Up, close with Sharmela Puri

Exquisite paintings, intricate wall carvings, warm, earthy tones and aesthetic pieces greet our eyes when we enter Sharmela Puri’s palatial Bandra home in Mumbai. Each corner of her house exudes a Victorian feel with timeless elegance. But despite the magnificence, it has the warmth of a home filled with wonderful people and the credit goes to Sharmela for giving the entire space a cosy, welcoming feel. The Dubai-based designer may dine with the rich and famous, design for royalty and travel the world but as she says, there is simply no place like home! After we breeze through her shoot, Sharmela gets ready for a nice long chat with Masala! over a hot cup of tea and scrumptious cookies...

How do you manage your jewellery business and running a home?
I love my life; it’s absolutely beautiful and fulfilling. Family is very important to me and I believe life is such that you just move with the tide and things balance themselves out.

Could you describe a typical day in your life?
I wake up to a beautiful Dubai day late in the morning. With a hyper boost of caffeine, I then overlook the menu from breakfast to dinner. I try and motivate myself to go to the gym! Then I head to the office, reply to my emails, look at the appointments and communicate with my production side of jewellery regarding orders. After work, I head home for either an event or just a quiet dinner.

Which city do you prefer more – Dubai or Mumbai?
I travel to India often though I’m based in Dubai. But why choose one place over the other when both have so much to offer? I love enjoying the best of both worlds.

With work taking up so much of our lives, how would you like to spend a day off?
Ideally, I would like to spend my day off with my husband checking out a new restaurant followed by a movie or I would like to play snooker while he catches up on his reading. That would be quite a perfect day.

Does your home reflect a lot of your ideas in terms of its design?
My house reflects a few of my lifestyle choices but the credit goes to my husband for the way it looks. He has a keen eye for interiors.

Do you have a favourite corner in the house?
I spend the maximum amount of time in the temple and my den. I get to catch up on my reading and my regular work there.

What are your other talents besides jewellery designing?
I have a keen eye for fashion and am constantly shopping for clothes either for my sisters or my friends. They like my taste and I enjoy scouting for beautiful clothes. I also have a passion to enhance works of art (paintings) and clothes with precious stones.