Nikki Galrani, who recently married fellow actor Aadhi Pinisetty at a modest wedding in Chennai, contacted interior designer Farah Agarwal of Chestnut Storeys when planning the interiors of her new house. The three-bedroom, 3,500-square-foot condominium in the centre of Chennai provides magnificent views of the Indian Ocean. Nikki Galrani, an Indian actor and model who predominantly works in Tamil and Malayalam films, needed a house that reflected subtle splendour without sacrificing refinement.
“I emphasised the natural light and used it to create a clean, basic backdrop. The combination of strong colours and soothing neutral tones served to make the area subdued without seeming boring. “Ultimately, not being afraid to incorporate bursts of colour and statement items pulled the overall design of the home together,” says Farah Agarwal, Founder and Principal Designer of Chestnut Storeys.
While the home is mostly minimalist in style, distinctive artwork and eye-catching furniture items bring flair to the room. “I’ve been following Farah’s work for a while now and I adore her approach, sense of style, and vision.” I am a sucker for glitter and glam—anything that shimmers and shines. But I usually go overboard, which is a bad thing. Working with Farah has taught me how to properly channel my passion for glitz. “This house perfectly embodies who I am—extremely it’s minimalistic, tidy, and nice, which is why it had to be functional and have plenty of storage solutions,” Nikki Galrani adds.
Guests are greeted by a lobby that has an eclectic yet stylish gallery wall filled with expertly picked objets d’art. An abstract artwork in the centre of the wall is surrounded by prints of distinctive figures from many times and civilizations. The entrance leads to the living and dining areas, which include a beautiful combination of materials, colours, and patterns best represented by the contrast of the glistening velvet blue couch with the leather credenza and the abstract botanical printed single-seaters from Magari. Nikki Galrani’s trophies adorn the walls and stand tall among the furniture.
The open arrangement of NIkki Galrani’s bright and breezy living area and dining room makes it a great location for entertaining. The dining room has an attractive table with pastel suede seats, a monochromatic rug from Jaipur Rugs, a modern chandelier, and gold-rimmed mirrors. A bar area in the corner houses a classic leather trunk from Studio Ochre, gold Makara from HB Studio, and artwork by Amit Lodh. The living room is my favourite room in the house because it is where I spend most of my time. It’s where I entertain visitors, hang out with my pets, and take business calls.
The main bedroom is exquisite and sumptuous, and it is designed in the same style as the rest of the house. It was created as a peaceful haven for Nikki Galrani and Pinisetty to unwind after a long day. The space is tied together by intriguing pieces such as a bed with a velvet headboard, a printed ottoman from Magari, a damaged carpet from Jaipur Rugs, and a large dual-toned artwork by artist Pulkit Prajapati from Gallery Veda.
Sage green and ivory patterned walls are balanced with an antique chest of drawers, which provides character to the room. The star wanted her vanity area to be a lively yet simple environment with few furnishings because she spends a lot of time preparing for gigs.
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