“Made in India” is a tag that architect Mahesh Vodela Gupta’s house is synonymous with. From the brass andalam, more than 150 years old, which Gupta’s grandmother received from her parents when she got married, to the handcrafted chandelier that Gupta assembled in Hyderabad, the 2,300 sq. ft apartment on Road No. 10, Banjara Hills, is an eclectic mix of old and the brand new.
The entry to the first floor apartment is dotted with potted plants and an antique door that the man of the house admits has always been a conversation starter. “It’s a traditional Indian door. Whenever my friends come over, they always insist they want a similar one,” says Gupta, whose fondness for Indian craft sums up the essence of his one-year-old apartment. “India is a store house of rich culture and I feel you don’t need to look anywhere else for inspiration. Thus, I didn’t even need to go to Mumbai or Delhi to purchase a single piece of furniture,” he adds.
Gupta has made his home cozy with two spacious bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and a dining room. “The idea all along was to display our heritage and culture along with my ancestral belongings,” says Gupta, who hails from Hyderabad. There is a paan dan, chess boards, brass containers, cash box and wooden furniture that have been displayed and put to good use in the house. The house took six months to get ready and Gupta was personally involved since Day 1. “I have been working on commercial projects, so when an opportunity to design my own home came along, I didn’t want to back down,” says Gupta.
One of the interesting rooms in the house is the kid’s room. With ample space to run around and be creative. The kid’s beds are placed at a height and are accessible by a staircase.
