Located in the middle of a garden flanked by a thick grove of trees on one side, and a pool and verandah on the other, an existing home-office used by the family for their internal meetings had to be converted into a 2,000 sqft villa.
<h5-red>CLIENT<h5-red> KARAN PAUL I <h5-red>AREA<h5-red> 2,000 SQFT I <h5-red>STATUS<h5-red> COMPLETED IN 2014 I <h5-red>TEAM<h5-red> AMBRISH ARORA, SIDHARTHA TALWAR, ARUN KULLU, ASHA SAIRAM, CLARISSE MAILLOT I <h5-red>PHOTOGRAPHER<h5-red> RANDHIR SINGH
Located in the middle of a garden flanked by a thick grove of trees on one side, and a pool and verandah on the other, an existing home-office used by the family for their internal meetings had to be converted into a 2,000 sqft villa.
The single-storey structure was built in metal with a lightweight roof and glazed on three sides, to allow uninterrupted views of the landscaped gardens, which the client wanted to retain. One major task was to replace walls facing these external views with glass doors and windows, and build partitions where privacy from the outside was required. The existing glazing system of PVC sliding doors was thus retained. The existing office entrance through a slatted wooden portal was also maintained as the entry to the house. This guided the zoning of the interior space.
<rt-red>The primary intervention was to strip the shell in order to expose the metal structure internally and create a large open space that could serve multiple functions.<rt-red> All the internal walls were removed and replaced by a single line in plan—just one wall, shelving unit and glass panel that separated the living space from the boudoir. The multipurpose partition houses the entertainment unit towards the living room, converts to a bookshelf in the bedroom, and is also the primary wall in the space on which the client—an avid art collector—can showcase his collection.
<rt-red>The space was conceived as a nondescript backdrop to house all the crafted inserts and the art.<rt-red> The few external civil walls were clad in half-cut brick and all the surfaces were painted white. Three exposed ISMB columns in the space were flamed and lacquered to add some industrial character. The client wished to keep the palette simple, with subtle art deco details and industrial elements to create contrast. <rt-red>Saw-cut wooden flooring, white-on-white panelling and delicate brass accents, all add warmth and richness to the space.<rt-red>
The garden facing the bedroom was enclosed to create a private step-out that houses a custom-designed marble Jacuzzi. The walk-in closet and en-suite bathroom, also enjoy views to the private garden, and are separated from the bedroom by an intricate brass art deco-inspired screen. The bathroom is clad in Statuario marble with a bespoke vanity carved in a block of white Statuario with customised chrome fixtures. The shower sits as an insert adorned with a monochromatic marble inlay in a geometric pattern.
<rt-red>The client’s love for Art Deco was used as an underlying reference for contemporary interpretations<rt-red> of certain pieces like the panelling detail, the bespoke suspended brass shelving screens and the sliding screen of brass and polished SS sheets enclosing the walk-in wardrobe.
