Minimalism and gentle colours add space to this compact Pune apartment

The Canvas Project create a versatile space that adjusts to multiple personalities and different working styles.

Curated by: Rupali Sebastian
Photographs: MKG Studio; courtesy The Canvas Project

The White House is a compact 1,100-square-foot 3BHK apartment located at Baner, Pune. Home to a young couple and their extended family, it counted natural light and an open layout as advantages. “While the provided layout itself didn’t need alteration, the constraint,” says interior designer Sheetal Agrawal, founder, The Canvas Project, “was the floor-to-ceiling height, which was a little below par.”

The brief the owners gave their designer was succinct and simple: a home that would be an extension of their personalities and something that would have a meaningful and thoughtful plan while keeping functional elements intact. “The family wanted their home to be such that it would allow every member to function in the different areas as per their individual requirement,” adds the designer. This versatility and multiple adjustments, Sheetal says, was the challenge in the assignment.

In order to add illusory space to the tight footprint, the designer wisely opted for an aesthetic direction influenced by minimalism and the Scandinavian style, infused with a little bit of eclecticism. She also took the help of curved forms and profiles to add gentle dynamism to the narrative. “You can see rounded elements in the entrance, the passage and even to the mirror in the master bedroom,” Sheetal points out. The chromatic part of the visual expression is ruled by a neutral palette (mostly by playing with PU finish) and earthy colours (achieved using veneer throughout furniture). Also, the use of cane texture in the crockery unit adds a layer of raw vibe to the public zone. In fact playing with materials and colours and studying their impact on spatial perception is what Sheetal really enjoyed in this project. “The takeaway from this project was how to make a small space feel large by using neutral colours and textures while maintaining a sense of timeless style.”