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Step inside former Princess of Tripura Reeta Dev Varma's Delhi home with unique blend of art deco charm, modern comfort
Reeta Dev Varma's home combines charm and elegance with modern metal lanterns, wrought-iron furniture, and indoor greenery, creating a serene and stylish space.
An Indian social worker and the founder of the Delhi-based organisation Ila Trust, Reeta Dev Varma, is the princess of the former royal family of Tripura. The social worker and politician welcomed the Architectural Digest of India into her home in November 2023, as it was re-decorated by designer Adil Ahmad.
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Inside Reeta Dev Varma's Delhi home
Breathtakingly beautiful and warm, Reeta Dev Varma's home evokes a bygone era, blending elements of modernism to beautifully blend maximalism with the elegance of minimalism. Let’s take a closer look at her stunning home in the country's capital.
As one arrives at Reeta Dev Varma's home, the entrance itself mesmerises onlookers with two snakes on either side of an elegant blue-painted door – an auspicious addition that guards the house against the evil eye. It is flanked by striking charcoal wrought-iron doors that lend an old-world charm. Meanwhile, the terrazzo flooring adds depth to the space.
The regal hallway
Several unique features inside the home add charm and elegance to the spacious abode, including bold modern metal lanterns hanging from the ceiling, wrought-iron chairs in the hallway, and massive planters that bring nature inside. The spacious hallway is painted in a soothing celadon and decorated with arched spaces featuring Art Deco stone jali that allow sunlight to enter the halls.
A few other regal elements in the hall include wrought-iron console tables, antique kerosene lamps, Reeta’s favourite series of serigraphs by Charlie Mackesy, a brass snake for protection from the Kamakhya Temple in Assam, and portraits of Reeta’s aunt-in-law, Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur.
The dining room
AD India's pictures also give a peek inside Reeta Dev Varma's stunning dining room that is elevated with a contemporary wrought-iron dining table and chairs designed by Adil Ahmad, a portrait of an angel from Austria, artworks by French painter Bernard Buffet, painted lamps, and a gorgeous rug adding colour to the space.
The living room also holds Reeta’s most prized possessions, including signed, personally inscribed letters and portraits of Mother Teresa, as well as photos of Reeta with her and a rare Lalique glass trophy. The space also has a fireplace flanked by contemporary wing chairs, a coffee table, and a mantelpiece holding her collection of antique Imari and Satsuma porcelain and stunning crysantheium flowers.
The gorgeous bedroom
The bedroom, bathed in natural light and furnished with deep calamine-coloured hand-printed cotton bed linen and cushions, anchors the room. Pretty floral-printed armchairs, brass light fixtures, a cute window offering a view of the greenery outside, stunning art pieces, and a bookshelf add softness to the space.
According to AD India, a corner of the bedroom is filled with statues, crucifixes, and talismans, reflecting Reeta’s deep belief in all faiths, as well as a large photograph of The Madonna by Prabuddha Dasgupta.
