Tao Architecture use a consistent design language that is held together by a rich material and textural palette creating a home that is contemporary and welcoming.
Designed by Tao Architecture Pvt Ltd, a Pune based practice lead by Principal Architect Manish Banker, the spatial design of this apartment is ‘established on a consistent language’. Points out Manish Banker, “A clutter free and contemporary quality of space with a combination of warm wooden surfaces, plain white walls and soft coloureds furnishings was the design theme we decided on.”
The client, a property developer himself was keen to ‘relate to contemporary interiors’ and his requirements played a major role in outlining the design theme. “When ideas were shared, it was decided not to spend unnecessarily for sake of décor, instead use qualitative products to generate a luxurious and comfortable living,” explains the team.
A contemporary and chic vibe begins the moment one steps into the entrance foyer, where the fineness and tone of a warm wooden console and surface finishes under the glow of ambient lighting, ushers you inside.

In the entrance foyer, a buffer to the main apartment, ambient lighting works its magic enhancing the warm and rich appeal of wood and contemporary art work
Once inside, the understated beauty of marble and wood becomes the backdrop for a minimalistic and swank decor in the double heighted living space. The living room continues into an attached double-heighted terrace, and the designers worked to accentuate these volumetric dimensions through select interior composition of the tapestry, artefacts and a television console.
Explains Architect Manish Banker, “To do justice to the existing double heighted volume, the interiors composition of the room was deliberate, allowing natural light to play a major role.’
An adjacent dining space that is a continuity of the living room, sans the height, gets a clear definition in the form of a wooden wrap. Brown shades of the surface finish and wooden boards draping the walls and ceiling provide an opulent and cosy niche for the dining area. Wall units and accent lighting in these brown surfaces adds to the elegant drama while accentuating linearity of the section.
These large expanses were not demarcated clearly in the original layout, so the first step in spatial planning by the design team was to segregate the house into four distinct zones – the entry areas, the living spaces, the service zone and the private rooms. The layout segregation outlined a clear circulation and functional pattern, which helped Tao Architecture to compose a smooth internal anatomy.
Without doubt, the material palette and its placement is a vital factor defining the architectural language. The designers stress that the selection of the material palate was a key to meet desired result. Like the dark marble strip which marks strategic elements like wide doors and circulation areas.
Wood and its textural quality, is perceptibly the favoured choice for most of the surface finishes, wall units and shelves. Differing in finish in each room, ranging from leather textured background surfaces to plain settings, the deep brown hue and woody cosiness exudes warmth into every space of the apartment.
Unifying and embellishing the material-textural palette is the illumination, an important tool that has been used to redefine the design details. The concept of ‘strip lighting’ charts most of the consoles and shelves, subtly highlighting the linearity wherever called for.
One of the innovative aspect of the design is the bathroom overlooking the bedrooms which renders a feeling of larger and continual private space, making the room appear larger and connected without losing sense of functionality.
The apartment is a statement of the innovative aptitude of the designers who deem that the qualitative end result was achieved using a ‘consistent language of construction and material palate along-with smart coordination of procurements and decision processes.’
Through conscious planning Tao Architecture defined the spatial character of the apartment in a chic, trendy, minimalistic yet cosy and warm narrative.
Text By K Parvathy Menon
Photographs Courtesy Hemant Patil, courtesy Tao Architecture Pvt Ltd.
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