Homes are not just aesthetically lovable environments that you curate with the most beautiful objects. You have an emotional chord struck with your living spaces. It is beautified with things that hold a special meaning for you and where you make the memories of your lifetime.
From the first dressing table you bought for your home, the first family photo you got framed on that living room wall, that vintage clock passed down to you by your grandparents to that bookshelf designed just as per your needs filled with your best selection of reads — everything kept in the home speaks of who you are.
At the inaugural edition of the two-day Dwell Design show recently held in Okhla, Delhi, I didn’t just see an isolated selection of lighting, art, objects, textiles, and furniture for home. In fact, they were styled in a context-driven approach where booths transformed into curated corners— from a wall, adorned with pearl-studded artwork suitable for a living room, to mushroom lights best suited for a bedroom, and a curated kitchen stuffed with ceramic ware.
“India’s luxury design market has long been product-heavy but context-light. We’ve seen beautiful objects, but rarely do we see how they belong: how they live within a space. What’s been missing is integration: the dialogue between interior design and styling,” says Kritika Goswamy Malik, Founder, Dwell Design Show, an initiative by House of December (HOD), a multidisciplinary design studio.
Kritika’s aim was to shift that narrative. “Instead of static booths, we created styled, lived-in environments across different design languages—modern, minimal and contemporary Indian—where furniture, lighting, textiles, and objects exist together as they would in a real home, offering a glimpse into curated styling nooks,” says the founder, curator who has two decades of experience in designing residential spaces.
A homely display
The event brought together a carefully curated selection of participating brands, with each celebrating the diversity of contemporary Indian design such as Kasto Designs, Align by Mr Glass, Adore My Wall, Illustrations by Rooh, Objects of Distinction, Purplepirateco by Deepti, F Six Homes, and Vakr Studio, amongst others.
As I moved around, I did not just see a showcase of mere fine interior design products. Their composition and styling placed them in a home-like setting. Move further and the ‘Stories of the Hand’ section featured the beauty of handwork, crafts and materiality.
For instance, Clayzz by Kamana Gupta moulded terracotta beyond the expected with playful forms, such as flower vases, animal fingers, and quirky faces for the walls. Bric A Brac almost resurrected the guardian spirit of the folk goddess of the Sundarbans forest, Bonobibi. It celebrated the delicate relationship between humans and the wild through recycled yarn wall hangings and floral installations, along with serveware exhibited on a kitchen-like booth.
In another section, books on luxury, Indian fashion, arts, craft, travel and poetry grabbed my attention at the Bahrisons Luxe booth. Some, I wished to keep as collector’s editions. Others, I imagined to keep as coffee table books on my home’s outdoor furniture table for conversations over evening tea. Further, as an art lover, I could not ignore the stunning wall scrolls of Pichwai art from Heritage And Now and carpets from Kesari homes.
They brought a sense of artistry and lived in comfort.
What’s Real Luxury?
At every booth, the interior design objects were not trying too hard to be seen. They were quietly serving the purpose of the space while elevating it, as true luxury does.
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“For me, luxury is never loud. It’s when a space begins to serve you quietly,” says Kritika.
She adds, “In my own home, there’s a low white ash console, something I picked up years ago during a sourcing trip. It’s simple, almost understated, but it holds everything from keys to fresh flowers, and anchors the entry without demanding attention. That’s effortless luxury.”
Another in Kritika’s home is a hand-thrown ceramic bowl she found at a small artisan studio. “It sits on my coffee table, not styled to perfection, just existing. Some days it holds flowers, other days nothing at all. But it brings a tactile warmth that no mass-produced object can. And then there’s lighting, always the most underrated element. A softly diffused floor lamp placed just right can eliminate the need for multiple harsh lights. When one piece solves multiple problems, that’s luxury. Also, luxury is when you don’t have to think about design anymore—it simply works, beautifully,” she says on quiet luxury pieces.
The Dwell Design Show wasn’t just a luxurious showcase of intentional living. In Kritika’s words, “it reminded people that true luxury still lies in time, skill, and the hand of the maker.”
