A bungalow in Vadodara that astutely uses colour to craft a memorable experience

Aarunya Architects use bold forms, art and vibrant shades in this home.

Curated by: Rupali Sebastian
Photographs: MKG Studio; courtesy Aarunya Architects

The site

A 5-BHK bungalow in Darshanam Society, Vadodara, Gujarat. The front yard of this 2,500-square-foot  home connects to the living room.

The brief

“They’d remarked decidedly: We always imagined living in a striking home with fanciful details and pop of colours with sensuous furniture that can be conversation starters, in turn contrasting to Vadodara’s context,” reveal architect Raxit Shah and interior designer Rutvi Trivedi of Aarunya Architects. “Thus began the engaging journey of creating an abode in which furniture, colours and materials were extensions of the owners.”

The design intent

“Grand and expansive but equally cocooning in its demeanour (and function), a home must serve more than one purpose for its dwellers as well as visitors, for it to be entitled as an ideal quarter of repose and rewinding,” says the duo. This is precisely what the two set out to do.

The spatial configuration

While a strong, thoughtful design language binds every space together, the beautifully assorted sculptural furniture, decor and interiors work together to create a distinct mood for each room. The art deco-styled entrance gate stands out to be a statement piece of art; while the foyer mostly sticks to muted neutrals.

The living room revels in an unusual combination of orchid and cantaloupe. Bold plasterwork mouldings, decorations, and fluted pilasters add panache. Centring the room is a large, robustly modern George Sellers’s Channel Back Sofa, while sitting areas on either side feature the same diverse furnishings—upholstered sofa and chair, circular centre tables—composed in “asymmetrical symmetrical groupings where everything is flipped,” says Raxit.

In the dining room, Raxit and Rutvi clad the walls in art deco colours panelling with a carved linenfold detail along the base, but they painted it all an electric blue-green contrasting the orchid chairs and green marbled dining table. The room’s monumental light fixture with blown-glass drum shades creates a vibe that’s anything but stodgy. 

In the kitchen, a lavender backsplash, purple back-painted glass cabinets, black fluted glass, and a bold black metal frame script a narrative of off-beat charm, with violet-upholstered breakfast chairs that are a “contemporary take on a 1910 kitchen,” says Raxit. “We were looking to strike a balance, aiming for elegance and high style with some degree of formality, but not in a way that’s leaden and certainly not grandmotherly. It’s a high style that looks to the past but does not ignore the present.”

The client’s parents’ room was designed to be modern yet minimal. Rose gold panelling, and white and blue-green furniture create a picture of subtle decadence. The elder daughter’s room keeps corals and sea blues for furniture upholstery, and neutrals for the walls. The swing is the heart of the room, describing the childishness of their daughter while also keeping it elegant and stylish. The wardrobe shutters are beautifully crafted with green velvet fabric and contrasting wooden handles. The fluted pastel green curved panelling defines the study area.

With cane wardrobe shutters, a ceiling-fixed bed, and blue textured fabric on a wooden headboard, the younger daughter’s bedroom is both sophisticated and effervescent. A circular sitting carved in the wardrobe is a different touch. Powder grey walls and a wooden study table give a hint of modern contemporary design.

The multipurpose room functions as a home theatre, family living room, party room, library or anything the family wants it to be. It was given a floral embossed panelling, classical in style but also with a twist. The handcrafted industrial-styled bookshelf is wrapped in parchment, “a contemporary take that lightens the whole room,” says Raxit, who accented the largely neutral space with hits of eye-catching mustard in the sofa upholsteries and the trim on the curtains. The mid-century with a modern twist was pivoted by the neutral-toned rug, while Zeina Esmail-styled pillow fabrics and centre table are designed with geometric patterns to play more of an accent role than a dominant role.

The challenge

The challenge was to make a bespoke abode for three generations under one roof, and finish the project in a short deadline of four months.

Fact file

Project: Art-filled home
Location: Vadodara
Area: 2,500 sq ft
Principal architect: Raxit Shah
Principal designer: Rutvi Trivedi
Design team: Nishi Shah and Harsh Thumar