Sanctuary in the City

One interior designer creates beautiful spaces for the entire family

Story by Shanee Edwards  | Photos by AK DESIGNS

When a young family asked Anu Kainth, founder of full-service interior design firm AK Designs, to help turn their brand-new home into a sanctuary for their family, Kainth was up for the challenge. 

The wife is a doctor and the husband runs his own business, so not only did the space need to look professional, it also had to be practical and comfortable for two small children. The home’s balcony and the kids’ rooms were the perfect places to begin.

Kainth started the project when The Collection home was still being built. She went in, took some measurements, and once the family got their keys she went to work starting in October of 2018 and didn’t finish until June of 2019. “We took a few breaks in between, but that’s the nature of Interior Design, there’s backorders on furniture and things, but it turned out really beautiful and they loved it,” says Kainth.

The Cabana-Style Balcony

Possibly the most beautiful, practical and surprisingly private space in the home is the balcony. This sublime outdoor space doubles as a spot to entertain adults on warm evenings with cocktails at sunset, as well as a place for the children to play on sunny or rainy days.

“They obviously don’t have a backyard in this kind of home, so this was their substitute,” says Kainth. Apparently, the family went on vacation to Greece once and wanted the patio area to have that vacation vibe.

“They wanted it to be open, airy; they wanted to entertain up there and barbeque. There’s a sliding glass door that opens up into their indoor space,” she says.

Kainth chose a Mediterranean color palate with greens, blues and whites, much like the houses on Greece’s many islands with whitewashed, volcanic stone buildings and bright blue rooftops. She first chose the rug, then added pillows and greenery.    

“It just brought out the colors they were hoping for,” says Kainth. “They were specific about the couch they wanted so I built the design from there. They had seen an abstract-chic coffee table at a retail store and wanted something similar. We exchanged a lot of ideas,” she says.

The outdoor drapes came with the home. “That’s something they did with the builder and that really makes it look cool, too. When you close them, you have all that privacy and it looks like a cabana,” says Kainth.

Nothing makes you feel like you’re on an island more than a cabana. But instead of messy sand, there’s a soft rug under your feet with a pattern inspired by the letter Delta from the Greek alphabet. The flowy, driftwood coffee table evokes the sea and is a sturdy fixture around small children. Drapes –– open or shut ––  create a space that provides an escape from the city for the entire family.   

The Jack and Jill

The challenge here, according to Kainth, was to keep the furniture minimal yet functional and fun. “Both rooms are quite small, so the mom was saying she just wanted them to have a little bit of space to play on the floor if they wanted to. She didn’t want the bed to eat up the whole room so that’s why I decided to push them up against the walls,” says Kainth. 

Boy’s Room

Like many little boys, this youngster is obsessed with “Star Wars.” “It was my client who found the wall art. It’s an ABC chart and each letter has its own ‘Star Wars’ character. It was a child’s version of the characters. It’s cute and playful.”

Since both brother and sister love to read, it was important to include a bookcase, along with a small play table with chairs so he had a place to color and do his homework. “He had a lot of little toys, so we added the wooden display shelf as well. Because the room is small and carpeted, it felt really cozy,” says Kainth.

Girl’s Room

To add a feminine touch, Kainth added a dusty-rose wallcovering with a subtle zig-zag design. “From far away it just looks pink, but up close you can see the texture and the pattern.”

Because her client loved the dove grey daybed with gentle curves, Kainth, used it for inspiration for the rest of the room. “I chose the bedding, the nightstand and that cute little lamp – it all came together.”

It was also Kainth’s idea to add the adorable framed llamas. As spirit animals, the pack animals represent strength and endurance and are also symbols of hard work and responsibility. On top of all that, they are weirdly cute and are a fun addition to the room. 

If you’d like to know more about AK Designs, visit anukdesigns.com, or instagram.com/anukdesigns/.