A juxtaposed home
The Apartment is set up in a 60 year old building with a rugged exterior which unfolds into a bright and modern home which greatly contrasts the outer appearance and to your surprise it transitions into a world of a difference when you step inside. You can leave the constant buzz of the outside world and step into a tranquil ambience to unwind and relax. The clients were looking for a minimal style with a pop of color accents, and a cozy feel for their home. The aim of the project was to create a beautifully balanced space, bright and lively. The neutral color palette with a pop of blue were married perfectly into the volumes allowing one space to flow into the other seamlessly.
Bringing the bare minimal
The minimal approach is what they believe in as a firm, a subtle art of composition of furniture and elements is what brings the space together. Since the living/ dining is the biggest space of all, the design team brought about a feature wall – an exposed white brick wall painted to a tone of half white. This European element gave the space a very cozy vibe that the clients were looking for. A generous number of mirrors around the apartment, contributed to the space ambience of making the 1000 sq ft area look much bigger. They designed an a frame stand to house the plants that the clients wanted to bring into the apartment, in an organised manner. Â
Flowing spaces and circulation
The planning of the apartment was a difficult task, the team had to do the furniture blocking with respect to the circulation space, keeping in mind the seamless transition they wanted to bring about from one space to the other. Placing the living and dining in close proximity was something they were initially thinking of, so ultimately they wanted the design aesthetic to be on a similar note. The kitchen wall was broken into, and made into a semi open kitchen with a breakfast counter. Again, there is the walnut brown color tone that is marrying the living, dining, and kitchen. The Master bedroom is where the team could play with color, a simple teak bed with customized side tables. A ‘less is more’ concept is what was brought about. In the boy’s bedroom, they wanted a study cum bay window seating alongside the wardrobe. To plan three functions on one wall was a tricky situation, as they had to understand ergonomically how much area each function would require.  Â
Fences from Chettinad
The team designed a fence for the waiting area which was inspired by the Chettinad fences, but a modern interpretation of it is what was executed. The living/ dining is a square layout – which is rarely the case considering it’s a 2BHK apt. It naturally became the hero of the project. They wanted a feature wall to bring about a cozy feel and that was definitely a white brick wall exposed. It is exactly opposite to the floor to ceiling window that filters light and washes the feature wall with the perfect amount of sunlight. The furniture that were selected were of a neutral color palette, and the team brought about patterns and textures in the throw pillows.
Windsor’s chairs in demand
The refurbished dining table was the starting point, beyond which came the design of the windsor chair with a twist of pop color. 4 chairs were made to order, specifically for this project from a sister factory in the outskirts of Chennai. There was a debate about what to place on the wall above the dining set. When in doubt choose a curve. The team went with a frameless circular mirror that reflects the living showing it to be a bigger space. The starting point was when the kitchen wall was broken down to make it an open kitchen, with a breakfast counter to be the bridge between the dining and the kitchen. In terms of functionality as well as aesthetic, the breakfast counter is framed in a C shape as it acts like a portal into the Kitchen. The team put a relief in the upper cabinets of the kitchen to store glassware, otherwise it would look too heavy and monolithic. The grey backsplash tile, ties the kitchen together and it mimics the concurrent white brick wall in the living. The team was able to achieve layers of the pattern in different tones. The utility was hidden away with a roller blind, and would be seen only if necessary. Since the team styled the entire apartment, they made sure that they eradicated all plastic, and selected glass, bamboo, copper bottles for the clients to store their necessary things.
Dualling the master’s room
The dual color tone was something the client was convinced of the minute it was suggested. A quirky approach to the design aesthetic of the bedroom, with brushed brass accents brought about the holistic vision. Nothing can go wrong when it comes to peach, brass and half white as the color aesthetic. The bathroom door was changed to the sliding mechanism to enhance mobility, and painted upon the same dual tones of the wall to make it look seamless.
A grey hue for the boy
In the boy’s bedroom, they wanted a study cum bay window seating alongside the wardrobe. To plan three functions on one wall was a tricky situation, as they had to understand, ergonomically, how much area each function would require. A grey blue laminate was the majority color of the room, with brushed nickel as metal accents gave it a contemporary touch. They wanted the L shaped Bookshelf to give a suspended feel, looking light on the eyes. As it occupied a corner, the team didn’t want it to look monolithic. The study chair is an interesting element, it was designed with pine wood to slide into the study slab smoothly. They went for the grey upholstery for the chair to dictate the color palette of the room. An 8′ mirror was placed right opposite to the study to make the space appear bigger.    Â
Featuring the wall
The favourite element of the home is definitely the exposed white brick wall in the living space, the transition from a plain wall into an element that has so much character with a subtle undertone is such a beautiful process.
Making a 1000 sq ft home look much bigger keeping in mind all the prerequisites and aesthetics is quite the achievement. This project can be tagged as ‘A 1000 sq ft of happiness!’
Fact File
Project name: The Not So Tiny House
Total Area: 1000sqft
Location: RA Puram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Type: Residential Interiors
Design Firm: Roaish Architecture
Design Architect: Aishwarya Krish
