October 6, 2005

Shanaz Ramzi visits a house that has furniture, wall textures and blinds designed by its owner

It is a pleasant surprise to find an increasing number of women not only into decorating their homes but also into designing furniture and supervising its production. One such person, Farzana Mufti, has designed the furniture as well as the wall textures and blinds in her home.

As you walk into thel Muftis’ home you enter a spacious lounge that opens into a formal living room, dining room and an informal sitting room, and boasts furniture mostly with an antique chalk finish. The lounge has a couple of mahogany chairs placed against one wall, a tall curved cloth lamp in between.

Two long beveled glass windows behind the chairs allow a view of the formal living-room. Next to it is a round,glass-topped coffee table with legs carved in the shape of elephant trunks, complete with tusks. Occupying central position is a round glass-topped table with inlaid wooden legs reminiscent of a tulip.

The textured wall to your far right is adorned with a Beebal mirror, which looks like a jharoka from the Mughal period. Two wicker and carved chairs are placed under it along with huge, painted and sand covered clay vases. Against another wall are two stools with sword-shaped legs. A mirror embedded in lacquered wood with leaf work on it graces the wall. A stone-finished wall hanging with a verse from the Holy Quran hangs above an antique-looking stand, while to its left is a space under the staircase occupied by a refurbished curio cabinet. An antique clock stands out from the pieces adorning it.

The door between the staircase and the frame leads to the informal living-room boasting a beige and brown decor. Hand-painted blinds dress the windows in the room while two chairs stand in front of them.

The dining room is at a split level, and is a couple of steps below the lounge. A large glass-topped dining table occupies centre position with carved bases for legs and carved chairs that boast duco antique chalk polish. A side-board with a framed mirror boasting the same polish stands against one wall, while an octagonal, English-style breakfast

table with a marble top stands against another. The wall to the right is adorned with a hand-woven tapestry while the one in front has a window framed by off-white curtains, overlooking the greenery outside.

The formal living-room is characterized by eclectic polish and designs. As you enter, the wall to the left is dressed with two carved teak wall hangings with an antique finish, while placed under it is a Jehangir sofa in dark polish with maroon upholstery. To its right is an antique cabinet that houses various pieces of rock picked up by Farzana from her trips up north. The rocks are no ordinary specimens but encrusted with precious and semi-precious stones, including rubies and quartz that our mountains are famous for. The coffee table to its left has a harp-shaped base in teak colour while a takht next to it is in dark polish.

Adding a distinct touch to the room are also three takhts. Upholstered in silk with a silk throw and silken cushions, one has metal Ostrich leg, the other has antique carving and a mirror in the centre with stained glass in green and blue around it while the third also has an old world look.

With everything, including many of the decoration pieces produced not only locally, but under the supervision of the lady of the house, it is not surprising that the Muftis’ house bears a distinct look.

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