SUBSCRIBE NOW
    • Homes

    Apoorva and Kunal Shroff’s contemporary concrete and glass villa Airavat stands majestically at the apex of a foothill in the Western Ghats

    JAN 3, 2022 | By Sonal Shah
    On FCML Listone Giordano wooden floor lies an exquisite Manchaha Rug from Jaipur Rugs, alongside Anand Rathi loop pendent illuminators and a lacquered pomegranates bowl from LeMill that elevate the beauty of this piano room; Photographs by Fabien Charuau
    Rustic stones from Nice and Natural Stones make up the flooring in this picturesque den, alongside Leolux sofa, Defurn flower vase and a folk rendition of 10 avatars of Vishnu framed on the wall; Photographs by Fabien Charuau
    Circular window encases a tufted mattress making it a cosy lookout; Photographs by Fabien Charuau
    The master bedroom with four poster bed placed over a carpet from Jaipur Rugs enjoys sweeping views of the plateau; Photographs by Fabien Charuau
    Lateral view of the perforated metal staircase that displays wooden statues from Bali; Photographs by Fabien Charuau
    Exterior section of the structure shows two concrete parallel walls with staircase leading to the lawns; Photographs by Fabien Charuau

    Though the angular structure is partially visible along the driveway, nothing prepares us for the dramatic impact of the home—the voluminous expanse, the double height ceilings, huge swathes of glass opening directly into lawns that appear to extend to the cliff edge, and the ascending mist wafting gently through the interiors.

    Metal staircase flanked by parallel concrete walls leads to the level below. The long picture window looks out at Duke’s Nose in the Deccan Plateau while the pendant light is Shikhara by Arjun Rathi; Photographs by Fabien Charuau

     

    The double height ceiling enhances the voluminous feel while the wall behind is made with stone obtained during construction. The niche in the wall is made for a fireplace. An old family trunk serves as a centre table above a carpet from Jaipur Rugs; Photographs by Fabien Charuau

    Hugging the natural contours of the hillside, the entrance is situated at the highest point, with the major part of the villa accommodated on different terraces at lower levels. Aptly named Airavat or home in the clouds, the project was a ‘dream come true’ for Apoorva Shroff, one of the partners of the Mumbai based architectural practice reD. Her husband Kunal’s only brief was that the villa be welcoming and large enough to accommodate their extensive families and friends.

    Close up of the far end of the dining area with a circular window in view; Photographs by Fabien Charuau

     

    A part of the indoors lets abundance of daylight in; Photographs by Fabien Charuau

    The home was conceptualised as a three storeyed, angular seven bedroom structure that capitalised on the vast mountainside views of the Deccan Plateau.

    The window behind the bed opens into the internal courtyard that forms part of master suite. The side tables are from Gulmohar Lane and table lamps by Klove Studio; Photographs by Fabien Charuau

    Discover more about Airavat villa in Khandala featured on the cover of the December 2021 – January 2022 issue of ELLE DECOR India here…