Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: A Mahabaleshwar Holiday Home Brims With Luxury
...and every room in this house also enjoys a breathtaking view of the scenic beauty outside
A peaceful family retreat that celebrates the beauty of the location – that was the brief given to interior designer Mansi Desai to design this holiday home in Mahabaleshwar. “I wanted the greenery and landscape outside to be seen as an extension of the architecture of the house,” Desai says. “I took advantage of the contours of the land to create levels and formatted the home within two floors. The rooms on the ground floor open towards the landscape and the swimming pool, while the three private bedrooms on the first floor have a personal deck each, opening up to the view of the valley,” she adds.
The elements of comfort and a rustic decor style that reflects the nature outside flow seamlessly through this luxurious holiday home. “The homeowner wanted a home with natural textures and colours so I tried including and maintaining this throughout my design,” Desai says.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with their two teenage children
Location: Mahabaleshwar
Year built: 2016
Size: 742 square metres (8000 square feet); 5 bedrooms; 6 bathrooms
Interior designer: Mansi Desai, Mansi Desai Design
Photos by Dheeraj Thakur
The elements of comfort and a rustic decor style that reflects the nature outside flow seamlessly through this luxurious holiday home. “The homeowner wanted a home with natural textures and colours so I tried including and maintaining this throughout my design,” Desai says.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with their two teenage children
Location: Mahabaleshwar
Year built: 2016
Size: 742 square metres (8000 square feet); 5 bedrooms; 6 bathrooms
Interior designer: Mansi Desai, Mansi Desai Design
Photos by Dheeraj Thakur
The nucleus of the house is the double-height living room that overlooks the swimming pool and the lush green valley beyond. The square living room has two vast windows of full-height curtain glazing meeting at a corner that has no supporting column to obstruct the view. It creates a sense of openness, removing separation between the indoors and outdoors. A portion of the swimming pool abuts this corner, so that it appears to be an extension of the room. “The swimming pool with an infinity edge adds to the feeling of continuity,” Desai says.
The other side of the living room is skirted by galleries overhead. The interiors are dominated by creams and rich browns; a circular sitting arrangement brings together leather couches and ottomans in this square space. “The geometry of the roof is highlighted by an elaborate chandelier,” Desai adds.
The small powder room on this floor is a glamorous space, thanks to stained-glass pendants, a golden basin and matching faucet, and a rich brown ceiling with lotus print cutwork.
Discover gorgeous washbasins on Houzz
Discover gorgeous washbasins on Houzz
The ground floor has the kitchen, the dining area and two guest bedrooms. The open kitchen shares the floor space with the dining area. A two-tone colour palette of black and brown has been used here. Different flooring materials demarcate spaces –
the kitchen has vitrified tiles that are easy to maintain while the dining space has wooden flooring. The polished wood floor and the glossy finish of the marble tops in the kitchen contrast with the rugged recycled look of the dining table and the chest-shaped wine rack. “I have used reclaimed barn timber for the dining table’s top,” Desai says. Industrial pendant lamps above the breakfast table and a cage-shaped chandelier above the dining table add a touch of glam to this room.
the kitchen has vitrified tiles that are easy to maintain while the dining space has wooden flooring. The polished wood floor and the glossy finish of the marble tops in the kitchen contrast with the rugged recycled look of the dining table and the chest-shaped wine rack. “I have used reclaimed barn timber for the dining table’s top,” Desai says. Industrial pendant lamps above the breakfast table and a cage-shaped chandelier above the dining table add a touch of glam to this room.
The two guest bedrooms on this floor come with their own attached bathrooms. “The manicured garden and the open space beyond it are visible from both the rooms,” Desai says. A neutral colour tone and wooden furniture are the common design elements in these rooms.
“For the materials, my team and I considered the weather and the frequency of the owner’s visits to this home. Hence, durable and low-maintenance materials were chosen. Vitrified tiles are used on the floors so they can be easily maintained. And furniture is made of old BTC (Burma teak) wood so the moisture in the air will not damage the pieces,” Desai says.
“For the materials, my team and I considered the weather and the frequency of the owner’s visits to this home. Hence, durable and low-maintenance materials were chosen. Vitrified tiles are used on the floors so they can be easily maintained. And furniture is made of old BTC (Burma teak) wood so the moisture in the air will not damage the pieces,” Desai says.
The free-standing spiral wooden staircase which leads to the first floor is complemented by a backdrop of grey stone. “The wall with lava stone cladding and the bunch of brass pendant lights with cutwork are the highlight of the staircase,” Desai says. Recessed lights under each tread create an interesting light and shadow effect.
See more images of this house
See more images of this house
Two walls made of glass and large clerestory windows provide a panoramic view of the valley and the sky from inside the master bedroom. “In tune with the main concept of having openness in the design, the furniture and finishings are all designed to complement each other, to give a soothing effect,” Desai says.
An elegant canopy island bed occupies a major area in this room. The sheer curtains, jali backdrop, elaborate fan and the soft lighting – all add to the opulent vibe of the space.
The door to the attached walk-in wardrobe lies behind the jali partition.
The daughter’s bedroom in sea blue and pale oak is Moroccan inspired. “We have kept the colour scheme independent for each room as we have designed the rooms keeping the likings of the occupants in mind,” Desai says. One of the walls is all glass and gives an uninterrupted view of the lush green surroundings.
The son’s bedroom opens out to a huge balcony with glass railings that overlooks the landscape. “The design theme for this room is British colonial. I have used things like chests with a Union Jack print, a world map in sepia tones on the wall and a huge iron clock as the backdrop of the bed for this space,” Desai says.
The ceiling of this room, as in other rooms, is also striking. The geometric shaped wood cladding forms an abstract 3D structure that flows with the slope of the roof. Cove lighting around the edges highlights certain surfaces of the structure, adding to the 3D effect.
“Actually all bedrooms on the first floor have very interesting ceiling geometry since we have built a gable roof,” Desai says.
Read more:
Houzz Tour: A Marriage of Styles in a Hollywood Home
Houzz Tour: An Urban Bungalow With an Earthy Twist
Tell us:
How do you like this holiday home built so close to nature? Share you opinion in the Comments below.
“Actually all bedrooms on the first floor have very interesting ceiling geometry since we have built a gable roof,” Desai says.
Read more:
Houzz Tour: A Marriage of Styles in a Hollywood Home
Houzz Tour: An Urban Bungalow With an Earthy Twist
Tell us:
How do you like this holiday home built so close to nature? Share you opinion in the Comments below.