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A life, collected with Eina Ahluwalia
Seen here: A wall of vintage plaques, paintings, frames, mirrors, and traveling temples, interspersed with a few contemporary pieces. Image courtesy Eina Ahlwualia
For its second chapter, The House of Things continues this series as a tribute to the art of collecting. Vintage objects, marked by fingerprints from another era and fragments of forgotten homes, carry gestures of care that have traveled decades. Through this journal, we honour modern-day collectors who preserve the essence of the past and allow it to live meaningfully in the present.
We visited Eina Ahluwalia in her Calcutta home, where every corner is inhabited by objects that bear traces of places she has travelled, moments she has lived, and memories she has decided to keep.
Seen here: A vintage Baroque mirror alongside a 1920s Portuguese Gothic triptych mirror and an Art Nouveau candlestand. Image courtesy Eina Ahlwualia
The art of collecting comes instinctively to her. It began with watching her mother gather vintage pieces over time, learning that one meaningful object is worth more when it carries memory. She searches patiently, sifts endlessly, and waits for the piece that feels undeniable. Her collection of objects at home carries the same spirit. She does not collect for rarity alone - she collects for feeling. Through her gaze, the past finds relevance again. As a second-generation vintage hunter, Eina carries the art of collecting in her impulse.
Each piece she chooses feels gathered, not accumulated - selected with care, gently bridging the past and the present.
Left: Antique Baroque and Rococo candlesticks, along with an Art Nouveau trinket bowl.
Right: A 1920's Portuguese Gothic altar from Goa, now a temple to female mythological figures like the Sirena, the Sphinx, Cybele, and an angel.
“I’ve always been drawn to things that carry a sense of presence,” Eina says, her gaze settling on the antique pieces that fill her home.“It’s not about age or rarity alone. It’s about the feeling an object holds, the quiet life it’s lived before it reached me.”
“One of my favourite things to do in every part of the world is to spend hours ploughing through antique markets and vintage shops, and finally coming out victorious from having found that most beautiful piece that has captured my heart. Being a second-generation vintage hunter has given me the exposure to know what is special and unique, and my passion for it keeps me feeling itchy until I have found a beautiful piece. My vintage style is mostly European, a colonial mix of cultures, and sometimes Asian.”
Seen here: An antique Bengali bedside table has been repurposed as a side table in the living room, set against a backdrop of blue and white plates collected over the years, mostly antique and vintage, with a few newer pieces.
Her home reflects her journey as a designer, one that began with questioning why we choose the objects we do and how they shape our everyday lives.
“I have literally watched my mum collecting vintage pieces over time. Hunting down one little object instead of having many is simply a part of who I am,” she shares.
There is something deeply moving about witnessing a second-generation collector at work. Eina does not only source vintage décor objects; she continues a lineage. A chipped edge, tarnished brass plating, or a faded motif becomes memory in her hands. She sees beyond polish and perfection, recognising the life within an object and imagining the life it can still live.
Seen here: The entry foyer features an antique Jacobean hall chair and table, an Art Nouveau candelabra, along with a couple of other vintage candle stands.
“I like to think of these pieces as companions. My home wouldn’t be complete without the objects that tell a story,” she says.
Through her carefully collected objects, Eina reminds us that collecting is an emotional act. It is about attachment. It is about noticing. As we leave her home, we are reminded that meaningful spaces are not put together in a hurry. They are built slowly. And when objects are chosen with care, they do not just fill a room - they make it feel lived-in.
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