Australian House & Garden

Back at the raj

India. It’s the new influence in decoration. Tired of years of minimalism, of black and white and grey and beige, adventurous homemakers are breaking out with lashings of colour and pattern. But that’s only one reason why India is flavour of the month in decorating. The other is that manufacturing costs are so low in India that a rush of well-designed, well-made but above all well-priced goods, from glassware to textiles to furniture, are pouring into Australia from the subcontinent making stylish interiors affordable as well as idiosyncratic.

Also to hand by way of reference is a slew of books on India, deluxe coffee table tomes on the history of the Maharajahs and their palaces, many of which have been converted to luxury hotels.

As you turn the pages you can seek inspiration from the Lake Palace in Udaipur, the Rambagh Palace in Jodhpur and the amazing Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur where the décor is often remarkably understated, even if the actual setting isn’t. Four-poster beds are draped not in silk but in plain muslin or printed cotton, floors are rug-free, pattern is used exuberantly.

In India Sublime, a book dedicated solely to the palace hotels, the most inspiring property is Devi Garh, a rambling 18th century fort that towers over the village of Delwara about forty five kilometres from Udaipur. Abandoned in the 1960’s by its princely owners, it lay empty and mouldering for over two decades until it was acquired and made over by a new owner and a team of local architects. Authentic restoration of every bit of the palace, in particular of the elaborately frescoed staterooms, was out of the question. So the building was stabilised, missing architectural elements replaced and the whole place painted a pale cream outside and whitewashed inside. However, where the odd room remained partially intact they were left alone as examples of the currently fashionable ‘shabby chic’ look.

Furnishings are all modern, as is the artwork. But most beautiful of all is the treatment of the main gardens and the seemingly endless courtyards, all given a highly modernist treatment inspired by Mughal traditional design. It’s probably the most beautiful and successful example of the blend of traditional and modern in all India and many of the ideas are adaptable for a beach house or family home in warm Australian climes.

 The Palace suite at the Devi Garh

• Posted By: Leo at Large at 4.00PM

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