Something Old, Something Bold — Navya and A Quarter gives old-world charm a new definition in this Delhi home

New Delhi-based design practice Navya and a Quarter typify a fresh interior approach of paying homage to history, but in true-blue contemporary style. This 2,500 sq ft home in Greater Kailash 1, New Delhi makes you nostalgic and appreciate the hints of simplicity by establishing yesteryear decor features in context of the present.

A capacious living area, doused in subtle tones and textures provides a visual treat upon entering. The symmetrically balanced placements of the seats, namely two identical two-seater sofas, two timber accent chairs and one cane seat, spell lucidity. 

The identical olive-green sofas, each paired with inherited artwork from family and single chairs upholstered in a mute printed fabric create a playful camaraderie. 

The round coffee table in the centre has been characterized by a unique detail that encloses the stone-top amidst the legs.

The cane seat inspired by MUAR Design, occupies the central placement asserting its dominance despite being dainty. A wooden-framed sliding glass door behind the cane seat leads to a balcony that deluges the space with natural light and grants a scenic view of tall Ashoka trees. 

Emphasising the symmetry of the space is an intricately coloured rug crafted in Mcleod Ganj that has been a time-honoured souvenir in the client’s family that flushes the living space with a joyous colour. The plain textures accented by Sarita Handa cushions subtly attunes to the cheery mood.

The hero of the dining space is the rustic tabletop made of Suar tropical wood garnered from Bombay. The chairs upholstered in fabric by Cottons and Satins imitate the colours of the oriental rug from the living room. 

In an evident tussle to steal the limelight from the tabletop, a cyan bar unit accentuated by metallic accessories adds a pop of colour.  

The dining pours into a cosy TV room embanked by a glass partition. “This minimal space narrates the design ideology of the entire house. The black console unit acknowledges modernity, while the classic cane shutters portray the abundance of history”, says Navya Aggarwal, founder and principal designer of the firm.

Taking cue from its preceding spaces, the primary room is spacious, clutter-free, muted and mellow. At first glimpse, the elaborate headboard in ashwood texture catches the eye. This organic virtue is layered by circular elements persistent in handles and artworks. A skylight provides the apt illumination for the space and brings out the tiny specks of red spattered around. 

Next, the Half-and-Half room is partly white and partly eggshell white. A family-rooted, cross-stitched artwork successfully becomes a black sheep in this setting. The refurbished furniture retains the teak wood of the headboard that brightens the blue-toned furniture around it. 

The washroom encompassed in blue handmade Spanish tiles, rebels against the existing palette with an awe-inspiring Armani-Brown Italian stone slab.

Away from the blues, the guest bedroom is paramount in subtle details, moulding, natural and muted tones, making it a warm and welcoming space. The bed is refurbished to build a cane-woven headboard with side tables to match. Modernity infuses with curios, like a striped rug. Two adjacent balconies accommodate large amounts of green into the space.

“This apartment flawlessly reflects the personalities, family histories, and design approaches of the creative minds who inhabit it. At Navya and a Quarter, we believe that homes are not a curation of all new things but rather an abode that is an amalgamation of old and new,” avers Aggarwal. 

If this home by Navya and A Quarter filled you with inspiration, do check out this Bengaluru home by Aanai Design Studio that shows greens and minimalism