Designers on the clock at Potter Barn’s flagship in New Delhi

At Pottery Barn’s Summer House event in New Delhi, interior designers followed a brief for instant makeovers

Pampered by domestic luxe home furnishing brands like Good Earth and Sarita Handa, the Indian globetrotter might not be as enthusiastic as before to cart back tableware and bedding from holidays in the West. But there are many who still swear by mainstays like Anthropologie and Pottery Barn. Which is why the latter, the San Francisco-based digital-led sustainable brand, decided to set up shop in the country last September.

The flagship in the capital, at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, has its popular in-house interior design team on hand to offer imaginative solutions. Sometimes it brings in industry experts for a dash of local inspiration, as it did last week, with The Summer House. About 15 interior designers, together with Pramiti Madhavji (founding editor of Elle Décor magazine) and design consultant Sonia Bajaj, had some fun with prints, patterns and a multitude of materials.

Part of the Williams-Sonoma portfolio (including West Elm and Rejuvenation), Pottery Barn India has interesting collaborations coming up, like the one with actor Deepika Padukone. But for now, we asked its country head, Puneet Behal, to share collab plans, while a few designers weighed in on their personal favourites.

Our most popular categories in India in the last six months have been furniture and lighting, with decorative accessories such as urns, textiles and cushions being quick purchases. I’d say the urns and our flicker candles are great impulse purchases. We have a cool brand collaboration in the works. As for Deepika’s collab with us, all I can say is that her passion for home design and a timeless sense of style resonate with the brand. It is slated for launch in the spring of ‘24.

Ready for instant makeovers: My brief at last week’s event was to set up a living room for a house in the Hamptons that can transition to a formal setting. Having lived in New York for close to a decade, I have practically used all Pottery Barn products. I love the accessories and soft furnishings that instantly transform a space. The accessories are so well coordinated that one can literally design an entire space in a few hours. As for a current design trend that appeals the most to me, it is ‘biophilic’. It has been around for a few years but it’s amazing to see it show up as a mainstream trend.

Dinnerware fits the bill: I personally love the elegant Pottery Barn Kids collection but feel dinnerware and decor are off-the-shelf purchases that will appeal to Indian buyers. There are large planters, trays and tableware, candles and curios that I would pick for my projects. And they align with both the wabi-sabi and Boho trends that are big this year, perhaps because people are sensitive towards minimalism and sustainability.

Shout out to the classics: My brief at the event was to create a cosy den around a single chair. I usually don’t go by trends as they tend to fade. I believe in classics that last, so it was easy to meet the brief. I find the overall neutral vibe of the store most appealing.