W
alking into Ishitta Aran’s home, it is impossible not to
notice the warm, ruddy colours, complemented by the
mosaic of a flamboyant, Spanish flamenco dancer at the
entrance. A kaleidoscopic main door is the preamble to
the vivid home of television personality, designer and folk
dancer, Ishitta Aran and her musician spouse Dhruv Ghanekar. Tangerine
walls, quirky decorative items, and drams masquerading as side tables set the
mood for an effusive
1,800
sq. ft. apartment in a high rise in Bandra, Mumbai.
“I am very emotional about spaces,” says Ishitta. “I am still very attached
to my room at my mother’s (renowned folk artist Ila Aran) home in
Santacraz.” When the couple bought this space, it was in shambles. To spruce
it up she bought the mosaic tiles that were a part of the old bungalow that
stood there “for a vintage effect, interspersed with the wooden flooring.”
Their apartment opens into a warm, rectangular living and dining
area, with the rooms pegged at opposite ends. The surprise package is the
concealed recording studio—“My favourite space, where I write and compose
my music,” says Dhruv, founder-director of Mumbai’s lively nightspot
Blue Frog. This section is sealed, away from the buzz of the home with a
nonchalant wooden door, locked in further by two sliding doors—each
decorated with the borders of Ishitta’s great grandmother’s, grandmother’s,
and mother’s wedding saris. “I grew up in an environment where there was
never any creative restriction. These doors ensure that the women who
encouraged me are with me always, in my home,” says Ishitta.
Her career is on the roll with her mother’s play,
Mareechika
(a Marwari
theatrical adaptation of Ibsen’s
Lady from the Sea),
her exhibitions as a part of
the D-Tour (a collaboration on home lifestyle with Dhoop founder Aradhana
Nagpal), and creations under her own design label D
Se Dijhaeen.
“Forget
trends, you must have the basic knowledge on how to maintain your home on
a daily basis, not just make it look fabulous for a party,” she says. ■
THE VIVID MOSAIC
in
stone and glass forms
the main door,
top right.
“It is a wedding gift from
my (ad film maker) uncle
Piyush Pandey and his
wife Neeta Pandey—who
has designed it. We
honeymooned in Spain
and Dhruv plays the
guitar, that explains the
concept,” says Ishitta.
A VIEW OF
the storage
closet outside the
bathroom adjoining the
living area. The framed
triad shows the couple’s
love for Spain,
far right.
THE SLIDING DOORS
are a colourful collage of
the borders of various
wedding saris.
HIDE & SEEK
This soundproof door conci
Dhruv’s recording studio.
B E T T E R H O M E S A N D G A R D E N S | D E C E M B E R
2011
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