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THE STORY

A HOUSE IS SAID TO BE A
REFLECTION OF WHAT YOU ARE
AND THIS CANNOT BE TRUER
THAN IN SHALEEN AND DEVEN
KARNIKS INTERIORS THAT
WEAVE TOGETHER A STORY OF
THE COUPLES JOURNEY.

OF
OUR LIFE
BY SINDHU NAIR
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
ANGEL MALLARI

The mood is created from the entrance

door. The monk figurines placed at
the doorstep are an indication of the
creativity one can expect inside.
The door opens and the first thing you
are aware of is of the setting created at
the foyer. An intricately woven Kantha
work (a type of embroidery popular in
eastern South Asia, especially Bangladesh
and the Indian states of West Bengal and
Odisha) is used as a draped canopy near
the entrance. You get a cool respite for a
moment before your eyes trace out the
subdued colours on the side walls. Here is
an explosion of culture through classical
South Indian Tanjore paintings; paintings
that are characterised by rich, flat and
vivid colours, simple iconic composition,
glittering gold foils overlaid on a delicate

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CULTURE ATTACK:
Top: The entrance door flanked by two Chinese
wooden chairs, the Kantha work covered canopy
and the colourful woolen carpet make the foyer a
mishmash of ideas and artefacts.
Below: Modern acessories make a statement in
this corner.
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but extensive gesso work and inlay of

glass beads and pieces that adorns the
wall on the left as you enter and makes
you stop and take it all in.
We have just entered the house of
Shaleen and Deven Karnik. The couple
moved to Doha from Hong Kong in
2013 and their house is a reflection of
their journey in life. Each wall reflects
a part of their expedition, memories
captured through accessories, paintings
that speak of a passion shared, heritage
and heirlooms passed down through
generations; and it all comes together to
form a beautifully choreographed interior
space.
The Tanjore paintings have been a
family heirloom, passed on to Shaleen
from her maternal aunt, a lady who had a
keen eye for art and culture, and whose
house was almost like a museum,
according to Shaleen. The semicircular
Tanjore painting is quite rare, she
explains. A lot of furniture is old, handed
down from my Masi (aunt).
The two bulky wooden chairs framing
the entrance door are Chinese antiques,
part of a wedding furniture. Coming
out of the cozy entry way, there is a

profusion of sun and light in the grand

foyer which predictably features one
of the most prized possessions of the
family, the wooden piano, again passed
down by Shaleens aunt. Old and regal,
with chipped edges, the piano attracts
attention for its antiquity and the yellow
silk-covered seating completes this
corner.
No corner of the room is devoid of an
interesting accessory nor is any part of
the wall free of a painting. While warm
reds and bright yellows categorise the
living space, the dining space has a cooler
colour blend with blues dominating the
walls.
The paintings have been collected
over the years, from the first painting
bought in Mumbai to the ones the
Karniks collected from around the world.
We started collecting from the time
we got married and have not stopped.
The Indian and the Chinese painting
collections are my choices while Deven
bought the Vietnamese painting when he
went there for work, she says about this
common passion.
Our first painting, the one we bought
just after our marriage, is one of Devdatta

We started collecting
from the time we got married
and have not stopped.

WHAT IS YOUR STYLE?

Artefacts from around the world come
together in Shaleens house: the Chinese
stonework lamp; an ironwork acessory that is
just too interesting to ignore; and the Buddha
head and the Chinese medicine cabinet with
a treasured Baiju Parthan painting above it.
This was one painting that I insisted we buy
and now the artist is a much sought-after
painter, proving that I do have an eye for
talent, says Shaleen.

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I might like antiques one day and

contemporary pieces the next, or I would
love a mix of all these designs in harmony- thats
the sort of person I am.

THE BLUE FORMS

Top: Devdatta Padekars
paintings line one of the walls
of the Karniks house.
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Padekars initial works, long before he

became one of the most prolific artists
in the country, she says, taking us into
the dining room which is in a palette of
cream and dark wood with paintings
providing a slight dash of colour in blues
and greens.
Padekars paintings take up most of
one wall; the first painting acquired by
the couple is the centrepiece, a most
interesting composition of a man with
the emphasis on his arms, a painting that
is simplistic while being academic in
nature. This was one of the artists most
beloved paintings, one that he did as
part of his studies at Sir J.J School of Art
in Mumbai and even won him an award.
We picked it up for a mere 4000 rupees
(QR240) and now it is so difficult to get a
painting of his, says Shaleen.
The dining tables and chairs are a
Doha-buy. Additional pieces that can
be added to the fabric of memories that
Shaleen is intent on collecting. The
chests at the corners of the room are
again old wooden antiques from India.
I wanted to change the mirror of this
wall cabinet. The carpenters advised me
against this, saying this work is almost
nonexistent and is best preserved.
There is no particular pattern or design

HERITAGE VALUE
left: The entrance foyer extends to this doubleheight lobby where a piano takes centre stage;
Right: detail of a Chinese artefact; Below: The
living room produces a profusion of colours with
the paintings and accessories.

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I do not buy any piece to fit

into my scheme of interiors,
I buy things because of their
story or their design
aesthetics and then try and
figure out how they fit into
the space.

COLOUR-CODED
A confluence of
Chinese and Indian
artefacts makes this
side of the living room
a visual delight.
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THE MELTING POT:

(Clockwise from top left in this page):The Tanjore
paintings on the wall on the left of the entrance door
is an exquisite collection of traditional art; detail of
a modern Chinese artwork the dining room and the
paintings on the wall; Chinese furntiure.
.

theme that the Karniks have followed.

The living room is an amalgamation
of diverse threads; Chinese medicine
cabinets; a Buddha head; Chinese redlacquered chests; brass accessories;
woolen carpets; and bright red chairs
which are Indian with a Chinese design.
I do not buy any piece to fit into my
scheme of interiors, I buy things because
of their story or their design aesthetics
and then try and figure out how they fit
into the space, she explains.
The centre table was also acquired
from an antique shop in Hong Kong and
is part of a Chinese wedding trousseau, a
box with a clasp to open it, she adds.
Shaleen feels that her house is a
reflection of her personality; a mix of all
facets, not of one conventional thought
process. I might like antiques one day
and contemporary pieces the next, or I
would love a mix of all these designs in
harmony- thats the sort of person I am,
she says. While Shaleen is the brains
behind the setting, she doesnt negate the
influence of her husband in her interior
space. He has an eye for beautiful
things, she says. I always bank on his
decisions when I want to buy something
though some of the things I have bought
have also been very instinctive because
I just liked them. But the paintings have

mostly been Devens choice. Shaleen

loves the comfort each of her pieces
provides and has mostly travelled around
the world with this set of memories. But
the space I set aside for them differs
and it gives them a different meaning, a
new interpretation, perhaps. I love the
comfort these artefacts bring as they
grow along with us.
The carpets in the Karnik house have a
story to tell too. All of them are woolen,
soft to the touch and wearing off to
recount their experiences. Some are
from India, some are from Hong Kong,
but we have also acquired a few from
Doha. The carpet makers here have
explained to us that woolen carpets are
the best to acquire as they have a stronger
yarn and, since they are so difficult to
make, they are also quite rare.
There might be some days when
Shaleen feels a tad intimidated by the
same setting and tries to imagine a new
canvas, but she cannot bring herself to
start anew, wiping away the engravings
of comfort that her artefacts bring. The
house has a blend of all my experiences.
All that we have been through is here,
there is an experience attached to every
piece. All this wasnt put together in a
month and the space is almost like a story
of our life, she says.

THE BEAD BOX:

The Bead Box is designed
to store up to 66 traditional
Qatari prayer beads.