The Corner: Ainee Shehzad
Ainee Shehzad invites us into her favourite corner — and it certainly is a special space
Ainee Shehzad, entrepreneur, interior designer, and a dedicated trustee of the MALC (Mary Adelaide Leprosy Center) invites us into her favourite corner — and it certainly is a special space!
As we make our way to the front door of Ainee Shehzad’s home, we spot an open and well-utilised balcony or porch space with comfortable sofas and incredible details and style. Karachiites tend to put a few chairs or a swing at best to adorn a terrace, but Shehzad has made certain that her terrace is “one big and welcoming entertainment area.” The bar and stools are the most fun elements. The light adds to the beauty and the warmth of the area.
In questioning Shehzad more about it, she answers, “Living in Karachi, a coastal city, the evenings are beautiful and breezy, hence we love being outdoors and for that I created a resort-like space where I made use of natural beauty, the flora and the foliage.” Agreeably, everyone needs an escape and why not build one within the comfort of your own home?
“I have my morning breakfast here at 7am. Late nights, evening teas and barbecues are other fun things we do here,” she says, “there is a barbecue pit that we use and the swimming pool is right around the corner.”
The first things that piques our interest are the cabana-like sheer curtains attached to pillars of the terrace. She says, “despite being a pragmatist, I love dream-like utopian states and sheer curtains add to creating a surreal ambience.” The effect of the curtains transports you to a beach on an exotic island, while also allowing a separation between this cosy area and the rest of the garden. There is a little wooden bridge that quaintly connects this space with the garden and as Shehzad puts it, “serves as a transition from created beauty to natural beauty.”
The space is filled with various ethnic masks, sculptures, and animal skins. When we ask Shehzad if the area was inspired by a particular culture, she answers, “the masks are from different cities of the world and it reminds us of all the places we have visited. It is a celebration of diversity and different cultures.”
There is diversity of mediums in her furniture including wood, leather, steel, stone, brass, copper and glass, and a deliberate experimentation with finishing mediums, Shehzad reveals. “My work is constantly evolving and unique — that’s my trademark.” We conclude her education in Civil Engineering and Design has certainly given her an edge in terms of style, proportion and quality.
Shehzad’s favourite piece amongst all these ornaments, however, is the wind chime, for its “calming and beautiful sound, a respite from the hectic hustle and bustle of the cosmopolitan life.” We conclude by asking why this corner is so dear to Shehzad, to which she explains, “being outdoors gets you in sync with nature and gives you immense peace and tranquillity — and this space embodies just that.”
As we make our way to the front door of Ainee Shehzad’s home, we spot an open and well-utilised balcony or porch space with comfortable sofas and incredible details and style. Karachiites tend to put a few chairs or a swing at best to adorn a terrace, but Shehzad has made certain that her terrace is “one big and welcoming entertainment area.” The bar and stools are the most fun elements. The light adds to the beauty and the warmth of the area.
In questioning Shehzad more about it, she answers, “Living in Karachi, a coastal city, the evenings are beautiful and breezy, hence we love being outdoors and for that I created a resort-like space where I made use of natural beauty, the flora and the foliage.” Agreeably, everyone needs an escape and why not build one within the comfort of your own home?
“I have my morning breakfast here at 7am. Late nights, evening teas and barbecues are other fun things we do here,” she says, “there is a barbecue pit that we use and the swimming pool is right around the corner.”
The first things that piques our interest are the cabana-like sheer curtains attached to pillars of the terrace. She says, “despite being a pragmatist, I love dream-like utopian states and sheer curtains add to creating a surreal ambience.” The effect of the curtains transports you to a beach on an exotic island, while also allowing a separation between this cosy area and the rest of the garden. There is a little wooden bridge that quaintly connects this space with the garden and as Shehzad puts it, “serves as a transition from created beauty to natural beauty.”
The space is filled with various ethnic masks, sculptures, and animal skins. When we ask Shehzad if the area was inspired by a particular culture, she answers, “the masks are from different cities of the world and it reminds us of all the places we have visited. It is a celebration of diversity and different cultures.”
There is diversity of mediums in her furniture including wood, leather, steel, stone, brass, copper and glass, and a deliberate experimentation with finishing mediums, Shehzad reveals. “My work is constantly evolving and unique — that’s my trademark.” We conclude her education in Civil Engineering and Design has certainly given her an edge in terms of style, proportion and quality.
Shehzad’s favourite piece amongst all these ornaments, however, is the wind chime, for its “calming and beautiful sound, a respite from the hectic hustle and bustle of the cosmopolitan life.” We conclude by asking why this corner is so dear to Shehzad, to which she explains, “being outdoors gets you in sync with nature and gives you immense peace and tranquillity — and this space embodies just that.”