An elegant cocktail of quintessential art and history, the Artize philosophy believes that there is no reason why any space in our homes should be devoid of artistic aesthetics. On a mission to reinvent the way we perceive the most intimate corners of our personal spaces, luxury bath brand Artize in collaboration with AD, goes behind the scenes and into the coveted homes of eminent designers, exploring their vision in the video series titled, ‘The Artboard’. Through The Artboard, Artize continues to celebrate the crème de la crème of Indian art and design, seeking to inspire connoisseurs across the country. Back with a new chapter that re-establishes Artize’s ‘born from art’ philosophy, we visit the inner workings of celebrated interior designer Sunita Kohli and her daughter, Kohelika Kohli.
“All my life I think I’ve been a dreamer, a romantic. And incidentally, I became a designer,” says Sunita Kohli, a trailblazer in the field of historical interior architecture and architectural restoration. Her home embodies her vibrant personality and is a testament to her innumerable years in the field as an interior designer and President of K2 India. Join Architectural Digest as we visit her and the co-founder of K2 India, daughter Kohelika Kohli in their indulgent home in New Delhi.
A home with a history
Starting off with a walk around her glorious courtyard, Sunita points to some lovely kusum trees. “One of my favourite corners in this courtyard is where this kusum tree is. I planted two Kusum trees, they were three years old but about 5 ft tall only, and in fifteen years these trees have grown to be three storeyed high. This courtyard has also been the venue of a museum I founded- The Museum Of Women In The Arts In India, we’ve always used the place quite extensively,” she muses. We walk in through Traditional Chettinad doors and into the splendid living room.
“India is so special because we’ve got everyday art. It might not always be valuable, but often it is secular or religious and across the country, across every region— this is what happens. That wonderful feeling of [art] moving between cultures is what I think informs me and my personality, and sort of the way I work”, Sunita Kohli says.
As we tour her ornamental home, Sunita points out the focal wall at the entrance decorated with antique Tanjore paintings of Vishnu and opulent brass mirrors. The rest of the rooms host contemporary pieces designed by her daughter, Kohelika Kohli—except for the revolving, Edwardian-inspired bookcase designed by her husband, Rome Kohli in the 70s.
“I had the discipline, once I knew where I was going— of being an artize. I’m self-taught so perhaps I’ve gone a step further than what formal training could have given me; I’m very self-driven and I’m rather conscious of educating myself. The wonderful thing about Artize is that they love to promote art. And because they really believe in culture, they really believe in Kala.”
Holding Kala: Essays on Contemporary Design Aesthetics which will launch in Milan and London next month, she remarks, “Of course, Kala I’ve defined it in the book myself, it’s a singular Indian word and is something that encompasses art, architecture, design— the performing arts. And this word, a singular word which is evocative of all of this does not exist in Western vocabularies.”
Confluence by Artize
The Artize mission to celebrate art finds its way into their timeless collections, especially those that usher in a new era in bathroom luxury—with designs spanning many forms, centuries and borders.
The elegant luxury faucet with a one-of-a-kind design, created by Russian suprematist El Lissitzky, is a ‘confluence’ of strong vertical and horizontal elements; quiet and harmony envelop the space around Confluence, a zen mystery of natural inspiration. The faucet’s biomorphic design channels the energy of water streaming through a half-cut bamboo reed and pours it into a gentle, private stream— seeking only to calm and relax.
From faucets to ceramics, the featured product ranges embody many historical art movements from the Dutch-originating De Stijl and Russian avant-garde art to ancient Japanese pottery. With clean lines, bold forms and Art-Deco-inspired motifs—each offering is the epitome of form-meets-function that raises the bar for opulent bathrooms everywhere.
Watch the full episode now.
To learn more about Artize and its design philosophy, click here
The post The fifth episode of The Artboard by Artize dives into interior designer Sunita Kohli’s flair for harmonising whimsical pieces appeared first on Architectural Digest India.