Project Reveal – The Midcentury Eclectic Remodel

Created by Vinithra Amarnathan on February 2, 2021

They say design feels effortless when you connect with your client. Couldn’t be truer than in this transformation we did!

Pavitra is an executive director for one of the largest real estate firms, mother to two adorable boys and someone who I met when I had just moved back to India after living in the US. We had a few things in common as moms to young kids, mutual friends and having lived in the States.

When she reached out to me last year to explore a transformation for her larger living spaces, of course I was excited! Our design styles matched instantly…we both shared a love for clean simple lines and the midcentury modern aesthetic. Her only brief was she wanted it to be warm cozy and inviting and at the same time she wanted to reimagine the space entirely!

Palette – Warm neutrals reimagined

The palette for this home was defined by Pavitra’s love for warm colors but at the same time the need to keep the space aesthetic and understated. We reimagined warm colors creating a warm neutral base accented and layered with deep olives, warm rusts, dusty rose and hints of gold! Black and whites form a mainstay in the soft furnishings from the rug to the window treatments and offer balance and contrast.

The furniture – Midcentury aesthetic with an updated feel

The furniture in this home is designed with clean lines and a sharp aesthetic. We loved the classic form of furniture from the midcentury modern era and updated it with hints of cane, brass and raw wood. One of my favorite pieces in the home is a beautiful forged brass console that separates the living and the dining areas effortlessly and the caramel leather sofa.

The cane and white sideboard is another piece that achieves a surprisingly light and airy feel for something so large!

Lighting – Classic shapes that complement  

The lighting is kept simple and the shapes are classic. The brass and marble table lamp at the entrance has a minimal retro vibe while the tall floor lamp brings in visual height and adds a sleek modern touch.

The dining area is supported by an oversized branch chandelier with large globes. The sculptural form makes for a bold statement against the raw wood table and low cane back chairs.

Art – Eclectic, colorful and classic pieces

The art in this home has been carefully picked by Pavitra in partnership with Artisera. The pieces are soulful and ones that she was drawn to. Beautiful classic pieces that are conversation starters!

Design – Clean, Minimal and Impactful

The space itself was challenging! It was a single long space that had to be multifunctional with each space feeling connected to the other while having its own distinct personality!

And true to our style of creating cohesive free flowing open spaces, we did just that! We broke down all the visual barriers and started by creating one clean open space now unified with a hint of warm grey paint!

The apartment opened directly into the living room with the most beautiful view of quintessential Bangalore green! It only made sense to have a massive picture window. This wasn’t an easy change the apartment being on the 8th floor, but in my opinion one of the single most impactful ones! Ample natural light, a view to kill and add to that a very natural way to define and anchor the living room.

The home opened directly into the living room and this meant that it had no defined entryway. While we wanted to create an entryway solution for the young family, we did not want it to take away from the living room moment. We kept the existing grid frame board and batten wall, painted it a soft gray and added a beautiful custom oversized cane and white cabinet that functions as storage for shoes, bags and entryway essentials. An oversized mirror hung off center visually rests the entryway closer to the main door and brings in a modern casual feel.

To the left of the entryway sits a small bar nook. We added a chair and a rug here to define the space along with beautiful watercolor art by Hiren Patel. The area feels light and casual and seamlessly flows into the living and dining areas.

The living room itself is simple but layered with beautiful accents and details. A classic midcentury leather sofa set against a black and white rug and olive chairs make for the main seating. A beautiful kilim upholstered bench visually divides the living from the entryway and adds a hint of pattern. Flowing linen drapes with a contrasting black border frame the picture window and a forged brass console divides the living from the dining. A stunning black and gold art sits between the living and the dining.

To the right of the living room is the family room and we anchored it with a deep olive wall. In a very long area, it does a great job of pulling in the spaces visually and creating an integrated color story from the living to the family lounge.

This area has a comfortable custom sectional couch and ottoman for TV viewing and family photos framing the wall behind. A beautifully detailed Gurudas Shenoy artwork brings in vibrance and color into this space and makes for a striking view from the living room!

As we walk further into the apartment to the left of the living area is the dining. The dining had an accent wall and a large built in wood cabinet. We added simple textural grass cloth wallpaper to the far end of the dining space to bring depth and texture and carried through the same wallpaper into the back of the built-in cabinets for continuity.

The dining area has a large raw edge wood table and simple cane back chairs with a black leather seat.  A large midcentury inspired branch pendant sits atop the dining. On the far end the buffet table sits below an abstract art by Shivani Dugar and adds just the right amount of color.

Adjoining the dining is the beautiful open terrace. Comfortable outdoor seating, large planters and the best view you can ask for make this outdoor space come alive!

I truly love how this home together. Most often we work on new homes, but to work on an existing home which has been lived in and has outgrown the needs of its home owners was a challenge! To reimagine a space in entirety and make those changes come alive has been so fulfilling.

All Pics by Parth Swaminath