Houzz Tour: A Delhi Home Dials Up on Luxury
This expansive, multi-storeyed home is brought together by a unique decor language
Amanda Peters
22 February 2017
Houzz India Contributor. I'm a freelance journalist who loves writing about all things travel, culture and design. My favourite pieces to write are the Houzz Tours, as I love exploring real homes of all shapes and sizes.
Houzz India Contributor. I'm a freelance journalist who loves writing about all things... More
Homeowners Anil and Monika Sachdeva wanted a residence that would epitomise opulence and comfort. The responsibility of the interiors was given to Monica and Hardesh Chawla of Essentia Environments. Their brief: though split into multiple levels, the spaces should merge and somehow stay interconnected with each other. They achieved this not just through intelligent space planning but also by bringing in a consistent palette of surfaces, colours, textures, patterns, treatments, accessories and materials. “For this home that was spread across so many rooms and spaces, the key challenge for us as designers was to bring in a design language that bound everything together into one cohesive unit,” says Monica Chawla.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Anil and Monika Sachdeva, their parents and two young sons
Location: Punjabi Bagh, New Delhi
Year built: 2016
Size: 1273 square metres. Six bedrooms, ten bathrooms, a drawing, a dining, a gym, an entertainment lounge and a home theatre
Designers: Monica Chawla and Hardesh Chawla of Essentia Environments
That’s interesting: A sense of visual and physical connectivity flows throughout the house.
Layout across levels:
Stilt level: home theatre, an outdoor area; first floor: drawing, dining, lounge; second floor: family’s bedrooms, puja room, lounge; third floor: guest rooms, gym; fourth floor (terrace): entertainment lounge, terrace garden.
Who lives here: Anil and Monika Sachdeva, their parents and two young sons
Location: Punjabi Bagh, New Delhi
Year built: 2016
Size: 1273 square metres. Six bedrooms, ten bathrooms, a drawing, a dining, a gym, an entertainment lounge and a home theatre
Designers: Monica Chawla and Hardesh Chawla of Essentia Environments
That’s interesting: A sense of visual and physical connectivity flows throughout the house.
Layout across levels:
Stilt level: home theatre, an outdoor area; first floor: drawing, dining, lounge; second floor: family’s bedrooms, puja room, lounge; third floor: guest rooms, gym; fourth floor (terrace): entertainment lounge, terrace garden.
The formal living room is a dramatic space, complete with warm veneer panels and long beige-toned drapes, with lots of natural light from the full-length windows that replace two walls. The Chesterfield sofa adds to the regal look of the drawing room, while a pop of colour is introduced through an olive-green chair. The two clusters of seating are separated using a console table with a raised laser-cut metal rim round the edges.
The dining room is sandwiched between the drawing room and the lounge area. The half-wall with fixed glass above connects this area with the formal lounge. Hand-cut strips of Travertine marble with a creo finish accentuate the natural pitted texture of the stone. “This is a design feature that we have continued from the drawing room into the dining area,” says Hardesh Chawla.
Lights: Jainsons Emporio
Lights: Jainsons Emporio
The second floor holds the private living areas of the family. In the master bedroom, a laser-cut pattern has been designed as an accent over a veneered wall. The bookshelf unit has been custom-made of Asian walnut veneer with an open-grain matte finish. Rose-gold lamps in stainless steel give a contemporary yet classic look, while the clean lines of the furniture add to the sense of restrained luxury.
Complementing accents, such as the lamp, have been continued into the bathroom. The hanging vanity with a stone-topped counter offers ample storage with drawers and shutters in lacquer finish. A tray for bath accessories and the folded towels complete the look of 5-star luxury.
This floor also has a family lounge. “Here, the decor is still kept subtle, but is slightly heightened with the vibrant blue sofa and the dramatic art on the wall,” says the designer. Wood-finished floors and veneer panelling sustain an ambience of warmth.
Throws: Shades Of India
Throws: Shades Of India
The interestingly lacquered fibreboard-covered wall is the key highlight of one of the children’s bedrooms on the same floor. The TV, at the other end of the room, has been pushed slightly inward while the two side walls, in lacquer finish, accommodate the storage units. Two study tables on either side are done in veneer.
“The mandir is a very special place for the family,” says Monica Chawla. This puja room breaks away a little from the palette used throughout the rest of the house. Its floor has a pattern created using a metal inlay over stone. Grooved Travertine marble covers the walls while a jaali of laser-cut Korean stone in sea-salt white frames the idol. Blinds cover the window, layered on top with a traditional silk curtain with a paisley motif.
The lift opens to a lobby on the third floor – the area for the guests. A laser cut-out of a tree in veneer stands out in relief on the wall – a treatment similar to that used in other parts of the house. A sofa chair takes centre stage in the space, while planters in stainless-steel finish give a dash of luxury to this entrance to the guests’ floor.
A central lounge on the third floor opens to three guest bedrooms. “The idea was to design an almost independent yet connected, self-sufficient floor for the guests,” say the designers. They created an informal seating area, along with a guest kitchen and a dining space finished in Asian walnut hardwood. Behind the dining table is the accent wall, veneer-panelled, with a laser-cut, see-through jaali installed in part of it. “This works in line with a theme continued from the rest of the house,” says Hardesh Chawla.
All three bedrooms with attached bathrooms are designed as self-contained spaces. The furniture has been custom made by Essentia. “The materials used and the decor have all been geared towards creating a serene and peaceful ambience for the guests,” says Monica.
How to Have a Five Star Bedroom
How to Have a Five Star Bedroom
The third floor also has a gym with an attached jacuzzi and a sauna. The bathroom has frameless mirrors with cove lights highlighting the wall in front. A full-length mirror runs all the way up to the false ceiling, reflecting a full view of the bathroom. The white Swiss marble on the floor has patches of Burberry beige; a similar pattern continues on the walls.
The fourth floor is the terrace level and is a dedicated space for entertaining and socialising. Designed for large parties and group get-togethers, it includes an indoor lounge with a bar, which is connected to the outdoor area with a water body and a seating zone complete with smiling Buddhas. The patterned layout of faux grass brings in that extra level of detailing that can be seen consistently throughout this project.
See more pictures of this house
Read more:
Houzz Tour: This Art Deco Mumbai Home Gets a Sublime Makeover
Tell us:
What did you like most about this luxurious home? Write in Comments below.
See more pictures of this house
Read more:
Houzz Tour: This Art Deco Mumbai Home Gets a Sublime Makeover
Tell us:
What did you like most about this luxurious home? Write in Comments below.
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very nice