Situated in a quiet area in South Delhi, Mrs. Juhi Dhaol and her family reside in a classic white colored house surrounded by palm trees and bamboos and with the clear blue sky the architectural design of the house definitely gives a mediterranean feel to it.
On entering the house a large painting of Lord Krishna's calm expression welcomes the guests with an aura of peace and relaxation. The interior is set in plain, sober cream and white connecting it well with the feeling of comfort it offers, an exception on a small part of one of the walls which is colored in red, a symbol for prosperity and luck.
The most striking feature of the living room are the Venetian mirrors she recently bought from indianshelf, three of the extravagant mirrors are hung on the focal point of the room with a Buddha statue set on the wooden mantle. "I've always loved Venetian mirrors and now I have them", says Mrs. Juhi. The mirrors add a luxurious depth to the room and makes it look more spacious. "In just some time I will do a whole wall of Venetion mirrors", says Mrs. Juhi on her plans to further decorate the house.
Paintings are another feature of this home, with almost every room having one. An avid painter herself she explains how she 'loves paintings with calm expressions'. The large and colorfully bright paintings displayed are given generous wall space for it to stand out and produce a contrast against the plain wall. 'I enjoy paintings with a little bit of story behind it', says Mrs. Juhi, such as the idiom based painting by Sterre Sharma 'Birds of a feather flock together'.
Smaller sized black and white paintings hung on the sides of the refined spiral stairs complemented by pink bougainvillea adds a delightful charm.
Mrs. Juhi has achieved in reflecting her family's style and interest in making the place comfortable and cozy, "We entertain a lot and when that happens we want our guests to feel at home and to just let their guards down", says Mrs. Juhi. A stunning oversized Kashmiri carpet makes the center stage of the living room, its darker shade sets a tone against the sober surrounding keeping it minimal and classy. Mrs. Juhi explains how she likes to 'collect carpets herself' of different styles like 'Persian, Kashmiri, silk on cotton and Afghan'.
Each room in the house receives ample amount of natural light, 'one of the reasons' which made this house the right choice. The TV room on the first floor is the family's favourite, the large windows in the room sets a fresh and airy mood suitable for spending more time in it.
The house is a blend of Victorian sophistication and the art of straight line. "Whenever I want something for my house then I go online on Indianshelf", says Mrs. Juhi, "I found the Venetian mirrors I was looking for in the site and now I'm planning to get the knobs for my daughter's room". She feels that a lot of people have quite an interest in the traditional Indian handicrafts so it is 'important to have a one stop shop online for Indian artwork as the world today evolves around the internet'.