The corner: Lubna Ashfaq

The talented interior and furniture designer walks us through her favourite space, her formal drawing room


Sanya Pervez Hussain October 23, 2016

The talented interior and furniture designer walks us through her favourite space, her formal drawing room

As we walk into Lubna Ashfaq’s formal drawing room, a beautiful view of the luscious, green garden grabs our attention. The warm sunlight through the large windows instantly makes us feel comfortable. The fresh scent of lemongrass infuses the room. We start to observe décor pieces that give the area definition and meaning. Gold and rustic cabinets, blue and white urns, and plants of various shapes and sizes effortlessly adorn the space. “Since we have split levels in the house, as well as in the garden, I wanted to make sure that the view can be seen from most parts of the house, and this is by far my favourite view.” Ashfaq decorates the space with large planters and uses a beautiful red and blue, double-knotted carpet to complement the vibrant ceramic pieces situated in a corner.

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We notice a contemporary theme of blue, white and silver around the room. This resembles the sky and ocean, and contrasts with the green planters and radiant sunlight, uniquely adding an element of nature in the area. We start to question Ashfaq about her vision behind the drawing room. She explains: “I didn’t have a certain look in mind, I just wanted to incorporate all the pieces I liked in here. I had to do this in a way where various designs and colours work well with each other and I think that’s why this room stands out to me.”

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Ashfaq shows us her favourite accessories and talks about elements that make this space so special. “I like the combination of the bright-blue ceramics with the golden-brown, jute wallpaper from Wallmaster. I also feel the furniture polish complements the overall look of the room impeccably,” she adds.  A few distinctive vases catch our eye. Upon inquiring, Ashfaq smilingly tells us how she loves experimenting with new pieces, and likes to collect individual items from her travels around the world. “I would say this room is the best representation of my work as an interior and furniture designer, as it has all my favourite pieces collected over a long period of time from various parts of the world,” she continues. She expresses a need to experiment, and play with the furniture and the room setting from time to time, and her love for experimentation is evident in the way she incorporates an assortment of palettes and textures into the room.

As we begin to admire how well maintained the corner is, we wonder how often this room is actually used — so we pose the question. We discover that this area of the house is primarily used for entertaining guests and hosting afternoon teas, not as an everyday hangout spot. “The large windows overlooking the garden make my guests, as well as myself, feel closer to nature and also makes the room look brighter,” she explains.

We silently conclude that Ashfaq’s corner is a unique representation of her love for travelling and nature — hobbies she enables herself to enjoy sitting inside her home. Furthermore, the charming collectibles that Ashfaq adorns the corner with and her attention to detail create a sense of warmth, replicating her soft and hospitable character.

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