'Floating' deck

Anjali Chawla’s glasshouse by the pool is the perfect place to entertain in the evenings. Abhilasha Ojha checks out this glamorous space

To say that we come away charmed from Anjali Chawla’s home would be an understatement — even though we haven’t had a chance to look at the entire house. We have been permitted access to just one part of it, but it’s such an enchanting, extraordinary space that it leaves us floored. The best part? That it has been designed not with help from any interior designer but by Chawla herself.

“Will you allow us a peek into the living room?” I ask hesitantly. To be fair, I don’t encounter a firm “no”, but since Chawla only smiles and shakes her head, we leave it at that. Her husband, Kabul Chawla, promoter, BPTP, a real estate company with a range of projects in the NCR, including integrated townships, residential and commercial complexes, retail spaces, IT parks and SEZs, has just returned from an overseas trip and “things at home are topsy-turvy and still not settled”, she explains. Instead, she leads us to what she calls her favourite space: “It’s peaceful, calm and quiet and it’s a preferred place for us to party in with our friends,” she laughs. We’re still talking when Chawla points her perfectly manicured finger (painted a rich red) to the space that she has been referring to and that’s when I find myself staring unabashedly. In front of us, at the far end of the freshly-mowed green grass, is the pool area of the house. It’s not exactly sunny but just for that moment, while we’re walking towards what Chawla calls the “deck area connected to the pool”, the golden rays of the sun break through the clouds to reflect and shimmer in the pool’s water. Nature gives you some rare Kodak moments and the vision of the shimmering rays reflecting in the pool are just that.

When the family (including Chawla, her husband and in-laws) moved into this house, five years ago, Chawla felt the need to create this space — an area which would “bring the outside inside. I wanted to bring the beauty of the greens, the glory of nature, inside”, as she says.

With this in mind, Chawla started working on a glasshouse concept. The design, she knew, would be “one which would envelope a lot of greenery, let a lot of natural light stream in, and yet be very cool inside”. This area, essentially a large room with a bar and cosy seating, exudes a lounge-like feel. There are casual throws on the couches and furniture and artworks dot the space alongside large bric-a-brac objects and candelabra. The area was meant to be ensconced in just glass. “That was my original plan and it really hurt when I had to alter it,” Chawla says, sitting on a Fendi-covered couch, a brand that she feels does ample justice to furnishings.

Unfortunately, due to more “practical reasons”, including the Delhi weather and “just too much direct sunlight”, Chawla had to alter the design of her “glasshouse”. Instead of being a structure in just glass, what we see before us is a space made up of both wood and glass but marvellous nevertheless. The glass panels were especially imported from Germany as “we didn’t want to compromise on the security aspect of the space and made sure that all the fixtures secured the glass-wood facade well”, points out Chawla. She says: “I wanted to give the impression of a floating deck,” adding “It’s high maintenance and after every couple of hours, there are two people who clean the entire structure.”

For someone who admits to having no formal education in interiors and architecture, “just the flair”, Chawla, director, BPTP, is responsible for project management, including architectural planning and structural designing, for her husband’s company. Now that BPTP has extended its footprint to Hyderabad, Chawla is also managing the marketing and branding initiatives.

We’re sipping lemonade (with fresh mint leaves and apple shavings), when my eyes wander to the green environs outside, and to the tall palms that wrap the glass structure. “Those tall trees,” Chawla points, “are part of the Lodhi Garden but everyone keeps thinking that it’s the back portion of this structure.” This, in a nutshell, is what Chawla means by bringing the “outside, inside”, the design mantra behind the space. She promises that despite the ample sunlight, the colourful bougainvillaea and countless creepers that snake over the main boundary walls, it’s at night when the space really comes alive. Having sought permission from authorities at the Lodhi Garden, she’s strung most of the tall trees whose branches reach out into her home with dainty fairy lights. It makes for a picture-perfect postcard setting. There are flickering lights in the pool and in front of the garden too, where Chawla has placed some wicker deck chairs for guests who want to “chill out”. Being the perfect hostess (“though we’re et to have a big party”), Chawla brings out canopy beds, complete with sheer curtains and glamorous throws in rich colours, to dress up the space while entertaining.

The highlight of the space is Chawla’s favourite décor item — a rich Dolce & Gabbana chandelier that she picked up from the brand’s Dubai store. It lights up an array of branded furniture, including seaters from Fendi, B&B and and Minotti. There are other artefacts, most of which came home from various holiday destinations abroad, including hukkah stations, candelabra, and even wallpaper which Chawla picked up from the US and pasted on a “drab, bare wall”.

For someone who is extremely fond of dressing up in Chanel (“it’s understated and chic”), her own “deck” area, she says, is what she loves to dress up.

“I love nature,” she says, looking at the flooring at the periphery, where water sections have been especially created to float fragrant candles and colourful gerberas in.

For now, Chawla’s pretty glasshouse has all her attention. Ours as well.