Name of the project: The Heirloom House
Location: Chattarpur, New Delhi
Size of the plot: 5,000 sq ft
Number of bedrooms: 5
Architecture/design firm: The Vrindavan Project
Principal architects/designers of the firm: Shreenu Mukherjee
Photographer: Ankush Maria
Date of completion: July 2024
The Aravalli hills stand tall in the background. Chattarpur’s endless green landscapes are flanked all around. And in the middle, The Heirloom House is set up, almost rising above ground like a Raja Ravi Varma painting. Every architectural detail is intricate, every colour is vibrant and purposefully chosen, every piece of furniture is a character adding personality to the residence. The Vrindavan Project designed a home that looks straight out of a K Asif movie; one could almost imagine Madhubala and Dilip Kumar meeting in the open courtyard, or Prithviraj Kapoor as Akbar holding court in the royal living room. Principal architect Shreenu Mukherjee went beyond making your run-in-the-mill luxurious holiday home; she turned this vast space into an oasis of comfortable, functional, and livable art.
At first, the clients approached Mukherjee with the intention of owning a home that reflected their love for Indian craftsmanship, their Rajasthani heritage, and their luxurious lifestyle. Since they wanted a tranquil sanctuary filled with traditional Indian aesthetics and contemporary sensibilities, The Vrindavan Project managed to do so within a biophilic framework. By incorporating expansive glass walls, open courtyards, and green potted plants at every corner, the holiday home is a breezy, serene escape from the hustle and bustle of urban New Delhi.
Touring The Heirloom House
An expansive verandah with framed arches welcomes guests on entering the home. Stepping inside instantly feels like a step away from mundane reality; the shaded nook takes one back to traditional Indian homes with open courtyards that receive the sun. Inside, the living room is adorned with a rich palette of deep maroons and burnt oranges, accented with soft neutral shades. A grand dining table in dark wood garners attention, with its raw edges adding contemporary flair to the house. On the dining room’s side, large sliding doors open outwards into a lush garden with a sparkling blue swimming pool, readily awaiting.
Moving further into the home is like discovering new galaxies within a dense universe. The red reading room is a cocoon-like space, ideal for introspection, with stone-clad walls and art deco furniture creating a Hemingway-esque environment. The star of this room, however, has to be its stone fireplace, which crackles away on Delhi’s long winter nights. Upstairs lies the master bedroom, a suite designed to seem as though it floats weightlessly in the air. Bathed in natural light, the room’s floor-to-ceiling windows offer a panoramic view of the Aravallis.
Each bedroom has been curated after colours of the Indian landscape–saffron, indigo, emerald. Although different in spatial planning, Mukherjee ensured that they have common threads: plush bedding, handcrafted headboards, handpicked art pieces, and wide adjoining terraces. Right on top is the rooftop lounge, which houses a living roof within its space. An elevated garden space, this floor offers breathtaking views of the rolling hills, making it idyllic for yoga, stargazing, or simply curling up with a good book and a glass of wine.
Rewriting Design Languages
The Vrindavan Project redefined quite a few norms when it came to designing this home. First, they embraced Chromotherapy as a design language. Unlike the current trend that caters to subdued colours and aesthetics, The Heirloom House is rich in colour, and each hue is selected to reflect a different mood. Yellow and oranges in the living room evoke energy, green and blue in the bedrooms instantly soothe the soul, and terracotta tones set in transition spaces are an intelligent choice to ground the house’s different sections.
Another unique feature of The Heirloom House is a floating master suite above the pool. Almost suspended between earth and sky, having this suite hover above the swimming pool adds a cinematic effect to the home, whether one is inside or outside it. The “living” roof garden and terrace lounge reiterate the architects’ commitment to nature. Its green spots, rich with flowering plants and species native to the area, enhance the family’s connection to nature in their lived environment.
A Home that Creates Another World
It’s not just the external architecture that is set apart in this residence; much of its interiors make it a work of living, functioning art. Every decor and furniture piece has been custom designed, reflecting the owners’ and architect’s dedication to local Indian craftsmanship and their ancient legacy. The Vrindavan Project collaborated with local artisans to create one-of-a-kind wooden pieces, intricate stone inlays, antique-inspired light fixtures, and so much more. To step inside The Heirloom House is to truly step inside an heirloom; one that harks back to native Rajasthani vernacular elements and epitomises natural living.
Using a rich palette of natural materials like marble, teak, and oak, the home’s interiors are instantly connected to the external environment. Handcrafted tiles and jali screens add a certain tinge of heritage to the residence, while brass accents and minimalist metal fixtures represent a contemporary voice. Soft furnishings are plush with linen, cotton and silk, each one chosen for its comfort and elegance. Employing bamboo flooring and reclaimed wood in designing the holiday house’s interiors is an indictment of the designer’s commitment to sustainability.
All in all, The Heirloom House does exactly what its name suggests: it brings to life all that is quaint and reminiscent of a simpler past, helping one to escape the humdrum of modern life. Each room is a character by itself, coloured with different emotions and packed with unique tchotchkes of art and design. Grand, regal, and unabashedly Indian in every way, this holiday home by The Vrindavan Project represents an escapist haven for urban families.
