Mental wellbeing, my home and me – Deeksha Saurastri’s tranquil home in Hyderabad

For today’s edition of ‘Mental wellbeing, my home and me’, we’re travelling to India to meet Hyderabad-based interior and furniture designer Deeksha Saurastri.

I’m so excited to share this one with you – Scandinavian-inspired interiors can be very European-centric but this simple, tranquil home, shows how the ethos behind Scandinavian design has universal appeal. When you break it down, really it’s about creating that balance between pure minimalism and subtle warmth. That’s what I like to take away from Scandinavian interiors – they’re anything but cold spaces, rather it’s about creating an honest, pared-back space that appeals to the senses with texture and tranquility. It’s much more about the feeling of a space, and that’s what Deeksha captures so beautifully in her home. Minimalism here isn’t a bare white, soulless box. Her images are like a breath of fresh air – they make me just want to lean back in that armchair on the balcony and enjoy a peaceful cup of tea.

All images: @deekshasaurastri

Deeksha works as an interior designer for IKEA (in the first and only IKEA store in India) and has taken inspiration from Swedish design to decorate her minimal home. Being honest with materials is at the core of her design thinking – for her, the bare, textured concrete walls of her home help her think clearly. They act as a contrast to ‘clutter’ of the outside world, bringing a feeling of calm and balance.

During lockdown, Deeksha, a fellow introvert, has been finding moments of tranquility by growing herbs and bringing nature inside (I really want to try her ginger, basil and cinnamon tea recipe!). She has some lovely tips for creating a tranquil home designed around you, as she says: ‘Focus on your needs more than your wants. Think about the quality of life you want to lead.’

So let’s get on with the interview and start the tour, and say hello to Deeksha!

Hi Deeksha, how are you feeling at the moment?

Hey! So the good thing is I woke up feeling quite inspired today. Unlike other days when it’s my day off, this morning I still woke up by 8am, had a sumptuous breakfast and now here I am, bubbling so many thoughts and reflections.. all set to do my first ever proper feature by someone who has inspired me and my ideas for the longest time. I feel grateful for this!

Thank you! So for those who don’t know you, can you tell us a bit about yourself, and what you do? 

I’m Deeksha, I’m 27 and I work as an interior designer at IKEA, Hyderabad (the only physical IKEA store in India, yet). I moved to Hyderabad in 2016 for my first job and to be closer to my boyfriend Tushar, and stayed on since. We got married last year in February and moved into our new home, which has been our labour of love.

Even though I currently work as an interior designer, I am a certified furniture designer and that will always be my first love. Every now and then, I like to take up product/furniture design-based projects to keep those creative fluids flowing and I still thoroughly enjoy them. In fact, one day soon, I would like to start something of my own in this sphere.

My journey in interiors began with the beginning of IKEA in India and its has been a refreshing change. Having travelled to a few distinctly different markets, including Sweden, it has given me a much deeper understanding of the everyday life of the many people in this world. But the one I revere the most is my trip to Stockholm. The fact that it was so cold and yet so warm made me inquisitive… so much so that sub-consciously the style started to grow on me and that’s why we decided to keep our home interiors very minimal yet honest. It’s been over a year living in this house and we have no regrets whatsoever.

How has lockdown been for you – what has brought you comfort while you’ve been spending more time at home?

You won’t believe… just before the beginning of the lockdown, I remember feeling the need to slow down in life. Taking a break from work and other commitments, trying to find more time at home to nurture a more sustainable life for the both of us. Pausing to rethink our priorities as professionals and to try to figure out our calling. We both had started to talk about it and a week or two later – a national lockdown was imposed in India. On one hand we got what we were yearning for but on the other, it was scary.

But in two months of a complete lockdown, our home has really calmed us down. I, in particular, willingly started spending a lot of time in my kitchen. For the first time since I moved in, I got the time to style each room as I envisioned it. I started spending more time on the balcony since that was as close to outdoors as we could get to at the time. A lot of TLC happened.

And the best part was even by the end of two months, I couldn’t get enough of staying in because in the process I learnt that my home was so much more capable, accommodating and refreshing than it was designed to be! All in all, it was a pleasant surprise.

How would you describe the style of your home?

The style of my home is a confluence of Scandinavian and Mid-century modern elements. While the interior architecture is as minimal and honest as in a Scandi-inspired space, the furniture is mostly inspired with forms and materials from the mid-century modern style. I decided to marry the two because both styles stand for honesty of materials and that attribute is at the core of my design thinking.

Plus, even though I’m all for clean lines and neutral spaces, I was brought up in a home (my family home in Lucknow, a smaller city in Northern Indian) which was built and furnished by my grandparents with furniture that had so much character, and happened to be very mid-century modern. That probably explains my affinity towards the two distinct yet similar style ideologies.

What role does nature play in your home?

Plants have always been my easiest trick to make a space feel more fresh and loveable. But in the past two months of staying at home, I took time to learn more around homegrown herbs and plants. Since going out to buy seeds or saplings wasn’t an option, I tried to grow them myself from the seeds or roots of the vegetables and fruits. I also finally started composting which every time I add anything to, makes me happy!

What makes you feel most calm at home – is it a certain object or corner, or is it more an ambience or feeling you’ve created?

The first thing that I feel really helps calm me when I’m at home are my walls. The bareness of these walls allows for me to think more clearly. When my husband and I were designing this house, our main goal was to have a space which helps us break the monotony of the outside world. There is so much clutter as soon as we step out these days, that it starts to effect out thinking process.

Now, this way, at least when we are at home it helps keep our thoughts organised. We have seen it has made us more relaxed and composed as people. And then balancing out the bareness by adding softness through textiles and greens has worked very well for me.

What little rituals help you feel uplifted and inspired in your home?

Since I’m a tea person, every morning when I have a day off or every evening as soon as I get home from work, I fix myself some tea. I put some crushed ginger and basil in with the tea leaves and while it brews, the next few mins are just divine! The aromas are heavenly. To top that further, an occasional dash of cinnamon does the job too. This has become my ritual and its definitely therapeutic for me.

What’s the one thing (which isn’t a person or a pet) that you couldn’t live without in your home?

Well, I don’t know if it counts as its not a thing… it’s a feeling. So from one introvert to another, the thing that I cannot live without at home is my private space. The feeling of being just by myself, even if just for a few minutes everyday… where I can think my day through while taking a long shower or having my tea on my balcony or just lounging on the couch with no phone/TV, and no one but myself. I find it meditative and is something I cannot live without.

What’s the one simple piece of advice you’d give to someone looking to create a calm, tranquil home?

Okay, this is something that I also did before beginning to design my house. So if you are someone who is planning your new home, do this: Close your eyes, and try to envision the home that you want it to be. Focus on your needs more than your wants. Think about what is the quality of life you want to lead. Think of the things you want to do in your new home. Think about what kind of memories you want to make in your new home. Whatever thoughts come to mind, note them down. And then begin backwards. Once you do that… you will automatically create a home that makes space for YOU and that will bring you peace and tranquility.

Thank you so much for chatting to us Deeksha and showing us your tranquil home. Where can people find you online?

My online presence is quite limited to Instagram at the moment. That’s the only platform I keep updated with what going on in my life. My handle is @deekshasaurastri