CELEBRATING INDIA
A home that showcases art from all corners of the country by Delhi-based architectural firm Untitled Design.
From gondh to pichwais, from brass work to thangkas, art can be found in every nook and corner of this New Delhi home by architectural firm Untitled Design
This home is the coming together of myriad forms of contemporary arts and material play to create harmonious music. We have designed it as a place of vibrancy and allure. Inside the house, products have been customised to exude poise and glamour without clashing with one another. The 10,570 sq ft internal area is used to express artworks and create a free spirited home with an eclectic flavour. The focus was to create as much scope as possible to highlight area of excellence within each confined space.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
Sunken courts in the basement define the organisation of rooms, further addressing the outdoor. There are double height courts, vertical greens and large windows opening inside the house. Vertical gardens are accompanied by water bodies like a lily pond and the swimming pool in the basement, so designed to rid the feeling of being underground. The walls and the flooring have been finished in a grey micro concrete creating a matt colour palette for the furniture in elements like brass, mirror, clear glass, semi-precious stone and rich fabrics. The bar, a focal point is hand-beaten and antique finished brass combined with pine finished veneer. In the foreground lies a coffee table conceptualised as a cactus plant. The swimming pool has light created out of biryani handis from Delhi's chawri bazaar and a 9-inch thick granite from China. The splash of colour on the floor is in the form of a
sculpture collaborated by artist Umesh Kumar and a national award winning gond artist Sunil Kumar.
ART DICTATES THE LAYOUT
The ground floor houses the guest room, family lounge, dining and kitchen. An antique choukhat from a south Indian temple has been used as the entrance to the family lounge to the break the clear contemporary lines. The material for the flooring is kept neutral with an Italian grey marble in most places (which gives a blank canvas for inking artistic expressions). The walls are also dressed in colours of grey, accentuating the bright artworks. The master bathroom on the first floor has an 8 ft counter made from a teak tree with a background of an Italian marble, creating a mesmerising mural effect. The gym on the second floor has a structural pillar next to the window, this has been used to create a sculpture depicting weights. The fun element in the spa was achieved by using a kadai and converting it into a wash basin. Also, a tree trunk has been positioned to be the base of the basin with a colour palette of white travo stone in a ‘crio’ finish.
CUSTOM MADE DESIGN
In this art-filled home, furniture and furnishings are the essential agents in achieving the union of traditional and contemporary designs; and in demonstrating how together they create a uniqueness of their own. Lighting design also plays an important role in defining the ambience. Natural light, highlights the art installations while the fixtures complement the customised artworks in the house. Accessories like rugs, throws, upholstery and fabrics are carefully picked with traditional motifs and geometric designs to create a balance. However, the beauty of the house is in the elegant balance of art style and honing of craft forms of India in a globalised language.