The family that lives together...

The Rathi residence is a sum of parts that is supposed to add up to comfort and the high life.

Honestly, it takes some effort to find this address. Number 24 of S.E., quite the typical upper middle south Delhi neighbourhood, is out of sync with the numerical series of plots. It’s a corner plot, tucked away where you least expect it. I shield my eyes as I enter the two-storey building painted spotless white, its driveway crammed with two luxury sedans in the same colour.

This is the exquisitely done-up residence of the Rathi family, the same people behind the Rathi brand of steel products. It’s a family home — the Rathis, their two sons and their families all live here, with each unit taking up a floor, the father and mother on the ground floor, the elder son the first and so it goes.

“Our brief was simple, to accommodate everyone’s tastes. We wanted the house to be comfortable and good looking,” was all Anil Rathi had in mind while designing the space. That might sound simple but it was complicated by the fact that the interiors were designed much after the house was constructed and the two had to be integrated together. The Rathis’ search ended with Anjali Goel, the founder of customised interior-design firm La Sorogeeka based in Noida, who was given the task of coming up with a plan to integrate the common areas with the private spaces.

The execution of the project, says Goel, took more than a year and was divided into two stages. First came the common areas — the formal drawing and dining spaces, the lounge at the entrance, the informal dining space, kitchen and study — all of which were located on the ground floor.

Goel says she chose a classical look, as minimalism was definitely out of fashion, and blended in modern lines. And that worked with the Rathis, because they did not have an appetite for “mixing and matching”. It is easy to spot that the underlying theme is high on co-ordination.

The formal drawing and dining area uses a crème and gold colour palette, which goes very well with the Italian perlato stone which has been used uniformally throughout the house. The couches in the formal reception room are split into two separate seating arrangements, one of which faces a fireplace — overwrought somewhat, entirely encased in gold leaf, and with two ornate birds, in gold again, perched on top.

Elsewhere too, the decor is obvious rather than subtle. The upholstery for the sofas is thick with embellishment, with the cushions sporting what I am told are fake pearls and semi-precious stones. The architect had oriented the drawing room so that it was flooded by natural light and Goel says she chose to separate it from the entrance lounge with a glass partition.

“The fact that the house had many occupants was a challenge but it was made easier because no part of the house overlooks any another. Thus all the rooms, especially the private suites, are totally different in their designs to match individual moods and tastes,” says Goel.

The master bedroom, the only private area on the ground floor and occupied by the senior Rathis, has the same copper and brown theme with the contoured bedstead finished with leather. The suites on the upper floors, on the other hand, are less contoured with a profusion of straight lines to reflect the more contemporary tastes of its younger occupants.

The mood here is fresh, brought about by the use of yellow orange and aqua-green. There is a lot of storage space — approximately 120 square feet — but it is cleverly worked into the layout of each floor. There’re the usual cupboards, of course, and the upper suites have walk-in closets to store seasonal wear.

“We are into customised interiors. So everything for the Rathi home was made to order,” reveals Goel. Even the lighting is customised with Swarovski crystals.

The Rathis’ favourite space is the drawing room and they love to gather there and spend time together. “We like the ambience. It’s perfect to sit and catch up, talk about the day,” says Rathi Sr. That’s what makes all the effort worth the while, perhaps.