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Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar is an internationally published architecture, design and art journalist.

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Vaishnavi works out of a sunny studio called Mangomonk where she writes for publications big and small.

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Latest Articles

Architectural Digest India •

This 50-year-old bungalow in Vadodara is reborn as a tribute to its owners' worldly adventures

There’s something special about travelling the world, but there’s something even more special about returning home. Just ask Abhit and Shilpi Banerjee. After fifteen years in Singapore, another three in Bangkok, and exploring over 25 countries, returning to India felt like a different kind of homecoming for the couple, now in their sixties. As Abhit explains, however, they had already moved mentally long before. “Six years prior, to be precise,” he says, referring to the moment they found their...
Architectural Digest India •

Inside a calming Thrissur home where the outdoors inspire the indoors

Bringing the colours and textures of nature indoors was one thing, but introducing its sounds was quite another. Imagine the gushing of waterfalls, the chirping of birds, or the gentle pitter-patter of water mimicking distant rain. Muaz conjured all of this—and more—inside the home, merging (or demerging, depending on how you see it) the interior with the natural environment. Muaz emphasised playfulness, yes, but he also focused on practicality. He shaped the home into an "H," incorporating vert...
Elle Decor •

[Print/Cover Story] Drawing the Line(s): A Kolkata Home by Abin Chaudhuri

The thing about designing a house that lets the elements in and everything else out is knowing where to draw the line. Ace architect Abin Chaudhuri of Kolkata-based Abin Design Studio is no stranger to such predicaments, having made a career out of drawing lines — literally and figuratively. In 2022, when he took up the reins for a 20,500-square-foot home for a family of five in Kolkata’s plush New Alipur, the first thing he did was draw a line to distinguish indoors from outdoors. Or, as he puts a finer point on the subject, “Find a way to ensure ample natural light and ventilation, while ensuring privacy from prying eyes.” The solution, it seemed, was simple: if he couldn’t take the indoors out, at least he could bring the outdoors in. By keeping the home at one with the landscape, maybe he could camouflage the interior to make it seem invisible from the outside.
Elle Decor •

[Print] Grown from the Earth: A Home in Vadodara by LABwerk

Architect and interior designer Shonan Purie Trehan has a flair for stepping off the beaten path, as much at work as in the wilderness, and sometimes, if the stars align just so, in both together at once. “We first met while training for a fifty kilometre Oxfam walk in the wilderness,” shares the founder and principal of Mumbai-based full-service design practice LABwerk, the we in question being herself and Vadodara-based couple Shalini and Anand Raghavan. “Walking led to talking and we really got to know each other,” adds Shonan. The kinship endured long after the training was over, and yet beyond the course of the next year, so that when it came time for the Raghavans to entrust someone to build a home to their liking in their hometown in Gujarat, the compass pointed towards Shonan.
Elle Decor •

[Print] House of Two Spirals by Abhimanyu Dalal & Project810

One site. Two halves. Three important considerations. That was how Abhimanyu Dalal approached a farmhouse project in New Delhi. “We decided right away to divide the property down the middle to place the house at one end,” says the veteran architect and founder of his eponymous New Delhi-based practice Abhimanyu Dalal Architects. He collaborated with former EDIDA winner Vritima Wadhwa of Project 810 for the interior design of the strikingly contemporary home with its roofs silhouetted against the sky. “We imagined a house on one end and landscape on the other. Nothing in between,” he adds. The composition of the various architectural elements took into account not only the owners’ art collection but more importantly, the light, greenery and the surrounding vistas. Floor-to-ceiling windows, some double height, are a defining feature that extend the architecture outwards. Given that one of the owners, a renowned gallerist, had a penchant for art, and already had an enviable collection, the second consideration was designing a setting that created a dialogue with the spaces. And the third was ensuring that the place felt natural to the family, as if they’d known and loved it all along.
The Wall Street Journal •

Inside a $287,000 Kitchen Where Adults Can be Adults

Most parents with young children would agree that redesigning a home—and then maintaining it—isn’t for the faint of heart. But for one lionhearted Chicago couple, the proud new owners of a home in Southport Corridor, bought for $2.85 million in 2023, the reward seemed to outweigh the risk. “Even though we have two kids under 7, we wanted the house to look cool and feel grown-up,” says the wife, a 45-year-old stay-at-home mom.
Architectural Digest •

Tour a Designer’s 100-Year-Old LA Retreat

Interior designer Jessica Pell has a knack for spotting beauty in the unexpected and, better still, magically unlocking it. Her home in Eagle Rock is proof. “Having lived in a Schindler for many years, I am drawn to soulful spaces that connect thoughtfully to the site, light, and nature, and I developed a deep appreciation for places with history and a strong sense of presence,” says the founder and principal of Manola Studio. But Pell’s dream of owning a home in Los Angeles that checked all her...
Architectural Digest India •

[Print] The Plant Whisperers

Varna Shashidhar was always passionate about the natural environment, but it took an internship with leading Sri Lankan architect Chelvadurai Anjalendran to help her appreciate the richness of the built form in symbiosis with the landscape. Her experience led her to pursue a master’s degree in landscape architecture at Harvard University, with a resolve to set up her own practice, focusing on creating contextual environments that celebrate the natural beauty and nuances of India and South Asia. “Cultural landscapes in India have the power to touch the chitta [human consciousness], which transcends the sensorial. That is a quality I aspire to bring into my work,” says Shashidhar. Since founding VSLA in 2013, she hasn’t been afraid to get her hands dirty—literally. Among her notable achievements are a didactic ecosystem for Neev Academy in 2015, a garden sanctuary with native edibles and medicinals for Byg Brewski, then India’s largest microbrewery, in 2018, and a one-acre urban remediation landscape with over 75 species of local and adapted vegetation for Bangalore International Centre in 2019. She is currently working on creating a healing landscape at Kathiwada, Madhya Pradesh. And yet, she’s nowhere near done.
The Commercial Project •

[Print] FORTH Atlanta by Morris Adjmi Architects

Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward holds many distinctions: it is the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr., a haven of scintillating street art, and now, most recently, the site of FORTH Atlanta, a new hotel and social club by Method Co. and New City Properties, designed by Morris Adjmi Architects. Nestled in the green interlude between Historic Fourth Ward Park and Ponce City Market, this innovative hospitality concept exemplifies wellness, design, and culture.
The Commercial Project •

[Print] Deloitte Sydney by Hassell

For employers and employees alike, the silver lining of the pandemic was the opportunity to establish an ecosystem that allows stakeholders to survive—and thrive—while logging in from anywhere. Enter Deloitte’s new Sydney office: situated inside Quay Quarter Tower, a sustainably built high-rise grazing the Sydney skyline, the company’s new workspace, designed by international design studio Hassell, echoes the reverberations of the lockdown, rewriting the rulebook for large, traditional workspaces.
Architectural Digest India •

A new exhibition in Bengaluru highlights worship and celebration through varied craft forms

Anastasio and Baghel exercised a deft touch with their joint collection of metal lamps—designed by the former and crafted in Dhokra by the latter. But look closer, and there’s more to their repertoire than meets the eye. Each lamp embodies celestial aspects of the goddess, re-explores Dhokra art, and serves as a symbolic lesson in light triumphing over darkness. “The pieces continue KAASH’s exploration of light, but this time through the traditional oil lamp. Andrea has deconstructed the archety...
The Local Project •

The Oasis Project by Homes by Touchwood

The point of departure was reconfiguring the home’s light-starved layout. “Originally, the home wasn’t open plan; the dining area and kitchen were separate spaces, which really limited the natural light,” says Blode, who minimised unnecessary walls, replacing the partition between the kitchen and pantry with a fluted glass wall, and downsized the powder room to free up space. Morsky notes that the kitchen was designed to be the focal point. “The home is always buzzing with friends, partners and...
Architectural Digest India •

This calm and collected home in Mumbai is a one-way ticket to Bali

Jayesh and Archana Patil like a good tropical getaway but don’t always have the time to get away. Referring to the couple’s Bali-themed lakeside home in Mumbai, Jayesh jokes, “So we bought a one-way ticket,” further adding “We didn’t want a typical home, and as avid travellers, we wanted it to feel like a bohemian postcard from holidays gone by.” Their postage stamp in the way of a recommendation came from a mutual friend. By the time they reached out to architects Anand Deshmukh and Chetan Laho...
The Local Project •

Bellevue Hill House by Greg Natale

Located on a leafy street in a harbourside suburb of Sydney, Bellevue Hill House exudes a charm reminiscent of the idyllic Greek island of Mykonos. Defined by Cycladic forms, white curves and a sense of fluidity, this home by Greg Natale nods to the owner’s Greek heritage.
Ask Greg Natale to reimagine the same residence repeatedly, and the Sydney-based interior designer will deliver something new each time. “This was the second time I was asked to design the interiors for Bellevue Hill House, 12...
The Local Project •

Maytor Place by Marmol Radziner

Situated at the end of a cul-de-sac in the star-studded Trousdale Estates of Beverly Hills, Maytor Place is an exceptional home.
Originally designed in 1962 by architect John Elgin Woolf, this Hollywood Regency-style dwelling has been restored by Los Angeles-based design firm Marmol Radziner. The home blends 19th-century French and Greek Revival influences with modernist touches and contemporary luxuries, creating a unique living space.
Once owned by actress and philanthropist Marjorie Lord, May...
The Local Project •

Avondale Hall by Studio Beal

Preserving a historically rich home is an art form, and Vivienne Beal of Melbourne-based Studio Beal has clearly mastered this with Avondale Hall, a heritage residence located on a picturesque, tree-lined street in Melbourne’s Armadale. Featuring Baltic pine floors, decorative fireplaces and ornate ceilings, this 800-square-metre dwelling stands as a time capsule, revealing the charm of a bygone era. Beal, the founder and principal of Studio Beal, emphasised the home’s historic features in the design. “It was imperative that we preserve and celebrate its history and character by approaching the renovation with respectful sensitivity. The project required a delicate balance of retaining original details while introducing modern elements to meet the needs of contemporary family living,” says the interior designer, who softened the design to make it feel as though these updates had always been part of the home.
The Local Project •

North Fork by Lake|Flato

The architect arranged the three buildings around a central courtyard, reimagined from a soft, tree-covered sand dune. The utility barn anchors the northern slope, the living barn anchors the western periphery and the guest barn and pool establish the southern circumference. “To reduce construction time and to create a well-crafted wood structure, we had the bones of the house prefabricated in New Hampshire – a wood construction mecca – and shipped across the channel to Orient Point [a nearby po...
The Local Project •

Ikon Penthouse by Cameron Kimber Design

Achieving a design that celebrates the interior and exterior is an art that Cameron Kimber Design has perfected with Ikon Penthouse, a glamorous, 120-square-metre penthouse in Potts Point, Sydney.
Oriented towards Sydney Harbour on one side and the CBD on the other, the home provides a panoramic experience that culminates inward to the owner’s prized collection of objets d’art. The home exudes a sense of luxury, courtesy of bespoke finishes, fabrics and treatments that create a cocooning effect....
Architectural Digest India •

This 5,000-square-foot farmhouse in Delhi is a tapestry of jewel tones

Every dog has its day, but in the case of one pup in this farmhouse in Delhi, that day was every day. “She took to following us everywhere,” says The Vrindavan Project’s Shreenu Mukherjee. “She would eagerly await our arrival at the gate as if she somehow had access to the project calendar, knowing exactly when to expect and welcome us in.” Whether the pooch in question, a little Indie named Skye, was a metaphor for the opportunities that lay ahead in the 5,000-square-foot farmhouse in Delhi tha...
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Architectural Digest •

AD Visits: Diipa Büller-Khosla's canal house in Amsterdam is a postcard from 1614

Even from 6,000 kilometres away, Diipa Büller-Khosla’s energy is palpable through the screen. It’s morning where she is, and she and her husband and business partner, Dutch former diplomat, Oleg Büller-Khosla (the couple legally adopted each other's last names when they married in 2018) are perched in the kitchen of their Amsterdam home, in the company of their pet pooches, Kubii and Bimbo.

By their own admission, it’s a scene that just a few years ago, was a figment of their imagination. “We'd
Architectural Digest •

AD Visits: Ishaan Khatter’s Mumbai apartment is a sunset sanctuary

When he isn't busy filming or promoting or air-dashing off to exotic locales, Ishaan Khatter likes to appreciate the little things in life. “On Sunday mornings, when time permits, I slip off for a bike ride. In the evenings, I like to watch the sunset with some music and coffee,” says the actor, who was last seen in supernatural comedy Phone Bhoot, alongside Katrina Kaif and Siddhant Chaturvedi. So when he moved in a three-bedroom apartment along the Bandra sea face, naturally, his first priorit
Architectural Digest •

AD Visits: Actor Aahana Kumra’s Mumbai apartment is a pretty-in-pink princess pad

In a building full of identical brown doors, Aahana Kumra's entrance is the only non-brown curiosity. "I absolutely love pink. It's my all-time favourite colour—that's why it's right at the front," she laughs, holding open the candyfloss-coloured opuscule as she ushers me inside. For Kumra, the home is a manifestation twenty years in the making, and one that nods equally to her Lucknowi roots and her life in Mumbai. "There are whiffs of Kashmir, London and Delhi too. It's a collection of all my
Architectural Digest •

AD Visits: Actor Aparshakti Khurana’s Mumbai home displays drama in the details

Even before they had finalised their house, or decided who would design it, actor Aparshakti Khurana and his wife, events entrepreneur Aakriti Ahuja, had a chandelier picked out and stowed away in storage. "I had spotted it some years ago in Delhi and just knew I had to buy it," laughs Aakriti, and Aparshakti chimes in, "We had no idea what our future house would look like. Nothing was set in stone, except this big, blue bhaisahab." The bhaisahab in question now occupies a corner of their living
Architectural Digest •

AD Visits: Singer Armaan Malik’s Mumbai home is halfway between London and Los Angeles

At 10 AM on a Sunday, the last thing you'd expect is for Armaan Malik to be crisping the edges of a frittata. And yet, that's exactly the sight that greets me as I step into his kitchen, a California-cool bolthole with a London-esque edge. "I love making breakfast and treating myself to a good spread," he says, drizzling butter on bruschettas. Dressed in a casual button-up and chinos, he looks like a laid-back version of his on-screen alter ego, who, as fans of The Voice (on which Armaan appears
Architectural Digest •

AD Visits: Actors Aditya Seal and Anushka Ranjan’s newlywed nest is a storybook come to life

At the door of actors (and newlyweds) Aditya Seal and Anushka Ranjan Seal's new Mumbai duplex, the nameplate is conspicuous by its absence. What is not is the cheery (LED) baby seal that takes its place, animating the wall and nodding to its namesake owners. “It's fun to watch people guess," says Anushka. "Those who get it, get it. And it makes for a great conversation-starter." But the unlikely sea creature isn’t the only thing setting the entryway apart—because if the peach-toned front door (a