Bringing Heritage into Homes
Bengaluru
Residential
There has recently been a growing appreciation for incorporating traditional and heritage elements into homes. Consumers want to bring these traditional Indian elements and the ‘old Bangalore’ charm into their homes. Inspired by travels and resorts, they look for a sense of luxury every day. We had the opportunity to work on one such project in Bangalore.
Floor
Inspired by Rajasthani palace floor patterns, that’s where we started. Rather than something simple, we chose to go with a bold colour, which would be continued through the rest of the house and used as a statement piece. Warm colour tones were used and matched with Jaisalmer Stone. As a contrast, but also adding a sense of flow through the home, we used glossy Italian black marble to make the yellow pop.
TV Unit
To blend traditional Indian and warm colonial styles, we custom-designed the furniture. For example, in this space, the shoe cabinet went through multiple iterations. While we wanted to create a sense of old-world charm, it could not be bulky. We used inspiration from a window our clients had seen in a hotel for the mirror. Similarly, the TV unit we designed was to work more like a piece of art – and could be hidden when not in use. For that, we used two Vaya fabric panels on sliding shutters. The shutters can be pushed to either side while watching TV or closed to hide it and highlight the sides. We used teak wood to frame the fabric panels to look more like artwork when pushed together.
Study Room
Since the couple worked from home, they needed a designated and fully functional study room. The study is made from a live piece of wood, and the Jaisalmer flooring brings in earthy colours, creating a cohesive look through the house. We finished the walls in grey concrete. We put a Murphy Bed in the middle – a practical decision, as the middle portion can be pulled down for guests. On either side of the bed are two wardrobes, creating a space that is both compact and efficient.
For the dining room furniture, we reused and repurposed some of the furniture in the house. We also reused the dining table base and added heavily textured Brazilian granite on top of it.
Stained glass
Stained glass is an incredibly old form of craft, one that we wanted to incorporate into this home. We felt that these details would bring in that extra touch of luxury while keeping a sense of old-world charm. The stained glass next to the TV was designed using geometric shapes and a colour scheme to complement the unit. We wanted it to be bright and colourful – more of an artwork than just a panel.
Bathroom
The brief was to create statement bathrooms using marble, and we immediately knew we wanted to use red and yellow travertine marble. The red travertine bathroom has a bold red sink made of marble, with the wall behind the mirror using the same marble. The yellow travertine marble has a softer feel; therefore, we used ribbed tiled on the upper half and the yellow marble on the bottom and countertops. A granite strip divides the two. Our focus for these two bathrooms was on the texture.
For the third bathroom, we conceptualized a black bathroom with wood in it. The flooring and walls have black tiles, painted black to match the ceiling. The area behind the vanity has a contrasting wooden panel with a statement quarter mirror.