The Collected Home (Singhs' Home Tour)

The home of Padmini and Chandra Mohan Singh, with its consciousness for inherited treasures, acquired tastes, assemblage of cherished gifts and stumbled upon finds, it truly is a “Collected Home”. As you cross the threshold and are seized by the couple’s passion for antiques and Indian Art, you come to realize that each object and artifact has a story to tell. I’m thrilled to be able to feature this home, as it holds a special place in my heart. It’s the home I grew up in and every corner evokes fond memories and takes me back in time. Every time I visit my parents, the positive vibes pulsating through the home, promptly puts me at ease. 

As we walk into the foyer, the open floor plan greets you with wide open arms and guides you to an intimate space filled with intricately carved teak wood furniture, treasured artifacts and antiques that coalesce into a thoughtfully curated living room. A lot of the pieces that you see in the home have been resuscitated by the Singhs' creativity and bring authenticity and character to their home. The Singhs' collection is the result of perseverance and patience that spans more than 4 decades in search of extraordinary finds for their home.

The brass floor lamp in the right hand corner is a refurbished surahi (a long necked vessel used to serve liquids). Nostalgic about the lamp Chandra Mohan says, "On one of my many scouting trips, I spotted this beautiful surahi. Forgotten in the corner of a metal salvage yard, this surahi was missing its snout. With the intent to overlook its imperfections and showcase the craftsmanship on it, it was converted into a floor lamp as it stands today." On the opposite side is a copper pot that has yet again been cleverly transformed to light up another corner. A collage of wooden carving, framed art, votive candle holders and masks, makes for one of a kind wall display.

A carved wooden pillar (one among the many from the Chandra Mohan's ancestral home) has been ingeniously used to create a display of the assortment of brass bells and traditional Indian lamps. Lighting it up at night is a copper horn that's been morphed into a nightlight and casts a warm glow and highlights the carved detailing on the pillar.

Tanjore paintings gifted by a dear friend are given their rightful place above a grey schist stone carved Ganesha. Completing the display is an 80 year old urli with fresh flowers from the garden. The Singhs' love for natural elements can be seen all through the home. Chatais (natural grass woven carpets), wooden pillars, stone figurines, potted plants and flowers are considered staples when it comes to creating the Singhs' abode. 

A traditional style diwan with the ensemble of brightly colored cushions is a perfect place for a catnap on a hot summer afternoon. Padmini loves to experiment with different textiles throughout her home. She says, "By changing out the cushion covers and diwan spread, you can play up or play down the mood and have the flexibility to introduce a wide spectrum of colors into the space". Adding textural dialogue to the room is the granite dressed wall forming the backdrop for the diwan.

Chandra Mohan and Padmini took on the role of the architect for this home. Incorporating sublime architectural details like the 300 year old teak wooden pillars and brass inlaid staircase from Chandra Mohan's ancestral home, presented a challenge. But after a couple of brainstorming sessions and trusting their instincts, the end result has  been a seamless layout that is the perfect setting to showcase the couples enviable collections. Padmini says," This home is exactly what I wanted. It's been a slow process over the years but nevertheless it has been a completely satisfying process and I wouldn't want it any other way."

The antique pillars have been incorporated in such a way so as to create an open floor plan but at the same time create a distinct area for the formal living room.

A close up of the staircase, that looks like an art installation in itself.

A cradle converted to serve as a table, displays a carved wooden Nandi and other travel finds from Bali and Thailand.

The Buddha takes center stage in this zen corner, along with travel treasures from Nepal. Remember the Nepal trip I shared with you'll earlier, the unique weapons displayed here are from that very trip. Weapons of male bodhisattva form Mañjuśrī, never fail to ignite a conversation with the Singhs' guests. 

The formal dining table in the home is another piece that’s not a common catalog acquisition but was an effort that took more than a year to get together. The table base was reclaimed and granite was cut to size to form an indestructible tabletop. Escorting the table are Italian chairs that were rescued and upholstered in a custom fabric. It all comes together beautifully with the traditional thali setting that Padmini uses to entertain frequently.

Large french doors lead us from the dining to the beautiful garden that we took a tour of. The house has been designed in such a way so as to get a view of their green oasis from every room in the house.

If you would like to tour their garden, click here.

Besides the garden, the kitchen is the other hardest working space in the house. Padmini loves cooking traditional meals and she's admired for her culinary skills and hospitality. (There's nothing like mom's hand cooked meal - just writing this makes my tummy rumble.) Even though function reigns supreme in this part of the home, Padmini has made an effort to make her countertop displays in the kitchen, every bit as beautiful as the rest of her home. Her design mantra for the kitchen, "We tend to spend extensive amounts of time in our kitchens. Why not give it the same attention as the rest of our home and enjoy the time we spend in there cooking delectable meals for our loved ones". 

Walking upstairs, we come to the landing that has been put to maximum use. With ample natural light washing over the room at all times of the day, this place serves as a reading nook. It's also the place where the Singhs enjoy listening to ghazals and other classical music. At the far end of the room is a display wall that has been created with precious photographs of the family and is a catalyst when it comes to sharing favorite anecdotes with their guests.

Handmade wall hangings bought at a handicraft sale were  customized as  floor cushions. 

The master bedroom is tastefully done up in calming shades of cream with touches of red to add the visual spark. A medley of antique brass pandans (tobacco boxes) make for an interesting display at the foot of the bed.

Grouping of similar items makes for a wonderful, big impact display.

Anchoring the room is a Saharanpur buffet displaying the bone collection of the Singhs from Nepal. Another favorite piece of the Singhs is the rosewood chair, an heirloom piece that's more than a 100 years old and belonged to Chandra Mohan's father. 

Since Padmini believes that it's all in the details, the two other bedrooms are also painstakingly decorated with interesting pops of color and unique accessories that make the rooms a restful place.

Chatais (woven grass rugs) apart from adding  color and texture, have the added benefit of easy maintenance. 

And finally a look at a few other corners of their home before we wind up with this fabulous home tour. As you'll know by now the Singhs have a soft corner for "Ganesha". So I thought a collage of their favorite idol in his various avatars would be welcome.

And finally Padmini and Chandra Mohan Singh sum up the emotion that surrounds their home by saying, "We created this home much like a cocoon. A place that's special, secure and soulful,with the ability to enrich, educate and transform our children into strong individuals before they ventured out from this home. It has succeeded in doing all that and more. And now it serves as a retreat to enjoy our retired life and pursue our passion for gardening and art. As we cherish the memories we created with our children, we also look forward to creating new ones with our grand children in this very home."

And with that we come to the end of this wonderful home tour. I'm sure you'll will be coming back to take in all the details at leisure, as there's so much inspiration to take in.

I'd like to thank the Singhs for their time, energy and patience in making this feature happen for me. I cannot tell you, the number of mails and phone calls that have exchanged between mom (Padmini) and me regarding this post. But I'm glad that this post (my 100th) turned out as I had expected. I truly hope that you'll enjoyed the tour of the Singhs' home, as much as we enjoyed sharing it with you'll. 

Take care and see you'll back here at TECD for global decor inspiration and more!!! 

Images:Clicked by Padmini Singh. Please do not use without prior written permission.

Images are the property of Sruthi Singh and subject to copyright.