'My wellness routine is sleep, soap and champagne!': Pavitra Rajaram

My personal style is:  Easygoing. Currently, I’m going through a layering phase but the vibe is always to be comfortable. And my footwear is always silver juttis. I could probably go hiking in them. 

 

My personal style icon: My grandmother. I have a photograph of her from the 1950s in a black and white Kanjeevaram sari, traditional South Indian diamond earrings, her Kashmiri juttis and her Chanel bag.

 

An item in my wardrobe that means a lot to me: My Anokhi pajamas. Nothing beats coming home, taking a shower and slipping them on and knowing that I have a blissful evening at home ahead of me.

 

My favourite souvenir from my travels is: Postcards of art I discover in the museums I visit.

 

The best gift I have received: A ceramic plate with a self-portrait of me with my son Prithvi. He made it for me when he was six.

 

The best gift I have given: That’s hard for me to say, better to ask the receivers. But I often give books as gifts. It’s what I love to receive so I tend to give them as well.

 

The last thing I bought: A beautiful rock crystal pendant from Hanut Singh. I love his jewellery.

 

The last book I read: Nirmala Lakshman’s 'The Tamils'. Not knowing enough about my cultural roots is a lifelong regret.

 

The last film I loved: I haven’t watched a film in a while but I binge-watched the series ‘Slow Horses” and loved it. I absolutely love British humour.

 

My Spotify list would include these songs: Edith Piaf's 'La Vie En Rose', Hemant Kumar's 'Yeh nayan dare dare', and Bruce Sprinsteen's 'Dancing in the Dark'.

 

My beauty/ wellness routine is: Sleep, soap, champagne! On a more serious note, I started using the Saffron Serum from the brand Ranavat and it has done wonders for my skin.

 

My favourite holiday destination: Coonoor. My husband and I found and restored a 150-year-old home there and nothing feels better than escaping to my home and garden in the hills.

 

I love to collect: Old textiles, ceramics and contemporary miniatures. 

 

My fridge always has: Chocolate and ice cream but never chocolate ice cream.

 

Minimalism or maximalism: Essentialism. I like things that have meaning for me.

 

My home looks like: A world of colour, pattern and art.

 

My favourite mix of traditional and contemporary is:  At Nilaya Anthology, the 92,000 sq ft design destination we’ve just opened in Mumbai. We’ve curated modern design and timeless craft from all over the world under one amazing roof.

 

My best ideas come when: I’m still and quiet and able to hear myself think.

 

The best way to spend Rs 20,000 is: A beautiful Dhakai jamdani sari maybe. Or a plane ticket to somewhere.

 

My idea of happiness is: Time spent with my family. We have four boys and they live far away from us now so any time spent with them is precious.

Lifestyle