In a serene pocket in the south of Delhi, V Sunil has secured a slice of Kerala. Unlike the other homes in this posh neighbourhood, the entrepreneur’s tasteful dwelling is at once luxuriously modern yet staunchly traditional. From the floor-to-ceiling glass windows to the open courtyards, the “full-on Kannur boy” is right at home.
Sunil’s description of the seaside city—with its natural beauty, cultural offerings and colonial heritage—in southern Kerala, where he was born, is a fond one. Alongside those antecedents, the European influences he has brought home from work and travel, find pride of place in this house.
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The creative director of Motherland/.Potntial, a global brand and experience design company, Sunil is best known for helming the Incredible India campaign, and later the Make in India movement. “A very thin line separates my work from my personal space,” says Sunil, for whom restoring the walled city of Jodhpur to its former glory—through architecture, technology, retail and hospitality—has been a deeply personal project. His creativity found another avenue in the publication of Motherland magazine, and as a founding trustee and advisor to the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.
Large glass walls invite abundant natural lightAnkush Maria
Much like his varied creative ventures, Sunil’s personal space does indeed tell stories that are eclectic and compelling. Once you’re past the large wooden gate of the home, two striking sculptures appear in the stone courtyard: a Nandi bull made of stone and placed with its back to the entrance, recreating its traditional placement in temples; and a tall wooden Buddha holding a lotus stem, carved in the distinctive Southeast Asian style.
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Like much else of his furniture, both these pieces were bought at the Heritage Arts store in Kochi, another port city. Elsewhere, too, the house references traditional Kerala homes, with their open-style courtyards, red flooring and wooden ceilings—and is, at the same time, starkly modern and minimalist.
“I don't deny that the house's design is impractical from the perspective of living in Delhi, which has hot summers, cold winters and heavy rains—as well as extremely high pollution levels. But the sense of calm that exists amid the chaos in this house makes it all worth it. I travel around the world, but it is only here that I truly feel at home,” he explains.
(From top) A Riyaz Komu wooden work, a grand mango wood dining table from Crafters in Mattancherry sitting alongside sleek grey chairs sourced from a designer in Milan, and a Nandi bull at the entranceAnkush Maria
Works of art, tastefully strewn around the home, include pieces by artist Benitha Perciyal—best known for her exquisite wood sculptures steeped in the vernacular practices of the Christian liturgy down south—Martand Khosla, Sumedh Rajendran, Bara Bhaskaran, PS Jalaja, Bharat Sikka and American photographer Briana Blasko, whose photo depicting the indigo-making process stand out in the dining room. These contemporary pieces are offset by aged Thanjavur paintings and intricately woven Persian carpets sourced from the Carpet Cellar, which rest on handmade tiles from Pondicherry. There’s a lot going on—Sunil even refers to it as a “mismatch”—yet these varied elements seem to belong together.
“I don’t have one specific sensibility—I like to play around. I believe this eclectic mix displays my confidence,” he explains. Even though built for one, the home is often used to entertain guests. “It functions a lot like a hotel,” chuckles Sunil, adding that the many open courtyards turn into communal
spaces, and the beautiful kitchen is taken over by avid amateur chefs. “I don’t cook myself,” he says, adding, “but I love eating good food, so I hand the space over to my friends.”
Sunil stands in one of the four courtyards, where Kerala soil nurtures lush greenery, including a towering banana tree (above). An industrial staircase with green railings adds to the eclectic charm (below)Ankush Maria
One wonders how the chaotic and the calm come together in this space. “It’s difficult to explain,” he says, after a moment of reflection, then adds, “Over time, multiple influences have helped me build ideas that meet at the intersection of traditional Indian and global pop culture. My space has become the vessel for me to express these ideas while declaring my affinity and love for my roots but in a style that is distinctly my own.”
