Old English Meets Contemporary Aesthetics
By Tunajina Islam
When it comes to interiors, there are some trends that never go out of style. Like a classic Old English themed home for starters. Mehedi Habib Chowdhury is a gentleman of taste, residing in a humble abode in the serene streets of Bashundhara R/A. Mr. Chowdhury talks about his love for Old English interiors and contemporary designs, and how he took inspiration from each to curate a gorgeous motif for his home. In today’s Fabulous House segment, we explore the said home and unravel each corner of the house in all its beauty.
Luxurious English Drawing Room
Mr. Chowdhury’s passion for living in style is what motivated him to pursue a career in interior design. His taste for fashionable living is evident throughout his home. As we enter inside, we feast our eyes on his drawing room that entails many unique designs. The first thing your eye catches is the large, full-height mirror that is framed with a rustic leafy pattern. This encapsulates the whole room and gives a sense of spaciousness.
The next attention grabbing feature is the dangling chandelier that sits in the center of the room, hovering over the wooden coffee table and white fur rug. The sofas have a very unique look to it that resembles a Victorian age. Mr Chowdhury’s passion for design led him to design these sofas himself with carefully selected colors, cloth and patterns. The moth-green and baby pink sofas beautifully complement one another in color. We see that the room yields a very warm and soft tone to it as Mr. Chowdhury purposely picked out eye-soothing colors so that the room gives off an instant sense of comfort. But nonetheless, to break the monotony of the grayish, soft tones, we see one corner of the room furnished in dark colors of brown. This corner pops out against the rest of the room and adds much visual appeal.
Apart from the obvious elements that stand out at first sight, the drawing room exhibits subtle decor with the use of candle stands, mini statues, fur, plants and the like. A bamboo plant is seen in the corner of the room which livens up the place. We also find large garden vases that hold a plethora of greenery on each side of the drawing room. Nature is a strong attribute of the house, one might say. With nature comes art. We believe they both can go hand in hand, and Mr. Chowdhury himself loves a bit of both. One of the walls showcases Mr. Chowdhury’s masterpiece of an abstract gold and white. Complemented with vintage gold candle holders, this piece of art really takes the cake in bringing back the classic Old English ambience.
Victorian Dining Room
The next tour of the house takes place in the dining room. We walk through a small hallway decorated in archaic shelves, frames and candles, and go into a grand dining room. The wooden table and carved chairs bring an aura of the ancient royals who took fine dining to the next level. What’s interesting about the seating arrangement is that apart from the two head chairs, there are only two long benches. This helps accommodate more people while keeping up with the antique theme.
The dining room was kept very soft toned with a dominating beige color. But the central beige theme is contrasted with a beautiful pop of lavender-blue color. We find a table runner in a light shade of blue and a centerpiece of lavender flowers. And let’s not forget the blue set of traditional wall plates on the opposing wall, that add to the contrast of colors. These wall plates were one of the many souvenirs from Mr. Chowdhury’s travels. He loves to embellish his home with memories from his travels, not only because of their unique look, but also because of the sentiment each souvenir holds.
Another striking feature of the dining room is the colorful wall art adjacent to the table that almost reminds you of a scenic ocean. The blue hues and aqua-greens soothe the soul. This corner with the wholesome artistry is used for serving snacks, or having tea for two. Truly a lovely place to chit chat and relax.
Cozy Family Living Room
Connected to the dining room is the family living room where Mr. Chowdhury and his beloved mother spend their days watching TV together, or lounging around over coffee. The two rooms are purposely kept open with no partition to make the area more spacious. This naturally creates a sense of togetherness and gives more room to breathe. The living room is beautifully done with very distinct features that one might take note of. The coffee table doubles as a vintage chest. Such a unique decor piece that is functional too!
The couches follow the theme of the drawing room ones, but in this particular space, we find two blue armchairs resting on each side of the TV cabinet. The sudden blue tone adds a pizazz to an otherwise montoned room. The room entails such intricate details of candles, mini bottles, lamps and more. But my favorite detail is the little birdcage that sits on the coffee table. Paired with a few candles, it creates a magical appeal to the room.
The greenery is more heavily seen in this room than the others. We see tall plants in one corner of the room, smaller pots in the center, and pretty colorful flowers on the sides. A touch of greenery is the cherry on top of this gorgeous living room.
Mr. Chowdhury takes a quick dip in memory lane as he talks about his fond family pictures framed in beautiful golden frames in one corner of the room. This corner is the heart of the room where he cherishes sentiments and adds a more personal touch to the house.
Serene Garden Balcony
For the love of gardening. Mr. Chowdhury’s passion for gardening is seen in his living room balcony that looks like nature’s utopia. With 3 layers of hanging flower pots, the balcony is a myriad of plants and flowers covering the outside view. All you see is pretty colors of nature engulfing the vicinity and makes you feel peaceful. Everyone craves a break from the concrete jungle and wants to indulge in a bit of nature. Mr. Chowdhury created a nature escape right in his own home. Sometimes, Mr. Chowdhury and his mother will enjoy a hot cup of tea while overlooking the garden.
Sleek Office Room
In today’s day and age, an office room is a vital part of the house. Making a space dedicated to your office work where you can get in the right headspace and get grinding. Mr Chowdhury curated a wonderful office room for himself where he ideates and lets his creativity flow.
The room is kept very sleek, and uncluttered to create a more effective workspace. But of course, that doesn’t mean one can’t get creative and beautify the room to its potential. We see here that Mr. Chowdhury’s wide wooden desk has a gathering of decorative candles which he uses to set a calming ambience in hours of stress. His work items are kept neatly, alongside which we see a vintage book stand and a pretty ring holder.
In the corner of this room, the most striking object is undoubtedly the mannequin that displays a velvet black robe, decorated in minimal jewels, and life-sized golden wings that peek out from the back of it. This portrays a royal mystical vibe indeed. On one cabinet shelf, we find 3 half statues that resemble the roman empire. Fine jewellery is sometimes displayed on these. The room is lit up warmly with table lamps and wall lamps that glisten on the wooden texture of the room’s furniture. A fur rug ornaments the desk bench and further attests to the royal aesthetic of the room.
Master Bedroom
The master bedroom is a place of sanctuary for Mr. Chowdhury. The room eludes a calmness when met with gorgeous shades of light pink and beige. In this room, the floor-touch curtains make a statement with their lush pink coat and lacey sub-layer. The headboard even exhibits a baby pink color that instantly livens up the room. A Victorian look comes into play here as we see a tall mirror of grey and golden patterns. This is nicely paired with two dark pink armchairs and a very light pink fur carpet that contrast the darker colors. We also see vintage candle holders as decorative pieces in front of the mirror.
The bedside tables both have two warm lamps each and a victorian style wall mirror that creates a symmetrical look within the room. The opposing wooden cabinet also displays symmetry through neatly placed lamps on each side that have decorative cloth bows on them. In front of the bed, we find a beautiful blue ottoman that heightens the aeshteic of the room. A touch of nature in his comfort area is the perfect addition. Mr. Chowdhury keeps a few flowers and plants neatly on a table which he groups together with his favorite candles. This creates a soothing ambience when he needs to just lay back and relax after a tiresome day.
Mr. Chowdhury is passionate about design and living fashionably. His home captures his creativity and sense of English taste. He ornaments the house in so much detail that there is inspiration in almost every corner. Whether it be the way he exhibits his candles, or the use of subtle color contrasts, Mr. Chowdhury doesn’t fail to amuse his guests with a gorgeous visual treat. Where Old English meets contemporary aesthetics is where you’ll find Mr. Chowdhury’s true meaning of a fabulous home.
