Spaces Vol 1 Is 6

the village concept in mind. In the
reception and dining area, there are
reminders of local village life in the form
of decorative elements consisting of
everyday items used in villages. The
reception and lobby area have also been
created to give this impression. Most of
the interiors and furniture however
appear to be of Rajasthani origin and
flavour. This was apparently because at
around the time the resort was being built,
a lot of Shangri-La’s clients were French
groups who used to travel on the Jaipur
– Bombay -Nepal circuit. So when it was
time to work on the interiors, the
decorators went off to Rajasthan to get
ideas for interiors and perhaps with the
idea of pleasing their French guests, a
Rajasthani décor was chosen. Because a
lot of Rajasthani furniture and
decorative items come from their
villages, they do impart a rural flavour.
At the same time, when placed in a
different environment, they take on an
exotic nature and so the décor
was probably meant to give the
resort an exotic rural flavour.
Appropriate, one could say, for
a deluxe village resort.
THE OVERALL EFFECT
In total the Shangri La Village
Above: Bedrooms are furnished
with an eye towards ethnicity.
Left: The restaurant has a cosy
atmosphere due to the diffused
lighting through Lokta paper
shades.
Right: Nice ethnic touches make
the rooms a delight to spend time in.
Facing page above: Earthen pots,
wicker chairs and recessed
lighting explains the reason for
visitors’ pleasant surprise as they
enter the lobby.
Left: The bar is, as expected,
comfortable and with a warm
ambience.
48 SEP-OCT 2005 SPACES