A calming baby nursery filled with family memories

Says Romilla Tewari, “We worked with Sohila’s only choice for a palette—creamy whites and soft greys mixed with pockets of pastels in a style that draws from classic minimalism.” To complement the colour palette, the duo worked in materials and fabrics to enhance the peaceful vibe. Romilla explains that light and soft materials in terms of textures and tactility like linens and velvets, were specifically chosen not only to bring a sense of calm but keeping in mind the baby’s comfort.

However, the stars of the show are a few key pieces, each with a unique story. “My daughter’s name Aashti is a combination of my husband’s parents’ names. He lost his parents young and we felt this was a beautiful way to keep their memory alive. We put her name up on the wall, surrounded by butterflies, a symbol which is very personal to me. I have a butterfly tattoo which, to me, signifies metamorphosis and the journey of life,” Sohila explains.

She goes on to tell me about the watercolour artworks on the wall she lovingly painted for her daughter during her pregnancy. Behind each artwork she wrote a little note. “Squash is very important to my husband, who is an avid player,” she continues. “His father and grandfather represented India in various tournaments. So, we have these cute little squash rackets that we’ve put on either side of the crib.” The piece that means the most to Sohila is the feeding chair with a big ‘Mama’ written on it.  “I also had this stool from my grandfather who passed away years ago. We reupholstered it and now it sits next to my feeding chair along with a smaller chair with ‘Pa’ written on it,” she says.

While the nursery was designed and executed in a record time of eight weeks from start to finish during the lockdown, there was no compromise on functionality and making sure the room grows with the baby. “It’s important not to clutter the room and to keep it functional and minimal for future necessary additions,” Romilla explains. As the house was newly built, the room already came with double built-in wardrobe—perfect for long term storage. Romila added pieces that were handier to the present daily needs of a new-born. These key pieces were the solid wood crib with drop side rails, a chest of drawers with a built-in changing table, the feeding chair and ottoman as well as a cubby for toy and book storage.

A custom-designed wallpaper with a cute animal motif and floor lamp with a soft pink linen lampshade are those wonderful touches that complete the room. “It’s exactly what I wanted but also extremely functional. Romilla’s way of executing a design was the perfect marriage with my vision; not once was any idea compromised, she only made it better!” Sohila concludes.