A retreat for the parents

Gayathri Padmam crafts a serene Bengaluru apartment for her retiree parents

10 Dec 2025

Conceiving a retirement home for your own parents presents a unique opportunity to design that much more thoughtfully, with all their needs met in tailored ways. Gayathri Padmam, the founder and Principal Architect of Aanai Design Studio, was the recipient of such an opportunity, and beside the green surroundings of Lake Gattahalli in Bengaluru, she shaped a 1,300 sq ft picture-perfect retirement home.

The home encapsulates this intention through a classic palette of wood, soft florals, and shades of green everywhere, making for a space that invites warmth and relaxation. Defined by clean lines, balanced colours and minimalist interiors, this home delivers thoroughly on its brief.

“The beauty of this home stems from the simplicity and functionality with which it has been designed. A space to unwind and reconnect”

— Gayathri Padmam

The couch in the living room is the work of Tusker Katha as well as the side table; Photography by Roshan Sathish Paliath

Covering the bases

The main living space of the home has an earthy, rust lime plaster finish with wood detailing. Interspersed beams of wood also run atop, drawing your eye upward, while the floor below continues the same material story with a wooden finish. Previously layered with builder-grade tiles, Gayathri introduced the home to this warm flooring, which flows effortlessly from room to room, providing an elevated finish while being easy to maintain. The retirees wanted a space that operates in the same rhythm as them, easy, gentle and without any airs. A minimalist framework with unmistakable personality, the home thoughtfully folds in function through simple designs. The temple is placed on a shelf attached to the cabinetry of the open kitchen, the study room, which houses a saree cupboard of old-world charm with its wallpaper and banana fibre inlay, also doubles as a guest bedroom. Everything is built with purpose, and the furnishings? Even more so.

A centre table by Tusker Katha rests on a rug by Carpet Kingdom, as wood beam run overhead; Photography by Roshan Sathish Paliath

The kitchen features a rug from Fabindia; Photography by Roshan Sathish Paliath

Tailored to a T

Becoming a visual treat to walk within, the home reveals patterns in delicate manners throughout. The seat cushions of the dining table wall bench, the soft green palette behind a bed, and the cane-woven cupboard doors, all a gentle exploration of textured design. Building a house of comfort and ease also required the design language to translate well for an older couple. Choosing fixed seating for the dining table, adding hidden storage wherever possible, and including wide passages throughout make this home perfect for the retirees. Leading out from the living room is a sizeable balcony that houses a thoughtful medley of potted plants and green foliage with an antique rattan lounge chair. An intimate home with meaningful pieces, everything within feels exact and intentional, so much so that each room accommodates a writing desk for Gayathri’s mother who is a poet and a writer. Thoughtful throughout, this Bengaluru home is unpretentious in all its quiet glory and makes for a picture perfect retreat.