A (stone) box of memories

The Stone Box by EnviArch Studio in Bangalore is a pop of colour against stony textures

24 May 2025

This house becomes a home when memories of the Western Ghat’s green foliage and expansive rooms become the foundation to the pattering of paws and small steps of the homeowner’s grandchildren. In Bangalore, EnviArch Studio brings back memories and gives many more to a couple, originally from Coorg. Co-founded by Shravan Pradeep and Megha Nanaiah in collaboration with GS Manjunath, structural consultant, and Navneeth Kumar as their landscape consultant, The Stone Box is a 3300 sq ft kaleidoscope of materials and pop of textures.

“At the entrance, a perforated wooden gate transforms one into a curious child, peeping through it to catch a glimpse of the charming foyer, eager to discover more” — Shravan Pradeep and Megha Nanaiah

It’s an open house

Two monumental volumes make up the home. “This seamless amalgamation consists of a concrete volume, adorned with subtle brass inlays, cantilevered, and piercing through a massive volume of natural stone. The unobstructed void created under this concrete mass invites one into the residence…” say Shravan Pradeep and Megha Nanaiah. A wooden column with a traditional style set upon black granite flooring is a glimpse into the interiors of the home. The living room acts as the public space, double heighted in volume and leading into the courtyard. Wrapped with stone externally and exposed concrete with brass inlays internally, mingles the inside and outside, an amalgamation of experiencing Bangalore’s weather and lush greenery in the comforts of the home.

“At the entrance, a perforated wooden gate transforms one into a curious child, peeping through it to catch a glimpse of the charming foyer, eager to discover more” say Shravan Pradeep and Megha Nanaiah. On the other side of the courtyard, the guest bedroom has an outdoor sit-out leading into the private space. Around the courtyard are the kitchen, dining and puja place, at an elevated level that have no physical barriers, allowing for conversations to fill the air and set a lively atmosphere. Conversations get lost to the whisper of the wind that flutters through the leaves of the top of the trees that are at the same level as the terrace.

Natural stone makes up the exteriors of this house; Photography by Yash R Jain

A vaulted roof with lighting fixtures that set the mood for movie nights; Photography by Yash R Jain

Materials that make memories

A neutral palette dots the home, in the materials like exposed concrete, black granite and lime plaster which embrace the shades of stony colours – steel grey granite and deviate in the form of yellow jaisalmer stone, intricate encaustic tiles, printed tiles for the powder room. The contrasting colours ensure that the spaces are not pervasive with each other. The staircase is metal-fabricated with concrete threads, connecting the levels, with a ribbon-like brass railing to border the stairs.

Why go outside when you have a red carpet at home? The red oxide flooring in this home is also a replica of a red carpet, in the family room which is in between the two bedrooms, with louvred glass connecting the courtyard. Sheltering this space is a vaulted roof with lighting fixtures that set the mood for movie nights. The adjacent bedrooms flooring patterns are made of encaustic cement tiles that mark the shift towards the walk-in closet. The bathroom also features internal courtyards that are set with natural stone and tiles — an outdoor experience even at your most intimate moment.