Article Category: Homes

Of historical charm and architectural nostalgia, stepping into Ekaant, a 750 sq ft residence in Crescent Bay, feels like entering a portal to old Bombay. The home is a testament to the power of collaboration and the transformative magic that can be conjured when home-owners and creators align their ambitions. The residence combines comfort and elegance, making it the perfect place to live and unwind after a long day..

A seamless planning

“We got to take our time to fulfil every small bit of the client’s requirements and aspirations for his dream home on paper before any work was started,” says designer duo Nirav Nirmal and Bhavya Parekh.

Believing in ‘local for vocal’, the locally sourced teakwood permeates the air with a rich perfume that serves as a constant reminder of the Indian craftsmanship skills and attention to detail. 

Captivating comfort

The centre of this home is an open-concept kitchen and living space that combines practicality with aesthetic appeal. The lack of physical barriers allows for free movement and interaction between spaces, creating a welcoming atmosphere.

Metamorphosing into unique, elemental design clues — a sleek marble dining table, lights from Jade Design House with the bar unit set against the teakwood wall, and shades of earthy hues blending well with the decor, setting up the home for an elevated living.

A compelling contrast by the mix of the cosy teak wood and the cool-to-the-touch margarine plaster on the walls is enhanced by the mesmerising movement of the Hybec lights. Scarpa Terrazzo was utilised for the living room floor, with beige Italian marble walls coated in lime plaster and a concrete texture ceiling.

The primary bedroom boasts elegant teak wood flooring and pristine white textured walls. The primary bathroom was completely transformed into an open-concept bath in a bold design move. The vanity is covered in worn black marble. 

In majestic proportions

Resurrected were certain up-cycled artworks and decor given by the client, seen throughout. Artwork by Meghana Patpatia, sourced from Tao Art Gallery, adds to the artistic ambience. A unique 3D art piece created by the design studio captivates the attention of all who enter.

The bedside tables and bed bench perfectly complement the bed linen from Yamini. Focusing on the headboard meticulously crafted from Scarpa Terrazzo weaves a whimsical style tapestry. 

A sliding wardrobe in the primary bedroom makes the guest bedroom layout more condensed. The guest bathroom, which has the same concept as the main bathroom, adopts the same design philosophy and features a magnificent Kashmir white granite with a leather finish as its eye-catching focal point.

Entertaining endeavours 

“The client pushed us to finish everything that was on plan, that really helped us to achieve the result that is there for all to see. Matching aesthetic sensibilities was not a problem as this was the second project for him. There was a reinforced confidence in the design process,” state Nirav and Bhavya.

Amidst the bustling city of Mumbai, a remarkable home stands as a testament to the art of balancing diverse needs and creating a cohesive living space. This 1,460 sq ft home serves as a sanctuary for three generations. Situated in Tardeo, this home required significant structural repairs due to its age. Collaborating closely with a structural engineer, the project team meticulously addressed the building’s issues, focusing on repairing slabs and columns while ensuring the integrity of the structure remained intact. The result is chic, functional and ready for family gatherings.

The renovation of this multi-generational home cohesively demonstrates the successful integration of diverse tastes and needs. Designers Ashni Tapuria Shah and Sanna Daya Hassan of TCG Studio helped design the apartment to work for this 3 generation family.

Form and function meet

A chic and sophisticated home that epitomises style yet is welcoming, the individual spaces are personalised and every room tells a different story. Each bedroom reflects the personality and the taste of the person living in it. The simplicity of the colours and textures of each room flows mellifluously into a melody, making a brick-and-mortar structure a haven. It is completely functional yet elegant, with more than enough storage for the sentimentalists who live in it.

The overarching theme of this home revolves around striking a delicate balance between form and function, with cleverly disguised storage solutions seamlessly integrated into the overall aesthetic.

A palette of elegance

Upon entering the home, guests are greeted by a foyer that encompasses storage, a shoe bench, and a separate entrance for staff accessing the kitchen. The foyer flows seamlessly into the living room, which extends to a den on the left and a dining area on the right. The dining area leads to a powder basin and utility area. Opposite the foyer, a passage leads to the staff room, puja room, and bedrooms.

The master suite is designed with fluted detail that conceals volumes of storage without giving away the shutter locations at the floor and loft levels. The tall upholstered headboard draws the viewer’s eye up and also ties in with the grey leather detail on the custom nightstands. The bedroom features a unique two-sided swing, allowing one to enjoy the view, creating a cosy seating area. The walk-in wardrobe leads to the master bathroom featuring a relaxing steam and sauna shower cubicle along with French gold fittings.

At the end of the passage, maintaining a consistent design language throughout the home, honey oak herringbone flooring is seen from the passage to the daughter’s bedroom combining practicality and charm, with a honey oak veneer which clads the TV unit and seamlessly connects to a desk by the window that is flooded with natural light. A custom fluted extended headboard that is upholstered in a pale blush linen. Also seen is a mint pastel base botanical wallpaper, pendants and custom cylindrical nightstands clad in the honey oak veneer.

A dresser with built in lighting and a mirror that acts as a place for storage is most ideal for the client to get ready. The best part is a cosy reading nook by the window. The booklover’s nook allows for a more youthful and personalised touch, with the honey oak wood tone, ebonized veneer, and mixed metals that define the space. 

Throughout the home classic, contemporary elements have been utilised like French panelling and wainscoting juxtaposed with modern finishes like ebonized veneer and PU.

The colour and material palette of this home comprises warm greys, honey oak wood tones, and white Makrana marble which the design team opted to work around with, paying homage to the sentimental and nostalgic value it held for the clients. This decision not only reduced waste, resources, and cost but also brought immense satisfaction to the homeowners. Open-grained ebonized wood and hardware to decorative lights and bath fittings, are elements that have been thoughtfully integrated adding a touch of sophistication. By keeping the overall shell neutral, the design achieved is chic and modern with selective pops of colour.

Design gems to note

The den, with its blend of aesthetics and functionality, best exemplifies the philosophy of less is more, featuring veneer panelling that brings warmth and conceals hidden storage, while a plush olive sectional invites relaxation, slim shelving to showcase the clients’ collectables and a range and indirect lighting sources for that warm evening glow, perfect for unwinding.

The joys and challenges

“The most enjoyable part of the design process was creating the daughter’s bedroom, affectionately known as the ‘booklover’s nook.’ Here, a wide variety of materials and textures were explored to realise the client’s dream of a cosy reading haven. The most challenging aspect was striking a balance between storage requirements and aesthetic sensibilities in the master bedroom. However, through smart panelling and innovative design details, every square inch of space was effectively utilised,” expresses Ashni Tapuria Shah.

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If you’ve ever made a scrapbook, you know it’s fun — assigning a theme to every page and picking pictures to fit as if it were a puzzle. There’s a feeling of intimacy that comes with personalising a scrapbook. Now imagine doing this with a home. Anu Chauhan, Principal Architect and Stylist of ZERO9 along with Prashant Chauhan, embraces this exciting experience in a 4,200 sq ft home in Nagpur.

Although a blend of two apartments on the same floor, the spaces flow into each other naturally, as if originally assembled that way. Like a collection of colours, decor and textures, every room brims with a different theme and eclectic clues, all so unapologetically. 

Contrasts and experiments   

With a desire for rustic yet elegant spaces, the owners entrusted Zero9 to craft the abode in a way that made contrasting themes complement each other. Hence, it was decided to hinge their design direction on the patrons’ love for experimentation, while enhancing space-making by decking up sliding partitions instead of any structural changes.

“The bar area was the most enjoyable space to design. It was a lot of fun, experimenting with flooring patterns, the bar counter, the ceiling, the lighting and the synchronisation of it all with music,” remarks Anu. Seemingly, multiple elements dancing to the music.

Customised terrazzo flooring with red mosaic chips disperse on the floor like confetti while nebulous forms wobble on the ceiling. To contrast the quirky flooring, Anu uses a subtle grey backdrop as gold-plated pots accessorise the room. As colour-changing lights complete the lively character of the abode, contradicting elements come together to create a surprising harmony.

A love for rustic 

The entrance opens into an open space that harbours the family living room, balcony, dining area, a formal living space and a bar. Although distinct in style and essence, the rooms float into each other naturally.

The family living room anchors the whole area. Ample comfortable seating space here calls for family gatherings. On the other hand, the formal living fosters simple cosy furniture. While one embraces hues of green and leans on light-coloured wooden furniture and decor, the other chooses to pose in dark, elegant shades. A lime plaster backdrop maintains uniformity and flow in the rooms.

The rooms are connected to a quaint, cornered dining room that then leads to the kitchen, guest bedroom, and powder room.

To ‘serve’ the owners’ love for cooking, one-fourth of the home’s area is transformed into a kitchen. A marble island pivots the cooking hurricane that forms every evening. The owners’ personal kitchen and utility kitchen surround it. The elegant arches and rustic hexagonal tiles on the wall add a vintage look to the rather urbane area. The kitchen resonates with the residents’ inclination to a rustic palette, reminding you of a cute Italian cafe with an open counter.

A hallway, lined with mirror shutters and art that adds some playfulness, leads to the other part of the home that accommodates the bedrooms and study. Mango yellow couches lounge comfortably at the end of the hallway to make a small balcony area that doubles as a kitchen garden.

Colour, colour, on the wall! 

“The home has a rustic zen theme. The spaces have individual colour and material palette. The living room is muted and subtle while the bedrooms play their own colour story,” says Anu.

Each bedroom has a distinct style. While wood slices adorn the bed back and warm wooden flooring runs in the master bedroom, black and white marble takes the floor to complement the room’s grey walls in the son’s room. Blue subway tiles with a grey tile base impart a mature impression in the bathroom here. The daughter’s bathroom is more playful as grey, pink, and blue subway tiles grace the wall.

Eccentric decor pieces grace the various rooms to add some whimsy and accessorise the room. As unique as each area is from the other, they seem to complement each other — like a scrapbook with just the right layouts.

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Unified by traditional wood furniture and tropical accents is a home that lies at the intersection of timeless and modern. Blending classical styles with contemporary demeanour was key for Meera Pyarelal, the founder and interior designer of Temple Town, to envision this family home for five in Thrissur, Kerala. The home is not dictated by a prevalent style or trend, but a reflection of the designer’s ethos, which, as Meera puts it, “Is the ability to stick to our design ethos of sustainable design irrespective of the style of interiors.”

Dichotomies of the old and new

This space occupies 4,500 sq ft and comprises four bedrooms, a living room, a dining room, two kitchens and a family room with open terraces that hint at a dichotomy between old world charm and day-to-day practicalities. The foyer hosts a live edge swing made of locally sourced wood that adds a rustic touch to the setting. 

The morning sun streams into through the glass windows at the top of the stairs and reflects off the beige walls of the foyer. The light spills over to the living room, unobstructed by a door, spreading an air of cheerfulness and warmth across the home. In the living room, the decor transitions to millwork walls that are reminiscent of Western classical traditions. The more experimental wood and metal coffee table adds a sense of modernity to the space. 

However, the kitchen and dining is where the stakes have been raised. “​​The dining room is cool and classic with an eight-seater dining table with a wooden top and brass base. A bespoke cane buffet table on the side with a line of botanicals that add low key luxe. The kitchen is streamlined, all wood, really functional and practical with no fussy details,” says Meera.

A stylish bar finds space underneath the staircase which has a mix of materials and textures that renders a tropical flourish to the nook. The bedrooms are located on the ground as well as the upper floor. One of these bedrooms has its moment with a dramatic accent chair in Frida Kahlo prints with artworks predominantly by Mario Fernandez. While the eldest daughter’s room is elegantly decked in monochromes, the second daughter’s bedroom is what Meera calls, “A tropical paradise!” 

Furniture for the future

Temple Town aims to design and manufacture sophisticated pieces of sustainable wood furniture, echoes of which are evident across the home. Meera explains that wood is responsibly and locally sourced, and used by local craftsmen to create furniture. Keeping with the traditions of inheriting furniture within families in Kerala, these pieces can last three generations, resulting in a limited environmental impact. 

A Splash of Playfulness

While Meera uses wood to balance classicism and modernity, she does not overlook the play of light and colour and caters to her client’s request for a comfortable, homely atmosphere. Sober, monochrome black, brown and beige surfaces that offer a sense of atemporality and luxury are regularly interrupted with splashes of colours that display a certain playfulness.

Designed using various styles, materials and textures, this is a living space that is both elegant and edgy while retaining the warmth of a family home. “We have experimented with different decor ideas from one room to the other, each having a distinct vibe of its own. Yet they flow into each other making sure you’re always inspired when you walk into each room,” concludes Meera. 

Cosy and contemporary. The two words that Praneetha Rebala and Dipika Pallikal Karthik of Studio TwentyOneTwelve, were entrusted with, to imagine a residential space in Chennai with plenty of inspiring visuals seeping in throughout. 

With three distinct show apartments harboured in The Crown Residences, the duo after their discussions with Bashyam Yuvraj of Baashyam Constructions decided their moodboard to be mid-century modern along with free-flowing creative manoeuvres that finally birthed the different home units across 1,200 sq ft, 1750 sq ft and 2,500 sq ft areas in the neighbourhood of Koyambedu. 

“We developed a design language to create a visual experience that would teleport one to a place of retreat, where you are one with nature by carefully working with earthy tones and materials whilst still having fun by playing with eclectic patterns and textures,” says Dipika. 

Contrasting commonalities 

Staying true to their design philosophy, Studio TwentyOneTwelve delved into an unknown territory, discovering a new personalised design for the project, while bringing the spotlight on Indian homegrown brands. “With easy access to amazing brands on home turf, we wanted to use this as an opportunity to showcase what good Indian design has to offer,” the duo divulges. They add, “We focused on empowering homegrown brands like Mangrove, Baro, Gulmohar Lane, Jaipur Rugs and The Rug Republic to name a few. Even for soft furnishings we went to local brands like Drapes & Dreams and IAAH.”

Snug but spacious, the 1,200 sq ft home with two bedrooms opens to a small dining table with cushioned blue chairs. The compact dining area is decorated with digital prints from Calcuttan while the wall is adorned with end-to-end mirror panels. The home is intimate, as if welcoming you with its elegant hues of white and royal blue and stylistic furniture that sets exemplary hints of elevating spaces.

On the other hand, the den sprawling 1,750 sq ft area engulfs three bedrooms. It guides into a living area first that is furnished with a tan leather sofa and a contrasting blue carpet to add a refreshing splash of colour to the room, further branching into the dining area that connects to a small balcony. There’s a seamless flow between the rooms. Although similar, every room has a different colour scheme that contrasts with uniform wooden furniture.

The largest home with an expanse of 2,500 sq ft embraces four bedrooms. An extensive living room features fluted wooden panels that run across the walls and ceiling. Tall glass windows slide into a long balcony while a wide passageway leads to the dining room. 

Eccentric splashes

Each apartment speaks of a unique design vocabulary with different but commingling elements standing out at every turn. The designer duo strikes the perfect balance between tying the three apartments together with underlining characteristic elements. Pops of colour in blues, mustard and olive green peek through the neutral palettes. Glass windows and balconies allow abundant light to reach every corner of the three dwellings. The designers decorate the home with tall planters to bring the outdoors inside, with complementing earthy tones.

Eccentric patterns and bespoke furniture make guest appearances across apartments to add slivers of glimmer to its sober canvas. With a juxtaposition of different materials like wood, fabric, metal and rattan, the homes stand astride the natural and the urbane.

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