This Kochi apartment is styled with an intricate collection of art and colonial pieces

Beautiful Homes (BH): What was Elsa’s initial brief for this home?

Meera Pyarelal (MP): While she loves heritage styles and wanted her roots to echo through the apartment, she didn’t want a traditional Kerala home. And, since she travels a lot and has collected a lot of pieces over the years, she wanted to marry both these elements that have played a big role in her life.

BH: How did you envision this space?

MP: I was eyeing a sort of arts and crafts moment—I wanted each space to be bright with vivid colours and a lot of prints. The soul of the home would be very Indian with smaller details of European textures.

BH: Why did a tropical botanical theme fit in this home?

MP: Most clients aren’t very keen on using colour—they tend to stick to beige shades—but Elsa did not shy away from vibrant hues. So, I had free reign over mixing and matching jewel tones with gilded metals.

BH: How did you choose the plants for this home?

MP: Since I mostly design colonial-themed homes, plants play a big role in them. I always like placing a bit of greenery everywhere to keep each space fresh. I love to scale a room with the plants I can add in it, and the height it adds to it. And flowers never fail in brightening up a room. 

BH: What was this project’s biggest challenge?

MP: Definitely the time frame. We had to complete this home in 90 days. The entire workshop and studio was working 24/7 to get this ready in time for the wedding.

BH: Sustainability plays a big role in your design process. Tell us more about this.

MP: If you build quality pieces, they’ll be long-lasting and can be handed down as heirlooms, which is a true example of sustainability. We never go further than 50 kilometres when sourcing wood for the furniture that is made in our workshop. I know exactly where every single material comes from, where it ends up, and how it’s used. And everything is sourced responsibly with each piece always telling a local story—there’s nothing imported being included in the process. 

BH: What would your advice be for adding antiques or colonial styles in an Indian home?

MP: There’s a general misconception that you can’t add an old or traditional piece in a contemporary space because it might be a mismatch. I don’t think that’s true—it is actually quite unique to have a piece of you or your family telling a quiet story of your heritage in your home. This works in any house no matter how modern, sleek or minimal.