Designer Nitin Kohli tells Chahak Mittal how interiors have become universal globally due to changing lifestyles

With a radical tapestry of modern hues and classic shades, an interplay colours and fabrics, Nitin Kohli Home presents a right mix of interior designs and house decor for the festive collection through its display of home furniture  made with vinyl and oak wood.

The collection titled Avant Garde presents a wide range of shades that are timeless in their existence. An effervescent style lends the furniture pieces a refreshing and futuristic vibe.

As one enters the Nitin Kohli Home at the Ambavatta Road, near Qutab Minar, one comes across furnitures and objects seen in our daily routines that we hardly pay attention to. He follows themes for all kinds of spaces in the home — dining hall, living room, bedroom and even the conference room — and reveals the colours that lead the trend these days.

As we walk with him to have a look at the furniture display, he tells us that the drawing room section follows a specific colour pattern. From chartruese, emerald, sage, basil and fern to seaweed, the section has all shades of green. Nitin says, “It follows a very colourful approach. We have chosen all sorts of greens and blues.”As Nitin points out towards corners and rooms that are more for formal purposes, he states that “in the formal section the colour trend that we are introducing are rose, pinks and creams, which are a part of the softer colour palette.” He adds, “It works this way. For formal, we go for the softer colour palettes and for the informal ones, a bit colourful and strong palettes are preferred. In the conference room, we keep it really simple through the creams and the whites. Today even the conference rooms come with a kind of dining setup, which is generally not seen.”

He explains that it is because it needs to be very simple as well as exquisite “because once we are sitting with the clients there and discussing certain things and colours, it helps us to actually see those colours in neutrality. Hence, a place for informal meetings should be filled with more vibrant colours and formal spaces should be simple.”

“People are really looking for vibrant, beautiful and yet simple designs. They do not want anything that is filling and restraining to the eye. It should be elegant to look at. So with this new collection, we have also moved towards a modern take on classic designs,” he said.

The bedroom is littered with fabric panels, paintings and photographs of places and scenic landscapes clicked by Kohli, who calls himself “a passionate photographer.” While some are in-house, other artworks and paintings canvas are done by renowned artist Sunayana Molhotra who is currently also displaying her works in Europe.

As technology and comfortable decors change the living habits, Nitin, who is a veteran now, explains how the change has come about and how shrinking homes have given more space for the designers to innovate themselves. He says, “Things have really evolved over the years. Today, we display not just furniture, curtains or interior designs, but we also present how our way of living has changed. For instance, the children’s  room, which used to be so simple once, with a single-bed and a study table, is no longer in vogue. Today, even children work and study on laptops and ipads, they don’t want a huge tables or shelves for their books. In fact electronics have shrunk. You have a phone in your hand so a TV in every room isn’t important.  The TV has become so small, it’s in your hands. A sleeker and trendier kind of furniture is what people are shifting towards.” For designers, it’s a boon since they don’t have to design keeping bulky electronics in mind.

While eating on the floor has been known as the true Indian aesthetic and culture we have shifted towards the dining table, incorporating Western table manners. Nitin refers to one such example of blending Western cultures and Indian home aesthetics, which is no longer a challenge anymore since everything is now “universal.” He says, “Even eating patterns are the same universally. People want to eat on the bed all over the world. They would prefer their beds more than tables while eating at home. Of course, it’s a different set up when guests come over, but in daily routines, it’s their bed.”

With luxe materials and upholstery, and carefully-handcrafted furniture, the furniture at NKH is taking inspiration from the real world and local and global cultures to furnish an urban home.