The Anands’ antique filled, contemporary home in New Delhi

Modern and traditional elements blend seamlessly with colour and repurposed pieces in this contemporary New Delhi home by group DCA

What strikes you most about Vishal and Aarti Anand’s sun-drenched home are the unique pieces dotting different areas, like the old palace darwaza used as a headboard in the master bedroom or an antique, South Indian temple door seen in the informal dining area. “I love antiques,” explains Aarti. “So, I wanted my house to be a perfect blend of modern and antique elements.

To maintain some uniformity throughout the house, use similar material and colour palettes. For instance, here you will find textured stone flooring across all the rooms on the ground floor while natural wooden flooring is common to all the bedrooms. If you don’t want to use the same material, use similar shades for a more cohesive look.

If you’re struggling with opening-up a space, flooding it with natural light is your best bet. This banishes dark spots that make a place seem small. Which is exactly what the architects have done with this home – fitted it with bay and corner windows that not only let natural light stream in but also create cosy pockets in different parts of the home.

We love Aarti's dramatic bedroom with its chandeliers, black mosaics and brass fittings. She's zeroed in for an elegant look for her elder daughter's room with its antique clock while opting for a more cheery one for her younger daughter and son's room, which comes with a beautifully crafted bunk bed and a splash of colour.

While we all know of gallery walls in hallways and passageways, another interesting place for it is the stairway. Here, Aarti has put together some of her favourite photographs and framed them along the wall adjacent to the staircase. It's a gentle reminder of all the happy memories as the family makes its way up and down the home, and almost always with a smile.