Page 178 - home and garden

collection. The furniture is a mix of inherited, new and ‘I’m not
quite sure where that came from’. Anita’s five grandchildren
‘own the space’ in the large sitting room. ‘If something breaks, it
breaks,’ she says with a mild shrug.
The most striking room in the house is the dining room.
Inspired by the exquisite kalamkari tent of Tipu Sultan, the king
of Mysore in the eighteenth century (which is included in the
V&A exhibition), it has a dramatically coloured chintz-design
fabric battened onto the walls to create a tent-like effect. The
fabric was designed by Anita’s team and, as Anita is keen to point
out, printed onto a very inexpensive cloth.
The main sitting room has a certain grandeur, positioned within
cool white arches that mark the centre of the house. It was
originally intended to have an open roof, as a haveli would, but
practical thinking rained off this idea and the double-height ceil-
ing remained closed. When you look up, it is still decorated in the
original soft pinkish-red paint that Anita’s father-in-law chose 50
years ago. Anita loves this detail, and while we are on the subject
of colour, she is very particular about the soft blue that she chose
for the walls. ‘This colour never comes out properly in photo-
graphs,’ she says. ‘It always looks too blue.’ We have been warned!
The room is arranged for convivial gatherings with inviting
divan-style sofas piled with cushions. Doors at both ends open onto
the garden where, on this hottest of days, frangipani and bougain-
villea are growing in abundance. Although Anita, frowning at a
monkey who watches us from the wall, assures us with the pride
of a keen gardener that winter is when it is at its most beautiful.
The relaxed atmosphere continues up the marble staircase,
where old family photographs tell a story of generations. At the
top is a charming blue sitting room with light printed voile
curtains and tall french windows that open onto the balcony. Just
beyond it, Anita’s bedroom – her ‘sanctuary’ – is shared in equal
parts by the bed and the computer, a reminder that her role as
creative head of Good Earth is her work and also her rest.
India is not famous for big interiors brands, particularly not
one almost entirely run by women. Anita cuts a maternal figure,
and it is clear her staff adore her. Her daughter Simran is behind
the collaboration with the V&A and, as CEO, is in charge of
bringing the company to an international market – although it
already ships worldwide through its website. New fans can get
a more hands-on introduction to Anita’s style at a pop-up shop
in London that is set to open this autumn. Good Earth is
definitely one to watch

Good Earth: goodearth.in. ‘The Fabric of India’ is at the
Victoria and Albert Museum, SW7, until January 10, 2016;
vam.ac.uk/fabricofindia

THIS PAGE FROM TOP The marble staircase to the first floor is lined with
family photographs. A spare room has a quilt and curtain in traditional poppy
prints. OPPOSITE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT The walls, sofa and decorative
plates in the upstairs sitting room share a blue palette. French windows open
on to the garden from the sitting room downstairs, with another set above
to the first-floor balcony. A bench with Good Earth embroidered and printed
cushions makes a comfortable seating spot in the garden, while cane chairs
and an Anglo-Indian table create another outdoor seating area (bottom left)

176 NOVEMBER 2015 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK