There was a time when the ultimate Pakistani luxury home looked very different.
The standard luxurious Pakistani House would have the following features: Heavy wooden furniture with carvings, immense display cabinets (usually containing “mehmano kay bartan”), which were never meant to be touched by anyone. Marble tiles everywhere. A drawing room which remained mysterious, remaining unused for eleven months of the year, only to be occupied upon arrival of guests. And somehow, at least one sofa covered in a layer of protective plastic, or in an old chadar.
What about now?
Everyone seems to want their home to resemble a coffee shop in Dubai. It is safe to say that social media can take full credit for this change.
In recent years, Pinterest and Instagram have revolutionized not only interior designing but also architectural concepts of Pakistani people. Not only houses are being constructed anymore but aesthetics are being curated as well. Every corner should be decorated with “good lighting.” Every coffee table must have a candle, a book no one ever picks up, and a fancy object, whose purpose is unknown but undoubtedly costly.
Modern Pakistani home life has entered its Pinterest era, and surprisingly, this has turned out to be a positive development. And no one understands this vision better than MAKNISA.com. A premium furniture and interior design organization that completely understands the interior that you are imagining and goes above and beyond to bring it to life.
Curved Furniture is the New Game-changer
In light of this, if your living room lacks even one curved item of furniture, then it’s safe to say Pinterest is revoking your membership card.
Sofas with curves, arch-shaped mirrors, coffee tables with circular bases, sculptures in the form of chairs. Modern luxury furniture in Pakistan is starting to lose its sharp edges in favor of smoother and more comfortable ones. Plus, there is another benefit to this — psychologically speaking, it just makes sense.
Curved designs make rooms calmer and more organic. Soften the hard edges of modern architecture. Where once the sharp lines of modernistic design ruled supreme, now curved furniture brings some balance and warmth to the equation.
It looks classy, but not pretentious or overly conscious about being so. The irony in all of this? That’s what chic really means nowadays, looking effortlessly chic.
Not to mention, who wouldn’t want a curve sofa that just screams “expensive taste”?
The Rise of Soft Minimalism
One of the latest trends shaping the world of interior designing in Pakistan today is the rise of soft minimalism. Soft minimalism, which does not involve the cold and sterile minimalist approach, where the rooms look emotionless.
It involves the use of creams and neutrals, textured walls, curvy furniture pieces, soft fabrics, warm lighting and rooms which are more tranquil than chaotic. The trend involves people moving on from rooms cluttered with too many decorations to spaces where one can actually breathe.
For years, luxury meant ‘more’. More furnishings, more details, more décor, more shine and more of everything. But today homeowners realize that one room does not require the presence of fifteen different things trying to get attention.
At other times, it all comes down to having: an immaculate curved sofa, a subtle touch of layered lighting, exquisite textured wood finishes, and maybe even just a single chair that’s doing all the work.
Ambient Lighting Is the New Chandelier
In Pakistan, lighting has been looked at solely from the point of view of functionality for decades. A giant central ceiling light was enough in the past, and everybody was happy with it. Today, however, we’ve realized the beauty of layered lighting and are falling for it much like our ancient ancestors fell for fire.
The trend has changed and everybody suddenly wants LED strips installed below cabinets and in nooks, pendant lights above dining tables, floor lamps in corners, sconce wall lamps, and bedrooms illuminated like five-star hotels.
And what’s happening here makes a big difference and cannot go unnoticed. Lighting plays an incredible role in shaping the emotions felt while inside any space. While a poorly lit room with expensive furniture will never make the cut, a room with mediocre furniture becomes beautiful with proper lighting. This is why contemporary living room ideas in Pakistan now focus heavily on mood and atmosphere instead of just decoration.
Homes are becoming experiences rather than showrooms.
Textured Walls Are the New Status Symbol
One thing that minimalist interiors did lead to was creating an issue no one had expected.
Soon enough, people realized that plain interiors not only looked good but also gave a certain sense of incompleteness to the design, similar to how it would look like someone had left something unfinished even after completing the design.
This is precisely why textured finishes have become one of the most popular luxury interior design trends in Pakistani homes. Textured finishes such as fluted panels, limewash finishes, wood slats, stone cladding, microcement, and layered wall finishes have become a staple in homes across the country.
What makes the trend more interesting is that it can be easily incorporated into modern as well as desi-inspired homes. In essence, it is a way of infusing personality into minimalist interiors.
Opening Spaces Instead Of Formal Entertaining Spaces
The major change occurring in Pakistani architecture involves the manner in which the spaces are used. Old houses included formal entertaining zones that were composed of separate drawing rooms, dining rooms that were completely enclosed, and very segmented designs.
Today, however, homeowners demand something else. They desire homes that have a much more open design, such as an open lounge area leading on to a dining zone, a kitchen that becomes part of the social aspect of the house, areas that blur the lines between the inside and outside worlds, comfortable seating nooks, and spaces that can be utilized regularly rather than just dramatically once guests arrive.
The Architecture Is Changing Too
The influence of Pinterest on modern architecture and interior design does not stop at mere inspiration for interior design choices. Contemporary architecture of Pakistani houses is changing in terms of:
● Lighting
● color schemes
● material texture
● climate sensitivity
● warmth
Architectural design is transitioning from being overtly aggressive to being subtle yet elegant, allowing luxury without shouting. Examples of such an approach are found in trends like: arches and doors, earthy color palette, natural materials, large windows, plants indoors, multiple layers, etc.
Moreover, even traditional Pakistani design elements have seen a revival through: courtyard design, screens, shady terraces, and more.
This way, the modern Pakistani house is gradually learning to become contemporary without sacrificing style.
MAKNISA’s Prediction:
We believe that the trend we described above is far from over. The reason why Pinterest-inspired home design became so popular among people in Pakistan was quite simple. Nobody wants a house that looks good in pictures anymore. What everyone wants is a peaceful and cozy haven at the end of a stressful day with warmth, softness, personality, and comfort. An inspiring yet liveable space.
The main point behind the Pinterest-inspired home is not about beige furniture and candles. It is about emotional and personal design.
