Looks like Gauri Khan finally squeezed out some time from her busy professional schedule to refurbish Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment office in Mumbai's Santacruz area.
It has been almost 30 years since Shah Rukh Khan was officially taken by the love of his life, Gauri Khan, and over these three decades of their married life, they have proved to be each other's loudest cheerleaders and strongest pillars of strength. When Shah Rukh had struggled to make his name in the film industry, it was Gauri, who had stood by him through the highs and lows. And when Gauri had ventured into the world of interior designing, it was Shah Rukh, who had done everything in his power to support her in achieving her dreams. Shah Rukh and Gauri have together made us believe that if behind every successful man, there is a woman; then behind every successful woman, there is a man too! (Also Read: Shah Rukh Khan And Gauri Khan's Combined Net Worth, The Ace Designer Isn't Far Behind Her Star Hubby)
Gauri Khan, the owner of the interior designing company, Gauri Khan Designs, is a high-end designer par excellence and she often shares glimpses of her work on her Instagram profile. We have seen instances of her hubby, Shah Rukh Khan putting an enquiry about when will she refurbish his office. Once Shah Rukh had commented on Gauri's post, "Can you now please refurbish my Red Chillies office room with a new ceiling I have been asking you to do!!! I want something nice to look upto when we restart work." To which, Gauri has professionally replied, "@iamsrk our team is on it sir!!!!!" Another time, in 2018, Shah Rukh had asked Gauri, "When are you designing my office?" To which, Gauri had typed out a tongue-in-cheek response, "As soon as I have some free time..." followed with a smiley.
Looks like Gauri Khan finally squeezed out some time from her busy professional schedule to refurbish Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment office in Mumbai's Santacruz area. During the lockdown, Gauri had started working on this project and finally, she inaugurated the office's newest corners after eight months of hard work. Sharing her experience, Gauri wrote on her Instagram post, "Designing Shah Rukh's office at Red Chillies was a great experience throughout the lockdown. I wouldn't trust anyone other than @vox.india.interior for this project. Amidst the masculine and minimalistic theme with a color palette of black, white and grey, Kerradeco gave me a wide range of options providing a tactile touch sensation. The innovative infratop ceiling system of VOX soffit promises extraordinary quality as well as reliability."
Revealing what was an interesting challenge of her to design in this project, Gauri Khan continued, "A home away from home, creating a space that was comfortable yet that nurtured creativity. Designing the office with a huge outdoor space was an interesting challenge for me. The ease and comfort to attend virtual meetings as well as creatively brainstorming for future projects at his office at Red Chillies office was my topmost priority for him. #officedesign #voxinterior #gaurikhandesign @bottomlinemedia." Shah Rukh Khan's creative hub, Red Chillies Entertainment office is an eight-storeyed building and is designed not only keeping in mind the needs of the actor but also conducive to the new-narrative of workspaces amidst the pandemic.
Revealing what prompted her to revamp this perfectly functional and creative workspace of Red Chillies Entertainment during the lockdown, Gauri Khan said in an interview with Vogue India, "All eight storeys of the Red Chillies Entertainment building are incredibly busy throughout the year. Our footfall includes film producers and directors, to the creators of the Netflix shows, writers, narrators and the erstwhile VFX office. It has been a typical workspace so far. So Shah Rukh has, for some time now, wanted to revamp one section of the office into something more creative than just desks and tables. But since hundreds of people moved in and out every day, it was hard to put a stop to things in the daily churn of life and take time off to renovate. But the pandemic changed things last year. It was the perfect time to take a break to refurbish this floor.' (Also Read: Shah Rukh Khan And Gauri Khan's 18 Crore Worth Villa In Dubai Is What 'Live Life, King Size' Means)
Throwing some light on the brief she had received from Shah Rukh Khan to keep in mind while designing the space and how the couple had wanted a space for their son, Aryan Khan too, to come in and work, Gauri Khan said, "Shah Rukh's brief was simple: to create a neat, clean, simple and effective space that would keep in mind the needs of a family office and would double as a ‘hangout' spot for the entire Red Chillies entourage. It is also meant to serve our visiting directors, writers, producers and talent who are always in and out. We wanted a spacious, sunlit space for Aryan [Khan] to come in and work, and for Shah Rukh to have his meetings. Neither Shah Rukh nor Aryan had any design inputs on this space, except that it needs to be a common area that people can use to unwind."
Explaining details about the terrace of Red Chillies Entertainment office, Gauri Khan revealed what did the trick for her and elaborated, "The focal point—the USP, so to speak—is the terrace. The outdoor furniture is custom-made at Gauri Khan Designs, there's greenery around and just a neat, open space for people to get some fresh air. This, for me, does the trick. It fuels my energy: just to take a break, even if it is for 10 minutes where you can breathe in fresh air and get some sun. Creativity, after all, is what fuels this company."
Revealing her plan in forming a clear structure and purpose for this project, Gauri Khan continued, "I designed the lounge area as a minimalist and airy space. One section has a series of workstations, and the other section is a beautiful library with touches of leather, velvet, brass and wood with a chic work table. The central artery of this space has a very lounge-like vibe, with a rug, coffee table, a chess set, leather sofa and an eye-catching mural. I like the hardiness of leather in the common spaces. There has been a deliberate use of light walls in contrast to dark fabric, so the room feels light but the furnishings stay fresh for a long period of time."
Speaking of her envision of transforming this space for different users across different purposes, Gauri Khan stated, "Here, the typical office has been re-envisioned as a fresh, casual, warm and homely place for multiple teams to meet or take a break from work. People can relax, put their feet up, play chess, watch some television, get an evening drink or grab a coffee. They can celebrate the launch of a new show or trailer here, or just hang with their colleagues. Honestly, these couple years are going to be hard for everyone–recovering from the pandemic and the overall fear. This was an ideal time to create a safe and open space for work and leisure. This is meant to be a transformative area, one that can be repurposed to carry out a narration, a budget meet or a photoshoot. I think it's just the breather people need; especially when you're trying to navigate through creative processes. And the beauty is it will never feel overcrowded. It has been designed with minimal ornamentation–just a few accessories, movie memorabilia, a Fendi sofa, rugs and bespoke furniture pieces designed in-house at Gauri Khan Designs." (Also Read: Gauri Khan Gives A Never-Seen-Before Peek Inside Mannat, Shah Rukh Reveals What Makes Home Beautiful)
Revealing some of the key elements that define this space, Gauri Khan said, "Shah Rukh's memorabilia is elemental to this space, a key part of the decor and vibe. This is what makes it personal. I also commissioned a hand-embroidered artwork from Chennai-based French artist Francois Lesage, inspired by Shah Rukh's movies, with a camera and a film reel, and other cinematic inspirations. Lesage is known for his art of embroidery and has worked for the largest fashion and haute couture houses. Apart from that, there are posters from Shah Rukh's old films framed on the walls, all his awards, his book collection on cinema, and various gadgets that he has used in his movies. His old favourite movies in LD and DVD are part of the collection here. We also have the trophies and memories of Kolkata Knight Riders (Shah Rukh's IPL cricket team) on display and the Trinbago Knight Riders trophy from the Caribbean Premier League is displayed too."
Explaining her favourite element and how they created it, Gauri Khan elaborated, "My favourite element is definitely the wall-length mural in the lounge, and the ceilings of the space. VOX is a Bengaluru based company that makes customised wall panelling, and we used VOX interiors' Kerradeco Anew walls and VOX Sofit ceilings for the office. These don't just blend into the background, they integrate into your lifestyle and aesthetics. It provides this modern finish of brick and stone and I found it durable and trendy, with a soothing aesthetic. I liked the fresh and white tones in their colour palette. Also, VOX Sofit provides an innovative infratop ceiling system, giving a veneer wood finish with none of the practical issues of wood such as termites or water problems."
Elaborating on her belief that comfortable and functional workspaces can be stylish too, Gauri Khan concluded, "Like a home or a lounge, a workspace has to be both comfortable and functional. This fundamental principle does not change. I believe the end-user is very important. It's important to know how the people inhabiting a space are going to spend the day and to understand their headspace. Are they writing, watching a film, brainstorming, taking photos or editing? I don't think a comfortable and functional workspace cannot be stylish. I have used a brown couch by Ralph Lauren Home—which balances style and function—alongside an antique lamp passed on from my mom to me. The carpet, console, coffee table and side table are all designed in-house at Gauri Khan Designs. And then there are a handful of super luxurious pieces that speak as a pièce de résistance of sorts—the Fendi sofa, a chair by Timothy Oulton, which showcases a true passion for traditional hand-craftsmanship and a floor lamp in the main office by Salvador Dali, the legendary Spanish surrealist artist.' (Also Read: A Glimpse Of Shah Rukh Khan And Gauri Khan's Bathroom And Its Interiors Give Pinterest-Worthy Vibes)
Now, who wouldn't want to work in an office space like this? Which area did you like the most?