Houzz Tours
Bangalore Houzz: Architect's Home Embraces an Earthy Material Palette
The home of the BetweenSpaces architect embraces materials like mild steel, wood and brick
It’s not every day one comes across a house that’s noticeable from a distance and that stands out amongst a row of homes. This was the idea Divya Ethirajan had when she was designing her bungalow in Bangalore. “My home was an interesting exercise in understanding how a building interacts with the street. The precast concrete fins enclosing a small garden bring the building closer to the street. The sliding perforated MS screens on top, made on site with a fabricator, give a certain ruggedness to the building and at the same time bring light into the structure,” says Divya Ethirajan of BetweenSpaces.
The entrance, on the north-west corner of the home, is in brick and concrete. The white-painted lower part of the facade makes a striking contrast to the dark-toned screens above. “Built on a 30x40 north-facing plot, the home accommodates my own house on ground and first floor level, and our studio space on the upper two levels, with a separate access to the studio in the north-east corner,” says Ethirajan.
Here’s how to design your home’s entrance
Here’s how to design your home’s entrance
The living-cum-dining room on the ground floor has yellow oxide flooring and granite stone stairs. “The smooth, two-toned laminate finish on the built-in furniture makes a pleasant contrast to the form-finish concrete slabs, beams and the non-plastered walls,” Ethirajan says.
The living space flows into the dining area. Yellow oxide flooring continues in the double-height space here, which has a skylight above. “At every possible juncture, we have tried to keep the materials in their natural form as much as possible,” Ethirajan says.
Check out these gorgeous living-cum-dining combos
Check out these gorgeous living-cum-dining combos
Next to the dining room is the grandfather’s bedroom, finished in wood and brick. “All furnishings are customised – the colours are kept neutral to go with the overall concept of the house and to provide a light and simple feel to the space,” Ethirajan explains.
The galley-style granite-and-wood kitchen overlooks the staircase leading to the upper level housing the bedrooms.
The metal and stone staircase has a clean, sleek design language that mirrors the house’s overall look.
See these jaw-dropping staircase designs
See these jaw-dropping staircase designs
The master bedroom upstairs is a clean, outward-looking space that serves more purposes than one. “This space doubles as play area and study for the kids. The facade can be opened and closed at will, depending on privacy and light requirements,” says Ethirajan.
On the east side of the building is an external staircase that leads to Ethirajan’s studio on the top two floors. Ten workstations span the office space. “Most of the furniture pieces are multifunctional, which serve as storage units as well as partitions between two spaces,” says Ethirajan.
Read more:
Lucknow Houzz: An Eclectic Colonial Villa With Victorian Influences
Tell us:
What did you like the most about this house? Tell us in Comments below.
Read more:
Lucknow Houzz: An Eclectic Colonial Villa With Victorian Influences
Tell us:
What did you like the most about this house? Tell us in Comments below.
Who lives here: Divya Ethirajan, her husband, two children and father
Location: Bangalore, Karnataka
Year built: 2015
Size: 157 square metres (1700 square feet); 3 bedrooms; 3 bathrooms
Architects: Divya Ethirajan and Pramod Jaiswal of BetweenSpaces
Photos by Kunal Bhatia