This week You! takes a look at Sadaf Azhar’s chic yet cosy home, that represents a mix of contemporary and traditional aesthetics...
interiors
This week You! takes a look at Sadaf Azhar’s chic yet cosy home, that represents a mix of contemporary and traditional aesthetics...
Home is a place where one should be able to unwind after a long day... a place which should be cosy and comfortable for you. However, it should also be aesthetically pleasing with a chic, sophisticated and modern interior.
Located at Khayaban-e-Muhafiz, DHA, Karachi, Sadaf Azhar’s home is just the right mix of contemporary and traditional interior. The house was built in 2006. “The architect was Cezanne Naqsh but the interior is completely my brain child with some inputs from my husband, of course. I keep visiting designer stores whenever I get time to keep up with what’s new, if not that, I skim through a lot of home decor magazines to get my inspiration or just new ideas on how to revamp the look of the house,” shares Sadaf Azhar.
Homes that are built almost two decades ago tend to look rustic and old; they lose the modern look that they had at the time they were built. But this isn’t the case with Sadaf’s home. “I get bored of the same furniture every three to four years, so I’ve changed my interior almost three times in the past 12 years. This is why the house seems to be up-to-date and modern as compared to many other houses built in that year,” she tells. As a homemaker, Sadaf has kept her interior very exotic yet sophisticated. We say exotic because be it the garden, entrance, lounge or the basement, she has added greenery to every bit of the house. “The entrance is my favourite part of the house, it gives me a perfect view of the whole place, and the coffee chairs right next to the window gives me a great view of my garden which is my next favourite place. I absolutely love nature which is why you’ll find lush greenery in every bit of the house,” she expresses.
The luxurious furniture, crystal chandeliers, the new age kitchen design, trendy wallpaper and lastly the decorative accessories all add to the grandeur look of the house. Sadaf has given a lot of attention to detail, the decorative accessories that are placed in different rooms of the house speak volume of that, whether it’s a treasure chest, lamps, candles or crystals, she’s got every room covered. “I love collecting decorative items; I feel they add a certain charm to every room. Whenever I travel, I buy crystals and art so that I have the best of every part of the world. In Karachi, my best picks are from Habitt, Interwood and Talent & Taste,” tells Sadaf.
The house has some grand chandeliers in the lounge, dining room and drawing room; these chandeliers add a certain class and ambiance to the whole house. It kind of puts every other furniture piece into place by acting as a centre point.
The place is naturally lit, gives the house a restful and beautiful feel. Sadaf Azhar is an admirer of natural beauty and expresses, “I love a naturally lit place which is why I’ve chosen to keep the colour scheme of the house between white, greys and browns as the sunlight reflects best on this scheme rather than darker colours. So, 90 per cent of the house is on the same colour scheme”. The warm yellow rays peeking through the big windows gives a relaxing feel to the whole place.
Maintaining this beautiful yet vast space can be a real task, because what’s left of a classic interior if not maintained in the right way? “This is a tough one! Since I live right across the sea, maintenance is the main challenge I face, I have invested too much time, energy and heart in this place to prevent it from rust and rot! It’s been 12 years here and we have changed the air conditioning four times. Also, most of the electronic items catch rust so I make sure the house help is on their toes when it comes to cleaning,” stresses Sadaf.
Every home tells a story about the people that live in it; it reflects upon their personality, their likes, dislikes and their taste. It acts like a storyteller unravelling the tale of the owner, things like travel history, favourite colour etc. In Sadaf’s case, her house speaks volumes of her love for nature, art and open spaces. The big windows, indoor plants, green hangings and paintings in the dinning are some of the things which reflect Sadaf’s personality and her interest. It is really true when they, ‘Home is where the heart is’.
