A Bengaluru Home Gets A Contemporary Makeover Turning It Into A Soothing Oasis
Think vanilla, cream, white, chalk, ivory, sand… or even alabaster, bone, eggshell, parchment…you get the drift. With colours spanning these delicate shades, this Bengaluru home has a minimalist palette which extends to the walls, flooring, ceilings and soft furnishings, almost Scandinavian in its vibe.
“The client, Deepti Chacko, was clear that she wanted muted tones,” says Neha Sapre of Studio Taan. “It worked in terms of the site too, since the architecture is quite simple.
Moreover, this was a first-floor apartment into which natural light didn’t penetrate as much as it would on a higher floor. Light colours and reflective surfaces helped to coax in daylight.”
The apartment is suffused with a soft glow, its connection with the outdoors enhanced by the pale palette. Originally designed for Chacko’s parents, the home had a long corridor flanked by rooms and designated areas for caregivers.
But it turned out that the school of Chacko’s children was five minutes away, so it was convenient for the young family to use the space. “We didn’t need rooms for nurses anymore, so the layout had to be tweaked to be relevant for a much younger family,” says Sapre.
“The plan was opened out to create a seamless experience between the public spaces in the house, running as a staggered spine from a long balcony at one end, to a large outdoor deck at the other end. This ‘public’ spine was sandwiched between the four bedrooms in the house and a kitchen.”
Consequently, many walls were pulled down and an earlier nursing station became the walk-in closet for the main bedroom, while a long deck—which Sapre has carved out by reducing the size of the dining room—acts as an interface between the living spaces and the outside. “Now there are several nodes for them to congregate – the living room to host guests, a smaller family TV viewing area which is part of the larger experience of the dining and an open kitchen.” An outer kitchen has also been added for heavy-duty cooking. The living area has contemporary furniture and natural finishes.
The textured paint on the walls adds depth and visual interest to the space. Plush, comfortable sofas in neutral tones invite you to relax and unwind, while a sleek coffee table and minimalist decor pieces add a touch of elegance. A soft pendant lighting casts a warm glow over the live-edge dining table. The open kitchen has neutral tones for the cabinetry and marble countertops, the colours blending in perfectly with the rest of the space. The deck has comfortable furniture and a functional counter with ample storage. A built-in planter along the periphery completes the space.
The centrepiece of the media room is a generously-sized sofa that doubles as a bed. “We came to decisions quickly. For Deepti, the render chosen from the options we had presented became a reference point for selecting colours and materials,” says Sapre. “The renders became my Bible. I couldn’t think outside the prescribed details, so purchases were frozen pretty quickly,” adds Chacko The main bedroom in this Bengaluru home features a four-poster, and sleek desk serving as a functional workspace. A comfortable daybed, upholstered in a plush, warm-textured fabric, provides a cozy spot for reading. The soft, flowing material of the curtains diffuses natural light. The parents’ bedroom has a ribbed panelling in light sage. An end-to-end study table, crafted with a rich wooden finish, provides a practical and functional workstation.
“The bedroom for the two boys was designed to inspire imagination and create a playful atmosphere. The focal point is the bunk bed, designed to maximize space while providing a sense of adventure. The steps of the bunk double as drawers for storage,” says Sapre. Most of the furniture is by Creatomy, a design firm in Bengaluru. Other pieces are from Aura Lighting, Carpet Kingdom, Elementary, Fabindia, Gulmohar Lane, Home Stories, Home+Living, Ikea, Luxox, Magari, Orange Tree, Palasa, Purple Turtles, White Teak Company and Windmills. As for maintaining the space immaculately despite the unforgivingly light palette, Sapre certifies that Chacko’s home is always in picture-perfect condition. “It helps that my kids make their beds,” laughs Chacko.