Smita Thomas of Multitude of Sins creates a home in the dynamic moods and hues of blue

A blue tinted home that’ll leave you feeling the opposite of blue—this is what interior designer Smita Thomas of Multitude of Sins has created in Bengaluru. With expansive views of a lake, the residence spans a little over 8,500 sq ft across two floors.

“Within the first few meetings, I knew that behind that quiet, serious facade of the client was a vibrant personality with a healthy appetite for risk and a clear fondness for colour (especially blue), simple geometry and restraint,” says Thomas.

So, Thomas planned a living room, main kitchen, dining area, music chamber, bedrooms for the two kids, and the main guest room on the lower level. Along with the upper floor, this forms the private quarters of the home, accessible only to family and close friends. The area adjacent to the family space on the lower level has a separate entrance that leads to the communal section of the house. This zone houses a lounge, bar, dining space ideal for large gatherings and a fully equipped home office to accommodate the client’s round-the-clock work schedule.

A rectilinear entrance, comprising a mix of vertical and horizontal elements, sets the tone and tempo of the apartment. Luxuriant furnishings, a woven rug and wooden accents are offset by black industrial lights and striped patterns in the family living room. The dining area lies adjacent, next to the kitchen, with its floor-to-ceiling lacquer glass cabinetry in a custom shade of blue.

The daughter’s room
An athletic theme pervades this space. The entrance takes cues from sport stadiums—doors are designed as shutters, wardrobe as a locker room, signage lighting and personalised athletic graphics. Other features include a bookshelf displaying memorabilia of sports equipment, a study desk designed to look like a podium, basketball hoop lights as bedside lamp with a neon backboard, and a bespoke boxing bag with hand embroidered silhouettes of Indian female runners. All these elements come together as inspiring references to sportsmanship.

The son’s room
Drowning in a Star Wars theme, the walls depict cinematic scenes from A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Along with the wardrobe and doors, the lower half of the walls match the interiors of the Deathstar. “We’ve all imagined piloting an X-wing through the trenches of the Death Star or flying a land speeder through the giant legs of an AT-AT at some point,” smiles Thomas.

The children’s zone
“The children’s zone comprising the music room and their bedrooms was my canvas for untethered creativity,” says Thomas. A theatrical, oversized Bluetooth operated boom box along with playful art and bespoke vinyl light fixtures makes a striking statement, while a pastel palette accented with bolder shades adds to the pop. Playful nuances such as a favourite music artist’s signature, pictures of musicians and framed covers of music albums inspire and lend a personal touch.

The guest bedroom
The main guest bedroom is bathed in a soothing ambience of muted shades of blue, sea foam green, and greys. The hues are offset by black metal rails that frame the bed and desk. The industrial references interlaced with playful geometric art, globe lights, striped rug, and hues of yellow give the impression of stepping into a graphic illustration.

Communal spaces
The communal space is designed mainly for entertaining and socialising. In the longitudinally laid out lounge, intricate ribbed panelling covers the walls of the seating areas, creating a comfortable atmosphere. There is a playful fusion of colours, textures and shapes: from minimalist, straight lined linen and leather couches to a mix of geometric and sculptural shapes in pops of blue, sea foam green and yellow. Placed between the two seating areas is a well stocked bar in ribbed leather and bespoke brass detailing.

Moving from the lounge to the dining area, the tone is dialled up to awaken the senses. At the centre is the large dining table surrounded by vibrant Cesca chairs. The sculptural lighting fixture with its unusual shape becomes the centrepiece, while the colours of the art piece link this zone to the kitchen.

This arrangement emphasises the casual atmosphere of the space. Nearby is the third kitchen of the residence, complete with bespoke colour blocked cabinetry. Dramatic geometric tiles in grey, white, black and red create a Tetris-like pattern on the side wall. The classic appeal of a Smeg refrigerator adds chutzpah to the kitchen.

An arched, powder coated metal partition divides the home office into two distinct areas—the main cabin and a conference room. A combination of geometric and abstract patterns brighten the walls and lines the floor in the form of a buttery rug. This capricious layering of mixed patterns alludes to the playful streak running across the entire apartment.

A workstation for a small team is characterised by a striped ceiling and an abstract mix of framed geometric prints on brick. The unconventional graphic collage between the floating shelves surreptitiously slides in shades of blue, connecting the space to the rest of the house.

The private spaces
The top floor, which is the most private zone, houses the master bedroom, a library, pantry, private dining area, gym and a guest bedroom. We love how the library is designed to mimic a lounge, with an open plan layout studded with alcoves—heavenly little refuges for a bibliophile to enjoy some quiet and rhapsodic reading time.

“I wanted a playful, unexpected look with changes in mood and atmosphere through the use of different colours, materials, textures and shapes. The end result here is a tongue-in-cheek alternative to typical libraries, while staying mindful of all the practical requirements such as comfortable furniture, storage needs, functional lighting and, of course, contemplative corners,” explains Thomas.

The adjoining dining room and kitchenette features a subdued palette with the only pop of colour coming from the large perky piece of wall art. The kitchenette is a composition of ribbed cabinets in powder blue and a wall covered in quartz stone, hosting a dining setup of curvy upholstered chairs in geometric houndstooth pattern and soft chartreuse velvet.

A discreet door next to the kitchenette opens into a master bedroom that follows an open plan layout with panoramic windows offering arresting vistas of the lake. A headboard, extending past the confines of the bed, forms a backdrop for the wide nightstands and minimalist pendants to resemble one unified form. The conflicting shades of blue in varied textures nestling together are the highlight of the space. The curvy silhouette of the couch tailored in soft velvet and suede gives it a sculptural quality amid all the symmetry and clean lines. The pop of orange on the couch, along with the plaid rug, micro-cement ceiling and wooden floors rounds up the aesthetic of the room.

A brilliant shade of peach envelopes the spare guest bedroom. Its warmth is balanced out with black accents, timber and robust light fixtures. The framed pieces of art suggesting a sense of lightness and frivolity are countered by an imposing black mirror with a classic pinstripe grey pattern. This contrast layering plays down the pastel vibrancy and lends a deeper emotive expression.