"Instead of a cacophony, you really have a chorus,” notes Pavitra Rajaram, creative director of Nilaya Anthology by Asian Paints, on its layered design registers and decor offerings in an exclusive conversation with STIR. At the recent launch of what promises to be the country’s largest 'international design destination', Rajaram, a designer herself, delineated her creative and curatorial approach to the design hub’s ‘Shop House’ section, in a walking conversation with Samta Nadeem, curatorial director of STIR.

This particular space’s identity, as Asian Paints relays in its official press release, is driven by three creative investigations: Curation, Creation and Experience. It also connects to the cyclical, generational nature of existing and creating in India that of being in a continuum, ever-evolving, rich and welcoming, as Rajaram denotes in the accompanying video walkthrough revolving around the space itself, as an experiential look and analysis of this ambitious project.

For context, “This design destination will be a singular port of call for designers and decor-conscious consumers who will be able to peruse everything from kitchens and bathware to antiques and art under one roof,” promises Asian Paints.

Nilaya Anthology is not just a retail space; it is a cultural catalyst and a storytelling experience…The curatorial lens applied here is not just scale and craftsmanship but is also an attempt to introduce new vocabulary to the contemporary design lexicon of India. – Amit Syngle, managing director and CEO of Asian Paints Ltd.

As a long-standing leader in the paint industry in India, Amit Syngle, managing director and CEO of Asian Paints Ltd., explains to STIR his aim in entering the luxury décor and design market in the country, with such an endeavour, “Nilaya Anthology is a natural evolution to the offerings that have been part of the Nilaya brand for all these years, [which has] stood for exceptional craftsmanship and the luxury of time from its creation. Nilaya Anthology is a way for Asian Paints to fulfil its long-held promise that har ghar kuch kehta hai. With this landmark retail offering, we expand our offerings within the home space. The custom-designed space marks a significant moment in the brand’s journey to redefine luxury home décor and collectible design. It is not just a retail space; it is a cultural catalyst and a storytelling experience. Asian Paints has always put the customer first. For eight decades we’ve believed the Indian customer deserves the best possible experience and we’ve delivered that through technology and innovation of products. With Nilaya Anthology, the customer is again centre stage. The space aims to offer our customers a platform with the highest level of services, variety of product offerings and retail experience.”

“With [this] space, Indian consumers have the opportunity to experience Indian design and craftsmanship presented in a way that has never been done before. The space offers a luxury immersive experience focused on the power of storytelling highlighting it through the presentation of craft practices from around the world, tactile materials and personalised service. Nilaya Anthology houses products from some of the finest design brands in the world, presented with a unique point of view. The curatorial lens applied here is not just scale and craftsmanship but is also an attempt to introduce new vocabulary to the contemporary design lexicon of India,” he continues.

Spanning 1,00,000 sq.ft., the retail space set in the heart of Mumbai's mill district in the Peninsula Corporate Park, is designed by award-winning Indian architect and designer Rooshad Shroff and is structured across the building’s two expansive floors into the ‘Shop House’, the ‘Showroom’ and the ‘Connector’ sections; the former is a retail space integrating international design houses and brands with small-scale, artisan-led craft (and where this walkthrough takes place), or as Asian Paints describes, “a meticulously curated labyrinth of rooms showcasing textiles, ceramics, glassware, antiques and handcrafted design from India and beyond”.

At one end of the retail design, the Candle House features hand-poured candles to scented ones, and at the other, carpet designs from Jaipur Rugs unfurl leisurely. The Dining Room showcases exquisite tableware from Egypt to Jaipur, while The Glass House displays 19th and 20th-century vases. Textiles have their own temple here, celebrating Indian handlooms represented by the likes of Heirloom Naga, Injiri and Kashmir Loom. Hidden in plain sight, The Sanctum glows with gold-textured walls and skylights, showcasing fine ceramics, pottery and Ghanaian basketry. Meanwhile, the sunlit Glass Conservatory is dedicated to Italian porcelain by Ginori 1735 and Viya Home décor. There’s even a shop-in-shop by Mumbai’s famed Natesan’s Antiqarts, along with a private viewing room for consultations.

The ‘Showroom’ section—split across both floors, accessed by a sweeping ramp from the 'Shop House'—is a larger, more conventional design retail space hosting various design segments, including furniture, bathroom, kitchen and domestic appliances, interior furnishing and lighting. It features established and experimental brands such as Cassina, Bisazza, MIPA Design, Cerasa, Dedar, Miele, Lema, Glas Italia, Davide Groppi, Zucchetti, Oluce and Cesar, among others. This is “where the full scale of Nilaya Anthology’s retail offering unfolds. This is, quite simply, Mumbai’s most ambitious interior design showroom—a complete destination for the home, where everything from furniture and accessories to kitchens and bath solutions is presented through one of the most extensive collections in the country,” Asian Paints mentions on their official website.

[Nilaya Anthology] allows you to discover things at your own pace and in your own way. That feeling of agency is so powerful, and at the end of the day, we want our homes to be about agency and power and feeling centred in your own story. – Pavitra Rajaram, creative director, Nilaya Anthology

One of the most welcoming areas of the sprawling store emerged as the ‘Orangery’ at Nilaya’s entrance, a soaring atrium of quiet and rest, of much-needed pause and reflection amid a burst of verdant foliage and flowers from across the world, drinking in the day’s sun. The space is also a nursery—or, as Asian Paints describes, “a startlingly rare feature in Mumbai’s compact, concrete landscape.” Meanwhile, the ‘Connector’ is a co-workspace for designers and architects, replete with a Material Library to foster experimentation with colour, texture and materiality.

Next is an area dedicated to Collectible Design—featuring works from contemporary designers such as Rooshad Shroff, Atelier Ashiesh Shah, Cox London and Ravi Vazirani Design Studio, alongside a pop-up by Milan-based gallery Nilufar founded by Nina Yashar. Nilufar’s debut in India also presents its premiere collaboration with Indian designer Vikram Goyal. Further, the shop-in-shop for antiquities adds a historical dimension to the overall curation.

The Atelier with Sabyasachi is a dedicated space for the Sabyasachi Art Foundation, which debuts its first and only showcase at Nilaya Anthology with the works of artist-in-residence Atish Mukherjee. “Nilaya Anthology will also display designs across iconic wall coverings and upholstery—both new and archival—from the longstanding collaboration between Asian Paints and designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee,” the press release states.

The essence of things

One of the larger conversations surrounding Nilaya Anthology is the definition of Indian design. Rajaram describes it as neither maximalist nor minimalist but as ‘essentialist'. The overarching endeavour, according to her, also aims to break hierarchies between makers, decorators and consumers, positioning all as part of the larger design ecosystem—or as Rajaram proclaims, “we’re all in this dance together!”

We have focused on what I call ‘human hands and human hearts’, and the lens with which we’ve attributed value to anything [here] is time. – Pavitra Rajaram, creative director, Nilaya Anthology

Rajaram’s creative curation for the space aspires to create an ‘editorial’ presentation of design rather than just a conventional retail format. According to her, the Nilaya Anthology is indeed ambitious in avoiding a single design ideology and, instead, allows for moments of contrast and dialogue between the presented objects. Additionally, she challenges the notion that ‘cultural capital’ is limited to a privileged few, arguing that India’s creative wealth is rooted in its villages, landscapes and communities.

Beyond Retail?

Positioning itself as a ‘cultural catalyst’, Nilaya Anthology plans for multidisciplinary programmes hosting events, exhibitions and even concerts within the space, suggesting an attempt to move beyond pure commerce and into an experiential model of art and design engagement.

However, its high-end positioning inevitably invites questions about its cultural accessibility, particularly in terms of pricing and the profiles of its target audience.

Another crucial enquiry emerges: Will Nilaya Anthology’s intent and narrative genuinely shift luxury dynamics in the industry, or remain confined to a privileged market audience?

One exits the space with lingering intrigue and hope for Nilaya Anthology’s vision for design inclusivity and craft representation, translating into an equal platform for established houses and local creatives. Moreover, in India’s evolving luxury market, where design narratives are often shaped by exclusivity, does, or should a space like Nilaya Anthology democratise access to luxury design for it to essentially embody its namesake, a dwelling built of and holding myriad stories?

Tap the cover video to watch Pavitra Rajaram and Samta Nadeem's full conversation at Nilaya Anthology.