The homemaker

Vinita Chaitanya’s journey began twenty years ago in Bangalore. “I trained for three and half years with the Oberoi Group in their Design Department in Kolkata and in 1988, when I moved to Bangalore, Vijay Mallya offered me a chance to design the Mc Dowells office on Cunningham Road and there was no looking back,” says Vinita.

She has since amassed a client list which includes N.R. Narayana Murthy, Kiran Majumdar-Shaw, Prakash Padukone, V.G. Siddhartha and Ajit Nambiar. Working with diverse people can be quite a challenge. “Kiran and her husband John, for example, have a huge collection of Indian and European art,” she says. “While doing up their home, I had over 1,000 pieces of art to select from and group. It was a tough call.”

Just like people, Vinita feels each home is different and has an individuality and character of its own. “I work with various styles, but contemporary classic best describes my work,” she says. “I enjoy symmetry and balance and have a great sense of proportion. I also love mixing contemporary furniture with ‘Indian’ art and artifacts. I feel it works really well and we have a great heritage to choose from.”

With extremely well-travelled clients who are aware of international trends, Vinita does her best to stay abreast. “I travel to the Milan ‘isalone’ fair and the Paris ‘Maison and Object’ fair every year and also visit London and New York frequently. International exposure is very important and helps me source furniture and accessories from all over the world,” she says.

 “I restrict the number of projects which I take up, so I can be personally involved in all of them. I only work on projects which excite me and fuel my creativity. My last project is normally my best as with each new project I try and raise the bar,” she adds. To raise the bar of your home, Vinita shares some tricks to put things in order.

Afor the Artistic Way
I prefer art which my clients enjoy and is also a good investment. Usually we buy art which appeals to us (and the decision is normally taken in consultation with the client). At times we create a backdrop with paint textures or gold/silver leaf or wall papers etc., for special pieces.

A dining table inlaid in semi-precious stones

Bfor Balance
The play between styles of furniture, accessories and furnishings is all about moderation and knowing when to stop. Over the top (OTT) interiors also look fabulous but here too you need to have a special talent to know when to draw the line. Sometimes less is more.

Cfor Chic
Chic contemporary homes are normally clutter-free. Not minimalist. One or two accessories are enough to make a style statement. My passion for adding the ‘Indian modern’ element to my interiors makes them exotic.

D for Dramatic Lighting
Lighting is a very important part of my residential projects. I work with accent lighting where required i.e., dining area or study and use soft lamps and dimmer stats for the rest of the house. The ambience has to be perfect and this can only be achieved with the right mix of lighting elements.