A design trip through Chettinad also strongly influenced the collection of Harago, which Harsh founded along with his siblings Yashika, Mohish and Anvi. Beautiful checks seen all around the town—on lungis worn by local men, saris draped on women, tiny cloths used in temples to cover baskets of flowers—make their way back to tablecloths that layer colours, stripes, and checks. “We felt so connected to this beautiful graphic design element in the everyday lives of the people of Chettinad that we couldn’t resist infusing it into our collection,” he explains.
Original text by Akansha Kamath. Edited for context.
Daybeds For Balmy Evenings
Mango trees, sculpted into igloos, with khat beds underneath, offer the perfect spot for a siesta.
Ishita Sitwala
In the central courtyard of a home in Alibag stands a champa tree in semi-cascade, its fragrance spilling like uncontained joy into the dining area, the living room, and the swimming pool. Landscape architect Kunal Maniar, who planted the lone beauty in memory of Geoffrey Bawa, feels there is no way one can go wrong with a champa tree: “It’s like that classic Banarasi sari in a woman’s wardrobe.” Maniar’s soft spot for nostalgia is a recurring motif in the two-acre property— one that presents itself strongly in the way he has annexed ideas of intelligent, biophilic landscape design with memories of comfort borrowed from childhood.
Romantic strolls through the garden reveal intimate nooks and secret hideouts nestled in the foliage of this Alibag home.
Ishita Sitwala