The Beaumount House

The other day I was scouring Pinterest, since I had some time on my hands, and I came across this house that just seemed to pop out of the screen of my laptop, because of the way it uses one of my favorite materials- exposed concrete! The first image that I saw of this house was of its double height living room, and it was love at first site- I had to take a closer look. 

Located in a mixed use neighbourhood in Canada, The Beaumount House is designed by Henri Cleinge. To be honest, while I thought the exterior design of the house was ok, I was not 'wowed' by it. But the interiors are a whole other story. Bathed in shafts of filtered sunlight, that seem to dance across the stately exposed concrete walls and polished concrete floors, the interiors of this house are a dream!

The house subtly explores the play of volumes from within and the beautiful relationship that wood and concrete can have when used with balance and sensitivity. I simply love the interplay between, the softness of the simple walnut cabinetry and cedar ceilings, and the hard austereness of uncompromising concrete.

Take a look! 

[All images- I Like Architecture]

Cher's Indian Inspired LA Home

I fell upon this article, featuring Cher’s LA home, on the Architectural Digest website while trolling the net for inspiration during a recent bout of designer’s block. 

When I think of Cher, I think of Gothic extravagance, a lot of black, deep scarlet and purples- a lot of over-the-top craziness. So I was rather surprised to see her beautiful home designed by interior designer Martyn Lawrence-Bullard. 

Cher’s brief, in her own words, were “something ethnic, spicy and romantic” and Martyn delivers exactly that, but in muted tones of creams, ivories, whites and buttery beiges.

This apartment really does have an Indian flavor, but with an underlying sense of contemporary finesse. There is a sense of extravagance, but it is so well balanced by the neutral color palette. 

Enjoy!

My picks...

The center table in the living room whose design is inspired from the humble Indian charpoy or manjaa

The antique platform bed framed by an ornately carved wall paneling that hold large mirrors within its fluted arches.

Cher’s bathroom, with its stone tub that sits proudly in the center of the room, is one that even Cleopatra would be proud of.

[All images courtesy Architectural Digest]

Giorgetti Furniture Showroom, Mumbai

I came across this feature in the Feb issue of Inside Outside magazine and instantly knew I had to share it. This is a showroom that Rajiv Saini has designed for Italian furniture manufacturer Giorgetti and it is housed in a 4,000 sq ft penthouse in Mumbai.

I think it is an awesome idea for a furniture retailer to display furniture for the home inside a ‘home’ environment. This set up gives the visitor a sense of walking through an actual home. They can visualize how a particular space may look and work, as well as get ideas on how to use certain pieces within a space.

Rajiv Saini is one of my favorite designers, and he does it again with this ultra modern space that exudes sophistication. I love the neutral palette- it is understated without being boring, and the interior simultaneously seems to compliment as well highlight the furniture on display.

I particularly like the way the color black has been incorporated through the use of black metal. It provides a striking contrast to the glass, epoxy white and white limed oak paneled walls. It also has been used as a method of defining different areas and visually demarcating them without the use of partitions. This serves the open plan of the space so well.

I LOVE this design! It definitely goes on my favorites list.

[All images courtesy Architizer.com]

Mangla's Farm- Where Rustic Charm Meets Casual Sophistication

“Color! What a deep and mysterious language- the language of dreams.” _{– Paul Gauguin}

This is what comes to mind when I picture Mangla's Farm, a project  I was lucky enough to work on while I was at DGA. And so, I am really proud to share the images of this beautiful home that Dipen has so kindly and generously shared with me.

Mangla's Farm is a quaint single storey exposed brick home located on the outskirts of Baroda city. Set within a beautifully landscaped 100,000 square foot plot, it serves as a weekend retreat for a builder and his family.

The architecture of the house, with its sloped roof draws inspiration from its rural setting. Taking cue from the architecture, the interior is done in a relaxed contemporary theme that has a certain rustic charm.

The approach to this house is through a long tree lined driveway that leads to a cobbled stone parking area. It is from here that we first catch a glimpse of this sloped roof structure- its stately brick walls rising up from the manicured lawns.

The living area is a riot of color that seems to be inspired from the colorful handicrafts of Gujarat

This house celebrates nature. It uses rough wooden planks in the ceilings to imitate wooden rafters. The flooring was also a real labor of love- natural stones like Kota stone and Jaiselmer stone were cut to specified sizes and given a custom made finish especially for this site.

A beautiful bay window in the formal dining room has a low seat. From here one can look out into the garden and the pool area

The most spectacular feature of the house is the glass covered central courtyard. In the centre of the courtyard there is a water body having a Champa (Frangipani tree) that seems to gloriously soak up the rays of the morning sun.

The master bedroom is a real dream. The subtle but luxurious bed linen and bed covers balance the exposed brick walls and wooden flooring so well. This room is so inviting and cozy, but has a distinct sense of sophistication.

This home is truely a great escape from the hustle and bustle of city living. Its rustic charm and casual sophistication captures the imagination and is a welcome balm to frayed nerves and weary bones.

Once again a big thanks to Dipen for sharing this with me.

Project Brief

Interior Design- Dipen Gada & Associates (DGA)

Design Team- Shalini Pereira & Shruti Patel

Photography- Tejas Shah

Cobogo House

I have a tendency to ‘stalk’ architects and designers whose work I find really inspiring. I once determinedly tried to visit every space designed by one of my favourite Indian architects, Sandeep Khosla. If there was a restaurant or lounge designed by him in the city I was in, I’d drag my friends there.

Another architect whose work I’m a real fan of is Marcio Kogan. He has a knack for creating buildings that are beautiful and minimal. Cobogo House, located in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is another one of Marcio Kogan’s designs that I have fallen in love with. This building has a simple form that appears gracefully elegant, and, as the tropical sunlight bathes the structure, it becomes a fascinating contrast of light and shadow.

What I love about this house is its almost seamless connection to the outdoors. Nature is embraced- indeed it is celebrated through its dialogue with the architecture. One of the elements that encourages this dialogue and forms a defining element of the architecture is a modular screen with hollowed out patterns, a work of art designed by Erwin Hauer. These hollowed-out elements take on different forms with the incidence of the sunlight during the day and artificial light during the night so that the house is continuously changing.

Enjoy the images below.

[Images courtesy ArchDaily]

Yallingup Residence, Western Australia

It was love at first sight when I chanced upon this beautiful house designed by Wright Feldhusen Architects of Australia. This building, with its crisp, clean lines, is predominantly modernist in design. I love the stone wall that makes up the lower part of the structure. This wall gives such character to the house and forms an amazing feature element that connects the building with the land. The stoic solidity of this massive wall contrasts so well with the glazed upper structure that rests atop it. There is a beautiful balance of solidity and transparency in this house, with the living and dining areas forming part of a large glazed pavilion that captures the stunning valley views that the setting has to offer.

[Images courtesy Wright Feldhusen Architects]