When designing the interior’s of ‘The Indian Modern House’ the aesthetic narrative follows the amalgam of contemporary elements with a touch of Indian form. This juxtaposition, taken from facades and fixtures that within their materiality as well as design keep up with the developing trends of the market, also incorporate styles and details that remain unique to Indian culture.
Designed by: Studio Synergy
Project type: Interiors
Project Scope: Interior Design
Project Name: The Indian Modern House
Location: Ankleshwar
Year Built: 2023
Plot Area: 3000 sq.fts
Built up: 3750 sq.mtrs
Principal Architect: Ar. Umesh Choudhary
Design Team: Priya Patkar, Manali Patel
Photo Credits: Pixellus Photography https://www.instagram.com/pixellusphotography/
As one starts their journey from the living area of the house we enter a space that follows the virtues of minimalist design with the layout as well as the materiality of the sofa, tables and tv unit. While the aesthetics also follow the grey-beige tones, what stands out is the ‘mandir’ or the temple that is designed to replicate the intricate decorative details of ancient temple architecture. The kitchen space is cladded with a charcoal tone that follows throughout the cabinet area while also creating non-protruding shelved structures optimising on the floor space. The dining area makes use of the transition space between the living room and the kitchen giving a sense of open and agile architecture, one void of enclosed wall spaces.
While the dining is looked at as a rectangular marble top simplistic structure, what adds to the space is the double-height chandelier taken from contemporary Indian design. The placement and transparency of the design of the chandelier adds to the compact space in terms of height, giving an otherwise smaller space an open feel in terms of volume. This interactive design is also approachable from the first floor. As the ‘jharokha’ from the bedroom opens up overlooking the dining space, it encloses a balcony feature within the interior of the house.
Through the ‘jharokha’ what is seen is one of the bedrooms, its interior wall facades designed to find a blend of vernacular exposed brick with textured wood. The furniture built to inhabit this space once again takes from the globally influenced furniture design in India. The cabinet and wardrobe installations are represented in a way that conceals the functionality of it, adding to the minimalist feel as well as the floor space for circulation. When entering the master bedroom, one finds the play of beige tones throughout the wall and fixtures. The key element that highlights the temporality of the room is the wooden wall frame installed on either side of the bed merging into the adjacent cabinet enclosures. The specificity of the wooden material has its origins in traditional Indian design, catching the visitor and the user to feel more at home through its mixed aesthetics. Every room also displays an unconfined open shelf that does not occupy significant width but creates a showcase space for personal objects of display like plants, books and centrepieces. As we move to the guest bedroom, we see a play of blue tones on the cabinet facades with the drapes and wallpaper complimenting the tone selected for the space.
The vertical window elements on either sides of the bed along with its drapery take from the contemporary side of the interior building while the ‘jali’ or grid pattern of bars across the glass facade incorporates the Indian element of window design. An identical pattern is also visualised in the fourth and last bedroom, where the headboard of the bed makes up for a large window space using the same ‘jali’ aesthetic. Apart from the four bedrooms, an additional room is provided on the first floor which is a common space for social encounters for the family as well as people visiting the house. The area is designed as a cosy space with low height furniture that replicates the feel of the ancient ‘deewan’ that would be present in every Indian household in the past. The overall vibe of ‘The Indian Modern House’ makes one feel like residential interior architecture is moving with the times while also incorporating certain elements that amplify the feeling of ‘home’ in an Indian household.
