Borrow from India’s rich decor traditions with touches of spice, carved wood and engraved metal – or for a cool, contemporary treatment, use a single intricate motif for a subtle accent
Old coffee house
1. Celebrate the beauty of your morning Chai (or coffee) routine by creating a personalised space to enjoy each day.
2. Add texture to your paintwork by trying a dry-brush effect. This works well with a two-tone wall.
3. Portraits of loved ones or admired figures are part of Indian life and give a real sense of connection to history. This is a great way to bring personality into your home.
‘This cosy, inviting space is inspired by a traditional coffee house we visited in Jaipur. It’s a nod to the slower times of ‘old’ India and the daily routines that are so important, such as a morning chai or coffee.’
– stylist Amber
Shop the look
- Photo frame, $39.90, from H&M.
- Jug, $90, bud vase (round), $39, from Tony Sly Pottery.
- Vintage crock, $55, jug, $55, from Flotsam & Jetsam.
- Rhys entertainment unit, $1399, from Freedom.
- Kilim runner, $425, kilim cushion, $95, vintage footstool, $70, vintage balustrade candlesticks, $85 each, beeswax candles, $6.50 each, old brass preserving pan, $135, from Flotsam & Jetsam.
- Maison Levy cushion (on chair), $149, from Madder & Rouge.
- Forbo Marmoleum modular flooring, POA, from Inzide Commercial.
- Wall painted in Resene ‘Cumin’ and Resene ‘Whiskey Sour’ with Resene ‘Cashmere’ dry-brushed on top.
Luxury Lobby
1. Add detail to your walls via panels (actual or painted), such as these half-moons.
2. Use a single main colour and wrap the room in it for maximum impact.
3. Think about shapes and repetition. Grouping these coffee tables creates extra interest, and their shape is also echoed in the planter box and wallpaper motif.
4. Go Plush! Velvet and marble accents bring undeniable sophistication to a space.
‘This scheme is inspired by the luxurious bars and lobbies found in India’s glorious heritage hotels. Painted in chalky blue – a shade we often saw in Rajasthan’s palaces – This setting is just calling for you to take a seat and pour an Aperol’. – stylist Amber
Shop the look:
- Fold Arch planter box, $599, Arch Lean mirror, $999, from Made of Tomorrow.
- Wall painted in Resene ‘Moby’ and Resene ‘Alabaster’.
- Wallpaper is 433234 in the Modern Art Collection from Resene.
- Forbo Marmoleum modular flooring in Stardust and Black Hole, POA, from Inzide Commercial.
- Podio side table (left), $399, and Pila accent table, $349, from Freedom.
- Bud vase, $40, from Tony Sly Pottery.
- Fleur-de-lys tumblers, $85 for 4, Maison Levy Flamingo cushions, $149 each, hand-printed cotton lightshade, $375, from Madder & Rouge.
- Stella chairs in petrol blue velvet, $1250 each, from Me & My Trend.
The gallery room
1. Create a gallery wall. Don’t be afraid to mix colours and media, photos and painting – more is more in India! Just use a theme, such as flowers, to link them together.
2. Mix some vibrant vintage pieces with your newer furniture. I’m in love with these Indian shutters from Madder & Rouge.
3. Long lines of matching potted flowers edged the hotel and palace walkways. It looked beautiful, and this idea can be brought indoors too.
‘This space is inspired by the gallery rooms we wandered through in Udaipur’s city palace, while the palette reminds me of the explosive colour of Jaipur’s flower markets’. – stylist Amber
Shop the look:
- Need You Here With Me painting by Carmel Van Der Hoeven, $1500, from Turua Gallery.
- Indian shutters, $550, from Madder & Rouge.
- Killick rug, $799, from Freedom.
- Wall and pots in Resene ‘Wax Flower’. Skirting in Resene ‘Japonica’.
- Rattan daybed, $1995, from Me & My Trend.
- Maison Levy cushion (on left), $259, Moroccan slippers, $159, from Madder & Rouge.
- Cushion made of Mokum ‘Canvas’ fabric from James Dunlop Textiles.
- Arch room divider, $1799, from Made of Tomorrow.
- Artworks clockwise from top left: Honey Blooms painting, $530, by Georgina Hoby Scutt. ‘Flower Markets, India’ print, from $75, from Amber Armitage. Large painting, see above. Eva (far right) and Dovi paintings by Kirstin Carlin, $4000 each, from Melanie Roger Gallery. Rising painting, $250, by Selena Kitchen. Still Life with Marimekko painting, $530, by Georgina Hoby Scutt. Untitled painting, $120, by Selena Kitchen.
Words and styling by: Amber Armitage. Photography by: Wendy Fenwick.
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