Bridge For Design November Issue

The lime-green wall treatment is based on traditional Indian pigments and the white-painted armchairs in this study/library were made by local craftsmen
orange, lime-green), and playful objects designed by the duo hang
from the ceilings and cover the tables. The original stone floors are
littered with shimmering and sequined pillows and patterned rugs, an
invitation to sit and behold an interior that Bruce describes as “raw
energy hitting you like helium. It makes you giddy.” And flowers are
everywhere: yards of made-to-measure garlands of roses, marigolds
and jasmine. “Their perfume is extraordinary,” she says. “It softens
the air. We sleep and eat near them, even wear them. Flowers are
usually such a luxury, but in India they are very inexpensive, so you
feel like you can be extravagant.”
Outdoor living is fundamental in such a hot climate. Rooftops, for
example, are often the domain of Indian women - a private place to
relax without being seen. To create some shelter on their roof, Alvis
Vega and Bruce erected a large red tent, a nod to their host country’s
heritage. “Tents are a big part of Indian life-style,” explains Bruce.
“They imitate grand palaces, and it’s where hunting parties gather
and weddings are held.” It’s also where the couple sleeps. “Bedrooms
are our least favourite place,” she says. “We don’t like to cut a room off
from work space. We always have futons that can be pushed to the side
rather than having a bed control the room.”
Meals, too, are often alfresco, usually consumed in the cactusfilled
roof garden or on the veranda, and are frequently shared
with unexpected guests: wild monkeys. “Monkeys are all over India,
especially Jaipur,” says Bruce. “If we leave the table just for a few
moments, they will come down and help themselves to pineapple.
They are very shrewd.”
While the presence of marauding monkeys is common, Westerners
are still quite the curiosity. Most visitors stay in hotels, even for
extended periods. “Indians enjoy that we are here, living with them
instead of passing through and staying in a hotel,” Bruce says. “Things
that seem like nothing to us are quite riveting to them, like the fact that
Nicholas and I work together, that we don’t have children. They think
it’s bizarre that we seem perfectly happy.”
Living in Jaipur, even part-time, has had a profound effect on their
work. Bruce’s collection of resortwear now includes handprinted silk
caftans and sarongs, while her husband finds inspiration for his lines
of jewellery and furniture. At one time Bruce had eponymous shops in
New York and Los Angeles, but she’s pared down to a single boutique
in London, which allows the couple more freedom to follow a gypsy
lifestyle. “India lifted us to another level,” she says, “where we could
still function as designers but do it in a way where there’s no office, no
employees, only other artists we collaborate with.”
“Many people think of India as a spiritual place,” she adds, “but I
haven’t found anything particularly spiritual. I just love the madness.”
106 Bridge for Design November 2015