Minimal eclecticism îs the flavour of this Chennai apartment

The Auburn Studio brings seemingly contrasting elements into a cohesive whole.

Curated by: Rupali Sebastian
Photographs: Yash R Jain; courtesy The Auburn Studio

The brief

The Cinnamon Abode is home to young, new parents. This was their first home and naturally, they were very enthusiastic about bringing their ideas to life. “The clients even presented us with their own moodboards and references of materials, colours, and finishes they liked (that was half the job already done!). Jokes apart, this presented us with the unique opportunity to bring all these seemingly contrasting ideas into one cohesive design style,” says Sushmitha Ramesh of The Auburn Studio. “It was our opportunity to find a balance between their personalities and make the house their home and we dove right in.”

The design intent

The primary theme was warmth; bringing together elements that looked like home and felt like home. With this intent, the team designed a minimal eclectic home, bringing together all of their likes. “We opted for an earthy palette to not just bring in that sense of warmth but also to combine our clients’ preferences for rattan, wood, and leather materials,” reveals the architect.

The spatial configuration

A small foyer with wood wall panels (that also doubles up to conceal a shoe box) leads the way into the home, taking you to the open view of living and dining spaces. Both the spaces appear tucked away into the balcony that boasts of a gorgeous view of the Adyar lake. On the left of the living room is the master bedroom with a walk-in closet, while the dining room leads to the guest room and the baby’s room.

The material palette

“The apartment came with a dark brown Italian marble. Retaining that, we used earthy colours for materials like leather and rattan and played with shades of brass with wood to ‘pop up’ the spaces,” discloses Sushmitha. Textures were used smartly to bring out the beauty of the materials. “For instance, we did a texture wall paint for the entire house and also used linen textured curtains,” elucidates the architect. “We also used a revolving rattan partition to separate the living and dining spaces.”

The highlights

“The highlight of this project for me is the dining ceiling,” states Sushmitha. “When one walks into the house, the first thing that catches their eye is the rattan and wood ceiling over the dining room. The round dining table centred to this design ties the space in neatly. We also got custom-made side cupboards with linen fabric sandwiched in glass that stands out so elegantly.”