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Sania Mirza opened the doors of her pristine white villa for this edition of Asian Paints Where the Heart Is and offered a glimpse into her personal style and a house awash in eclectic neutrals
The highs, the lows, the cheers, the noise, the rush, the frenzy—Sania Mirza’s life, as a professional athlete, has been a relentless hive of activity. And home has always been that soothing panacea, a pause to recoup amid all the pressure. For someone who picked up the racket at the age of 6 and started travelling competitively at 12, Mirza’s memories of home are intertwined with tennis. “It’s difficult for me to find memories that don’t involve tennis.” Home was and continues to be the antithesis to that, a place “where I feel the most at peace. It almost makes me feel cut away from the world”.
This picture-prefect two-storey villa manifests her idea of home perfectly. It is her escape from the world outside. A light touch and comfort are expressed in pastels and neutrals, and anchored by a grey palette. Combined with the light pouring in from the windows everywhere, the house evokes unmistakable comfort something that the tennis superstar treasures. The heart of the house, says Mirza, is a spacious, open-concept central area. This includes a drawing/living/dining/kitchen (now with a foosball table for her four-and-a-half-year-old son, Izhaan). “This is where we probably spend most of our time here. It’s all grey and warm,” says Mirza. Grey, in different shades, is a common thread that runs through this space. The formal seating area is all pink with grey; her son’s is blue and grey; and the master bedroom is grey with a pop of green.
Everything is just where she wanted it to be. “I planned every detail, right down to the kind of frames I wanted,” she adds. And her house is just what it needs to be too—a place of great memories and cut away from the rest of the world. “To just be able to put your feet up and switch off is a luxury.”
The eclectic interior design of Mirza’s home is layered with personality, personal choices, diverse furniture choices and hints of gold. From the formal and sophisticated living room, which is opulence personified, the other spaces span the spectrum of soothing colour and underlying luxury. If your tastes run in eclectic directions, this Asian Paints Where the Heart Is house visit shows you how to mix and match design in the best possible way.
Minimal yet eclectic—it’s a great design aesthetic for city homes because it means a diversity of styles, colours and furniture pieces, only on the muted end of the colour spectrum. Mirza’s house exemplifies this in the overall soothing tones of the rooms with grey as a grounding colour. The central informal living/hall/drawing room in muted grey, for instance, features several elements that catch the eye—the intricately designed staircase banister, cool marble flooring, a contemporary white screen that serves as a partition, and a collection of artworks, also in paler hues. This minimal but eclectic style will allow you to enjoy the simplicity of using less and the freedom to get creative with colours, textures and materials.
If you have a love for colours and can’t choose your favourite, mix it up. Use grey as a mainstay and incorporate other muted shades to create a soothing yet colourful variety. As hues go, grey is that ideal neutral shade—it isn’t over the top and still adds some drama. Even shades of grey are an option. Ensure whatever you choose complements each other and there is an underlying element of cohesion. For instance, Mirza’s pink seating area has a comfy grey upholstered sofa.
If eclectic is your style, then you can make fun choices for your furniture pieces. Throw together some classical and modern pieces, for instance. Mix and match a clean-lined coffee table with a traditional-looking sofa if they complement each other. The thumb rule is that as long as the disparate elements don’t clash, you’re good.
Make sure you display or choose accessories that speak to your personality and preferences. In her formal living room, Mirza amplified the undertones of glamour with a bold golden butterfly wall accessory. If you like a quirky poster and some gold-accented opulent statement piece, then go ahead and showcase both. But be sure you don’t overdo it and use just enough objects and artefacts to decorate.
Build an interesting design narrative with diverse textures. It not only makes a space visually appealing but also adds some depth. Mirza’s dining room has a subtle play of textures and materials: a colourful painting on a dark grey wall; suede upholstery on the dining chairs around a dark wood table; glossy nesting tables fronted by a lamp and a planter. Layering makes the space interesting and inviting.
It’s one of those things that instantly change the look of a room. Natural light that filters into your spaces can be as important in playing up the decor. In the case of an eclectic aesthetic, it helps soothe the colourful diverse palette and prevent it from seeming too much.
All your rooms don’t have to be the same. For example, your bedroom can have a more minimal or earthy tone which is distinct from your living room. Use wooden flooring, a calmer palette, fewer accessories and a pop of vibrant colour. Your living room can be more formal: marble or any other material for the floor, a shade more opulence.
Will you be living in your space during the renovation ?
DEC 2023
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17 Oct 23, 03.00PM - 04.00PM