The residence has been created by focusing on what is and can be improved upon, instead of what could have been.
Designer Samira Rathod of Mumbai-based Samira Rathod Design Associates put all her expertise into use while designing this duplex in Ahmedabad.
“Our approach was to deal with the limitations and not turn the place around completely,” reveals Rathod.
So, what existed before was a 5,000 sq ft swathe that included four space crunched rooms, a staircase, and terraces.
“We knocked down almost all the walls. The rooms were all fairly huddled together,” recalls Rathod. “We decided to restructure the terrace for a seamless look.”
A two-bedroom home for the family was crafted by opening up the spaces and laying them about in a more open-flow scheme.
The wooden flooring calms the vibe further. But the biggest salvo here is the upholstered furniture, all carefully placed to create pockets of cushy and comfortable coves. The languid space unfolds in a breezy, bright shell that is highlighted by dominant grey cushions and rugs, all stylishly interrupted by wooden accents. The wall-length curtains and blinds add a sense of geometric theatricality to the room.
Rathod dotted the home with furniture pieces that can stand on their own in statement, but blend equally well into the larger picture. The colour palette remains tilted towards black and grey, but smidgens of yellow, blue, white, and brown have leaked into it.
The “pièce de résistance” is ‘Fingers’. Attached to the staircase skylight, it is made of wood and is a spot depicting poetry in motion, quite unlike the rest of the home’s sturdy exterior. “It was inspired by the look of fingers moving on a piano, or in a choreographed dance,” Rathod says.
The staircase itself is a break-away beauty, connecting the floors in an upward trajectory that moves from light to dimness and then on to bright light again. Curving along the wooden stairwell is a colourful, dainty railing. Following the staircase’s curvature are also shelves that the family can use to keep books in.
Evenings in the house are lit up by floor-lighting. “The idea was to create a softer environment, to have pools of light and darkness, the former where people can gather,” she says of the evening scheme.
