Regal expression

Adil ahmad — ‘interior designer to the royals’ — chats with us about his inspirations and aesthetic

‘Interior designer to the royals”, as he is often addressed, Adil Ahmad is grounded, focused and passionate about all things design. A Class 8 drop out in a family that counts Justices and Chief Justices among its members, Adil says, “My great grandfather was one of the youngest Chief Justices during the British era of United Provinces, but I strongly feel that everyone is born different. Even with such a robust family background, I dropped out of school (Doon) after Class 8 but was very sure of what I wanted to be when I grew up. I have always been a determined fellow. I got into interior designing — then an unknown and unmarked territory — when I was merely 16 years old.”

Adil has now been working the design realm for over two decades now, and his creative process is intriguing indeed. “The ‘making’ of a room, in my mind, is instant,” he says. “What takes a long time is finding the right guy who’s going to do this kind of embroidery or make that kind of lamp so that it matches the picture in my head.”

Adil tells us that he describes his style as “contemporary colonial”.“Our country inherited Colonial influences... constructed over generations, this style serves as a window to a bygone era and provides an understanding of the world that was around us. My aim is not to outgrow the influence but to bring enrichment and empowerment by its ancient, potent and still relevant (design) language.” However, Adil asserts that the idea is “to reinterpret the past and not recreate it”.

His clientele include dignitaries, businessmen, social doyens as well as royalty. Besides redecorating the palaces and palatial private homes of many Indian royal families (including the mansion of Vasundhara Raje Scindia), Ahmad recently revamped the Raj Mahal Palace, a heritage palace hotel.

Of his favourite projects Ahmad says, “For me, every project is like a relationship. When I am working, at that point of time, nothing comes between my relationship and me. It presents itself as one of the most stimulating of journeys. However, as soon as it’s over, I move on — never to return or revisit. I am like that, don’t ask me why!”

His recent revamping of the Raj Mahal Palace was inspired by its titular head, a 17-year-old boy. “I kept him in mind when I was redesigning the palace-turned-hotel. I amalgamated traditional royal elements with sophisticated templates for modern living... So much of what I do is about how people live, and I am always looking for balance. I love it when rooms come alive with a personality and I like things to be real and honest and reflect the people who live there. As a designer, I have a point of view but it depends where a home is and who the people are... It’s a process. You ask a lot of questions and you listen. It’s the listening and the seeing and the feeling — it’s all about the senses.”

About his inspirations and future projects, Adil shares, “I have been deeply inspired by the works of Alberto Pinto who was renowned for his opulent, grand scale interiors and also Juan Pablo Molyneux. While sleek, space-age minimalism was part of Pinto portfolio, in a minimalist age, Molyneux stands as a die-hard maximalist who has restored many castles. As for future projects, a lot has been happening but most importantly, I am creating my brand and design house.”