Anasuya Sanyal and Newley Purnell are two busy journalists — Anasuya is a former TV reporter turned consultant, and Newley covers tech for the Wall Street Journal with bylines also appearing in the New Yorker and the New York Times — so their workdays can become hectic, to say the least. The most recent season of their life saw them move from Singapore to the neighborhood of New Friends Colony in New Delhi, India, a transition which greatly excited the couple for two reasons. The first of which meant they could trade apartment living for a real home with a garden (and more space for their dog Ginger to roam), and the second of which planted the couple in a country that bears Anasuya’s heritage, who is of Indian descent but was born and raised in the US.
Their new home came recommended by friends who were leaving Delhi, and while it isn’t a typical expat neighborhood, the landlords of their 1,200-square-foot place were very accommodating to the couple. An older townhouse-type home, the rental had great character and room to express Anasuya and Newley’s love for vintage items — they just needed someone to help them put it all together. They enlisted interior designer Shivani Dogra, and launched a collaborative design process that took about two-and-a-half months. “After we briefed [Shivani] and approved the initial drawings, we gave her a relatively free hand, which we think helped the outcome,” Anasuya and Newley tell us. “We learned that clear communication and being open about our preferences is essential when you’ve hired someone to decorate your space. Also, choosing someone whose taste you trust is important, as it makes the process much easier. ”
Shivani’s skill of deeply understanding her clients — and what makes them who they are — results in a design outcome that is undeniably personal and cohesive. Throughout the home, vintage Indian furnishings mingle with treasured mementos and keepsakes from their travels, showcasing the impact each place has had on the two of them. “We needed for the house to feel like our connection to the US and our experiences in South East Asia [and] fit in seamlessly with New Delhi, India.”
Culling together all of these details, Shivani devised a design plan that encompassed all facets of Anasuya and Newley’s story as a couple. “Since their time in Delhi was to be brief, Anasuya and Newley wanted a quick but thorough home makeover,” Shivani begins. “The first meetings were mainly discussions covering a range as wide as their love for vintage, her divided but equal love for Calcutta and the US, the story of Newley’s name, their meeting and even his attachment to an old IKEA armchair, which I tried in vain to get him to trade up! Next came the fun bit, as we explored some popular and hidden sources searching for unique, furniture, art and textile. We traversed the chaos of New Delhi in my old Indian (Ambassador) car from the 1980s, which made for part of the experience — what couldn’t be found in Delhi, was bought in Calcutta.”
With room to spread out and enjoy the company of each other and Ginger, Anasuya and Newley are perfectly comfortable in their New Delhi home — however long they may be there until the next journey calls. —Kelli
Photography by Shivani Dogra
Image above: “The dining table was bought after the wall had been painted and went perfectly with it,” Shivani tells us. “The teak cabinet fit all of Anasuya’s crockery, and also fit in perfectly between the two niches — this was a serendipitous arrangement.”
from Design*Sponge https://www.designsponge.com/2018/07/in-new-delhi-a-calming-oasis-for-two-expat-journalists.html
from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/176021639549
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