Artists jitish and reena kallat's home is warm and understated

Though their building is situated right next door to a school, they are cut off from noise because the entrance of the school is far removed from their side. Artists Jitish and Reena Kallat

and their five-year-old son Ahaan and Jitish’s mum occupy a 2,000 sq ft apartment in Bandra. Though their building is situated right next door to a school, they are cut off from noise

because the entrance of the school is far removed from their side.  Reena’s brother, interior decorator Rajiv Saini, did up their home six years ago “but we both feel it’s time to renovate

our home,” say the duo in unison as empty corners and lighting fixtures lie vacant. The Kallats have another home off Carter Road which they use as their “think pad and writing pad” and plan

to do up both the homes at one go. Large and airy, their living room overlooks lush greenery. In fact the palm fronds swaying in the cool breeze seems to bring the outdoors indoors. All the

furniture and sofas have been custom-made according to the couple’s taste which, however, is rather understated. With everything being custom-made, even the tiles in the bathroom adjoining

the master bedroom are done up in glass terrazzo. Three wooden cabinets in an unusual shape greet one at the entrance. “Those cupboards took unusually long to make because the handles were

made from beaten metal and they got stolen before they could be attached, so we had to get them redone,” recalls Reena of the nightmare. Occupying pride of place in the hall is a baby Jesus

Christ statue that the couple picked up from Fort Cochin. Large green Chinese urns make for another interesting artifact. A huge painting of a ‘coat’ sets the backdrop in the room. The

picture seems simple at first glance, but on further scrutiny it throws up symbology about women’s exploitation — a complexity of thought so typical of a Reena Kallat painting. Two triptychs

with political connotations mounted on the wall adjoining the dining table are Jitish’s contribution to the artworks in the house. An interesting interior tip: The living room is divided

from the dining room by subtly raising it. A smart move instead of keeping it all on one level or making a wall or partition, we think. There’s even recess lighting used under the raised

portion to give it a more prominent feature. Far from techno savvy, the couple does not fancy anything complicated technically. “The Mac scares me more than it excites me,” says Jitish,

while Reena adds, “We are comfortable using only functional stuff.” Similarly, the couple isn’t into Vaastu or Feng Shui but rather believe in good vibes and positive energy.