An exuberant and vibrant apartment in Pune

Shrutika Raut Design Studio, inspired by a Van Gogh painting, designs a warm, natural space redolent of old-world charm.

Curated by: Rupali Sebastian
Photographs: Hemant Patil; courtesy Shrutika Raut Design Studio

Blooms and Berries is a 2,000-sq-ft apartment in Pune, a home that is “is lively, fun, full of colour, but warm at the same time,” says architect Shrutika Raut who was commissioned to create an environment that would capture the personality of her client spatially. “The discussions we had with the client,” she adds, “were only in terms of the layout and basic requirements in the house and there was complete creative freedom.” The inspiration for creating an immersive home out of a bare-shell space, part of a newly-constructed building, came from Vincent Van Gogh’s Poppies and Butterflies. “Looking at the painting, all I could take from it was the greens, the softness, the butterflies adding life to the painting, and the subtle warmth of the colours on the canvas. This was the starting point of our design process.”

The house was initially a 4BHK, which, as per the client’s requirement, was to be converted into a 3BHK. To this end and to create an optimised space, the existing kitchen walls were taken down to expand the dining area. “As the client likes to entertain, they wanted a comfortable and spacious living and dining space,” the architect elucidates. The kitchen then was replaced by a study room, “which created a nice separate corner in the house. In the living room, we designed operational wooden louvred windows in place of the previously available PVC frame and glass windows,” says Shrutika, adding that these hand-operated louvres, designed and executed on site, are one of the highlights of the design.

Material-wise, reclaimed wood for furniture, handmade cement tiles for flooring, organic fabrics for upholstery and home linens, lime plaster on walls and handmade ceramic tableware render a beautifully vintage feel.