Homes

The Design Cube imbues an inspiring Industrial style to this Chandigarh home with a surprising free flowing mood

APR 14, 2023 | By Suhaani Rai
A bespoke combination of micro concrete and microchips to create the bar unit from the Quid Collection of The Design Cube— a product design initiative; Photographs by Aaftab Singh Sandhu
The daughter’s bedroom showcases different styles of furniture one of which is the tropical furniture unit adding vibrancy to a nude themed bedroom; Photographs by Aaftab Singh Sandhu
The dining room adjacent to the living area features table and chairs from Design ni Dukaan and wall art from Glamora; Photographs by Aaftab Singh Sandhu
The Living Room is in a neutral with coffee table from Sunday Furniture— the designer’s favourite and sofas from Sunday Furniture and Design ni Dukaan; Photographs by Aaftab Singh Sandhu
The bar is situated adjacent to a magnificent monochrome drawing room. It features sofa from the Quid Collection of The Design Cube and coffee table from Sunday Furniture; Photographs by Aaftab Singh Sandhu
A swing from Design ni Dukaan separates the bar area and the drawing room adding a playful element; Photographs by Aaftab Singh Sandhu

When the homeowners are open minded, even the spaces of a home start conversing freely. This home by Simran Bhargave, Principal Designer of The Design Cube is a thoughtful combination of varied elements that allowed her to experiment whilst following a uniform industrial style of interior design wherein one uses a monochromatic palette of greys, blacks, whites and accessorise with pop of red and orange. 

Chandigarh, described as ‘mecca for architecture lovers’ because of its urban planning, forms a befitting location for this 8000 sq ft 3 storeyed contemporary and minimal home.  The ground floor of this home has the living area, bar and other utilities whereas the first floor houses the bedrooms. 

The living room showcases sofas from Sunday Design and Design ni Dukaan with wall art from Glamora; Photographs by Aaftab Singh Sandhu

 

This chair in the living room is the designer’s way of incorporating simple yet unique style in a minimal home; Photographs by Aaftab Singh Sandhu

The curious brief

A designer gives structure to feelings of love, warmth and understanding and creates a bare shell into a home which the owners can call their own. “Our prime motive was to add a personal touch to the space and to showcase our client’s personality,” elaborates the designer. 

The dining area adjacent to the living room has dining table and chairs from Design ni Dukaan and follows the same colour palette as the living area to give the illusion of areas flowing into one another; Photographs by Aaftab Singh Sandhu

The homeowners gave the designer complete freedom to experiment with their home, but the only request was to incorporate wall art inspired by their love for travel. A lot of art pieces have been commissioned to suit their style. 

Tour every turn of this home

The foyer that welcomes one into this house is designed beneath a double height ceiling unlike the rest of the house which is enveloped under a flat ceiling. The designer has added a sense of  raw and unfinished beauty to the entire home using exposed concrete as a primary finish. The perforated wall forms a focal point of the foyer. 

The foyer is the entrance to this magnificent home which is the only area under a double height ceiling. The perforated exposed concrete wall forms a focal point with plants breaking the monotone; Photographs by Aaftab Singh Sandhu

The designer follows an open house plan where areas freely flow into one another. Elements like wicker partitions and swings are used between two spaces to separate them but a common colour tone is used to bind them. The living room lies adjacent to the dining room and follows a nude palette with whites and beige. Beyond the wicker partition is the bar and drawing room which has blacks and greys following the industrial aesthetic with a playful swing acting as a separator. The curved bar is the designer’s signature style of using mosaic and tiles on furniture.  

The Design Cube’s sofa and their signature style bar takes centre stage in the bar area which works as an addition to the cosy drawing area for hosting friends and family; Photographs by Aaftab Singh Sandhu

The designer designates the staircase as the ‘showstopper’ and mentions how they spent days selecting the unusual material which would be in sync with the theme and colour palette of the home— Greys and whites accentuated with lime and red for the concrete walls.

The designer calls the staircase as the showstopper because she has used unique material that stands out but also follows the uniform theme of the home; Photographs by Aaftab Singh Sandhu

A twenty-first century designer’s language for creating contemporary homes is to create corners which are meant for individuals as well as for the family. The sitting space at the landing of the stairs makes for the perfect isolated spot to curl up and have some alone time.

The primary bedroom follows a wooden palette with bedding and furnishings from Sarita Handa and Naveen Bharat Furnishings and rug from Jaipur Rugs; Photographs by Aaftab Singh Sandhu

 

The daughter’s room is kept subdued using nude tones but tropical elements are sprinkled to keep it peppy; Photographs by Aaftab Singh Sandhu

Ideas to bookmark 

“We always love mixing products, wicker, oak and fully upholstered furniture, we have used all styles in this project and yet confining ourselves to the theme of the house,” says the designer.

The passage to the primary bedroom features a unique furniture unit to bind it to the contemporary theme; Photographs by Aaftab Singh Sandhu

Every furniture piece you see in this home is simple but has been picked because it is unique and unconventional. The uniform palette, nude walls, minimal floors, and usage of matte finished elements helped in creating a subdued appeal but enough to have its own standout character. 

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