Project Reveal – The Modern Balinese Villa

Created by Vinithra Amarnathan on December 12, 2022

A cross generational villa, one that weaves a unique story by bringing together memories, experiences and interests! The modern balinese villa is a confluence of various design styles and personalities and one that deftly ties together a narrative that’s not just unique but also bold and breathtaking!

Navneeth a sports presenter for The Royal Challengers and his wife Deepthi got in touch with us when they had initially decided the move from the city into a green villa community in the suburbs of Bangalore. We met while the villa was still bare bones and in the initial stages of construction and what ensued was an almost yearlong association which led to one of our best works in how representative it was of their likes and travels and interests while at the same time marrying the functionality a cross generational home needs!

One of the unique challenges for us as a design team in this project was straddling the needs and aesthetic of a younger generation with that of their parents who also lived in the same villa. Navneeth and Deepthi both liked the clean modern earthy feel of Balinese Villas and wanted to reinterpret the same in the Indian context while also being able to give a nod to the South Indian heritage they came from and one that was dear to their parents.

The entire home straddles this beautifully and what you are left with is an eclectic and tasteful mix that’s equally personal as it is collected and designed.

The home itself is spread across three levels but in terms of square footage isn’t too large which made it challenging to define spaces while still retaining a feeling of expansiveness and open plan which the clients wanted. Here’s a quick walkthrough of the villa.

Living

The living room flips the layout and works with a rather unconventional approach of walking into a large statement gallery wall of frames that also houses the TV. In a narrow and long living room, this meant we had to use the space cleverly to create both a dramatic view and also to maximise function.

The gallery wall of large art pieces with a massive Noguchi replica makes for a dramatic entrance into the home. A suspended track light throws light on the beautiful pieces of art that highlight the stone clad wall.

The seating comprises of a collection of simple, modern and classic pieces of furniture. A walnut veneer clad sofa cleverly makes for an attractive back to walk in to and is complimented by a danish modern inspired armchair on one side and a cane back curved chair on the other. A striking black chinese cabinet and a bold oriental rug grounds the double height volume beautifully!

Dining & Kitchen

The dining and the kitchen open into the large green front in the villa and a clean teak and white palette with references of heritage and art make it a grounded and personal space for the family.

A collection of Athangudi tile prints frame the dining area and contrast with the modern furniture and lighting.

The kitchen builds on the modern yet earthy vibe of the home and features a sharp clean palette of whites and wood with rich veneer clad cabinets.

Guest Bedroom

The lower level of the triplex villa houses the guest bedroom adjoining the kitchen and dining spaces. It continues the simple palette of pastel tones and rich wood to create a clean modern space.

A beautiful slatted veneer clads the headboard creating a simple yet elevated moment to walk into.

Tea Room

The first floor of the villa features a beautiful and cozy tea room that Deepthi wanted in the home. Reminiscent of the tea rooms in Oriental culture and from Deepthi’s time in Singapore, the small space is visioned as a space for the family to come together over a cup of tea. The entire room is enveloped in warm grey paint and houses a bold orange red oriental cabinet to display tea boxes and knick knacks.

A cane sofa and teak wood chairs create a cozy comfortable seating area with tray tables in the center. A black and white piece of art from Anushka Kalro offers sharp contrast.

Parents Bedroom & Bathroom

The parents bedroom takes a beautiful oriental meets Indian inspired approach. A partition screen inspired by oriental folding partitions is clad in a Sabyasachi wallpaper and acts as a headboard for the poster bed. Gray toned oriental cabinets form bedside tables.

On the other end a traditional chest of drawers and cane back chair bring in function.

The bathroom is a clean simple space with a beautiful walnut toned vanity.

Primary Bedroom & Bathroom

The primary bedroom situated on the second floor is imagined as a private haven for Navneeth & Deepthi. Navneeth wanted us to create an organic earthy refuge in their primary ensuite and we surprised Deepthi with the space. Earthy wood beams, lime plastered walls and a kilim rug come together in this subtle and calm space.

A leaning wood mirror and a small desk on the opposite wall round off the space.

The bathroom brings home the balinese earthy vibe with a insitu concrete sink and cement look tiles. The ceiling is clad in a beautiful rattan weave and black beams that make the space a haven away from the mundane.

Media Room

The media room is a small space that opens into a private terrace and is designed as a space for the couple to watch a game and entertain friends. A deep rich green clads the room and a bold botanical wallpaper takes over  the wall behind the TV.

Two chaises anchor the space and make for the perfect perch for a game of cricket!

This home allowed us to push creative boundaries and create a home that blends aesthetics, function and style while still telling a unique story. We hope you enjoyed walking through this home with us 🙂

See you here next time…..Vinithra

All pics shot by Shamanth Patil.

Project Reveal – The Modern Tropical Chic Home

Created by Vinithra Amarnathan on December 8, 2022

An expansive 3 bedroom apartment is located in a busy area of North Bangalore amidst new high-rises and offices that opens its doors into a surprisingly breezy tropical chic escape……..Welcome to the Modern Tropical Chic Home!

Our clients Sidharth and Prerana were relocating from the States and chose this apartment to create a home after their move back to India. From the time we met and in our initial discussions we knew their love for travel, beaches and a relaxed casual aesthetic with a vibrant feel. They already owned some beautiful art pieces and our jumping off point for the design was a beautiful large tropical painting already owned by them……vibrant and tropical it somewhat led to the design ethos of the home!

Dressed in largely neutral tones and filled with natural materials to add texture, the entire space is then punctuated with vibrant art and accessories to bring in an earthy eclectic lived in feel! The design hinges on creating a breezy tropical chic air with light neutral tones, natural wood, cane and rattan and eclectic art and accessories. The resulting space has a very tropical meets global chic aesthetic representative of our well-travelled clients.

Here is a detailed walkthrough of the various spaces in this home……

Living / Dining

The apartment opens into a small foyer with a powder room that then leads you into the expansive living and dining area.
The living room is a large space that opens into a beautiful view. It features the tropical vibrant piece of art that you see upon entering the space which drove the design language of the home. The living room is designed to be easy, elegant and airy. Two large sofas facing each other form the main stay of the living area and bring about beautiful symmetry. On one end are two wood arm chairs while the other side houses a leather bench that allows for uninterrupted views of the outdoors.

A white brick wall frames the wall opposite the oversized painting and tones of natural wood and brass are peppered through the space to add texture, warmth and interest.

A large branch chandelier adds a touch of drama and a hand knotted tone on tone rug grounds the space.

The adjoining dining area boasts an outdoor pergola inspired timber slat ceiling that immediately draws the eye up and frames the dining area. The dining has a simple modern natural wood eight seater table, strapped leather chairs and a row of glass pendants.

A large credenza in black stained wood sits on the far end and an oversized mirror reflects light.

Kitchen

The kitchen is situated right next to the dining area and was originally closed off with a door to enter. We removed the entire wall and added beautiful glass bifold doors with sandwiched cane that hone in on the modern tropical feel of the space.

The kitchen itself is beautiful in all-white tones with a soft gray backsplash and bold brass pendants over the island that creates contrast. The kitchen being large not only utilises the space carefully but also looks light and bright.

Family Room
The family room situated adjoining the living room is designed to be a home office cum a den / hangout space. The entire room is swathed in a beautiful steel gray tone and a part of the room is sectioned off to create a home office with beautiful floor to ceiling built in cabinetry.

The seating is a comfortable large sleeper sectional that pulls out into a queen bed for additional guests. A leather wrapped ottoman offers the perfect spot to prop your feet while watching a movie. And a gallery wall of frames collected from various travels sits on the wall!

The wall on the opposite side houses a large built in unit with storage and open shelves with a desk in the center.

Primary Bedroom & Bathroom

The hallway from the living area leads into the two bedrooms. On the right is the master ensuite with a large bedroom, bathroom and a walk in closet. We remodeled the entire master bathroom removing the bathtub and using the space to add a vanity. The master bath is all white but nuanced textural elements like the pebble tiled shower floor and the stacked white subway on the walls, to the wood tone vanity and marble countertop that allow the large space to come together beautifully.

The master bedroom features a fluted wood headboard and is enveloped in a dusty blue tone all through. A built in window seat and a desk bring in functionality to the space.

A wardrobe clad in cane and a similar tone of paint sits on one end while a large window seat carved out on the other side invites you in. This might be one of my favorite elements in this space!

Guest Bedroom
The guest bedroom has an angular shape and a coat of soft taupe and white paint runs through the entire room creating an unifying effect. Simple details like rattan, beautiful art and textiles bring the space together.

And thats a walkthrough through this apartment. The idea of creating a visually light, balanced and airy space in a relatively large square footage was something that we found both exciting and challenging. One of our biggest challenges was to retain the relaxed airy feel in a larger home. The other challenge was being able to design in a way where we could bring in some of the pre owned art and collectibles and furniture that our clients owned and still keep the freshness of the space.

Being able to take a creative approach like with the indoor pergola, the kitchen with cane bifold doors or the pebble stone shower floor all made the execution and materiality of this project that much more interesting.

I hope you enjoyed reading about this home! Until next time….Ciao!

All Pics – Shamanth Patil Photography