During the challenges of the COVID-19 lockdown, the clients creatively merged two adjoining apartments to meet their need for a larger living area. What sets this living room apart is its unique ability to embrace art as a lifestyle. It goes beyond decoration, curating art pieces collected over time and integrated into the design. It harmoniously combines traditional and contemporary aesthetics within a Tropical Modernist framework, providing a versatile backdrop for art pieces while maintaining a delicate balance between classic and modern elements.
Spaces that narrate stories
This living room encapsulates the essence of the entire project, serving as a canvas for self-expression and storytelling. Its adaptability, embrace of art as a lifestyle, and integration of art pieces embody the power of design to create an oasis of beauty and serenity in challenging times.
Entering the home across the threshold, the lobby becomes a liminal space where one could decide their pathway of navigation, to either portion of the dwelling.
Moving around the facing wall featuring a Kalamkari painting of the Tree of Life by artist Harinath N, the entrance to the living area is carved through a passage that was created by removing a powder room from the earlier layout.
The meandering lobby whisks the visitor in, to be greeted by twin antique wooden columns that stand like stately guards to the oasis. The columns, exquisitely crafted in teak wood, and sourced from an antique store, Suadades in Goa, mark an elegant entryway to the living space. The Antique handcrafted wooden columns stand as epitomes of grace, against a beige lime-washed wall, marking the passage to the living space.
Adorned with art
The wooden Balinese door, becomes the centrepiece mural, adding intricacy with its patterns. This focal piece sourced from Good Earth, became the anchor for the design of the home. Patterns derived from this mural echo throughout the abode in select elements. A circular coffee table from Sarita Handa adds a deviation from the linearity with its cupola form. Shades of beige and rich browns add a touch of earthy elegance to the living space. An accent wall with a beige lime-wash finish, at the fag end of the area catches the eye with its intricate occupier – a wooden Balinese door converted into a wall mural carved with riveting motifs.
A wooden console with resplendent carving adds gravitas and stately elegance at the intersection of the two seating areas. The low-height wooden console with criss-cross patterns frames the elements with elegance. The sofa sets flaunt vibrant textiles from Nagaland sourced by the client herself. Several tonnes of timber were obtained from the structural members of an old wada and were sourced by the clients to repurpose them someday. The wada wood now finds new life in a variety of forms in the home, becoming a metaphor for life cycles, somewhat like the Ship of Theseus.
Breathing new life
The home boasts furniture pieces crafted by Mr Shaban Lakadwala, a master craftsman from Mumbai, whose attention to detail and finesse were awe-inspiring. The clients suggested sourcing these art pieces that add a layer of artistry to the home. Repurposed wood from an old wada was sliced to create rustic and unfinished shelving units in a niche flanking the living area.
The expansive living space is distinctly framed into two areas that flow into each other with ease- one hosting a more formal setting and the other with a casual vibe. The casual seating space flows towards the balcony, connecting the inside with the scenic outside. A jungle green armchair echoes the greens of nature.
The column-beam connection slicing the living space frames the area adding the feeling of depth, imbuing interest with the variety of seating pockets created.
Fact file:
Name of the project: An Oasis of Art
Location: Pune, Maharashtra
Area: 3,200 sq ft
Type: Residential Interior Design
Design firm: Alkove-Design
Lead designers: Komal Mittal, Ninada Kashyap
This project was presented with the award ‘Living Room Design Project of the Year’ at the Aces of Space Design Awards 2023.
Read more about the event here!
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