LuxeBook September -2021

The dos and don’ts of decorating your home office and a guide to arty yet ergonomic furniture for your work zone. BY PRATISHTHA RANA Work Smart, Decorate Smarter! E ntrepreneurs who have not stopped innovating and creating the best in the luxury industry during the lockdown have been cooped up inside their home offices, too. They give LuxeBook some fun and staple tips on how to jazz up the look of a work-from-home corner. Kresha Bajaj Fashion Designer & Creative Director – Kresha Bajaj I like to call my home office a happy, hopeful and calming place. M y workstation went through many changes during the last year. Before lockdown it had a cluster of beautiful frames, vintage stationary, candles, planner and a few other decorative things. But in the lockdown, I wanted to reset my mind. So, I decided to declutter my desk and keep it minimal in order to help me think better. Currently, my workplace just has a mini-variegated Monstera plant, a Diptyque Baies candle (it reminds me of the ocean) and a couple of books I’ve been reading on business strategy. A few décor pieces at my home office that stand out include a Victorian crystal chandelier, my beautiful Satuario desk, and a 50-year-old heirloom that I repurposed. My super-comfortable chair is custom made to look like a coral and it’s fluted in blush velvet. One quirky element is a trash basket under my desk, which is made of ivory ceramic and a tiny sparrow that sits on the edge of the gold rim. A frame of golden tree with branches is my iPad stand that looks no less than a piece of art. I absolutely love flea markets and vintage stores around the world and that’s where I usually get my décor from. To name a few, Saint Ouen in Paris, little stores in Oshiwara (Mumbai) and Anthropologie are my favorite. You can spruce up your home office setup by: • Adding a beautiful plant or some fresh blooms. • Using scented candles. • Keeping a book, you believe in. • Having a calendar and a journal with enough space to plan your weeks ahead and write notes in. Nazneen Jehangir Founder – Libellule My work space at home is elegant, functional yet elevating I n the lockdown, we moved to our weekend home that didn’t even have a proper office space. So, I changed one of the bedrooms into a study-cum-office. I added a beautiful chair by Jeevaram Carpenter, a lovely flea market vase with dried flowers and some bespoke foraged material that I’d collected and dried like feathers, wild fruits, twigs. For staple interior décor, my go-to brands are Jaipur Rugs, Mahendra Doshi’s furniture studio, ‘my mum’s house’ for heritage pieces and IKEA for odd things like cable managers and felt door handle cushions that you don’t find elsewhere. You can spruce up your home office setup by: • Hiding your wires and having sectional drawers to put folders out of sight. • Not having unnecessary knick- knacks that may look good in photos but just clutter your space otherwise. I think a clean space is the best canvas. • Adding a planter or small vases. Sachin Gupta Founder – Beyond Designs My home office is an easy-going, non- pretentious place surrounded with some cherished collectibles. I ’m not much of a desk person. I usually work on the sofa or even my bed. However, I have aligned a desk right next to the balcony to get lots of light, views of greenery and of my balcony. I have done up the desk with a table lamp, a wooden sculpture and a backlit champa tree to create a soothing ambience. There are some artefacts, books and flowers that complete the look. I am old school, so I prefer not to have any high-tech gadgets. You can spruce up your home office setup by: • Following your own style and decorating with whatever you want – artefacts, books, plants. • Getting natural light and a bit of greenery in the view. • Arranging your stationery in a beautiful holder or a jewellery box to add an artistic touch. • Having a table lamp that not only decorates the desk but also helps with light. Tarang Arora Creative Director –Amrapali My work station is practical, comfortable and inspirational. A fter adapting to a WFH routine, the first change I made was a new work desk that would accommodate my laptop, iPad and phone. My desk doesn’t have a high-tech gadget, but there are my regular tools that I need at work such as measuring instruments for gemstones and magnifying eyeglasses. Some visually appealing décor pieces adorning my home office include my family’s portrait in a silver frame, a beautiful Rajasthani painting, some silver articles and an emerald Ganesha. A Nespresso machine sits on one corner as well. For most of my décor related needs, Good Earth is my go-to. You can spruce up your home office setup by: • Keeping it simple and clean. Too much distraction can alter your focus. • Decluttering is crucial. Don’t hoard up things thinking you would need them. It will only occupy space in your room as well as in your mind. • Making way for a source of sunlight. Especially being in the jewellery business, it’s all the more crucial for me to see stones in natural light, so it’s a must. • Adding your favorite painting, poster or a picture that interests or inspires you. • Including smart storage. In my case, I need a compact safe to keep the jewellery. Varuna D Jani Founder –Varuna D. Jani Fine Jewellery My work corner is a space where I feel relaxed yet the most productive and inspired. D uring the lockdown, I demarcated a separate room 46| L U X E B O O K | S E P T E MB E R 2 0 2 1 S E P T E MB E R 2 0 2 1 | L U X E B O O K |47 HOME O FFICE