Stone Age

Pune-based Veekas Architectural Studio has combined Italian, French, and Indian design motifs and inspirations to realise the sublime interiors of this luxury duplex house.

Pune-based Veekas Architectural Studio’s brush with this project began when the team was roped in to design a 20 duplex house community called ‘The Terraces’ in Pune’s burgeoning Balewadi area. The client, Almal Group, then commissioned the team to realise the interiors as well. “A love for solid wood, and rustic, simple and understated aesthetics which appeal for a long time, along with a ‘not-so-liberal budget’ were the parameters that we were presented during the first meeting with the clients for the apartment interiors. A complete free hand is what we were promised, as long as we stuck within these parameters,” states Kalpak Bhandari, one of the principal architects of the firm.

Admittedly the budget boundaries were set, but the creative freedom within these boundaries thrilled the team from Veekas Architectural Studio no end! The designers set about creating an inspiration board of ‘fusion’ style, that is, of not conforming to any one particular style.

The client had a liking for Botticino Italian marble, which was used for the flooring of the whole apartment. A contrast was achieved by using high-gloss Italian marble flooring along with rustic teak wood furniture pieces that were created on site. The resultant spaces have a deeply minimalist but still sumptuous feel to them. While the marble adds unmistakable elegance to the rooms, the block-printed upholstery lends an almost another-era regalness to the spaces. It feels like the Renaissance meeting with The Taj Mahal in a glorious time warp.

The chief motif was inspired by the traditional art of block-printing and was incorporated in the designs. It was repeated on various furniture pieces, like the TV unit, the centre table, the dining table, the kitchen island, as well as on the wooden posts which replaced the conventional railing of the staircase. The patina to some of the furniture, like the dining table, chairs, mirrors and photo frames throughout the house reminds one of the texture and finish of typical French furniture. This duplex house interiors provide a welcome chapter of fusion inspiration to the contemporary design rule book. The natural grain of the marble and the sublime colours of the walls create an overall lovely hue that is both earthy and colourful.

The accessories and furniture pieces were sourced from various places. The wallpapers and paints used are very sober, understated and were all coordinated with the soft furnishings and upholstery. “Attempting something unconventional is a must with every new project for the Veekas Architectural Studio team. Also, to do something not done in any of our earlier projects.”

With this duplex house in The Terraces, the design team has indeed created a remarkable palette of colours and prints. The deft combination of these factors has the potential to redefine luxury bungalow design.

Credits:DESIGN OWL