The bespoke chair studio by Aradhana Anand stands out from the rest. Her studio attempts to commodify mid-century chairs with an Indian appeal.  To think about experimenting with sarees and upholstery on an English inspired winged chair or a French- inspired club chair requires an in-depth knowledge of balancing color with texture without compromising on aesthetics.Limón as a brand has already carved itself a niche as one of the upcoming furniture labels and has been featured in various magazines. Apart from her unique chairs, what CUBS also found appealing was the way she had blended her interiors to reflect a style that not only fits in with her concept of a chair studio and but also the clever use of her brand language across her studio.

Here is CUBS in conversation with Aradhana Anand

CUBS: With no formal degree in interior design how did you make a debut into the interior world?

Aradhana: After nine years in the maritime industry as an oil freight trader living in Dubai and then in Singapore, I decided to exit the corporate space to finally make a profession of what I always loved – dressing a home. Having happily advised many a friend on how to add that bit of ethnic charm, pattern or colour to the generic looking expatriate apartment, I kept ahead of design trends and probed my own aesthetic leanings while conceiving Limón in the summer of 2015.CUBS: Why the name Limón?

Aradhana: I wanted a name that was short, snappy, had nothing directly to do with furniture or home decor, but had an inherent meaning or represented a story.CUBS: Your studio is a perfect blend of where contemporary meets tradition. What was the thought process behind the design of the studio?

Aradhana: Designing and furnishings the studio was rather ad-hoc, process-wise. Once I chose the wall paint colour, which is a cool teal-aqua colour, I decided to use grey and teal with hints of copper as secondary colours. The chairs that are bright and bold add the necessary splash of colour to this otherwise subdued palette.CUBS: The colour Blue is a bold choice to have in the entire room. Describe how you popped the monochrome?

Aradhana:  I love to experiment with wall colour; my own room is a dark charcoal grey. And the way I like to paint walls are by doing up all the walls of the space and not just painting one. I think this adds continuity and that extra spunk. I have always wanted to use teal; the colour of choice was meant to come out a tad darker than what you see now. But this colour has grown on me and pretty much takes us through the blistering summer of Delhi.CUBS: To have a kitchen that is functional and yet quirky is not easy. How did you achieve this?

Aradhana: The kitchen in question is honestly a working pantry; we have a small fridge and hob but that’s about it. Since the studio is open plan with the pantry holding centre stage, I worked the same colours into doing it up. Dark grey tiles, black, teal and copper cabinet shutters brought together with a black granite top.CUBS: Please explain the brand language on your kitchen wall decor ?

Aradhana: The pantry walls were to be treated like any wall space, thereby to be filled with lots of art. I decided to frame the brand’s graphic language and use that to decorate one of the pantry walls that coincidentally is the first thing you would see when you enter the studio. Limón’s graphic language uses shapes that represent the various forms of a lemon, full/half and quartered.CUBS: Experimenting Saree fabric on chairs, now that’s very unique!! – How did you conceptualise this?

Aradhana: I love Indian textiles and weaves and have always wanted to find a way to show them off / use them on furniture. At home, we have always used cotton saris in the summer to cover our silk sofa cushions or to add that extra colour to the living or the drawing room space. I experimented with using them as upholstery on the chair, whereby marrying an ethnic weave with a stripe or bold print; a play on the versatility of Indian designs and patterns.