A GRAND GESTURE

interior

When one enters Naureen and Mirza Ikhtiar Baig’s home, ‘spaciousness’ is the word that comes to one’s mind. When you enter from the main entrance, you can see through the mural installed on the exterior boundary wall with life-size glass partitions. Stunningly beautiful, the house certainly has the ‘wow’ factor. In fact, it’s safe to say that it’s one of a kind, designed specially to its owners’ requirements. The house has spacious car parking, expansive lawn and spacious rooms. The luxurious exterior, with its elaborate balcony, neatly kept garden and contemporary lounge area is a fabulous testament to couple’s fine taste in décor.

The house has been designed and built on Victorian and Classic architecture of mid to late 19th century by renowned architect Ali Shamim Naqvi. The ground and first floor have been done in Victorian classic theme, whereas basement area is a combo of Victorian with modern styles, strictly following the architectural theme. The basement involves eclectic design and decorative elements, yet is consistent with the Victorian style.

“Since my husband and I entertain a lot, we wanted a bigger house where we could entertain our guests comfortably. We have been living in this house for two years. This house has enough space to meet our requirements. It’s a double storey house with 10 bedrooms, living room, dining room, cigar room, guest rooms, study, basement entertainment area with snooker (Pool Table), theatre, gymnasium, TV lounges with common sitting areas, and three powder rooms.” tells Naureen Baig.

The house is decorated in a sumptuous colour palette of warm neutrals in the custom-made seating and soft furnishing. Putting emphasis on the surroundings, each room has an exterior entrance. “There were foreign and Pakistani interior designers involved in the process, however, interior designer, Sabeen Shiraz, was the focal person. Me and my daughter-in-law Iman’s inputs were there and we used to attend presentations by interior designers before finalising,” says Ikhtiar Baig who is a well-known businessman and honorary Consul General of Yemen.

A combination of classic, traditional furniture and contemporary pieces furnish this home with style and elegance. Large, capacious rooms are the perfect backdrop to oversized furniture – from the spacious living area with its contemporary sofas, to the long dining table teamed with modern chairs. The dining room also shows off couple’s flair for tabletop styling, which comes to the fore when they throw dinner parties at home, decorating with quirky accessories or to a specific theme. “Our furniture was custom-made by oldest and famous Victorian furniture designer Larry Hilfram including upholstery and tapestry, as well as imported in consultation with interior designers,” informs Baig. “Our 28 chairs dining table with consoles is my favourite piece of furniture as the table is one-piece, custom-made for our dining hall. The dining chairs are adorned with Italian silk upholstery embodying classic tradition,” he adds.

The house is a treasure of artefacts that the couple has collected over the years from around the world. “I am a lover of sculptors, decoration pieces, carpets and antique items. So, the collection of these items in my new house was procured over a period of time. Since my house is mainly designed on Victorian and Classic lines, my decorating style is also reflected in the paintings, furniture, mouldings, stained glass, carvings and other objets d’ art and accessories,” elaborates Baig.

Baig admits that even two years down the line, he is still decorating, tweaking and adjusting the interiors. “Designing my home is always a journey, though, and part of what I enjoy is to be able to take my time and select items that inspire me rather than buying things just to fill an empty space. My favourite room in the house is my study, beautifully designed in wood with Italian leather furniture and Victorian writing desk and good collection of books making it a truly cosy place to relax,” comments Baig.

What stands out as particularly different about this house is not only the variety of décor and how it blends so well, but also some unique statement pieces. According to the couple, their objects at home need to tell a story. “It is important that one can sense the personality of everyone who lives in the house. Our home mirrors our lifestyle,” elucidates Naureen. The drawing room has a more formal feel.

Painted in cool shades, the room has a real sense of space. Although the décor is rather flamboyant, there are a number of classic, antique pieces that sit comfortably in the house. Recently, the couple got some new handmade Persian silk carpets from Isfahan, Tabriz and Kashan with beautiful designs in pastel and gold colours, adding a regal look to the overall ambiance.

The house also boasts of a huge collection of exquisite paintings by celebrated artists including Raja Changez Khan, Jamil Naqsh, Sadequain, Gulgee, Iqbal Mehdi, Mashkoor, Shahid Rassam and Anwar Ali. “At present, Raja Changez Khan is my favourite who flown from Islamabad for fixing my paintings. I like abstract, landscaping and calligraphy. Paintings are more presentable if they are appropriately framed. I have some paintings from Morocco, the wooden framing, done in Italy, matches the arches and motives of the paintings,” explains Baig.

So, while furnishing the house, did you make any decorating mistake and then regretted it later? “Yes,” says Baig, “When I travelled abroad with Naureen and two interior designers to buy chandeliers, furniture, lights, decoration pieces, I procured two sets of Italian chandeliers for my daughters Haya and Anum’s rooms. But after the installation, they didn’t like the white light effect. They instead wanted to have yellow warm light; the supplier refused to change it.”

“Being a diplomat, Naureen and I entertain our diplomat guests and business leaders whenever they come to Karachi. Sometimes we arrange indoors and sometimes in our garden. The most difficult thing in the house is to maintain garden and plants. We are not into gardening but keep a close liaison with the team of our gardeners to plant seasonal flowers on regular basis,” concludes Baig.

Photography by SRS