This week let's peek into former model and actor Atiya Khan's stylish abode...
interior
This week let's peek into former model and actor Atiya Khan's stylish abode...
Atiya Khan's family home is a pure work of art. Its beauty lies in its simplicity and timelessness. Built in the ’70s, this impressive house has been in Atiya's family since the time when she started out as a model. It was in these confines that the girl blossomed into a striking beauty and chose a career which had quite a winding path. It is the same house where her kids have spent their childhood frolicking with their grandparents and have made memories the same as their mother. "My parents built this house in 1978; they drew inspiration from the Spanish architecture," reveals Atiya.
It is a dwelling steeped in history with a personality of its own. As you step inside the gates you are welcomed by a rambling house with foliage and trees running parallel to the long driveway. The first thought to cross one's mind is that it is a 'home' and certainly not a house. Once you step inside the foyer there is a sitting area to one side while a spiralling staircase takes you up to Atiya's quarters. Atiya shares the premises with her parents. "The ground floor is where my parents reside beside the formal sitting area," she shares. Replete with elegant sofa sets, centre tables pristinely decorated with artefacts, it is a comfortable and welcoming room. The colour scheme here is primarily brown and beige.
The upper level is Atiya's personal space comprising three bedrooms, the study, her meditation room and the surreal balcony. Atiya's study-cum-living room beckons you within its loving folds putting you instantly at ease making you want to put up your feet and settle down on one of the comfortable sofas with a hot cup of coffee. The study is strewn with books from the art world. The walls are adorned with paintings and artefacts dot every nook and corner of the well-lit room. "My most cherished works of art are my Sadequain and Rooha Ghaznavi acquisitions," she says.
When not busy reading a book, Atiya seeks refuge in her meditation room. Here she has opted for floor cushions and an old fashioned wooden two-seater. As you move on you enter Atiya's world - her bedroom which is a place of calm and serenity. In solid browns and beige the walls are adorned with calligraphy lending it a pious and spiritual touch.
But it is her daughter's quaint bedroom that surely spell-bounds you. A charming and artistic four-poster bed dominates the room with one end serving as a sitting area. The beautiful combination of blue, red and pink adds a dash of colour to this otherwise sedate house. The bedroom opens out into Atiya's picturesque balcony that has an old world charm about it, like everything else in the house. The balcony has been casually arranged in a manner where it can easily house a small group of friends. The furniture here too is old fashioned yet appealing especially the four-poster bed that sits smugly in one corner of the balcony. "I love incorporating outdoors indoor and the balcony is inspired from my time in Cyprus. They are amazing at practically living outdoors... their entertainment, eating and often cooking is all done outside. And that is exactly what I have tried to do," she apprises.
Born in Hong Kong, Atiya Khan spent her early years out of Pakistan as her parents were frequently posted abroad. "My dad was in the aviation industry so we spent quite a few years in Prague, Vienna, Singapore and Hong Kong. And the eclectic mix of old pieces that you see around the house - furniture and adornments - have all been bought by my parents on their many postings. And of course later on I made some additions as well," states Atiya.
Atiya loves her house just the way it is but would now like to add "A pool and Moroccan courtyard in the garden."
Photography by
Shaharyar Hasan Shaikh
