Of windows and enhancing home decor

A husband-wife design duo says the entire exercise will be in vain if windows are ignored and that a medium to large investment can work wonders for home decor.
Amita Kanwar and Rajiv Kanwar have been in the business of decorating windows since 1989 when they launched their label Window Passions that focuses mainly on customising window dressings with drapes, blinds, valences and curtains.

"When you walk into a house you don't look down and walk. You walk straight and look at the walls and the windows of the room. Even though windows are made for a very functional purpose - to bring in fresh air and light - one can't afford to ignore them," Rajiv Kanwar said in an interview.

"If the décor of your house is perfect but windows are not draped and decorated well, then the whole effort goes in vain. Hence it's very important to take care of windows as well," he added.
The duo charges anything from Rs.50,000 to a few lakhs to design windows to a customer's specifications. Apart from working on countless private homes, they have been associated with the Oberoi group of hotels for over 16 years and have done the windows of The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur, The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra, The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur and The Oberoi Vanyavilas, Ranthambore among others.
Talking about this association, Amita Kanwar said: "It has been a wonderful journey working with them. Our long- term association proves the fact that we understand each other very well."

Apart from this, the duo has also designed windows for Ananda Spa in the Himalayas and the Palace on Wheels luxury train, among others.
According to Rajiv Kanwar, the trend of giving importance to home décor started changing from the mid-1980s.

"Earlier people purchased a house just as a shelter, but today people are interested not only in good houses or its location but importance is also given to making a house look good," he explained.

Jewellery designer Alpana Gujral who has got the windows of her home done by the designer duo, said: "I wanted interiors of my house to look perfect in every possible way. Be it furniture or the colour of my walls. So how could I have gone wrong with windows?"
"I have got a completely contemporary look for my windows that matches perfectly with the ambiance of my house," she added.
The duo works closely with its clients and its interior designers. Once the layout of the window is done, they start the work of decorating the window keeping in mind details of the room like the colour of the walls and the theme of the room.
"We pay attention to details like which window needs what kind of treatment, which window needs covering or whether it needs modern or classical drapes," Amita Kanwar explained.

Rajiv Kanwar said: "Also, one has to keep in mind the personality of the person who would be occupying that room. Like whether he is sophisticated or whether he is simple. These small things have to be kept in mind while decorating windows."
The duo has an in-house designing team to maintain the exclusivity of its décor material.
"If we start ordering things from outside, then what is the point in calling ourselves exclusive? We are providing our clients with exclusive designs, hence our strength lies in our exclusive craftsmanship," Amita Kanwar contended.

Rajan Sood, a businessman who has got the windows of his house styled by the duo, said: "We all have this tendency to ignore windows and generally we deck them up with modern curtains. But those curtains do get boring sometimes. Especially, if you have your drawing room based on traditional themes, then one should have windows that match the ambiance well. A heavy curtain won't do the job."
"One needs to deal with specialists to get things done. After all, doing the décor of your house is a one-time investment. You can't go wrong with that," he added.