You can almost miss it. But that’s the beauty of this lesser-known secret spot in the capital city. Somewhere between a verdant urban jungle, in the capital’s rustic Jonapur village, an old, sprawling haveli has got a new lease of life. Restored to its former glory, this gorgeous home is located just off Mandi Road, except now it is a concept store spearheaded by Kuldeep Kaur.
Entering the store is like stepping into another slower time. Serene, even. Everything is unhurried. Everything here has its own pace. It is, quite literally, like stepping into your grandparents’ home during summer holidays and rummaging through their Pandora’s box of treasure. “It is reminiscent of our generation…the ones who grew up in the 1960s,” says Kuldeep. Relax on the cane chairs, put your feet up, have a steaming cuppa, or a cold nimbu paani and, as she says, “Maybe just browse through the store. Here we indulge our customers to take their own time. There are no sales people following you around.”
There are gorgeous array of printed linens, home furnishings, furniture and décor accoutrements artfully curated in the store. Understated is the key here much like Kuldeep—who is the owner and chief designer here. Not only has she designed the quirky fabrics, she has also handpicked the items from her travels to flea markets across India and abroad.
Interestingly enough, Kuldeep chanced upon creating the space rather serendipitously after over a year’s work put into restoring the old haveli—which over time had become a storage and workers’ quarters. The location, in a way, allows the store to be stumbled upon while driving through the verdant Mandi Road, just off all those sprawling farmhouses in Chattarpur.
Having finished a master’s in Spanish and a major in French from Delhi’s Jawaharlal University (something she never planned for in school), Kuldeep went on to do a master’s again in Business from IMT, Ghaziabad. After spending a few years training in the garment industry before setting up her own textile business—designing and selling high-end home textiles to some of the best names in the industry including ABC Carpet & Home, Barney’s New York, Selfridges to name a few, she set up Serendipity.
The store is just one more creative outlet for her—through which she now also embraces and promotes the works of talented upcoming designers creating fabulous products for our modern urban lifestyles. The space is also a great venue for performing artists—there are constant music baithaks and cultural activities such as book readings in the beautiful courtyard that can easily accomodate up to 100 guests. “Serendipity is a celebration of the unexpected… of nostalgia, of simplicity, of the good things in life and ... life as we should live it,” says Kuldeep. We agree wholeheartedly.