Our first visit to this terraced duplex apartment in a quaint part of Bangalore evoked the response, ‘oh, what a waste!!’. Terraces were covered, balconies littered with AC units and pigeon evidence all over. Most of the rooms had damp walls with copious amounts of mold, all too unsightly. The attempt was to turn this around into a welcoming home with plenty of light and warmth. The clients’ love for motifs with a passion for minimalism, brought through a European sensibility with an overlay of vernacular Indian.
Our approach was first to clean up the plan, remove all unwanted appendages, clear up the terraces and balconies and fix the leaks, which was our biggest concern. What emerged were beautiful large open spaces, a flowing wrap around terrace that threw up endless possibilities to design around. Doors were stripped of the dark wood stain and were finished in white, regular steel handles were replaced with antique wood panel with traditional motifs. The wall along the staircase was painted a stark grey which was then hand painted with traditional tree motifs in white. The contrast lent a cheerful ambience to the transitional space. The sandstone clad wall is an anchor to the formal living, dining and the family area. Consoles made of recycled wood against the sandstone wall sets off a brilliant contrast.
Stripped of the jarring embellishments the apartment now evokes a sense of peace, is intimate and exudes a very unique design sensibility.
