Homes

Sanjay Puri Architects uses art and customisation to bring this Pune home alive

DEC 4, 2023 | By Aatish Nath

Both the green and ivory sofas are from Alsorg. In the background, the cast glass centre table is from Mozaic, while the transparent table in the foreground is from White Domus. A Flex Stone ceiling light hangs above while a carpet from Cocoon Fine Rugs is on the floor. On the wall, the resin art is by Purvai Rai and to the right, the black wall console is by Yashesh Virkar. The large planter is from ABACA while the white vase is from Defurn; Photography by Talib Chitalwala; Styled by Sam Wadekar

In the master bedroom, the bed is by Flou and the carpet is from Jaipur Rugs. Behind the bed, is a series of artworks by Urvi Sethna. The bedside tables are by Mozaic and the lamps are by ALC Studio. Lastly, the curtains are by Tulio; Photography by Talib Chitalwala

The seating area is made up of Alsorg sofas around a centre table from White Domus. The artwork is by Sheena Bajoria and the light is from Flex Stone. On the floor, a carpet from Cocoon Fine Rugs rounds out the space. In the background, the corrugated wood artwork by Yuvan Bothysathuvar can be seen; Photography by Talib Chitalwala

The living room has sofas from Alsorg and a centre table from White Domus. The black wall console is by Yashesh Virkar. In the entrance niche the carpet is from Jaipur Rugs while the dining area has a carpet from Cocoon Fine Rugs. The large ceiling light is from FlexStone and the planter is from Abaca. On the wall, the Sheena Bajoria artwork looks down onto the dining area; Photography by Talib Chitalwala

A 4,500 sq ft house in Pune was a blank canvas that Sanjay Puri Architects has transformed for a young couple with their child. Ayesha Puri Kanoria notes that the couple wanted a study, theatre and other versatile spaces where “they could entertain freely, relishing the openness of the space and immersing themselves in the interplay of art and design.”

The guest room also has a seating area consisting of a sofa from Mozaic on a carpet from Jaipur Rugs. The artwork above is by Aishwarya and Mukesh Chodhury; Photography by Talib Chitalwala; Styled by Sam Wadekar

A closer look at the entrance area showcases the Alsorg sofa and carpet from Jaipur Rugs. The round corrugated wood artwork is from Yuvan Bothysathuvar; Photography by Talib Chitalwala

The design sees a clean, minimalist shell come alive with the use of colour. The study, for example, has a royal indigo blue take centre stage. Puri says, “The client loved this particular shade of blue, which we wove the entire design around.” So, everything from the monochromatic shelving unit, which is an installation by Eeshaan Kashyap, to the carpet (by Ashiesh Shah) were commissioned or purchased keeping the colour in mind. In the same room, the clients wanted a concealed temple, and a custom totem was built and then painted by the artistic duo of Aishwarya and Mukesh Chodhury – which meant that the specific shade of blue could be used again. Puri adds, “This totem was treated with black and white lettering spelling out the prayers that the clients believed in,” hinting at what is within.

The dining area in the back features a dining table from Fiam Italia and dining chairs from Lenzi. The ceiling light is from Hatsu and the ceramic wall art is by Studio Vida. On the table, the plate is from Tranceform Designs; Photography by Talib Chitalwala

The open kitchen features a custom-made bar unit with seating from Cattelan Italia; Photography by Talib Chitalwala

Thinking ahead

Puri notes that the design was aided by two facts. The first she says, is that they “selected art at the nascent stages of this home, which really helped us in our material choices and allowed every space to illustrate a restrained balance between warm and cold materials, monochrome and colour and modern and classic elements.” That includes commissioning ceramics from Studio Vida for the dining room, resin artist Harman Taneja for the study and Aishwarya and Mukesh Chodhury for the entrance lobby. The second, she says, is “Almost every object used, from the lights to the furniture was all custom made to tie into to the assortment of design that became this home.” That includes a custom bench in the entrance lobby, carpet panels in the home theatre and cast metal furniture for the balcony.”

In the study, the sofa, armchair and desk are from Mozaic. The blue carpet is an Ashiesh Shah design for Jaipur Rugs. The painted totem is by Aishwarya and Mukesh Chodhury; Photography by Talib Chitalwala

By holistically integrating the custom design elements together with the art, the different rooms in the house are fully realised – with interesting use of material, textures and colour. Puri cites the living room as an example and elaborates, “We treated one of the walls with modern moulding details, dividing it into distinct sections that were accentuated by artworks from the same series of one particular artist. These works gradually converged across the entire wall. The artist incorporated colours and resin embroidery beads derived from the thread work of the vibrant green sofa positioned in front of it.”

Hand-painted elements by Aishwarya and Mukesh Chodhury complement the furniture in the daughter’s room; Photography by Talib Chitalwala

Each space consists of a defined colour scheme, like the open kitchen, which was kept simple in white, and an exotic green statement bar alongside. Similarly, in the daughter’s room, pops of orange and purple, add colour to the otherwise austere space.

Ultimately, the home serves as a showcase of the architecture studio’s design philosophy. Puri explains that their projects are collaborative, “wherein we bridge the differences between art and design as two separate entities by working on both hand in hand from the very outset of the project.”

Scroll below to tour the Pune home by Sanjay Puri Architects…

Homes

Sanjay Puri Architects uses art and customisation to bring this Pune home alive

DEC 4, 2023 | By Aatish Nath

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