Don’t judge a house by it’s facade—Skewed Brick Home by HundredDesigns stupefies at every turn

Adorned in humble, earthy materials like exposed brick and grey granite outside, and wrapped in luxurious Italian marble inside— the Skewed Brick Home in Surat by HundredDesigns pleasantly surprises at each corner. With the 10,900 sq ft home, principal architects Mallika and Abhishek Dhabuwala break the notion of following a single theme throughout a residence. […]

16 Sep 2021

Twinkle Tolani

The house starkly contrasts its venue— the crowded Adajan locality in Surat. Its wonderful skewed brick elevation and laser-cut main gate make it a welcome anomaly in the neighbourhood.

Continuing the self-effacing language, a narrow staircase accentuated by fun sciography from the brick jali form the entrance foyer. At the upper-end of the staircase, yellow Jaisalmer and steel grey granite greet the visitor.

Decorative abstract main jali door is as bold and engaging as the proceeding interiors; Photographs by Nilkanth Bharucha

The staircase is peppered by natural light courtesy of the interlocking brick facade; Photographs by Nilkanth Bharucha

A puissant wooden door with gibbous brass jali marks the entrance of the home. With one step inside, the grandeur of the interior replaces the humility of the frontage. The entry passage bifurcates the private and semi-private spaces on the floor.

To the right of the staircase, lies a spacious living room decorated with a monochromatic sofa-set on one side and a contradictory, incongruous and colourful sofa-set on the other.

The worship area has an outer-worldly spatial quality. An arched entryway and dramatic backdrop render it serene; Photographs by Nilkanth Bharucha

The humility of the exterior contradicts the grandeur on the inside of the Skewed Brick Home in Surat; Photographs by Nilkanth Bharucha

The left side of the staircase houses the dining area, pooja room and kitchen. The kitchen has a simple and sleek design. The hero of the monochromatic scheme is the kitchen island, which is flanked by a jutted, timber breakfast counter.

The counter continues in the open dining area, setting the single shade mood of the space. The pooja room is a tranquil space. An exposed brick wall forms the backdrop — accented by a back-lit brass mural.

The staircase is adorned in black Italian marble, and forms the spine of the residence; Photographs by Nilkanth Bharucha

Light modern bedroom arrangement with a splash of greens adds a spark to the abstract paintings on walls in the guest room; Photographs by Nilkanth Bharucha

On the first floor, the guest suite mimics a hotel suite, while the primary suite’s design is kingly. Brass inlays on a timber wall panel are the crowning glory of the primary suite. These inlays make an appearance in the Italian marble flooring as geometric shapes as well.

The primary suite opens into a double-height sit-out space, establishing connectivity between the son’s bedroom on the second floor. “It’s our constant endeavor to incorporate such spaces in our designs”, gushes Abhishek.

The extended sit-out in the son’s bedroom is flush with natural light and greens; Photographs by Nilkanth Bharucha

The son’s bedroom, located on the second floor, has a modern and playful aura to it; Photographs by Nilkanth Bharucha

The bathroom in the son’s room is luxurious and rich in materiality; Photographs by Nilkanth Bharucha

The son’s bedroom has a raised deck. Abstract paneling camouflages the wardrobe and the bathroom. Light from the skylight against the satvario stone in the bathroom renders it pacific. A ‘standing balcony’ connects the interior and exterior.

A yellow wall imparts a youthful aura to the activity room — an extension of the son’s room. The staircase flight from the second to the third floor is the closest to the skylight and has a mural of colorful birds to conjure a feeling of reaching out to infinity.

Ceramic mural birds adorn the staircase walls between the second and third floor; Photographs by Nilkanth Bharucha

The central skylight atop the staircase saves electricity by illuminating the staircase block throughout the day; Photographs by Nilkanth Bharucha

The colorful mosaic on the terrace breaks the monotony of the built-in granite seating. Each nook and cranny of the house, aims at doing just this — breaking patterns and establishing individualistic identities to each space.

“God is in the details — we have always stuck to this philosophy and we love to detail and customize all elements in our design. Experimentation has been our USP and we have always aimed to give different feels to different spaces within a home”, concludes Mallika.

If you liked this out-of-the-box home, make sure to check out this refurbished Chennai home by Tanushri Dalmiya….