Bangalore Houzz: Kitchen Renovation Ends in a Full Home Makeover

A partial home renovation transforms different areas of this apartment into colourful, pretty spaces

Nadezna Siganporia8 July 2018

Houzz India Contributor. Nine years ago, I jumped into the world of freelance writing. It combines my love for this art form and the ability to carve my own path. I have extensive experience in content development and creative writing predominantly in the fields of design, décor, interiors, architecture, travel, food, lifestyle, art and culture. My work has been published in Lifestyle Asia India, Houzz India, Elle India, Elle Decor India, India Design ID, Lonely Planet Magazine India, Conde Nast Traveller India, Square Inch by Ogaan Media and Beautiful Homes, among others. Follow me on @nadezna_s (Instagram/Twitter).

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their two young daughters
Location: Bangalore
Size: 297 square metres (3200 square feet); 4 bedrooms; 4 bathrooms.
Interior designer and decorator: Vinithra Amarnathan, founder and principal designer, Weespaces

Photos by Matrioshka Media

What started off as one small project turned into a makeover of different areas of a family apartment in North Bangalore. “This renovation was all about marrying the modern and updated aesthetic of a young family with their love for the old-world and traditional,” Vinithra Amarnathan, founder and principal designer of Weespaces, says. The kitchen was actually the main project, around which the partial home renovation grew. After adding a custom-made partition between the kitchen and the dining area, the clients wanted to revamp their terrace, living room, study and kids’ shared bedroom. Utilising the client’s character pieces and heavy furniture, the designer updated rooms into airy, light-filled spaces with a fresh, young vibe. “My favourite thing was how we have worked on different spaces but kept in line with the character of the house.”

Weespaces

As you enter the home, you are greeted by a large space that functions as the living and dining areas, each visually separated by the use of furniture and decor accents.

The entrance of this airy apartment is kept understated, with a teakwood shoe rack that doubles as a bench and a bulbous drop light illuminating the space. The orange bench cushion brings in a touch of colour that ties in with the furnishings of the living room, while the black door creates a striking contrast to the white and grey walls.

Weespaces

Retaining the family’s collection of teakwood furniture, the designer set about giving this living room some character. “We had to create a story and break the monotony,” Amarnathan says. An expansive section painted in a light smoky grey brings warmth to the stark white walls, and is offset by a navy and orange Suzani hand-tufted rug. “This was a bit contrarian. One would imagine with heavy furniture a simple clean rug is in order but we needed something bold enough to make its presence felt,” Amarnathan says.

Rug: Imperial Knots

Weespaces

A reading nook has been fashioned in one corner, near sweeping windows that flood the space with natural light. Using existing pieces like a wood-and-cane chair and matching footstool, along with a traditional-style side table with a marble top, the designer added elements like “a simple floor lamp with a mustard base and white shade”. A small brass planter, vintage wooden brackets with traditional hanging lamps and a framed mirror are small accents that bring the corner to life.

Floor lamp: The Purple Turtles; brass planter: Nicobar

Weespaces

By incorporating several potted plants into the decor, the designer has infused freshness into the space. Gold accents like glass-and-brass end tables also help to break the heaviness of the wood-and-cane furniture. “We brought in accessories like a beautiful green table lamp and simple modern pillows blended with vibrant patterned ones,” Amarnathan says.

End tables: Asian Arts and Lohasmith; table lamp: Fabuliv; cushions: Nicobar and Good Earth

Weespaces

Working with a lot of elements already in place in the dining area, the designer added just a few accents to elevate the decor. For example, she added two brass drop-lamps suspended from a pre-existing ceiling panel. The lamps complete the look of the ceiling panel, adding visual interest while also demarcating the dining area.

Weespaces

Another view of the dining area showcases a good use of an alcove. Housing a wood-and-cane sideboard with a marble top, the nook is decorated with small potted plants, decorative items and artwork on the wall. While this area is visually separated by furniture, the sideboard that matches the living room furniture adds enough continuity so that the two distinct zones in the same room don’t clash.

Weespaces

“Our key project was to create a partition between the open kitchen counter and the dining area. In line with the old-world charm they loved, I choose a teak-finish window frame with etched colored glass pieces that is suspended from the ceiling by brass chains,” Amarnathan says. Originally fashioned for privacy, the screen has now become the star statement piece of the entire room. Another feature that brings in that sense of old-world charm in the kitchen is a vintage-style wall shelf.

Shelf: Fabuliv

Weespaces

In the study, the designer retained the client’s furniture and navy rug. She refreshed the space by using a pastel sea-foam colour on the walls and added Moroccan-tile patterned curtains for a leavening of print in the largely plain shell. “One of the very simple things we did that changed the feel of this room was to put the two large bookshelves next to each other in an L pattern to create the feel of a little library,” she says. “Normally you would want to separate larger pieces to visually lighten the space, but grouping them together creates visual impact and also leaves more open floor space.”

Weespaces

One of the biggest transformations was the daughters’ shared bedroom. “Combining their love for pinks and purples, unicorns and polka dots, and my love for modern, white elements, we came up with a rather chic room,” Amarnathan says. Leaving one wall white, the light-pink walls complement the white mid-century-inspired furniture and gold polka-dot wall decals. To personalise the room, the designer added simple black-and-white photographs of the kids and framed name prints above each bed.

Check out these solutions to big problem areas in shared kids’ bedrooms

Weespaces

“The wardrobes were refinished in white and we added drawers at the bottom. On the far end we added a simple built-in shelving unit to hold books, toys, arts-and-crafts materials and so on,” she continues. A fuchsia-and-white striped rug keeps with the colour scheme while adding another level of patterns. A natural wood-finish ledge holds photographs and knick-knacks. Above it, a gallery wall has been fashioned using framed artworks by the girls, further personalising the room.

Beds and desks: Asian Arts; white Eames replica desk-chairs: Urban Ladder; girl-shaped wood lamp: The Purple Turtles; framed name prints: Kookinuts on Etsy; striped rug: Jaipur Rugs; pin boards: The Wishing Chair

Weespaces

The clients also wanted to revamp the terrace. “They wanted an area in the terrace where they could make and enjoy their morning coffee and also entertain in the evenings,” Amarnathan says. The designer added a wet bar with a sink that takes centre stage because of the backsplash of blue-and-white Spanish-pattern tiles. “The tiles complement the warm oranges and mustard used in the rest of the terrace,” she says.

Read more:
Mumbai Houzz: This Compact 2-BHK Flat Is a Lesson in Mix & Match

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