Unfolding across two serene levels, Mr̥ttikā, a 4,000 sq. ft. penthouse in Gurgaon designed by Custom Design Stories, is envisioned as a dialogue between material honesty and spatial rhythm.
Project Name: Mr̥ttikā
Studio Name: Custom Design Stories
Location: Gurugram
Area (in sqft): 4,000 sq ft
Principal Designer/s: Ananya Sharma and Aditya Tognatta
Photographer: Lalatendu Nayak
The journey begins in a quiet foyer, its warm timber flooring setting a gentle prelude to the home’s elemental palette. Flanking this threshold are a study-cum-guest bedroom and an expanded kitchen, reconfigured through thoughtful civil interventions to open up sightlines and let air and light move freely.
A continuous stretch of wooden flooring extends forward, forming the home’s central spine that threads together the dining, bar, and living areas. Along this axis, the double-height volume housing the reimagined staircase rises as the sculptural heart of the home. “Reworking the staircase became a pivotal gesture,” notes Aditya. “We lightened the original form by almost an entire flight, allowing the layout to breathe and feel more fluid and conversational.” The intervention unlocked space for a compact bar, seamlessly connecting the dining and kitchen into a shared zone of conviviality. The axis concludes in a calm, formal living area, quietly marking the home’s spatial crescendo.
Brick, with its timeless texture and grounding presence, anchors the home’s common spaces and draws the eye the moment you enter. In the living room, its rough texture forms a backdrop for daily life: a TV wall with built-in wooden shelves, quiet reading ledges, and corners that invite pause. Against this earthy backdrop, a curated mix of wood, cane, and upholstered seating offers a softer counterpoint, with textures that feel lived-in and inviting.
The dining area continues this warmth, featuring pieces that carry a whisper of memory. A handcrafted solid-wood dining table stained with kohle powder anchors the room, its vintage design reimagined for modern living. It sits alongside a mint-green kitchen framed in white stone and wood, together narrating a story of contrasts: craftsmanship meeting precision, warmth meeting clarity, and tradition meeting modernity.
Ascending the staircase, a raw concrete surface subtly guides movement while catching the shifting daylight. At the landing, an informal family lounge provides a pause before the private realms unfold. The master suite, washed in soothing greens and layered with block-printed fabrics, rattan shutters, and warm wood, serves as an intimate retreat. Across it, the guest room exudes quiet poise, while the nursery bursts with playful energy, each space reflecting the personality of its inhabitant.
The quiet mastery of Mr̥ttikā is found not in grand gestures but in its restraint, in the way brick meets wood, light grazes concrete, and handcrafted textiles bring the home to life. Each texture evokes a memory, and every surface invites touch. The home’s open, airy plan nurtures both solitude and togetherness, allowing daily life and gatherings to coexist effortlessly.
