A Book Lovers' Home Captures the Spirit of Old Bangalore
Light and ventilation abound in this spacious home for a family that loves to read.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of three: entrepreneur-industrialist Nikhil, writer Lavanya and their teenage daughter
Location: Bangalore
Year built: 2013
Size: 1100 square metres (11,840 square feet); 3 bedrooms; 4 bathrooms.
Architects: Sandeep Khosla and Amaresh Anand of Khosla Associates
Khosla Associates set about designing this airy and expansive residence for a family of voracious readers. The clients wanted a peaceful oasis that would provide respite from the stresses of life as well as an ecologically sensitive home that would rely on natural light and ventilation. While they preferred a contemporary design aesthetic with clean lines, there was also a sense of nostalgia for a bygone era of Bangalore: a yearning for colonial-style elements, wide-open spaces and lush, generous gardens.
Photographs by Shamanth Patil
Who lives here: A family of three: entrepreneur-industrialist Nikhil, writer Lavanya and their teenage daughter
Location: Bangalore
Year built: 2013
Size: 1100 square metres (11,840 square feet); 3 bedrooms; 4 bathrooms.
Architects: Sandeep Khosla and Amaresh Anand of Khosla Associates
Khosla Associates set about designing this airy and expansive residence for a family of voracious readers. The clients wanted a peaceful oasis that would provide respite from the stresses of life as well as an ecologically sensitive home that would rely on natural light and ventilation. While they preferred a contemporary design aesthetic with clean lines, there was also a sense of nostalgia for a bygone era of Bangalore: a yearning for colonial-style elements, wide-open spaces and lush, generous gardens.
Photographs by Shamanth Patil
One comes in through the blue front door and enters an open-air columned and roofed walkway. Custom-designed terrazzo tiles in a floral pattern, paired with local sadarahalli stone, serve as flooring. These features, along with the wooden columns and Mangalore-tiled pitched roof, recreate the quaint aesthetic of erstwhile Bangalore homes.
Read more about vernacular Indian architectural elements
Read more about vernacular Indian architectural elements
The walkway opens into an entrance courtyard. Here too, factors like the sadarahalli stone and grey pebble flooring, a large antique metal pot and an ancestral swing on the verandah lend texture and character to the space.
From the courtyard, the path leads into the foyer, a high-ceilinged space with plenty of natural light, enhanced by yellow Jaisalmer stone floors.
The foyer serves as a buffer zone, separating the main living area and library on one side from the dining, kitchen and utility areas on the other. This ensures that the family has privacy from staff and visitors.
Kabuki table: Vivek Radhakrishnan; Wall art: ‘Heart Beat Beat Heart’ by Sunil Gawde
The foyer serves as a buffer zone, separating the main living area and library on one side from the dining, kitchen and utility areas on the other. This ensures that the family has privacy from staff and visitors.
Kabuki table: Vivek Radhakrishnan; Wall art: ‘Heart Beat Beat Heart’ by Sunil Gawde
The library serves as the central living room and anchors the home. Approximately 750 square feet in size, this space is designed with a 25-foot-high gabled roof, which enhances the sense of spaciousness. Skylights and windows bring in ample natural light. The yellow Jaisalmer stone flooring seen in the foyer flows into this area as well, maintaining a sense of uniformity.
This central chamber has a fluid open-plan layout and is the hub where the whole family congregates. It is used for entertaining, lounging and the family’s favourite activity –reading.
“The selection of furniture in this house was deliberated upon extensively by our clients and us as we wanted each and every piece to tell a story while working with the overall architectural narrative.” says Sandeep Khosla.
An imposing bookshelf finds pride of place here, spanning more than 30 feet of a wall. It houses the family’s extensive collection of reading material.
Bookshelf: designed by Khosla Associates; Kilim rug: The Carpet Cellar
An imposing bookshelf finds pride of place here, spanning more than 30 feet of a wall. It houses the family’s extensive collection of reading material.
Bookshelf: designed by Khosla Associates; Kilim rug: The Carpet Cellar
Large windows on the sides offer a view of the outdoors.
Sofa: Le Mill; ‘Cloud’ suspension lamps: Frank Gehry for Vitra; Husk chair: Patricia Urquiola for B&B Italia;
Sofa: Le Mill; ‘Cloud’ suspension lamps: Frank Gehry for Vitra; Husk chair: Patricia Urquiola for B&B Italia;
The sliding doors in the library open out to a roomy 1500-square-foot verandah that overlooks a garden. To the left of the doors is a breakfast area, while an eclectic collection of designer seating adorns the right. The verandah features old-style characteristics like intricate floral-patterned flooring, white-painted Mangalore tiles and teakwood frames and columns.
Pop-hued Re-Trouve garden: Patricia Urquiola for Emu; Terrazzo flooring: designed by Khosla Associates, manufactured by Bharat flooring; Chubby Chic armchair: Diesel for Moroso; Giga Lite floor lamps: Foscarini; Crinoline chair: Patricia Urquiola for B&B Italia; M’Afrique Shadowy seater: Tord
Boontje for Moroso
Tips on styling outdoor spaces
Pop-hued Re-Trouve garden: Patricia Urquiola for Emu; Terrazzo flooring: designed by Khosla Associates, manufactured by Bharat flooring; Chubby Chic armchair: Diesel for Moroso; Giga Lite floor lamps: Foscarini; Crinoline chair: Patricia Urquiola for B&B Italia; M’Afrique Shadowy seater: Tord
Boontje for Moroso
Tips on styling outdoor spaces
The indoor, porch and outdoor areas in the house subtly flow into each other without compromising on privacy and functionality. In the style of old Bangalore homes, the verandah looks out into a garden for the family to enjoy all seasons.
The dining area, kitchen and utility area are situated on the other side of the entrance foyer. With a polished cement ceiling and Kota stone floor, the dining room area is styled with a contemporary neutral scheme relieved with bright-coloured accents.
CH24 Wishbone chairs: Carl Hansen; Starburst Mirror: Bungalow Eight; Link suspension lamp: LZF
Take a look at these stylish dining room arrangements
CH24 Wishbone chairs: Carl Hansen; Starburst Mirror: Bungalow Eight; Link suspension lamp: LZF
Take a look at these stylish dining room arrangements
The ground floor areas terminate in a guest bedroom with an attached bathroom. Two bedrooms are located on the first floor.
Bed and side tables: designed by Khosla Associates and manufactured by Timberworks; suspension lamp: Foscarini; Dragnet Chair by Kenneth Cobonpue
Bed and side tables: designed by Khosla Associates and manufactured by Timberworks; suspension lamp: Foscarini; Dragnet Chair by Kenneth Cobonpue
Two bedrooms, including the master bedroom, are located on the first floor.
The master bathroom is elegantly styled with porcelain tiles, a custom-made Corian bathtub and a designer light fixture. A slit skylight allows soft lighting to fall on the wall finishes.
Suspension lamp: Planet by Foscarini
Suspension lamp: Planet by Foscarini
To the side of the garden is a sizeable pool deck, partially shaded by the projection of the first floor.
In keeping with the client’s need for an ecologically sensitive home, photovoltaic solar panels on the western gabled roof help generate electricity while surplus rainwater is stored in a large underground sump.
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Tell us:
What aspects of this home did you like best? Share your views in the Comments section below.
In keeping with the client’s need for an ecologically sensitive home, photovoltaic solar panels on the western gabled roof help generate electricity while surplus rainwater is stored in a large underground sump.
See more homes:
Houzz Tour: Delhi Barsati Redux … With Shipping Container Sheets
Tell us:
What aspects of this home did you like best? Share your views in the Comments section below.
The architects have used contemporary Italian products along with colonial-style furniture and bespoke pieces to bring a unique flavour to the interiors. The result is an airy, commodious dwelling with a clean, modern aesthetic that is still reminiscent of the quintessential Bangalore home of yesteryear.