This Bengaluru apartment is a sanctuary for a family of three

A nuclear family’s love for open spaces, plants and rustic textures is reflected in this luxurious apartment designed by ROxAR Design Studio LLP.

Curated by: Deepa Nair
Photographs: Nayan Soni; courtesy ROxAR Design Studio LLP

The brief

Designed by ROxAR Design Studio LLP in Bengaluru for a family of three, this 5,100-square-foot apartment has a tranquil and warm personality. The brief from the client requested a home that radiated a modern spirit, with a touch of old-school charm and warmth. “They wanted their simple living style to come through, with a splash of elegance. As the family don’t like clutter, they wanted every element to have a dedicated space to be stored or displayed. Another criteria for them was to have a large suite for their son, where he can entertain his guests as well. They were also set on using a fossil embedded stone on display, and to incorporate scratch finished rustic textures,” explain Ramya Dwarakanath and Rohit Nambiar, principal architects, ROxAR Design Studio LLP.

The design intent

The design language of this apartment sees a modern interpretation of the less is more philosophy. The intent was to create a unique blend of modern spirit, a touch of old-school charm and warmth by fusing the movements of simple living with beauty. The use of rustic accents and monochromatic colour scheme in neutral hues, blended through a variety of textures, was an effort to challenge the entire notion of grandeur.

The civil intervention

The civil changes included opening the foyer wall to lead into the living room. Additionally, the kitchen wall was opened to allow access from the living room. In the private quarters, the son’s room and lounge required a small foyer, which was created. In the master bedroom, the bathtub gave way to a shower space. And two bathrooms were merged into one, to create a walk-in wardrobe for this room. The resultant flow of spaces: a living-dining with an attached balcony, a kitchen, a family room, and a passage leading to the son’s bedroom and lounge, a master bedroom with a balcony, and the guest bedroom. “The biggest challenge we faced was the incorporation of a traditional pooja unit in a fixed position in the living (as per vastu) to blend in seamlessly with the modern/contemporary theme. Another challenge was to convert two bathrooms into a large one with respect to waterproofing and civil changes for the son’s room,” say the architects.

The design and material details

A peaceful meditating Buddha statue is the first sight you’ll witness as you enter the foyer through a private lift. Set against a linear mirror, the statue has an exquisite back-lit panel of marble with a unique quartz-like character. Close-by, an elegantly dark powder room makes a statement with its live edge basin counter and a custom abstract mirror. From here, a framed archway with concealed storage leads one to the luxurious living and dining space.

In the living area a fossil marble wall cladding forms the highlight, and the backdrop for an L-shaped sofa from Stanley and two Natuzzi armchairs. On the opposite end of this room, a Swarovski marble draped crockery unit is the setting for the elegant wooden top dining table with metal legs, which are accompanied by wood and fabric cushioned chairs from Dtale Modern. A 30-foot-long sliding door system opens the living-dining to an expansive outdoor deck, which flaunts a beautiful bonsai garden, and a warm outdoor dining space marked by a handcrafted monolithic live edge table, and panoramic views of the city.

A second archway leads to the large, modern, contemporary modular kitchen which is dressed in muted colours. The stylish combination of matte lacquered glass and PU paint on the shutters, a natural quartzite cladded breakfast island counter, and the accompanying solid wood breakfast chairs are the highlights here. The beautiful door panels of the intricately crafted pooja unit form the starting point of the linear passage covered with a wooden ceiling, leading to the various common spaces. The wood topped passage leads to the cosy family room, where fluted teakwood panelling is adorned by backlit circular fossil marble decor, which imitate the gorgeousness of solar eclipses. The light, contemporary lounge seating from Dtale Modern is contrasted by the TV screen backed by a dark wallpaper.

The passage culminates with the three bedrooms, each having large, framed doors with rough cut veneer finish and embellished with full height PVD coated black metal handles that ooze elegance. The light toned guest bedroom with its white and grey undertone and wooden flooring emanates a cool but cosy aura. The punches of blue wallpaper behind the bed, and the TV embedded black panelling in the wardrobe brings colour into the space. All elements in the room, including the TV and integrated ironing table, are tucked away into their own dedicated pockets.

A light and fresh ambience pours out of the master bedroom, where the free-flowing character of the white onyx marble flooring exudes the creative nature of the residents. The mint green wallpapers accent the soft cornered built-in bed, and the integrated wooden back panel and headboard. The wide side tables with onyx countertops, as well as the upholstered wooden day bed, bring the bed space together. The adjoining walk-in wardrobe with inline tinted glass sliding aluminium profile shutters is a sight to behold. It cleverly conceals the room’s columns, mirrors, and storage spaces in one fluent composition.

The highlight of the master suite is its bathroom. From the monolithic-like his and her wash basins, to the spacious shower and dressing areas… the bathroom dazzles one with its exploration of various surface textures. Along with the use of scratched, honed, and leather finishes on the marble walls and floor, the strong wooden veneer of the storages bring a luxurious warmth to the bathroom and connected wardrobes.

The son’s suite was designed by merging two bedrooms and bathrooms to contain a comfortable bed area, a large bathroom with wardrobes, and a trendy lounge. The selective use of various unique textures, such as concrete and ashwood veneer with pops of black through highlight elements, truly bring out the “chill-out zone” vibe. With walnut hardwood flooring and aluminium skirting throughout, the aesthetic language of this area is enhanced. The concrete panelled back wall in the bedroom with its subtle porous texture and black inserts creates a gorgeous backdrop for the leatherette belt supported fabric headboard. The 9.5’ full height tinted glass shutters of the wardrobe bring in the touch of modernity in the otherwise vintage aura of the room.

In the bathroom, the monolithic concrete basin and light integrated mirror steals the spotlight, the elegance of which is only enhanced by the leather finished grey marble used around the dry zone. Separated by glass doors, the toilet and the shower have their own separate cubicles, each fashioned with ribbed tiles all around.

The climax of the suite is the lounge where the peeled concrete panelling with its discrete lighting highlights the sleek, customised bar unit in front of it. The large modern TV is contrasted with a vintage record player and vinyl collection stored on the shelves. A cork board panel wall gives full freedom to decorate the wall with cherished pictures and memorabilia.