Homes
This maximalist Kolkata home by Untitled Design Consultants is daringly glamorous and artful
JUL 17, 2024 | By Aditi Singla
In Kolkata‘s labyrinthine lanes, rises the architectural jewel, THE 42 residential skyscraper, a beacon of modern living and luxury. Within this iconic structure, is a maximalist dwelling bursting with added layers of decor, tied together by design partners Amrita Guha and Joya Nandurdikar of Untitled Design Consultants.
Art savants can find an assemblage of artworks and installations in every corner of this spectacular 7,000 sq ft apartment.
Serene stones
Stonescapes in their natural variation and veining reign supreme in this Art Deco home. Granite walls with gleaming brass details and a ceramic horse installation by Partha Dasgupta greet you in the lift lobby. But wait, there’s more.
It’s impossible to ignore the water feature, created from massive stone slabs by Odyssey. The home’s entrance welcomes you from a bold crafted main door into a foyer designed to be admired from all sides.
Pops of personality
Enter the living room where every amorphous object d’art tells a unique story of discovery. Your gaze will naturally be drawn to curated artworks, rich artefacts and Gomaads’ concrete wall panels. A stone wall with brass and silver Khadau and etched Pali script, lends another artistic connection to the space. “Our favourite space is the living room as our signature style is most evident here.” the designers exclaim.
The dining area opens up like a curious maze of details and vibrant art, featuring a bespoke table in green aventurine paired with cane-woven chairs. For the designers, this workplace became a ground for experimentation, given the owner’s love for flamboyance and a clear preference for maximalism. “To ensure practical needs we decided to glamorise the public spaces, while keeping the bedrooms refreshingly simple and functional” Amrita articulates.
Rooms to remember
Art and function co-exist in all the bedrooms. The magic multiplies in the master bedroom as it overlooks the majestic Victoria Memorial. Lighter colour tones on furniture and etched basalt stone headboard, create an illusion of expansiveness.
Despite apparent similarities, you discover disparate details in the elder daughter’s bedroom — cosy seating ledges along the windows, a cane and walnut bed in the centre, and an installation by Bhuwal Prasad from Art Bella. Meanwhile, the younger daughter’s room has a capacious gadda bed for sleepovers and is done up in wooden finishes. The dedication to craftsmanship extends to the dressers and washrooms.
Another signature style is the family lounge offering both comfort and a connection to the homeowner’s artistic passions. The designers joyfully went sourcing artworks from art galleries, antique shops and various cities with them. Wrapping the home in a luxurious jargon, they concluded, “Our approach is always to cater to the owner’s personal, cultural and sensorial preferences and represent them through good design, to which this home is a testimony.”
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