A perfect presentation

interior

Naheed Ansari’s creative and tastefully done abode is a sight to behold. You! takes a look...

It takes a creative person to combine aesthetics with the design to create a space that looks artistic yet chic. Interior designing is all about understanding of spaces and colours in order to design and set up a place. And our very own cooking expert, wedding planner and interior designer Naheed Ansari is one such person who has decorated her abode keeping the nitty-gritty in mind. Her house exudes warmth and is visually appealing as well.

As soon as you enter Naheed and Tanveer Ansari’s house, it seems as if you have been transported to a fairyland. Plants of every shape and size adorn all nooks and corners of the patio, while a gnome stands in attendance welcoming all. Yet another gnome, perched atop a mushroom, looks on in wonderment. It is the creative and tasteful use of figurines, trinkets and greenery that reminds one of a typical Enid Blyton setting.

The Ansari abode reflects Naheed’s sedate yet tasteful personality. A student of St Joseph’s School, she later on went to College of Home Economics and that is where her skills were honed. Always on the go, Naheed has many aces up her sleeve. When not doing TV shows, she is either busy with her interior designing projects or with ‘Finesse by Naheed Ansari’ - her finishing school for young girls.

It has been five years since Naheed moved in to her current home with her family. “I wanted a more manageable space where I could have everything under control. With two of my sons married and settled abroad, I am left with my youngest son and my husband, so a smaller house made sense. I worked on the interior of the home turning it into the kind of space I wanted,” apprises Naheed.

The ground floor houses the drawing room, lounge, dining room and her son’s bedroom. “I have opted for the colour green, peach and white throughout the house. The drawing room is all white. To add colour to the room I chose colourful calligraphies and then matched two chairs with the blue and rust shades of the calligraphies,” shares Naheed.  

Going up the staircase one can see various images of her school, ‘Finesse’, adorning the wall. As you step on the landing you find yourself in a delightful corridor replete with urns, small planters strategically placed on the floor and also along the walls intermingled with mirrors, a console and other decor items.

This leads to the lounge, the Ansaris’ favourite hangout. The highlight of the lounge is the hand-painted wall which is absolutely striking in its uniqueness. The upper level originally had three bedrooms, but Naheed converted one of the bedrooms into a kitchen, as she wanted a place where she could conduct her etiquette and cooking classes. “I felt the need of a kitchen upstairs so I had the kitchen designed. And now I end up spending most of my day here. The best part is that the setting keeps on changing to suit the mood of my class,” she reveals.

While one bedroom is Naheed’s, the other one works as a guest room-cum-study for the lady of the house. These too have been planned and designed with great care and affection as is evident in its perfect presentation. “I love presentations - be it food or home decor, I make sure that the presentation is spot on. Guests have always appreciated my creativity and the encouragement spurred me on to improve my skills, both as a designer and a cook,” says Naheed.

On what has been the best compliment that she has ever received for her work, she states, “I have been doing home interiors for more than a decade now and Khushbakht Shujaat is one of my favourite clients and friend. Khushbakht once gave me a beautiful compliment by calling me ‘Bahesthti Zaiver’ the name of a book that talks about what a complete woman is like. I was so pleased and touched by her love and related the incident to my husband who found it equally touching.”

The rooftop garden and basement are two more areas of interest for Naheed who loves to tend to her garden personally. As for the basement, it serves as a space for her Finesse yoga classes besides a hangout spot for her son and his friends.

Photography by Naqeeb ur Rehman