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Further inside the second floor is the family lounge. “Its design is highlighted with laid-back luxury – walls dotted with art, long sofas and a graphic-printed chair make it an ideal spot to unwind,” Neogi says. Plenty of cushions and floor seating further enhance the relaxing ambience of the space. “The place, with plush sofa setting and soft lighting, also has a view of the front deck through the huge glass-and-oak door,” Neogi says.Browse through these 8 family rooms and lounges for ultimate together time
The entrance lobby welcomes us with a large artwork that is set off by the dark flooring. The ground floor houses the guest room (close to the main door), dining room and living room. A traditional-style half-partition in metal with intricate jali work gives a decorative quality to the space.“A major structural change was the addition of a lift (next to the staircase). The modifications were carried out with the aim to achieve the flexibility of an RCC structure in a load-bearing one by adding metal girders wherever the walls were pulled out,” Neogi says.Flooring: Sidrons; walls: Asian Paints
The large, primarily brown-toned living room is dotted with paintings, curios and plenty of seating options. “All the rooms have large windows – the main objective was to open up the plan of the building so that enough natural light seeped into all parts of the house. Most of the furniture is customised in-house by us. This area is interrupted with the view of an elevated platform filled with stones and plants against the backdrop of the slate boundary wall outside. Slatted wood panelling covers a portion of the ceiling and blankets a wall opposite the platform,” Neogi says. The earthy black cuddapah flooring adds depth to the space while art pieces complement to the furniture, red and grey respectively, in the two parts of the room.
3. A semi-bedroom, semi-entertainment room, evidenced by the elevated sleeping zone in the far back and a niche created in the centre of the steps for seating, with a large carpet placed below. This expansive space is ideal for watching a movie with plenty of friends or family; also a nice reclusive place to enjoy some time with the Xbox. Consider these questions before installing a home theatre
4. WardrobeA key component in the design of any master bedroom layout is the inclusion of a cupboard for your clothing. Once freestanding pieces of furniture that could be moved anywhere within the room, they now form part of the built-in joinery. Generally located against one wall, they incorporate storage space usually reserved for the dresser and other pieces of furniture, and allow for vertical hanging and even a compartment for the TV unit. Almost anything can be stored and purpose designed. It fundamentally eliminates an array of furniture pieces and de-clutters a room, as seen in this bedroom suite by Rodrigues Bodycoat Architects.Tip: If your room is lacking space, built-in joinery is an excellent way to create organised storage. However, make sure you allow enough distance between the bed and the cupboards for adequate door swing and draw opening as this can be frustrating when rummaging through your possessions that are trapped between the two spaces.Take a look at this wardrobe guide for bedrooms
The daughters’ bedroom is a lively, playful space, accented with pops of colours and intriguing, handmade elements. A colourful set of tavadis (traditional griddles or pans) made of MDF hang on the wall above the bed Giving a touch of whimsy are the In the foreground, fabrics embroidered with mirrors and knotted onto clothespegs give the room a touch of whimsy. The TV panel, made from MDF with wooden framing, is painted in a grey rough-brush finish inlaid with orange glass crystals in the form of droplets.Plates/tavadis: Satyadeep Vadnere of Shail Design; knotted fabrics: Decor Story
The master bedroom pulsates with a rich, luxurious vibe: the plush chair upholstered with fabric in a traditional weave, the canopy-style curtains and blinds screening large windows and the antique-looking lighting above. The master bedroom echoes the colours of the desert lands of India: behind the bed is a set of Rajasthani-style niches lined with yellow Jaisalmer stone. More colours come with the vibrant ethnic fabrics that upholster the seating.
A sliding glass door connects the living room to a deck accentuated with wooden flooring, a red brick wall and chairs. The brick wall extends from the living room, creating a sense of continuity of space, while the wood floor gives it its own identity. The open-to-access deck ensures that the living room doesn’t look or feel too crowded during socials as the guests can spill out here, lounge around and enjoy the great outdoor views.
The apartment opens into a lobby flanked by a large, wooden cabinet. Straight ahead is the puja room, its view aptly framed by a perspective of traditional elements, especially the carved fretwork screen with a silver basin of floating flowers before it. Behind the screen is the dining area and the way to the kitchen and bedrooms. On the right is living room and a deck overlooking the road. All furniture in the home is a combination of in-house designs or carefully sourced items in line with the concept and theme of the house. “The biggest challenge in any apartment project is to come up with a genuine and indigenous concept so that the whole design process doesn’t merely become a monotonous surface design exercise. In this home, we tried to sensibly blur the boundaries between spaces and create an expansive, open-plan look,” Prathama Desai says.
Bidasar brown marble is a beautifully patterned and coloured stone quarried from Bidasar, Rajasthan. It is a very hard stone with high resistance to water and weather. It can be polished, sanded, sandblasted or tumbled to get the desired texture. Makrana, Andhi, Rajnagar, Morwad, Ambaji, Katni, Jodhpur pink, Bidasar rainforest green and Dungri brown are among the locally available marble stones in India. Each of them have unique variations in colour and pattern.
Returning to the foyer, the powder room is worth a visit. “All the bathrooms have unique points but the ground floor powder room is a treat. It features interesting hexagonal tiles and a hexagonal backlit ceiling with a beautiful vintage-style pendant light,” Talwar says. Finishing the look is a mirror that starts from the wood counter and goes up to the ceiling.
The dining room is decorated with a large wooden table and upholstered chairs by D.S. Doors, Faridabad. “We used an exposed brick wall to close off the kitchen. It highlights and balances this raw, rugged room and houses a predominantly white kitchen,” Wadhwa says. Instead of wood, glass and steel were used for the door, which features an exposed concrete beam above it.The kitchen brings together straight lines and sleek fixtures, with a simple island to tie in the space. The highlight is the colourful backsplash made of patterned Japanese tiles that run the entire length of the walls.
“There are a lot of fascinating features in this home. However, the rustic drawing and dining room is our favourite,” Talwar says. The formal drawing room features large windows that open out onto the garden and keep the space well lit. “The customised centre and side tables made from raw wood, iron and leftover stone are perfect additions to the living room,” she adds. Most of the sofas feature a simple style with straight lines, except for one subtly patterned curved sectional.
The living room shares space with the dining area, but they are set apart by their flooring – Italian marble and wood respectively. “It is a great way to section different spaces. Each area is demarcated; however, the mix of the two zones and the harmony they share is what is interesting,” Wadhwa says. The rooms are filled with visual and tactile textures along with subtle prints – like the upholstered dining chairs – and a few pops of colour. Custom-designed floor and pendant lights, wooden ceiling fans and pinewood beams are used to tie in the country decor.
Due to a moderate slope leading from the front of the property to the back, the project required a construction method that would allow the above-ground floor level to remain, without significant retaining walls or new fill being required. The construction and design was also impacted by the house being located within a character protection area. “We designed this home ensuring it was sympathetic to the heritage guidelines, as well as all the requirements of a heritage-listed home,” says Dalecki.
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