‘Asian Street Chic’ - Jimmy Hu

By Savitha Hira

Photography: Courtesy The Orange Lane

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Story-telling is an integral part of designer Shabnam Gupta’s repertoire and she emerges International Property Awards - Asia Winner in 2 categories: Leisure Interior and Interior Design - Apartment.

Knowing interior designer Shabnam Gupta’s penchant for detail, analogy and a distinct connect with one’s roots, it comes as no surprise that this young designer continues to break new ground with her designs.

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In her recently designed bar at Koregaon Park, Pune, Shabnam picks up the client’s aspiration for an Oriental/Asian thematic and turns it around with a trendy exuberant spin, delineating authentic references in a youthful manner.  The resultant space effects an instantaneous connect with the expat and youthful clientele and defines the leisure space with a signature that holds its own in a locality brimming with eateries and hang-out joints.

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Zeroing in on the colourful expression of ‘Asian Street Chic’, the 2400 sq. ft. restaurant and bar is a cheerful, vibrant space with plenty of ‘crimson red’ that stands out against a raw concrete grey backdrop with kitsch elements haloed by ambient lighting, “reminiscent of industrial and underground eateries that catered to their communities and brought together people for an exchange of ideas and a love for good food,” says Shabnam.

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A touch of the dramatic enlivens the place: ‘old world’ design elements of wall art and Asian typography woven seamlessly into the concrete shell; a prominent usage of reclaimed artefacts redressed in bright colours make for an intriguing artistic element as they highlight the bar; a direct reference is made with the Tatami mat ceiling, a pattern that lends intriguing detail to the sloped roof at the entrance as well; a feature wall collated using reclaimed doors found at local flea markets; tea-kettle lampshades, windows dressed in old bronze sheet metal, a striking external wall facade made of an out-of-the-ordinary juxtaposition of stringing natural rough-cut stone on high tension strings as a curtain and the like.

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Spreading lived-in vibes and creating distinct comfort zones inside and outdoors, Jimmy Hu is a fun place that is very artistically calibrated. It has won Shabnam the - Winner in Leisure Interiors category of the International Property Awards  - Asia; a world-renowned mark of excellence, judged by a highly experienced team of professionals, who cover the whole range of property disciplines.

Congratulations Shabnam!