Littoral Living

More lifestyle than home, this 7,000-square-foot Visakhapatnam holiday home with interiors designed by Ameet Mirpuri Design Studio epitomises laid-back, stylish littoral living. 

Curated by: Rupali Sebastian
Photographs: Photographix India; courtesy Ameet Mirpuri Design Studio

The inconspicuous wooden screens amidst the landscape and the blocked-out facade help keep the piece de resistance of the house — the ocean view — as the big reveal.

The site

This home is more lifestyle than house. Spread over almost an acre of land, the 7,000-square-foot villa comprises five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, four living areas, a 12-seater dining area and two kitchens.

The pool deck is the crowning glory, and has already hosted many a party!

The brief

When you design for close friends, the implicit trust they place in you makes you that much more responsible to deliver something beyond everyone’s expectations. This was the driving force behind the project. There literally was no brief, and the designer relied on a 20-year-old friendship with the client to judge what the family would want.

All the seating of the living room is focused towards the view and that’s what makes it special.

The spatial flow

The stunning littoral location is a secret the design holds on to until it is time for the big reveal — hence the inconspicuous wooden screens amidst the landscape and the blocked-out facade. Once you open the door, you walk into a double-height living area that overlooks the sprawling pool deck, the infinity pool… and the ocean! A bevy of tucked-away entertainment areas provides space for kicking back and reading, chilling with friends or partying.

The dining opens up into the pantry through beautiful louvered windows. The 12-foot-long dining table with its five-inch-thick top needed 14 people to manoeuvre it into place!

Materiality and colours

The colours of the sand informed the chromatic direction, and the design team stayed true to it from stone to fabric. They layered texture over texture in different hues and finishes, all the while keeping in mind comfort, touch and feel. The materials were kept conducive to the surroundings and the tropical clime. Compositions involving wood, fabric and cane are orchestrated against #sandstone floor and walls.

Organically beautiful: a bedroom at The Beach House. A handmade cane screen that separates the bedroom area from the dressing.

The outdoors

The outdoor spaces envelope the house, while adding function, connectivity and meaning to each space. Each area is used by the client at a different time of day, whether for morning chai, evening snacks, or a sun-downer. The pool deck, of course, is the crown of the space. The outdoor space flows down in levels from the main road to the ocean front. The entry area provides privacy and spaces for the staff and car parking, party caterers, etc. The space outside the kitchen serves as a small herb garden, the two decks outside the bar and dining are the “safe” smoking zones, the walkways from which lead down to the restrooms that are meant to service all those using the pool.

Fact file

Project: The Beach House
Location: Visakhapatnam
Area: 7,000 sq ft
Principal designer: Ameet Mirpuri
Design team: Kshitija Kanwar and Venu Patnala
Architect: Jithain Hathiramani
Landscape: Plantdeck
Project management (turnkey): Studio M Infra Ltd