She has made many structural changes to the house to suit her needs as well as "set the architecture and the design element right". Once inside, you will realise that interior designer Jyoti Punj's villa in Garden Estate in Gurgaon does actually look different from the others in the row.
A short path — through the garden — leads up to the front door, which is in wood and glass. The door opens into a spacious lobby, which leads into the formal living room. Italian beige marble lends grace to the entire area. An antique piano lies below the stairs (which have been widened) that lead up to the first floor. Directly opposite is a round glass window in the wall, through which you can catch a glimpse of the dining room beyond.
The living room — with the same beige flooring and beige coloured walls — is a story in modernity. It has two main seating areas, designed in a chic and ultra-modern manner. Glass walls look onto the back garden. The seating area, which is to the right of the entrance, includes a big three-seater flanked by two high-backed chairs in cream. Cushions in a red print add colour to the setting. An extremely chic centre table in glass, side and corner tables showcasing vases and curios as well as an antique cabinet complete the picture.
The second seating area — which is opposite the first — has a three-seater in beige, two wooden chairs, an easel with a painting, side tables displaying vases and artefacts, lamps, paintings and an ensemble in black cloth that gives an artistic touch to the whole area.
{{/usCountry}}The second seating area — which is opposite the first — has a three-seater in beige, two wooden chairs, an easel with a painting, side tables displaying vases and artefacts, lamps, paintings and an ensemble in black cloth that gives an artistic touch to the whole area.
{{/usCountry}}The living room opens into the dining area that includes an eight-seater wooden table with a glass top supported by steel brackets. While the chairs have been upholstered in blue, a wall-to-wall wooden shelf — below the round glass window — showcases a vase and a number of artefacts. Mustard walls and an elegant wrought iron chandelier add charm to the whole area.
Stairs lead down into the basement that doubles up as a working-cum-casual sitting area. They open into a seating space that includes a three-seater in grey with cushions in red, a steel chair in white leather upholstery, a wooden centre table and family photographs on the wall. Further down is the work table and a seating area that includes a big two-seater in a red and green checked print, bookshelves, two chairs and a side table.
However, what takes pride of place in the Punj house are the living quarters on the first floor. The passage on the first floor which is home to paintings, bookshelves, miniature chairs and a couch opens into two bedrooms that flow into each other. The first is a story in yellow — it has yellow walls, curtains and a yellow bedspread. It opens into a bathroom through a passage that has a skylight above and is decorated with tribal artefacts. The bathroom, in turn, opens into an elegant second bedroom.
Maintaining the flow!