Casa de Sanyal

I spent the last weekend with my parents in our family home in New Alipore, Calcutta. My grandfather built this house in the 1950s when the area was a new suburb of the city (and sparkling clean, I am assured.) Previously, my family lived in the heart of the city, but most memories were made in the sprawling three story structure on Block F with an adjacent annex building for the family business above a two car garage.

Recently my parents have renovated the ground floor and refurbished the apartment with paint and repairs. The overhaul helps many of the period features to shine through--the high ceilings and moldings and other architectural details.

Many of the motifs, such as the geometric shapes on the door, reflect the Art Deco sensibility that continued on in India well after its heyday in the West. And I can't help but love the "S" entwined in the window grates which speak to me of dependability, dynasty and ownership.