NYS: We love that you create such double-duty homes for families. How do you design an interior that can withstand young children yet still be the perfect place to hold a dinner party?
Purvi Padia: I believe strongly that homes should not only be beautiful but also practical and livable. A huge part of that is making a home functional and welcoming to every member of the family.
I have a few rules of thumb when designing for young families:
First, use organic shapes. Cutting down on sharp corners make pieces kid-friendly and organic shapes, such as a petrified wood stump as a side table or a tufted ottoman in place of a cocktail table introduce an element of softness, warmth and comfort.
Second, while I love gorgeous lighting, floor and table lamps are a hazard for young children. For families, I love the idea of incorporating show-stopping sconces and chandeliers in unexpected places. Where I might use tall floor lamps to give a room height in a project without young children, for families I opt instead for heavy (read: untippable) sculptures displayed in the corner of the room.
And finally, we always gravitate to double-duty pieces and kid-friendly fabrics—sometimes even in projects where the clients don’t have kids! Two of our favorite tricks are creating cocktail tables that can open up to stow all the kids’ clutter, and we love durable fabrics—today there are so many that look chic and clean up easily.