Bangalore Houzz: This Modern Home Shows Off Its Heirlooms
Vedanth Design Studio imbibes this home with a neo-traditional vibe stemming from inherited heirloom pieces
Vinita Kunnath
29 November 2021
A Houzz India contributor, freelance writer, lover of the internet, travel, funny blogs and all things off-beat, with an eye for good taste and aesthetics. Home, not clothes, maketh a man.....or woman.
A Houzz India contributor, freelance writer, lover of the internet, travel, funny... More
Houzz at a glance
Who lives here: A couple and their son
Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka
Year built: 2021
Size: 167 square metres (1800 square feet); 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms
Interior design firm: Vedanth Design Studio
Photograph courtesy: Nayan Soni
“The theme of the space is traditional meets modern,” says Nehal Shanghavi, founder of Vedanth Design Studio. Her design philosophy revolved around the need to incorporate into a contemporary setting, the vast number of heirloom furniture pieces that the clients had inherited. The colour palette of the home is mostly earthy and warm, showcased through heirloom teak-wood and cane furniture, brass artefacts, an antique pillar and rafters, mixed up with modern design elements, such as an exposed brick wall, wooden floors and contemporary light fixtures.
Who lives here: A couple and their son
Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka
Year built: 2021
Size: 167 square metres (1800 square feet); 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms
Interior design firm: Vedanth Design Studio
Photograph courtesy: Nayan Soni
“The theme of the space is traditional meets modern,” says Nehal Shanghavi, founder of Vedanth Design Studio. Her design philosophy revolved around the need to incorporate into a contemporary setting, the vast number of heirloom furniture pieces that the clients had inherited. The colour palette of the home is mostly earthy and warm, showcased through heirloom teak-wood and cane furniture, brass artefacts, an antique pillar and rafters, mixed up with modern design elements, such as an exposed brick wall, wooden floors and contemporary light fixtures.
The home is laid in an open plan, with the living, dining and kitchen areas flowing into each other. Wooden flooring and Athangudi-like tiles in the foyer are used to distinguish spaces.
Read here for more ideas to infuse traditional decor into your modern home
Read here for more ideas to infuse traditional decor into your modern home
Walking in, the living room exudes immediate warmth from all the wooden elements therein – the laminate-wood floors, roof beams, vintage teak chairs and an oval hardwood TV cabinet with hints of rattan.
Window treatment: The Floating Walls; wooden flooring: Pergo
Window treatment: The Floating Walls; wooden flooring: Pergo
Mimicking the curves of the TV cabinet is a hammered brass coffee table in the foreground, a definite conversation starter. Colour is brought in by the woven rug and a vibrant ficus in the very modern planter from Studio Palasa.
Rug: Imperial Knots
Rug: Imperial Knots
The dining area, immediately to the left of the entrance, was a challenge, given the space constraint. Shanghavi says, “The initial idea was to have a folding dining table on the wall where the sideboard sits currently. However, it did not seem like a viable option, both in terms of design aesthetics and functionality. After some contriving, we came up with the idea of having an oversized island which also served as a dining table.”
It is large enough to accommodate five seats (three tall rattan chairs and two stools). Another family piece, the teak-and-glass cabinet abuts the kitchen, crowned with pickle jars, the kind every traditional Indian household is equipped with.
Dining chairs: Aanai Studio
Dining chairs: Aanai Studio
The kitchen, by contrast, is all modern, clad in shades of white and grey. Shiny grey subway tiles, stainless-steel appliances, white quartz countertops and island, and contemporary light fixtures are balanced by colour-matched heritage tiles that cover the floor.
Check out these must-have upgrades for a modern kitchen
Check out these must-have upgrades for a modern kitchen
The little study nook set against the brick wall is a favourite with Shanghavi. She says, “The old teak desk is 110 years old and felt like it belonged there. The floating shelves that adorn the brick wall were upcycled from an old teak unit.” The shelves exhibit a curio in the form of an antique camera – a collector’s piece – and a few vintage books, such as Pride and Prejudice (1920) and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (1939) that belonged to the client’s great grandparents.
The little brass stationery holder (again a heritage hand-me-down) and the old-world switch box add to the charm and evoke nostalgia. The wall art, an open-edition Giclee print – ‘Patent Illustration of a Velocipede’ – by J.A. McKenzie in 1881, speaks of the client’s love for unicycling.
This beautiful wooden pillar, sourced from Pondicherry, is another throwback to the magnificent Chettinad mansions of yore (some of which still stand in abandoned and solitary splendour in the small town of Karaikudi, much like the havelis of Shekhawati).
The hardwood sideboard, customised in a mid-century modern design, fits right in amidst the myriad heirloom pieces belonging to a bygone era.
The balcony is a cosy sit-out with colourful Athangudi-like tiles and a vintage chair, offset by the grey wall.
All tiles: Ceramique Tiles
All tiles: Ceramique Tiles
The kid’s bedroom is a nod to contemporary design. Catering to the child’s fascination for stars and planets is the alluring night-sky wallpaper (from Asian Paints) and the galaxy-print bed linen that transport one right into space.
The room is complete with a minimalist custom-made study desk and wall-mounted cabinet that twin with the laminated wooden flooring.
Floor plan
Read more:
Kanchipuram Houzz: Athangudi Tiles & Oxide Finishes Define This Home
Houzz Tour: Earthy Materials Define This Bangalore Bungalow
Tell us:
What did you like most about this home? Tell us in Comments below.
Read more:
Kanchipuram Houzz: Athangudi Tiles & Oxide Finishes Define This Home
Houzz Tour: Earthy Materials Define This Bangalore Bungalow
Tell us:
What did you like most about this home? Tell us in Comments below.
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Everything is done very tastefully and elegantly. What's the total expenditure incurred on it. Are your services available for Mysore.......