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India Houzz Tour: How a Nature-Inspired Palette Defined a Home

Cement oxide ceilings, local materials and exposed timber grains made this Indian bungalow a force of nature

Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar
Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar29 September 2020
Houzz India Contributor. Internationally published architecture, design and art journalist. www.mangomonk.com
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From the outside, there’s nothing idiosyncratic about this bungalow in Surat, India; nothing that really sets it apart from the fourteen identical edifices that compose the surrounding area. What does distinguish it is the inside story.

“We had to abide by the builder’s guideline of standardised facade planning and exterior treatment. Thus, the internal spaces became our canvas for design experimentation,” says Kalpak Shah, founder and principal architect of Studio Course. By the same token, sustainable materials, local craftsmanship, precise detailing and minimalist design became the hallmarks of Shah’s architectural paradigm. “The client was keen on a mid-century modern aesthetic; something that would endure over time rather than merely pander to passing trends.”
Studio Course
Images by Fabien Charuau

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their 10-year-old daughter
Location: Surat, India
Year built: 2020
Size: 500 square metres with three bedrooms and four bathrooms
Architectural designer: Kalpak Shah of Studio Course

From the main gate, a basalt flagstone path, which sits lightly between rows of verdant foliage, serves as a gentle gateway into the property. Midway, the path branches to the left, paving the way to the home’s front door.
Studio Course
A petite rectangular foyer welcomes visitors, providing a deliberate spatial pause before unveiling the interior.
Studio Course
Keen to redesign your home? Find an architect on Houzz near you
Studio Course
The foyer opens into an earth-inspired living room to the right. Organic mud hues, expansive windows, timber panelling and a wood-bowl coffee table tip their hat to the hues of the surrounding landscape. The cement oxide ceiling offsets the richness of the wood, while the high tiled skirting around the floor (pictured below) injects a dose of ruggedness.
Studio Course
“The materials and colours are inspired by nature. I wanted to honour forms and materials in their native state, including such elements as the teak furniture, brass accents, black granite floor and hand-painted cement walls. It’s no secret that natural materials age well and are timeless,” says Shah.
Studio Course
Beyond, a passageway skirts the breadth of the living room, separated by a partition of wood-framed translucent glass. A pocket door opens to reveal a staircase (more on that later).
Studio Course
Tall shutters open the interior to garden views
Studio Course
An ash-grey cement oxide palette rules the dining room (situated to the left of the foyer), providing a fitting backdrop for the melange of wood and copper hues. A sweeping solid-wood dining table and Windsor chairs straddle rusticity and style, while being highlighted by a pair of burnished pendants. Shuttered French windows open the room to a lush outdoor deck that furthers the natural vibe.
Studio Course
The ground-floor kitchen is adjacent to the dining area
Studio Course
The open-plan kitchen abuts the dining room to the right, echoing its palette and acting as a seamless extension. A medley of buffed granite surfaces, sleek timber joinery and cement oxide finishes dominates the decor, each holding its own in the monochrome setting.
Studio Course
The colour and materials palette continues in the soft furnishings for continuity
Studio Course
The guest bedroom is situated at the far end of the passageway. Inside, brooding moods of grey preside, finding form in hard and soft surfaces alike. A voluminous window frames the wall behind the bed, welcoming sunlight into the room.

“We situated the living and bedroom spaces around the central passage in a bid to maximise sunlight and natural ventilation in each room. The living room, kitchen and guest bedroom are positioned like the three sides of a ‘T’,” says Shah.
Studio Course
Opposite the living room, separated by a glass pocket door, lies a staircase rising to the upper storey.
Studio Course
The living area on the first floor
Studio Course
The staircase leads visitors to a broad horizontal passageway on the first floor. Here, a timber-and-glass sliding door indicates a family den beyond, where stepped Indian-style seating paints a convivial picture.

“It’s the perfect hideaway for movie and game nights, or intimate conversations,” says Shah.
Studio Course
The master bedroom on the first floor
Studio Course
To the left of the staircase, along the passageway, lies the master bedroom, dominated by a grey cement oxide shell. A timber bed, surrounded by diaphanous curtains, takes centre stage. The ribbed wooden headboard is complemented by nightstands that flank either side of the bed.
Studio Course
The master bedroom includes seating and a study area
Studio Course
A pair of bay windows – one to the left of the bed, and one opposite it – act as relaxing knock-back nooks, providing a welcome view of the outdoors. Tucked between the windows sits a small living space, composed of ribbed wooden armchairs, while a sleek workstation occupies a wall to the side.
Studio Course
The master bedroom connects to a walk-in wardrobe cloaked entirely in timber-toned joinery.
Studio Course
Plentiful natural light and ample ventilation define the owners’ daughter’s bedroom, which mirrors the guest bedroom downstairs. A vast window punctuates the wall behind the bed, offering a generous vista of the green outdoors. The grey walls and ceiling inspire an unfussy air, a complement to the tapestry of timber elements.
Studio Course
To the right of the doorway, mounted between two walls, is a private workstation that serves as a breakaway from the rest of the bedroom.
Studio Course
A walk-in wardrobe lies to the left of the bedroom door, clad in timber panelling.

Browse more beautifully designed walk-in wardrobes
Studio Course
White stone walls cocoon the daughter’s bathroom, dramatically counterbalanced by an expanse of light-grey Kota stone flooring, which is found throughout India. An elongated vanity top rests between two walls, sheltering the cabinetry below with its natural wood grain. A glass-sheathed shower enclosure stands opposite the basin, its frame echoing the organic timber scheme.

“We kept the palette light to respect the space’s limited volume. The idea was to maintain cohesion between the room’s colours and scale,” says Shah.
Studio Course
The ground-floor plan
Studio Course
The first-floor plan

Your turn
What’s your favourite element of this home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.

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Craving more great design? Don’t miss this award-winning home in our last Houzz Tour: Two Tired Terraces Add Up to One Cool-for-Kids Home
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