People have been slamming the'maximalist' and 'kitschy' design of the recently showcased apartment by Nikhil Kamath in Bengaluru on so many social media platforms. A few days back, the co-founder of Zerodha, who has always advocated for renting over buying, bought his first home. Kamath's shift in stance has come under scrutiny, particularly since he has previously criticised homeownership.
Things became worse when PhonePe design executive Rahul Gonsalves shared images of Kamath's rented apartment, which covers the impressive 7,000 square feet in Kingfisher Tower, the city's upmarket address. Numerous users on X (formerly Twitter) echoed Gonsalves' description of the interiors as an 'absolute travesty'. Some were downright disdainful of the decor, and others simply noted that the decor did not seem to be designed as a cohesive whole. Another user said it looked like a 'Pinterest moodboard' had collided with a WeWork office.
But wealth does not equate to refined taste, and critics were quick to point that out. Manish said, 'A lot of it is pretty lame.' You don’t have to be rich and have refined taste.” Others concurred, calling the decor 'kitschy' and confusing, and one commenter said each room appeared to have been designed by a different person.
But Kamath's defenders pointed out that, as a renter, he may have had little say in the apartment's interiors under rental agreements. One user explained, "Actually, this is Nikhil’s rented house at KF Tower. As per agreement, one can’t do much to change it.”
Kamath's apartment has also set off a wider talk about personal style and affluence. Some believe in maximalism; others think that it can be too much to handle, aesthetically speaking, and can take away from comfort and coherence.
