection of vintage and contemporary glassware.

Sabyasachi x Nilaya Comes Full Circle

Nilaya’s long-standing collaboration with Sabyasachi Mukherjee takes on a new dimension at Nilaya Anthology too. For the first time, the designer’s world expands beyond wall coverings and upholstery into a dedicated showcase—offering an immersive glimpse into his design philosophy. Alongside the latest and archival collections from Asian Paints x Sabyasachi, the space also houses a rare exhibition by The Sabyasachi Art Foundation, featuring works by artist-in-residence Atish Mukherjee, who reinterprets the Bengal School of Art through a contemporary lens.

The Mind: India’s Most Extensive Interior Design Collection

From The Shop House, a sweeping spiral ramp leads you to the first floor, where the full scale of Nilaya Anthology’s retail offering unfolds. This is, quite simply, Mumbai’s most ambitious interior design showroom—a complete destination for the home, where everything from furniture and accessories to kitchens and bath solutions is presented through one of the most extensive collections in the country.

The brand fills a critical gap in the design landscape, fostering partnerships with handpicked international and domestic brands, artists and designers. The House of Finn Juhl, which meticulously recreates the late Danish modernist’s sculptural furniture; Japan’s Hida Sangyo, a pioneer in handcrafted woodwork; and Cassina, the Italian powerhouse celebrated for crafting design masterpieces by icons like Le Corbusier and Gerrit Rietveld are all making their India debut here with museum-worthy pieces ready to be taken home.

Artsy Black Statement Chair with Brown Details - Beautiful Homes — Nilaya Anthology’s diverse collection showcases Danish design legend Finn Juhl’s Chieftain Chair and French artist William Byl’s sculptural ceramics.

Beautiful Green Glass Décor Piece - Beautiful Homes — The Glass House at Nilaya Anthology features exquisite glassware by Zafferano and Polspotten, alongside a sculptural creations by artists like Waseem Ahmad.

For design enthusiasts, certain iconic pieces are simply unmissable. Among them are Finn Juhl’s United Nations Trusteeship Council Chamber Chair, first designed in 1951. Cassina’s Utrecht Armchair by Gerrit Rietveld, first created in 1935 and reissued in 1988, is a striking example of De Stijl principles applied to seating. Also featured are the Soriana Sofas by the award-winning, postmodern Italian architect couple Afra and Tobia Scarpa. The design from 1969 feels as contemporary as ever, instantly recognizable by the cloud-like contours of its cushions, held together by a distinctive metal frame. Another standout surprise is Glas Italia’s innovative sectional sofas, crafted from 15mm extra-clear tempered glass—redefining what we thought fragile materials were capable of, as its effortless form seems to defy physics.

The showroom is truly designed as an interactive experience, allowing visitors to test sculptural seating, feel rich upholstery and explore immersive light installations. Nowhere is this more evident than in the bath section, where candy-coloured faucets and freestanding marble bathtubs stand out. A full-scale shower simulation lets you observe water pressure and lighting variations first-hand. A showcase for wall surfaces also features an extensive collection from the Italian mosaic brand Bisazza.

A Cultural Landmark: Where Design Comes Alive

To view Nilaya Anthology as just a retail space would be missing the point. It isn’t just about selling furniture, homeware or showcasing art and craft—it’s about creating an experience. “Expect the unexpected,” Pavitra tells us. “There aren’t many places in the world that curate design collections through the lens of time. Anthology is also where East meets West, old meets new and luxury brands sit alongside independent makers. We wanted to create something for the evolved Indian customer who sees design as a way to tell their own story.”

Portrait of Pavitra Rajaram - Beautiful Homes — Pavitra Rajaram, Creative Director of Nilaya Anthology, curates a space where design, craft and storytelling converge, inviting visitors to “expect the unexpected.

Illuminated Display Shelves with Red Background and Warm Light - Beautiful Homes — The Glass House at Nilaya Anthology includes 19th and 20th-century pieces acquired from auctions, alongside works from renowned brands like Zafferano and Polspotten.

And that story, much like Nilaya Anthology itself, will keep evolving. “As a child, The Magic Faraway Tree always stayed with me—it was about the land above the tree that kept changing,” she reflects, referencing the Enid Blyton classic. “That’s really the dream: you might come one day and experience a beautiful concert. The next time, it could be an exhibition of textiles. Another visit, it might be a rare vintage car or an immersive art installation. The idea is to blur those boundaries and keep exploring what feeds experience, what feeds emotion. It’s not about what you acquire or consume—it’s about meaning, about the stories you connect with.”

And that, ultimately, is what makes Nilaya Anthology unlike anything Mumbai has seen before. It’s where you shop for objects with stories, where you witness design usually reserved for the world’s great museums. It’s where you might stumble into a cultural dialogue, a design workshop or a community gathering. And soon, it will also be where you linger over a meal. A place where every object has a story, and every visit will reveal something new. A place, quite simply, where design comes alive.

Nilaya Anthology opens to visitors on March 4th, 2025.

Address: Nilaya Anthology, Peninsula Point, Peninsula Corporate Park, GK Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai.

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