library and reading area build into and under stairway.

It’s not every day that you come across a house that makes you wonder if you’re really amidst the hustle and bustle of a city life! This dazzling duplex penthouse starts off with an entrance embedded with rich, natural wood, finished off with beaten copper. This lends a certain earthiness to the space and just like that, your visual appetite is hungry to take in more! Once inside, the soaring ceiling and expansive windows unite to create a light-filled living room, leaving you with the room’s grand sense of space. The first thing that catches your eye is the Pichwai art that spans an entire wall of the living room, followed by a striking wooden swing, by including these local elements, we have combined contemporary with the essence of Gujarati culture. The prime attraction of the house is the triple height central area that starts with an exposed brick wall and concludes with a skylight on top. Situated in this central area is the tastefully designed staircase with segments of polished wood and raw iron segments that merge seamlessly with rest of the decor. The entire east side of the house opens up internally by means of vertical fins, creating an aesthetic dance of shadow and light, whilst also ensuring that the house receives ample cross ventilation. Brilliant use of pivoted windows is spotted in the living room with different colour palettes on both its sides to compliment the space they fall in. All the designs reflect distinctive use of natural textures and palettes ranging from beaten copper, traditional fabrics, polished and unpolished kota, exposed concrete & brick combination, adding a sense of wholesomeness to the entire area. The house gives a sense of liveliness and comfort, with a hint of moody tones here and there.

Leonid Furmansky

Located in a dense area of New Delhi, Ar. Sumit Dhawan creates this out-of-the-ordinary coalesce of luxe and minimalism called “The Centaurus”. This residence with a 520 sq. yds footprint has been very intelligently arranged in the blocked territory of Rajouri Garden, New Delhi. This resplendent home manifests a rich yet contemporary theme, exhilarating surprise elements. The exterior facet was defined to be intricate with an international regal charm, also exhibiting an intriguing vibe. Although the interior grammar briefed by the client required it to be judiciously designed and low maintenance with a moderate yet calming spirit. Complete privacy was another major requirement as the houses in the vicinity were planned without any setbacks. With a three-side development around the property, it was crucial to envisage exclusivity in the façade. Incorporating international standards as suggested by the client had to be done diligently as most of the houses across the area had an indigenous ambience. Therefore, a bold façade was outlined combining a material palette including the wood, stone, perforated aluminium screen. One enters the house through a stilt floor which assimilates enormous landscaping instead of typical car parking. With a double-height entrance lobby and a 5’ wide entrance door, the area gives a larger than life essence and a sense of intrigue just as you enter the house. An office with a serene white vibe is outlined here incorporating innovative furniture configurations arranged in a minimalistic style. Subsuming uninterrupted natural light through fairly large windows overlooking the greenery outside, the office confers onto a splendid tenor. The house narrates a flux where the overall interior grammar resonates a true harmonious balance. Moving towards the ground floor, on the left of the staircase lies a prepossessing lobby with a tantalizing openable timber ceiling fabricated with a seamless series of ribbed battens concealing all the services of the floor. The notion behind having all the services at a common area is to avoid jeopardizing the privacy of the bedrooms. The lobby stands sandwiched between the dining area and the study. The dining area consists of a feature wall with vertical wooden panels on different levels and a vibrant lighting element with an array of globe pendants dangling over the centre of the dining table. The central strip courtyard is planned in order to allow an adequate amount of light and ventilation inside the house throughout the day. The family lounge follows a similar design scheme as the rest of the floor with another lighting element which seems like an art piece itself. The living room on the right of the staircase is an astronomical corollary of grace. The central floating fireplace hanging from the ceiling is the prime intercept of this room. its tube-like structure manifests an illusion where it seems to be perennial from the upper floors. A semi-circular arrangement of globe lights is another eye-catching element in this room. The grey feature wall boasts off back-lit stellar like profiles creating an illusion where stones seem to be bent. Moving onto the first floor, the lobby here serves as a showstopper with a low profile yet classy furniture setup and the same openable timber ceiling as outlined on the ground floor. The turquoise blue décor piece on the wall creates an alluring juxtaposition with the rest of the subtle primary colour-scheme. This metal art piece is made of copper with oxidizing properties due to which the piece continues to change its colour over a period of time, giving it a vital characteristic while granting a unique identity to the space for years to come. The focus lights directed on the piece accentuate its beauty enormously. Moving forward, the guest bedroom serves to be an epitome of class. This gleaming expanse acquires a neutral colour scheme with gold accents and an exclusive geometrical lighting installation dangling from the ceiling which forms to be the focal facet. The entire room is done with porcelain, which is a scratch-resistant and waterproof material, turning the room into a zero-maintenance space. The painstakingly designed kids room is another space to vouch for. The room consists of a recessed area that acts as a study for the kids. The headwall is done in fabric padding which also serves for the acoustical regime of the space. The art installation on the headwall accentuates the aesthetics of the room and at the same time works as a source of dimmable light at the night time for the kids. An interesting artwork done by the architect himself is displayed in the room in order to add a hint of colour, highlighting the age of the users. Meandering ahead towards the immense master here which is designed for the old age parents of the client. With a white colour scheme throughout, from the lacquered panels of the tv unit to the leather headrest, the room makes for a snug habitat. Pop of colour has been added in the room through furniture and the grey veneer in the ceiling. The bedroom in the front acquires a floating bed with an interesting arrangement of track and pendant lights. The lobby on the second floor possesses a connotation of a pellucid view of the terrace garden on both sides through the glass façade. The clients master bedroom constitutes a suspended panel from the ceiling which acts as the TV unit while partially dividing the room into the bed area and the seating area. The overall design theme is kept subtle and white with clean lines in order to fascinate the client and his wife, invoking their simplicity through the schema of the space. The idiosyncratic lighting element with an undulating array of globe lights kindles the seating area with international style seating configurations. The basement while acquiring an entirely different look from the rest of the house demonstrates an industrial aura, forming a perfect air for partying where the young generation can rejuvenate. A prop installed here with numerous signboards with different city names inscribed bestows a sense of paragon to the seating area. Two sunken gardens incorporated here ensure ample ventilation and natural light for the smartly engineered gymnasium and the spa. Passive strategies were introduced through the use of cavity walls with insulation material like vermiculite, thermal break fenestrations with high-performance dgu glass, monolithic spray puff on the terrace for insulation purposes, horizontal and vertical shading devices and on-grid solar panels at terrace level. Also, the materials used in the façade were zero maintenance. Punched and perforated corten looking aluminium was incorporated to create a mess along with leather finish stone, bringing a clean contrast to the composition. Every toilet had private greens which gave a wider appearance to the toilets while allowing abundant natural light and ventilation. This house has been built as a benchmark conducive to the experience and aesthetics of Luxury Residences. It’s a physical and an ideological retreat, an intergenerational home for gathering family and friends, celebrating and creating lasting memories.

When a world class sailing champion approached us to design a Newport home for his family, with lodging for his sailing crew, we set out to create a clean, light-filled modern home that would integrate with the natural surroundings of the waterfront property, and respect the character of the historic district. Our approach was to make the marine landscape an integral feature throughout the home. One hundred eighty degree views of the ocean from the top floors are the result of the pinwheel massing. The home is designed as an extension of the curvilinear approach to the property through the woods and reflects the gentle undulating waterline of the adjacent saltwater marsh. Floodplain regulations dictated that the primary occupied spaces be located significantly above grade; accordingly, we designed the first and second floors on a stone “plinth” above a walk-out basement with ample storage for sailing equipment. The curved stone base slopes to grade and houses the shallow entry stair, while the same stone clads the interior’s vertical core to the roof, along which the wood, glass and stainless steel stair ascends to the upper level. One critical programmatic requirement was enough sleeping space for the sailing crew, and informal party spaces for the end of race-day gatherings. The private master suite is situated on one side of the public central volume, giving the homeowners views of approaching visitors. A “bedroom bar,” designed to accommodate a full house of guests, emerges from the other side of the central volume, and serves as a backdrop for the infinity pool and the cove beyond. Also essential to the design process was ecological sensitivity and stewardship. The wetlands of the adjacent saltwater marsh were designed to be restored; an extensive geo-thermal heating and cooling system was implemented; low carbon footprint materials and permeable surfaces were used where possible. Native and non-invasive plant species were utilized in the landscape. The abundance of windows and glass railings maximize views of the landscape, and, in deference to the adjacent bird sanctuary, bird-friendly glazing was used throughout. Photo: Michael Moran/OTTO Photography

Interior Design by ecd Design LLC This newly remodeled home was transformed top to bottom. It is, as all good art should be “A little something of the past and a little something of the future.” We kept the old world charm of the Tudor style, (a popular American theme harkening back to Great Britain in the 1500’s) and combined it with the modern amenities and design that many of us have come to love and appreciate. In the process, we created something truly unique and inspiring. RW Anderson Homes is the premier home builder and remodeler in the Seattle and Bellevue area. Distinguished by their excellent team, and attention to detail, RW Anderson delivers a custom tailored experience for every customer. Their service to clients has earned them a great reputation in the industry for taking care of their customers. Working with RW Anderson Homes is very easy. Their office and design team work tirelessly to maximize your goals and dreams in order to create finished spaces that aren’t only beautiful, but highly functional for every customer. In an industry known for false promises and the unexpected, the team at RW Anderson is professional and works to present a clear and concise strategy for every project. They take pride in their references and the amount of direct referrals they receive from past clients. RW Anderson Homes would love the opportunity to talk with you about your home or remodel project today. Estimates and consultations are always free. Call us now at 206-383-8084 or email Ryan@rwandersonhomes.com.

Haris Kenjar

Olson Photographic