This Karachi Villa with a tropical courtyard uses design to maximum effect with art-filled interiors and lush gardens. The home of Nadia Sayeed and her family welcomes you with an easy, tropical vibe. Nadia was inspired to write in to us after her sister in NYC fell in love with HomeLoveLifestyle. We love to hear from our loyal readers around the globe and were happy to cover Nadia’s home for the magazine.
Nadia herself is a Professor at IBA, teaching management and leadership, but her love of interior design is evident everywhere. We sat down for a cozy chat about what inspires her island aesthetic.
So who designed your lovely home?
The interiors are designed mostly by my sister, Shazma Husain who is an IVS graduate. She has worked on projects in Karachi and Dubai as well as New York. She designed our front door based on one at a hotel in NYC plus chose the colors and layouts of the rooms.
The house itself we built with the help of architect Shahab Ghani. I wanted in earthy vibe, and to see greenery from every window. My mother-in-law is responsible for the lush garden that you see. She has her own suite in the house and we share the courtyard, kitchen and formal areas.
Your home is built around the central courtyard?
Yes initially it was just a plain blue pool, but I was inspired by spas on my travels. We added the Buddha as focal point and the water feature. It’s open to the skies and rain drops fall in which is so lovely, we all gather here in rainy weather. I like the rustic look and have kept it simple.
The courtyard also keeps the house cool and since the ceiling is so high, we don’t get any mosquitoes.
Your home mixes old and new to great effect.
Since it’s a joint family I inherited a lot of pieces and added some too. The dining table is from Hong Kong and was bought by my father in law 40 years ago. It’s a 10-seater and was used by my husband and siblings when they were growing up.
The cabinet contains many of the glasses my father in law collected as well.
Do you entertain a lot at home?
My husband loves to grill, so we use the outside patio a lot in the winter season. In fact right now I’m getting the furniture polished so we are ready.
The basement is also great for entertaining. I have a lot of my favourite pieces from Kaghaz Home and Zahra Ibrahim displayed there. Also these brightly coloured paintings from our travels in Sri Lanka. The other paintings have jewellery-like details which I love.
Do you travel a lot?
Yes we love to travel and every time we go, I bring something back to remind me. So ceramics, sculpture or paintings are from our trips to Germany, USA and Sri Lanka. We love Sri Lanka especially because my husband’s best friend is from there. Their art is very different, vibrant and colourful.
Your Karachi Villa with a tropical courtyard contains a lot of art.
Yes…I have a lot of paintings from Pakistani artists such as Chughtai, Abrar and Absar. I love the female form, I always say I’ll buy some abstract artworks (laughs) but return with paintings with a woman’s face.
One of my favorites is the large painting on the stair well. This was gifted to my mother-in-law who runs ABSA, from one of her former students. In fact this was from her graduate thesis show at IVS.
The family rooms are upstairs?
The bedrooms, lounge and study are all upstairs. The study is where I do my most of my work, corrections and marking papers.
I find teaching so motivating and energising. I love hearing from old students about what they are doing. There are now children from TCF and other schools also studying at IBA and it’s so inspiring to feel one can really make a difference.
Team HomeLoveLifestyle loved chatting with the lovely & capable Nadia and covering her Karachi Villa with a tropical courtyard.
Photography by Naeema Kapadia
