There are homes that shelter families, and then there are homes that shelter legacies. In this 5,200-sq-ft residence, the two have become indistinguishable. Dolly Kanwar, who grew up in the UK and now lives in South Delhi with her husband and daughter, approaches its design as an autobiography. What entails is a home that feels less like a project and more like a personal universe: an orchestration of English nostalgia, everyday pragmatism, and her instinctive artistry woven into domestic life.
"It's not just my house," she says. "It's my canvas." And what a canvas it is — one painted not overnight, but collected over time. The journey begins, fittingly, in the stilt — a space most would dismiss as functional at best, forgettable at worst. Not Dolly. Where others saw tanks and shafts, she saw possibility. Today, it blooms with the soft romance of an English cottage: distressed white furniture, greenery spilling from every corner, and her father's musical instruments adorning the walls — a tribute to the man who brought Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Jagjit Singh, and Ghulam Ali to UK audiences, “not as a promoter, but as a music lover.” The adjoining shaft? Transformed into a petite garden nook, because for Dolly, ugliness is merely an opportunity for reinvention.
From here, a staircase decked with artworks and flickering candles becomes a descent into the basement, which unfolds like a novel with five distinct chapters — or five moods, as she calls them. Each section bears its own temperament, yet remains tethered by a flowing sensorial rhythm. Akin to old-world settings, the formal dining area greets you with its layered elegance of wainscotting and pastel palette: mint green bleeding into soft pink, then settling into grey. "A cool color scheme chosen very meticulously," Dolly notes. In other zones, monotones of beige engulf the ceiling and walls, creating a muted canvas that allows curated elements to command attention. The bar that follows is deliberately ambiguous: a place for coffee by day, cocktails by night. Its grey tones, sultry lighting, and evocative paintings of sadhus offer a contemplative twist on indulgence.
The fireplace zone is the emotional core. To honour her father’s hand-drawn portraits, including one of Van Gogh, Dolly designed a backdrop of black marble from Rajasthan, its depth chosen to cradle the art with reverence. Bio-fuel flames flicker against the stone, creating a cocoon where time seems to slow. Nearby, the nightcap corner leans atmospheric: two plush armchairs enveloped by a bold floral wallpaper that feels almost hand-painted. It’s intimate, cinematic, the kind of space where conversations linger well past midnight. The sequence ends in the Zen room — a light, calming retreat with green carpet flooring, a swing for meditation or daydreaming, and an atmosphere that opens rather than overwhelms.
Upstairs, Dolly’s Cafe — the TV and lunch room — reveals a more intimate tempo. “I’m living through each room,” she says, and this one feels especially personal: a gallery wall of memories, a neon sign, casual dining, wood-panelled warmth, and a sunlit balcony where she tends to her beloved plants. It vibrates with everyday joy.
The private quarters advance this lexicon. Femininity prevails in the master suite: a pleated headboard, distressed bed frame, hand-painted side tables, and floral tapestry wrapping the back wall. A faux green window frames a photograph Dolly took in London — a small gesture that makes the room feel like morning even at dusk. Another bedroom, larger and overlooking the balcony, harbours an androgynous palette designed to adapt across seasons; vintage chairs, standing mirrors, and her vast linen collection shift the mood with ease. The guest room wears aqua accents with crisp clarity.
Across the home, English paneling meets clean-lined contemporary furniture, neoclassical legs meet airy silhouettes, and delicate crystal appears not in trinkets but as exquisite chandeliers. Dolly is passionate about flowers but keeps artefacts minimal, choosing livability over showmanship. She loves playing host, and the home obliges; each space ready to receive, embrace, and offer exactly the spirit the moment requires.
As she moves through her creation, gratitude colors every step. "I feel so grateful," she reflects. In doing so, it becomes a space of grace, memory, and layered expressions, composed with patience and held together by a woman who understands that home is a feeling long before it becomes a place.
Team:
Designer: Dolly Kanwar
Photograph Courtesy: TakenIn Studios
Text Courtesy : Mehar Deep Kaur
