Studio SP_ACE designs a warm and layered apartment in Bengaluru, where earthy tones, curated artworks, cherished heirlooms, and thoughtful spatial interventions create a home that reflects the clients’ travels, memories, and love for calm living.
Curated by: Deepa Nair
Photographs: Phosart Studio; courtesy Studio SP_ACE
The brief
For this 2,000-square-foot Bengaluru apartment, Studio SP_ACE received a brief that was deeply personal. The clients—homebodies who love travelling, collecting curios, and spending time with their teenage daughter—wanted a home that reflected their stories and personalities.
The design intent
“Our vision was to create a home that brought in influences from their interests and cultures but at the same time to make the home feel current and chic, shares Priyanka Khandekar, principal architect, Studio SP_ACE. “Interpreting their love for neutral and earthy palette, we added details into their home in subtle forms and sprinkled colours and textures throughout the home to create a space that’s fresh, unique and crafted to tell a story,” adds Shubham Shingate, principal architect, Studio SP_ACE.
The civil intervention
The 2,000 sq ft apartment, located within a newly built residential complex in RMV 2nd Stage, arrived as a typical builder-finished home. Marble flooring defined the common areas, while the bedrooms featured wood-toned flooring. The interiors were otherwise characterised by plain walls and standard fittings, offering a neutral canvas for the design to evolve.
Rather than undertaking extensive structural changes, the intervention focused on subtle modifications that could enhance spatial openness and introduce character into the existing framework. The family room was opened up by removing a wall and introducing a glass partition door in its place, allowing light to travel deeper into the passage while maintaining a sense of separation when required.
Small brass inlays were added to the existing marble flooring in the common areas, introducing a delicate layer of detail without disrupting the original material palette. Within the expansive living and dining space, faux curved walls were constructed to carve out a dedicated niche for the puja, ensuring it remained integrated within the larger spatial flow while still retaining its own quiet presence.
The spatial configuration
Upon entering, the foyer leads directly into the main circulation of the apartment. To the left sits the family room, accompanied by an attached bathroom, creating a slightly more private yet accessible zone within the home. Moving further in, the apartment opens into a large combined living and dining area that forms the central gathering space of the home. This space is connected to a balcony, allowing natural light to filter in and visually extending the living area outward.
Adjacent to the dining area are the kitchen and utility spaces, positioned for ease of use while remaining closely connected to the social areas of the home. Along the same axis as the family room are two bedrooms, each with attached bathrooms, along with an additional powder bathroom for guests. At the far end of the living room lies the daughter’s bedroom, also with its own attached bathroom.
The design and material details
The foyer features a vintage-style console paired with a floor-length antique mirror… creating an immediate focal point upon arrival. To introduce visual definition, a grey border paint runs just above the skirting, while half-round fluting along the upper portion of the walls adds a delicate layer of detail across the common spaces.
On the opposite side, the clients’ heirloom shawl has been framed as a statement artwork, lending the space a personal and nostalgic touch. Below it sits a long, arched solid-wood console that reinforces the home’s warm material palette. The passage beyond is illuminated with custom pendant lights from Purple Turtles, accompanied by curated decor elements from Jaypore that lend the corridor a sense of character. Custom furniture and mirrors crafted by local vendors further personalise the space, while small brass inlays added to the existing marble flooring introduce a refined accent that quietly ties the common areas together.
In the living room, a muted olive-green built-in unit was designed to house a cherished ship model that holds deep sentimental value for the clients. Placed at the centre of the unit, the piece becomes both a focal point and a reflection of the family’s personal story. A deep rust orange three-seater sofa anchors the seating arrangement, complementing the built-in while introducing warmth to the palette. Neutral upholstered and cane armchairs balance the composition on one side, while a classic neutral bench sits closer to the balcony, allowing the seating to remain flexible and conversational. A coffee table combining glass and solid wood finished in black sits at the centre, while a custom chandelier above lends the space a sculptural quality. Cushions and throws soften the arrangement, and planters and decorative accents add subtle character to the setting.
The dining area is set against a raw white brick tiled textured backdrop. A solid wood dining table anchors the space, accompanied by upholstered side chairs and leather-and-cane head chairs that introduce a tactile mix of materials. A pendant light above the table from Orangetree marks the dining zone, while a custom bar and crockery unit finds space near the kitchen entrance.
The clients wanted the puja to remain an integral part of the living and dining area, yet the layout did not offer a dedicated space for it. To address this, two curved faux walls were introduced to gently carve out a niche within the larger room. Rather than positioning the walls perpendicularly, the design allows the puja to feel seamlessly embedded within the space, ensuring it reads as a natural extension of the living and dining area rather than a separate enclosure. The puja unit itself is finished with solid wood doors, while the counter and backsplash are crafted in quartz detailed with subtle brass accents. Storage has been thoughtfully integrated at the base, ensuring functionality while maintaining the clean and composed appearance of the space.
In the kitchen a black-and-white checkerboard floor forms the base of the design. Cabinetry is layered in warm wood veneer for the lower units, bringing depth and warmth to the space. To balance this, the upper cabinets are finished in warm white, with fluted glass shutters that soften the solid surfaces and add a sense of lightness. Brass handles and knobs complete the cabinetry, adding a subtle touch of contrast and refinement to the otherwise restrained composition.
The backsplash features white subway tiles that echo the raw white brick tiles used along the dining wall, allowing the material language to flow seamlessly from the dining area into the kitchen. A deep warm grey quartz countertop introduces another layer to the palette while maintaining the understated aesthetic.
In the family room, the wall connecting it to the passage was removed and replaced with a custom sliding glass partition framed in black, allowing light to filter deeper into the home while maintaining a sense of separation. The main wall of the family room is finished with raw white brick tiles, lending the space a textured and grounded character. In front of it sits a muted mustard sectional sofa that anchors the seating area, paired with a central coffee table. A pendant lamp from Sunshine Boulevard placed in the corner adds a warm ambient glow, while soft curtains from Homestories frame the windows. A piece of artwork collected by the clients during their travels brings a personal touch to the room. On the opposite wall, a custom green built-in unit conceals the bathroom behind hidden sliding doors.
The first bedroom carries forward the home’s warm and earthy palette through natural materials and layered textures. A custom solid wood and rattan poster bed forms the focal point of the room, and is paired with a matching bedside table and a pendant light that introduces a soft glow. The bedback wall is highlighted with a framed wallpaper from Kalakaari Haath bordered with teakwood beading, adding depth and visual interest to the space. The wardrobe features a combination of jute sheets and warm wood veneer, reinforcing the room’s natural material palette. Opposite the bed, a custom armchair and chest of drawers create a comfortable corner, complemented by a floor lamp from Orangetree that adds warmth to the setting. Artwork from Arte’venue and soft drapery from Homestories complete the room, lending it a relaxed and inviting character.
The second bedroom has a custom upholstered bed layered with soft bedding from Altrove and art from Arte’venue. On one side of the bed, a PU-painted wardrobe introduces a subtle graphic element with wallpaper panels that add character to the surface. Opposite it, a built-in study desk creates a functional workspace within the room, ensuring the space remains both practical and comfortable for everyday use.
The daughter’s bedroom sees a softer, playful character. Half-height white-painted panelling forms the base of the walls, paired with a custom wallpaper from Metamorph that adds visual interest and personality to the space. A custom bed combining solid wood and upholstered elements is accompanied by matching bedside tables and wall lights from Harshita Jhamtani that create a warm and comfortable setting. Along one side, a built-in desk with window seating forms a cosy study corner, illuminated by a pendant light from Oorjaa that highlights the workspace. On the opposite wall, a storage unit integrates a dresser and a painted wardrobe, with cane panels framed within glass, bringing a subtle craft detail into the room’s design.
Fact File
Project: The Modern Classical Home
Location: RMV Stage 2, Bengaluru
Area: 2,000 sq ft
Principal architects: Shubham Shingate and Priyanka Khandekar
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