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Kamal Patel adds the star to her favorite flocked tree.
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Hindu deities, candles, incense and offerings in honor of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, in Kamal Patel’s spice kitchen
As they built their West End Home, Kamal Patel’s husband of 20 years, Amir, had just one request: “I don’t want it to feel like a museum.”
The seven-bedroom home doesn't have the coldness of a museum, but it does have all the light and airiness of one. Patel describes her style as clean and minimalistic, which she credits to her career as a graphic designer, a field she pursued before launching her eponymous jewelry line, Kamal.
“The sun follows us throughout the house where we are at that time, which is so nice,” she says. That means the sunlight floods her first-floor office space in the morning, heads toward the living room around the time the children come home from school and then makes it way to the kitchen by 4 in the afternoon.
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Seen through an interior window in the dining room, the floating staircase becomes a decorative element.
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The simple yet bold black, white and gold color palette extends to the powder room.
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According to Vastu Shastra, the main door is also an entry point for positive energy.
This light-filled design isn’t by accident, of course. Patel’s custom-built home was a labor of love, with architecture and design taking a full year, followed by an additional two years of construction before the family of five moved in in 2016.
It was important to Patel to design the space based on Vastu Shastra — the ancient Hindu principles of architecture. Most commonly compared to the Chinese practice of feng shui, it’s all about the flow of energy and harmony, with a special focus on directional placement.
Patel’s architects, Bob Steele and Terry Wyllie of BOB Architecture, who previously designed homes with Vastu in mind, also used the house’s vertical space.
Though the home is about 7,100 square feet, Patel describes it as pretty narrow. “It’s kind of like a Brooklyn brownstone,” she says. “When you walk in, it’s not this massive foyer that’s really wide.”
That use of space is another reason, Patel feels, that the large square footage feels warm without being overwhelming.
“The first thing everybody does is look up, because we have floor-to-ceiling [windows] in our living room.” Other wow-worthy elements, besides the 20-foot-high ceilings, include the outdoor area that’s designed to let the indoors out and vice versa.
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The kitchen, long and linear, is open to the living room and outdoor entertaining spaces.
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In daughter Nya’s room, soft ballet pink walls reflect the 14-year-old’s love of dance.
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In 16-year-old Kyan’s room, the walls are decorated with his own artwork and soccer collectibles.
In warmer months, the pool, creek and vibrant flowers take center stage. “It feels like you’re somewhere tropical,” Patel says.
Though that vibe switches up a bit with the colder months, she still keeps the space entertaining-ready with a fire pit as well as cascading lights and evergreens that add privacy and decor.
“We love gathering around the fire pit and made sure the seating is in an L-shape and looks out to the pool, which is heated,” Patel says.
During the holiday season, Patel strategically places the family’s 7.5-foot, frosted Christmas tree by the accordion doors leading to the backyard.
“When we entertain and open [the doors], it's almost as if the Christmas tree is between both spaces,” Patel says, “giving the outdoors a warm and homey feel.”
“The sun follows us throughout the house.” —Kamal Patel
In keeping with Patel’s design style and her love for minimalism with a purpose, the Christmas tree can be viewed from multiple angles and rooms in the house. Instead of occupying the narrow space in the foyer, it’s housed in a nook.
“It just really looks like it belongs there,” she says of the tree, which the family has had for almost as long as they’ve lived in the house.
“It looks pretty even with nothing on it. It's just one of those really pretty trees that you just light up, and it looks so nice.”
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In Vastu Shastra, earth elements such as the stack of polished stones bring balance and stability.
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In the main bedroom, the simple color palette and minimal furnishings create a serene retreat.
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On a wall in the kitchen, floating shelves display family photos and paintings.
You won’t find strands upon strands of string lights on the tree, but Patel does say the tree essentially has two sides; her kids decorate one, and she has another. Each year, she gifts her three children, who range in age from 10 to 16, an ornament based on their specific interests. One year, her daughter received an Eiffel Tower ornament, while one of her sons got his in the shape of a football.
As the holiday gets closer, the children decorate more, and the tree becomes a treasure trove of Christmas ornaments and memories from the past.
But even before the Christmas decorations are unpacked, the Patels celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights that celebrates the triumph of good over evil. The start date of the five-day celebration varies between October and November; this year Diwali began on Nov. 2.
The major Diwali gathering happens at Patel’s mother’s house in New Jersey, where there’s tons of Indian food, bright lights and fireworks, but Patel’s home is also beautifully lit in recognition of the holiday, with lights (diya) and decorations, particularly in the space leading to the entrance.
“We try to light many more diyas and do rangoli outside our home, which the kids love," says Patel. These bright patterns, similar to Buddhist mandalas, are drawn on the floor to welcome visitors to Hindu homes during Diwali, and also to encourage the goddess Lakshmi to come inside. The family’s mandir or temple — a symbolic space or altar within the home where the family makes offerings to their favorite gods and goddesses and repeats mantras, or blessings — also has marigolds, rose petals and diyas lit in circles.
Patel says her children take a great interest in Diwali, not just for the decorating, but also for the chance to gather with family they don’t typically see throughout the year. Additionally, her youngest son was born on Diwali in 2010.
Whether she’s decorating for Christmas or Diwali, Patel’s aesthetic remains focused on statement-making yet minimalist design that’s far from boring.
“It's really nice to have a very clean palette, because you can always add things, you can always take away things, you can mix and match so much,” she says. “And honestly, it's just simpler.”
