This Design Firm Recycled & Reused Old Furniture Pieces For A Modern Jaipur Home

April 2019 | A look into a recent project by Kamal Kavita Interiors.

“How do we ever get this home ready in a month?” Kavita Tolani, Principal Designer, Kamal Kavita Interiors, had wondered. Irrespective of time, budget and space constraints, her design team infused life to this old Jaipur residence.

The client’s clear instruction for the design team was that the renovated house should have a stunning entrance. The project had to be wrapped up in a month, and as a result teamwork was the only way forward. “We did not create designated roles of a carpenter or painter or cleaner. All of us donned multiple hats. This made our work easier and even brought the team closer,” Kavita tells us.

Designing From Scratch

Kavita had to send half of the furniture to her workshop in order to save time. As a result, all the upholstery and carving work was carried out there and not at the project site. Another requirement of the client, who is an NRI, was the convenience of setting the home up and wrapping it up just as easily. Kavita, along with Interior Stylist Kamal Tolani, went the old-school way and used pen and paper to sketch the layout. There was hardly any time to work on AutoCAD, explains Kavita. The main aim was to make the smaller areas appear bigger and ensure the larger spaces were utilised well.

Creating The Right Look

The erstwhile living room of this Jaipur house had a partition that divided the dining and sitting areas. The design team got rid of this unflattering separation and created an open arch to segregate the two spaces aesthetically. A beautiful, floral wall covering added to the charm of the room.

“We wanted the furniture to be chic. But, we also wanted to add a hint of Indianness to this home! As you can see, every space now has a mix of modern furniture and Rajasthani design elements. For example, we added elephant carvings on the edges of a shoe chair. This gave the modern piece a very local feel,” Kavita says.

A Recycled Home

It is often easier to come up with entirely new furniture pieces that match the vision of a space than work with old items. However, Kamal Kavita Interiors was required to repair and refurbish old furniture for this project. The team successfully infused modern design aesthetics to the antique pieces.

“It was not only a fun project but we also learnt a lot in the process. Moreover, we spent so much time inside that house, that it felt like ours after a month,” Kavita says.

The team scouted old markets and chor bazaars for old brass handles. Similarly, the team picked up upholstered Rajasthani bedsheets, which were then used as wing chair covers. A sense of balance is palpable in every room of this house. Kavita’s team placed side tables made of Sheesham or Indian Rosewood in one room. Detailed brass work and brass handles were added to the upholstered bed and console to create a similar design aesthetic. Granite, procured from South India, works as the backdrop of the television set in another room.

A Vibrant Design

Before the renovation, the drawing room looked like a rectangle placed inside a square. Ideally, a living room should appear vibrant, but this odd shape made this area appear dark and small. Kavita’s team decided to bring in more light into the space by adding mirror wall panels. A chandelier was hung from the ceiling of the rectangular area. The mirror panels reflected the light and the space was made to look wider and brighter, much to the delight of the client.

“I clearly remember the client’s first impression after the project reveal. He wondered if this really was his house. In the end he summed up his delight with ‘Perfect’. Well, we were quite pleased with that reaction,” Kavita tells us with a smile.

• Green Quotient: Old Furniture Pieces Have Been Repaired, Refurbished And Reused
• Design Firm: Kamal Kavita Interiors
• Design Team: Principal Designer Kavita Tolani & Interior Stylist Kamal Tolani
• Location: Jaipur
• Total Area: 1,800 sq ft
• Date of Completion: January, 2019

*Photo credit: Kamal Kavita Interiors