Rooted in style | Raahul Kukreja Studio, Alwar

Dressed in attire that gracefully screams casual cool, Raahul Kukreja truly embodies effortless chic. He’s a far cry from the Hindi-medium, Alwar-born draughtsman who bought design magazines at the local railway station. The popular interior stylist known for breathing life into any space traded the predictable for the personal, launching a studio that serves as both a creative laboratory and a tribute to his textile-heritage roots. His journey is a beautiful lesson in intuition and grit.SANCTUARY FOR THE SOULLocated two hours from the frantic pace of Delhi, Kukreja’s studio in Alwar is a deliberate escape. While he has an office in Gurgaon, this space is special. “The soul connects over there,” he explains. For Kukreja, the commute is a way to decouple from the noise and focus purely on the craft of styling, proving that geographic distance doesn’t mean a loss of relevance. CREATIVE CORNER: Raahul Kukreja poses in his recently redone studio in Alwar, where he keeps experimenting with the look MAKING A NAMEHow does a stylist with no connections make a mark in an industry he knows no one? Thirteen years ago, Kukreja arrived in Delhi as a “lost guy” who spoke no English and lacked formal design training. He built his reputation through a two-fold strategy: connecting with photographers (the gatekeepers of visual aesthetics) and using Instagram as a personal manifesto. By the end of the pandemic, a wave of new designers sought his professional lift to give their debut projects an edge.STYLIST VS DESIGNERKukreja is clear about the distinction between his work and traditional architecture. “You need a designer for the civil work and structure,” he says, adding, “but the stylist is about the lift.” He views styling as an extension of a homeowner’s happiness, a versatile, dust-free way to refresh a space without the commitment of a full renovation.GLOBAL ROADMAPFive years into his independent practice, Kukreja manages a borderless portfolio. His projects range from luxury fusion homes in Gurgaon’s Camellias to collaborations with Afghani clients in London. His next chapter involves a curated product line sourcing unique decor from Nagaland to Tibet, blending a distinct Indian aesthetic with modern sensibilities.In an industry obsessed with the next big thing, Kukreja remains refreshingly defiant. He ignores fleeting trends, choosing instead to let his intuition lead. From a Hindi-medium student in Alwar to a stylist with a global footprint, he has proven that when you build your own roadmap, the world eventually catches up to your vision.Photographs by Manish Kumar Photography- Delhi - EndsPublished By: Mansi Published On: May 15, 2026 18:55 IST

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Rooted in style | Raahul Kukreja Studio, Alwar

Is styling the missing tool a modern homeowner needs? Meet the stylist who skipped the corporate ladder to build a creative empire on his own terms

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