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This Spanish Hacienda-Inspired Home Seamlessly Integrates With Chettinad Principles

MuseLAB crafts a statement home in Coimbatore, drawing inspiration from Spanish design sensibilities while adhering closely to the principles of Vastu

Pooja Khanna Tyagi

June 5, 2024

Location: Coimbatore
Area of Home: 12,000 square feet
Number of bedrooms: 4
Design Firm: MuseLAB
Principal Designers: Jasem Pirani, Huzefa Rangwala
Design Team: Aishwarya Lakhani, Sohan Kadam and Idrees Kasu
Photographer: Ishita Sitwala

Nestled in Coimbatore’s scenic landscape and evocative of its name, this home gracefully displays Spanish design elements and blends them with the timeless traditions of Chettinad architecture. The homeowners aimed for a vacation ambience, and invited principal designers Jasem Pirani and Huzefa from MuseLAB to envision and design their residence. The result was a space rich with Moorish influences, vivid colours and graceful architecture seamlessly blending interconnected spaces and fluid transitions from the indoors to the outdoors.

Through the porte cochere (porch), visitors enter the foyer, which offers a view of the expansive linear courtyard.

“Our clients sought the traditional beauty of Spanish aesthetics while honouring the enduring principles of Vastu Shastra and Manaiyadi Shastram, an ancient science native to Southern India that prescribes particular layout dimensions that can foster the well-being of its inhabitants,” says Jasem. “We dedicated nearly two months to integrating Hacienda’s architectural principles with those of Chettiar, ensuring alignment with both shastras,” adds Huzefa.

The foyer visually connects to the spacious linear courtyard and provides access to the mudroom, formal living room, and a corridor connecting to the home office.

The living room, with an 18-foot ceiling height, is designed with oak veneer panelling on the walls and ceiling for warmth. The room features a marble console by Iqrup+Ritz, a corner and side table from House of Things, and custom-designed sofas and armchairs by DeMuro Das, all illuminated by lights from Objects of Interest.

The formal sofas in the living room showcase a mix of black and white stripes, along with plentiful artwork, diverse textures, and statement flooring.

Nestled discreetly at the end of an internal road in the city centre of Coimbatore, this home is thoughtfully designed to accommodate a couple and their two daughters. Spanning 12,000-square-feet on a 39,000-square-feet plot, the residence features a central courtyard serving as its focal point. This design connects the social spaces on the ground floor, which include an open-air pool, a cosy lounge, a dining area, and a family room, all enveloped by lush landscaping.

Extending over the pool, the vaulted ceiling of the pool lounge adds depth and continuity to the area, highlighted by a unique floral mosaic motif. An Okej Squiggle rug forms the base for a Cell coffee table by Iqrup + Ritz, complemented by the Corbu Bench, Forma Side Table, and a specially crafted armchair, all designed by DeMuro Das.

The swimming pool area evolves into a treasured hideaway, reminiscent of a hammam, seamlessly connecting with the pool lounge adorned with a continuous vault and a floral mosaic pattern spanning its surface. Through manipulation of light and space, the pool provides a strategic viewpoint for the daughters’ bedrooms on the upper level, which also houses the master bedroom and library.

The central courtyard serves as the focal point in the lower level, seamlessly linking all social spaces like the pool, pool lounge, dining area, and family room.

In the formal dining room, a grand 12-seater table is illuminated by a striking Klove light fixture overhead. DeMuro Das provides bench-style dining seating, complemented by a console from The House of Things against a mural by House of Berserk. Adjacent, a white crockery almirah from The Jodhpur Furniture Company stands beside a floor lamp by Harshita Jhamtani.

The tall wicker light installations by The Wicker Story stand out in the stairwell, offering visibility to those ascending and descending.

The design focuses primarily on the dynamic spatial interactions among different areas and the unfolding gestures within them. In areas like the formal living room, stair foyer, and library on the first floor, the visual language is modern with flooring patterns using larger-scale marble pieces. As one ascends the staircase, the true depth of the space becomes evident on the mid-landing where the space is illuminated by sunlight filtering through three circular skylights, creating a visually captivating experience as it reflects natural light off walls and floors.

Three circular skylights puncture the library vault that is constructed from RCC using custom MS formwork. A Gulmohar Lane sofa is accompanied by lamps, a magazine rack-equipped side table, a coffee table, and an armchair, all from Phantom Hands, while a bespoke rug by FAZO Project complements the library unit.

The home features four bay windows, each with its own AC vents, opening into distinct areas of the house.

Jasem and Huzefa did not want the windows and openings to have overhangs, hence they created recessed openings and windows to shelter the home from the harsh summer sun. The living room has two sets of seating – one formal seating comprising two large sofas and another at the end of the wall comprising a curved sofa and a fun accent chair and warmth of wood panelling. The east-facing living room also opens into a formal garden and gets beautiful morning light.

The bedrooms feature pitched roofs with exposed rafters on the ceilings.

The bedrooms are characterised by abundant diffused natural light and minimalist designs

The bedrooms feature pitched roofs and exposed rafters. In the master bedroom, a four-poster bed is complemented by an internalised balcony and a corridor leading to the master bath and walk-in closet. Reflecting the distinct interests of both daughters, which include painting and reading, the design of their personalised rooms caters to their individual preferences.

The kitchen, featuring a modular light greyish-green design with an island, incorporates marble, mosaic, and large-format vitrified tiles, veneer, and wood as key materials.

The dry kitchen includes a floor dining table and chairs intended for family dining.

This project’s architectural direction truly sets it apart, ensuring cohesive unity. Common areas of the home make bold statements through flooring, textures, or furniture, while private spaces are tailored to occupants’ preferences. Emphasising flooring and vaulted forms, the house collaborates extensively with local artisans for a distinctive artistic vibe. A neutral palette prevails, occasionally accented with bursts of colour, while light interplay remains a defining feature throughout.