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
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.”
“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.”
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.
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.
A petite rectangular foyer welcomes visitors, providing a deliberate spatial pause before unveiling the interior.
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.
“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.
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).
Tall shutters open the interior to garden views
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.
The ground-floor kitchen is adjacent to the dining area
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.
The colour and materials palette continues in the soft furnishings for continuity
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.
“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.
Opposite the living room, separated by a glass pocket door, lies a staircase rising to the upper storey.
The living area on the first floor
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.
“It’s the perfect hideaway for movie and game nights, or intimate conversations,” says Shah.
The master bedroom on the first floor
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.
The master bedroom includes seating and a study area
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.
The master bedroom connects to a walk-in wardrobe cloaked entirely in timber-toned joinery.
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.
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.
A walk-in wardrobe lies to the left of the bedroom door, clad in timber panelling.
Browse more beautifully designed walk-in wardrobes
Browse more beautifully designed walk-in wardrobes
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.
“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.
The ground-floor plan
The first-floor plan
Your turn
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More
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
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.
More
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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