This residence has been designed by Mumbai-based Ravi Vazirani Design Studio as a warm abode full of natural light and the refined hues of wood, stone and cement.
The 6,000 sq ft that form this home are dedicated to a glorious celebration of natural light, air and the possibilities of carefree movement. One will be hard-pressed to find a cluttered corner here. The rooms carry an easy air of elegance and restraint and compelling one to marvel at the magic of simple design.
Conceptualised and realised by Mumbai-based Ravi Vazirani Design Studio, the Bijlani House’s starting point was a pretty straightforward one – the need for a living space for five family members belonging to three different generations. The design brief asked for a mix of the contemporary and the conventionally ‘Indian’, with neither of the factors overriding each other incongruously.
“The clients are well-travelled people and their living spaces needed to reflect that,” states Vazirani. The design team succeeded in striking this deft balance by relying on subtle flourishes from both the desired streams of design and realising them with the use of natural materials.
With the exception of the kids’ room, the overall tenor of the rooms is naturally subdued and almost contemplative. The main seating area has polished marble flooring and is suffused in whites and cream. Sheer curtains cover the large windows, let in wide sweeps of natural light, and manage to look ethereal while they are at it.
The entry-way and the living room lay the foundation to what continues in the rest of the home – careful, non-jarring splashes of colour; textured walls; and Indian accent pieces, like the jali work and diwan in this area. The traditional Indian design influence has been added in delicate spurts, like in the detail of the legs of the imported furniture.
Though there is smart juxtaposition of the inspirations in the spaces here, there are also marked shifts in mood between some sections. The team’s success is in primarily using the same materials – stone, wood and cement – to create visually different combinations.
For example, to create a break from the living room’s welcoming demeanour, another seating area has been designed to be more private and decidedly non-traditional. The teak wood ceiling, concrete walls, French windows, muted rug and low-intensity warm lighting give the section a more European feel.
In the bedrooms, the romance with natural light continues with wall-length windows, uncluttered flooring, and a spotlight illumination scheme. The accenting is eclectic, with highly-textured wooden drawer chests standing in the friendly company of rough-hewn stone walls as well as silken smooth painted walls.
Colour is the centre of the whimsy that defines the kids’ room. Thick stripes of blazing bright yellow accent the ceiling here, matching the complexion of the bed-side chest and the cupboard. This brightness pops up in the bathroom in the form of an orange wash basin that sits looking like a perfectly-formed tub of jelly.
In this universe of subtle manoeuvring, the flash of some of the flooring stands out well. Out of nowhere a floor patch features dramatic black-and-white geometrical patterns, jovially puncturing the otherwise placid interiors. The wooden floor in the kids’ room creates a sudden practical departure from the smooth expanse of the master bedroom. Another patch features floral patterns reminiscent of Mughal design motifs.
The language in the bathrooms too swings between acid finished in-situ flooring and treated kadappa stone against white and gold fittings. All door handles in the house are made of 100 percent cast bronze.
This residential project by Ravi Vazirani Design Studio represents the team’s predilection towards building refined spaces that elegantly work a mixture of global inspirations. Resisting the need to fill up large spaces with designer props asks for a fine level of maturity. This home was party to that privilege, and has therefore succeeded in becoming a family abode that is out of the ordinary.
Text By Shruti Nambiar
Photographs By Pankaj Anand Courtesy The Designer
Contact
email: studio@ravivazirani.com
