Homes

Vinithra Amarnathan designs a home in Belgaum with a young and classic California feel

OCT 6, 2022 | By Ishika Paruthi
The dining area is anchored by a 9ft wooden dining table and a rug by Jaipur Rugs. Two chandeliers dangle above with the flooring featuring seamless concrete-inspired ceramic tile from Nexion’s Endless collection; Photography by Shamanth Patil
An expansive kitchen with crisp blue interiors, has a large 8ft island which houses the hob and cane dining seats for an in-kitchen dining experience; Photography by Shamanth Patil
An effortless and neutral space for the couple, the primary bedroom has a custom striped rug along with an upholstered bed and a mustard chair to complete the calm look of the room; Photography by Shamanth Patil
A large space with a symmetrical layout, the living room is set with sofas from Custom and West Elm, leather chairs and pouf by Custom, a floor lamp from West Elm and custom-made rattan pendant by Bamboopecker; Photography by Shamanth Patil

Nestled in one of the oldest and well-cultured historical places in the Western Ghats is Belgaum, Bengaluru, a city with a sense of transition between Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Goa. Within it lies a 3,500 sq ft home in Nanawadi juxtaposed with a Californian vibe crafted by Vinithra Amarnathan.

Founder of her interior design studio Weespaces, Vinithra imagined this apartment as the perfect interlude between the fast-paced life of the owners’ time in the States and the serene life in Belgaum they keenly sought. 

With sofas by Custom and West Elm, rug by Jaipur Rugs, ceiling beams and a rattan pendant by Bamboopecker bedeck the room in warm and neutral tones; Photography by Shamanth Patil

The curious brief

Wanting to move away from the hustle and bustle of their previous residence, the family decided to move to a smaller city. Purchased as a bare shell, Vinithra was brought on board to turn this shell into a home for the parents and their two kids.

Vinithra elaborates on the structural changes that were made to give the place a warm, welcoming and modernly laid-back feel.

The neutral living room encompasses sofas from Custom and West Elm, floor lamp by West Elm, rug by Jaipur Rugs and floor-to-ceiling floating bookshelves; Photography by Shamanth Patil

“We opened the access from the dining into the terrace to create a large indoor-outdoor feel and planned a large open kitchen that sits right next to the living-dining areas.”

Tour every turn of this modern home

Originally, the home unfurled directly into the grand living-dining section. What conjures an appealing partition between the foyer and the living spaces is a floating wall, where on one side of the foyer is a storage-perfect mudroom.

Photography by Shamanth Patil

The extensive living room characterizes the home with its wood beams, white walls, and an oversized rattan pendant. The flooring is a beautiful Italian tile in a seamless concrete-inspired ceramic tile from Nexion’s Endless collection. 

The dining area was designed to be an adaptable and sophisticated place to fit in the couple’s extended family and friends. A long, natural wood table with leather chairs and modern spindle back chairs in black add a hint of contrast. Burnished black chandeliers and a bar clad in neutral subway tile create a striking textural backdrop.

Photography by Shamanth Patil

Calming blues and an 8ft long window for the sunlight to play hide and seek with, the expansive kitchen is where food and memories are made in this tranquil home. A floor-to-ceiling pantry and a small puja area are tucked in on the sides.  

Serene blue kitchen with 8ft long window brings in the daily dose of Vitamin D. Photography by Shamanth Patil

On either side at the end of the corridor lies the master bedroom and kid’s bedroom. A clean and ultra-modern master bedroom with a pop of natural materials like jute and rattan gives the room an organic feel. A woven rattan bench sits at the foot of the bed and a custom striped rug anchors the space. Opposite this is a full-length mirror, mustard upholstered chair and the walk-in closet sectioned off with beautiful metal and glass sliding doors.

The family room serves as a restful place for the family to spend time together. With a custom-made work desk that extends into the balcony, this room also serves as the home office for the couple. A sofa bed, ottoman and vibrant geometric art prints give the room a suave look. 

Sliding metal and frosted glass door make its way towards the walk-in closet. Photography by Shamanth Patil

 

Mustard chair in the bedroom.; Photography by Shamanth Patil

What Vinithra Amarnathan fell in love with

The kitchen! “It’s not often that we get to work on a large kitchen and have the creative freedom as well as structural flexibility to create significant layout changes,” muses Vinithra.

More importantly, all elements in the home are natural from solid wood to jute and hemp and cotton fabrics to create a simple unfussed, and organic space for the kids to learn and grow in!