A leaf from the past

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The living room boasts of a traditional setting with antique look furniture

After spending years in the walled city of Delhi amid the hustle-bustle of city life, when the Ahmed family planned to move to a new house, their main priority was a serene location. A house in Gurgaon gave them just that. While it was well connected to the life of a metro, it also provided the required tranquility.

Talking about the house in which artist Arshi Ahmed moved alongwith her family almost six years ago, Arshi says, “This place is still quite untouched by urbanisation. Unlike Delhi, here I still come across sparrows and other birds in the daytime and even fireflies can be spotted at night.”
Arshi loves the greenery around. Her mom and brother Moin Ahmed make regular efforts to beautify the garden by addition of small artefacts. “It’s my mom’s favourite hobby,” she says, as she welcomes us in.
A big living area divided into two parts speaks a lot about the family’s love for everything traditional. The bigger part of the living room has carved wooden furniture with a dash of gold plating. Adding to the look are dull-gold curtains. The smaller area has a contemporary look with a black and white print sofa, clubbed with complementing cushions.
Arshi says that the family loves the old-style look. “We have clung on to the furniture that we have inherited,” she says, as she walks us up to the first floor. A vibrant colourful painting on the staircase wall leads us up. The wall just in front of the stairs displays a framed Urdu calligraphy. “This has the 99 names of Allah,” she says, talking about the work that she handcrafted and gifted to her mom a few years ago. “My mom thought this is the best place to display it, as it is the intersection point of my brother and my room, and the positive energy would come to both of us,” adds Arshi, as she leads us to her bedroom.
The pristine white walls are one of the major attractions of her room. She says that she likes white walls as everything fits in easily. A rocking chair, a small sitting arrangement with a big carved mirror, an antique chest and two colourful bamboo sticks (that Arshi painted for a show) are other features of the room that add character.
Arshi’s favourite place is her studio on the top floor. “It’s a quiet place with light coming in from all directions,” she says, showing us her recent works based on Persian calligraphy.