Have you ever seen a dancing, peacock,” asks interior designer Anshu Pathak, as I step into her two-bedroom house in Neb Sarai, on the fringes of South Delhi. It does not take me long to realize the reason for the unexpected query. Anshu and her architect husband Pradeep Pathak’s house is a fine marriage of the inside and the outside. Architecturally the house is built to make the best use of the environment. The summer sun filters in lightly from the two mini-courtyards, the all-blue Mediterranean and the maroon and saffron Tulsi court. The dancing peacock is present in all its resplendent hues on the door to the master bedroom, in the midnight blue walls of the bedroom, in the orange walls of the dining room and the entrance as well as in the glass and wooden artefacts that decorate the house. “When the peacock – a great exhibitionist – fans its train of iridescent feathers, it is a sight to watch. I was inspired by its vibrant colours when I was doing the house,” says Anshu.

Anshu loves the crafts and the peacock theme provides the right backdrop for the folksy bric-a-brac in the house like Rajasthani low-slung moorahs, brass lamps and bells, picked up on visits to Bangalore, Mysore, Hampi, Vijayanagar and Madurai, embroidered throws from Kutch and wooden jharokhas. Translucent gold and blue tissue drapes in the drawing room look trendy against the low-seater done up in an Assamese fabric. They are also in synch with the ethnic look. The rather non-attention seeking simple black and white chequered floor serves as a foil for the rich colour story that the home looks like.

We wanted a lot of fresh air in the house so we hit upon the idea of an open floor plan. Apart from the main door and the door leading to the bedrooms, there are no other doors. Therefore, there is no obstruction to the cross-ventilation. The house is awash with natural light for most part of the day, because of the twin courtyards, and the sheer curtains in the living room,” says Anshu.

Anshu’s fetish for strong colours is evident from the start. The entrance wall as well as the dining room wall is done up in a warm orange hue. “In fengshui, yellow is associated with a sense of unity and wholeness, it boosts health and balances the mind, nourishes the digestive system and promotes the sense of well-being. It is an ideal dining room colour. The Tulsi chaura in the Tulsi court gives the traditional touch that I like so much. The blue in the Mediterranean court soothes the mind. In any case, colour is the most exciting, the most immediately noticeable and the least expensive element in doing up a space,” says Anshu.

The six-feet long mural ‘Krishna’ done in coloured mirrors and beads provides a fine backdrop for seating area in the living room, which is at a level lower to the rest of the rooms in the house. The simple blue sofas are touched up with rich silk cushions in bright hues. The marble centre table flaunts a metal chess board, brought from Athens.

The small, all-white kitchen has space for the burner, the microwave and the refrigerator. Adjoining is a utility area which accommodates the utensils and helps keep the kitchen free of clutter. “I enjoy cooking for family and friends. So I wanted a good kitchen which does not require an army of servants and easy is easy to maintain.” Says Anshu.

Continuing with the ethnic theme, the master bedroom is done by in a deep shade of blue. One of the walls has a bright painting with silver sequins. The bedrooms provide a view of the house, from some angle or the other. The kids’ room has a rainbow painting. Ferrari fan son Akshar’s domain is filled with pictures of cars and replicas, some of which he drew himself. Daughter Praachi’s corner is done up with images of dolls and their houses.

Through the house is richly decorated, there is no discernible clutter. It’s a vivid celebration of the Indian crafts and colours.