Sunitha Kondur and Bijoy Ramachandran of Hundredhands create the perfect canvas for a homeowners’ art collection

Vinutha and Gautam’s 12,000 sq ft home sits atop Miraya Hotel & Residences by UKN Properties, a mixed use structure in Bengaluru. Miraya, designed by us at Hundredhands in collaboration with London based architectural practice Allies and Morrison, is an exercise in the meticulous composition of structure and programme.

This rigorous and ordered base, on which the penthouse sits, informs the way the home is designed. Most of the lower floors are organised around a circulation spine—the penthouse shifts it to the west of the plan, keeping some rooms along the east. The building sits on the threshold between the city and farmland with Lake Varthur to its south. Affording spectacular views of the landscape, the home is spread across two floors, coupled with outdoor zones owing into each other.

The lower level features two wings on either side of the central stairway area. While the south side is organised along a double heighted volume, the primary stairway is placed along the western edge of the plan. An open plan accommodates a home theatre with custom made sliding timber doors and a large living and dining area, both of which spill out onto landscaped terraces, making them ideal for large gatherings. The southern terrace with its two large frangipani trees brings to mind a garden in the sky. Meanwhile, the north side houses two guest rooms, an office, staff quarters and utilities.

The upper level houses two bedrooms—the master suite with walk in wardrobes and another that’s accessed from a large foyer. This atrium is sky lit with round oculi giving one the sense of the passage of time as light from numerous apertures trail along the walls and floors through the day. On this level is also an infinity style pool at the southeast end.

A simple palette of flooring materials marks places of rest (timber) from places of passage (polished limestone) within. A mix of timber decking and local sera granite in various finishes characterise the terraces. These two set the timber sliding panels and the curved slatted enclosure of the powder room in terms of colour and form, respectively. For the bathrooms, a mixed palette of handmade tile, terrazzo, limestone, wood and granite is employed.

The furniture is a blend of handcrafted antique and art deco from Kochi, Karaikudi (Tamil Nadu) and Bengaluru as well as some pieces, including the outdoor furniture from Thailand and local studios.The homeowners like uncluttered spaces and want to showcase meaningfully sourced objets d’art. So, a palette of neutral look and earthy tones is planned to ensure that the colour comes in from the art, accessories and accents bought during their many travels.

We’ve used customised textile for window treatments that are all 100 per cent cotton milled and accessories that are block printed at a local studio. Vinutha and Gautam often host large groups at their home and the spaces afford the coming together of friends in multiple settings, indoors—at the dinner table—as well as outdoors—on the pool deck, at the firangipani tree. It is truly a home for a 1,001 nights.