“I like to surround myself with beautiful objects,” says Shan Bhatnagar, artist, hotelier and founder of his eponymous interior design studio. “Indian style is all about maximalism. The more, the merrier.” And there’s nothing that materialises this sentiment quite like Bhatnagar’s multi-generational home in Jaipur, located in a quiet neighbourhood. Built in the early 1950s, this space is almost as old as independent India—celebrating the country’s storied history, every step of the way. It houses a large drawing room, eight bedrooms, a traditional courtyard, lounge and bar area, a Krishna temple, Bhatnagar’s studio as well as his mother’s atelier.
Childhood Memories
Growing up in old Delhi, Bhatnagar loved gallivanting around local markets, hunting for antiques. Something that reached its crescendo when he moved to Jaipur. “The excitement to live in a city that was bursting with art and cultural heritage heightened my creativity,” he adds. This home in Jaipur mirrors this energy with a sea of carefully selected objects—some inherited, some collected over the years, and some waiting to be acquired in the future. Layered with 16th-19th century miniature paintings, Pichwais, bronze statues from different parts of India, carpets, chandeliers, and traditional lamps that are lit up almost everyday—it all comes together to celebrate the joyful spirit of Indian craft and heritage.
Credit-Architectural Digest India