This Bengaluru apartment is an oasis of tranquillity

White Shadow Design Studio creates a functional and spacious home brimming with understated elegance and positivity — achieved through pragmatic planning, minimalist intriguing design elements and sophisticated materials.

Curated by: Deepa Nair
Photographs: Nayan Soni; courtesy White Shadow Design Studio

The design intent

White Shadow Design Studio (WSDS) prime intention for this 5,350-square-foot apartment in Bengaluru was to create a pragmatic, spacious and contemporary home which is infused with elegance, intrigue, warmth and comfort. “The client’s main requirement was functionality and spaciousness. Aesthetically, he wanted a contemporary style home,” share Siddharth Ramesh and Anupama Siddharth, principal architects, WSDS.

The civil intervention

The flat was bought by the client as a bare shell, and the architects ensured that the vastness of the space was not broken down and instead tried ways to enhance its spaciousness. This was ensured by refraining from constructing any new walls, opening up certain spaces like the kitchen and through the use of mirrors and light coloured flooring and wall cladding. The kitchen walls were broken down to achieve an open kitchen with a breakfast counter. Two small rooms adjacent to the kitchen were broken down to create a single store room for the kitchen in front of which a pooja room has been created.

The spatial configuration

The private elevator opens into a private lobby which leads into the large living-dining area. The living comprises of a formal living and a family lounge space. From the dining is connected to an outdoor deck. Similarly, both the formal and family-living have a common long outdoor deck. The open kitchen, adjacent to the dining space has a store and an attached utility space.

Beyond the family lounge is the guest bedroom and the powder room. The other three bedrooms are laid out towards the north-western side of the apartment. The first in order is the master bedroom, with the children’s room and the fourth bedroom placed further down the passage.

The design and material details

On setting foot into the foyer from the private elevator, one gets a taste of the celebration of juxtaposed tranquillity and splendour that dominates the apartment. Potted plants, interesting drop lights and an ornamental mirror breathe life into this ante space. A fluted glass partition subtly hints at the space beyond it, the pattern on the glass lending a sense of dynamism to the distorted view, as one moves into the space. A curious distress-styled floor rug contrasts with the polished elements in the space, yet sits in well with the hues of the tessellated marble flooring.

The royal blue single seaters and cushions pack accents of colour into the living space. A charming centre table trio becomes the focal point of the formal living, while the off-beat hanging light above adds an element of intrigue to the space. The rich walnut veneer panelling imbues an almost tangible sense of warmth here. A custom-made partition screen designed to be a fragmentation of the pattern of the veneer and tinted mirror panelling across it demarcates the family space from the formal living. The space is accented with apricot-hued lounge chairs and their matching ottomans, against the stark white three seater and neutral-toned centre table duo, all intertwined together by the complementing carpet. The moody grey television unit underplays itself, choosing to complement the white and grey marble behind, allowing the other elements of the space to take centre stage. The copper beading breaks down the vastness of the marble, the pattern again forming a visual link with the panelling in the formal living.

The chandelier is the protagonist of the dining space, with its contemporary and sleek, yet magnificent design. The white-streaked dark brown marble cladding elevates the dining space boldly and the entire experience is augmented by the amber-tinted mirror, punctuated on both ends by strips of recessed lighting. The ethereal glow of the onyx-cladded breakfast counter signals one invitingly toward the minimalist kitchen. The neutral-hued glossy surfaces, interspersed with the warmth of veneer reinforce the sense of minimalism. A large clock, impressive in its austere simplicity aptly takes its place on the wall above the counter, completing the composition.

The uniquely veined and pigmented marble flooring holds one’s gaze as it flirtatiously envelops the frontage of the guest bedroom and romances with the amber tones in the wooden flooring. The sage green and burnt orange duo ensure that the occupant’s senses are elevated. The chevron patterned veneer adds warmth from behind the chic bedside lamps. On sauntering towards the master bedroom, one passes by the sleek yet unobtrusive console unit accentuated with a circular art piece above and framed with vertical strips of tinted mirror and veneer on both sides, all assembling into a striking composition entirely of neutral hues. The end of the corridor is marked with a framed painting.

The master bedroom is resplendent with black lacquered glass and a rich-grained veneer panelling at the bedhead. Blue and silver-grey upholstery add a regal touch to the room. The Tetris-inspired glossy cream study unit complimented with the aforementioned veneer back panelling and linen textured wallpaper behind, all together concocting a suave study nook. The regal design grammar of the bedroom follows into the bathroom, manifesting itself through the grand combination of the dark and light marble, both exquisite in their own manner, encompassing the `his and her’ wash basins and their carefully curated oblong mirrors and matching lights.

The children`s bedroom dabbles with playful patterns, the cool tones propelling a refreshing take on the colour scheme. A pattern identical to that in the living room panelling appears here in the form of the bed back panelling, the alluring texture of the stone panelling sensuously contrasting against the ritzy charcoal tinted mirror. A variant of the same pattern again reveals itself in the wardrobe shutters. The splashes of crisp white peppered around this bedroom act almost as accents in their starkness. The striking white chest of drawers completes the composition, against the passionate alliance of the concrete textured wall and the richly grained fluted wood. The last bedroom is flecked with shades of grey — the coolness of the shade is balanced with the warmth of the veneer and wood flooring to achieve an ambient colour temperature in the room.

The highlights

One design element that is a highlight of the project is the backdrop of veneer and tinted mirror panelling in the formal living that folds continuously onto the corridor wall. This design detail proves indispensable in adding panache to the space. The same pattern also forms the basis of design elements in various spaces in this home, such as: the fluted glass partition at the foyer, the partition screen that demarcates the family-living, and the bed back panelling and wardrobe shutters in the children’s bedroom. The pattern manifests itself either in a more fragmented or a more elaborate form.

Fact file

Project: Oasis of Tranquil
Client: Milan Shah
Location: Phoenix Kessaku, Rajjinagar, Bengaluru
Area: 5,350 sq ft
Principal architects: Siddharth Ramesh and Anupama Siddharth
Design team: Ejas Ahmed