It’s that time of the year again when India Design ID honours those Indian design studios that have brought about a marked difference in the evolution of Indian residential design. Here are the 10 laudable design practices that are the winners of the ID Honours Awards 2024 in the Residential Interiors category.
1. Kanan Modi Associates
Self-confessedly inspired by a multitude of disparate design icons, ranging from mid-century masters like Le Corbusier and Carlo Scarpa to modernist architects like Charles Correa and Tadao Ando, Hyderabad-based Modi is known for building sensitive, creative spaces. This takes the form of blurring boundaries between the outdoors and indoors, merging the old and the new and the traditional with the modern. The House of Gardens and the 21,600 sq. ft. Sireniti House, both in Hyderabad, are prime residential examples featuring her signature blend of modern design and natural elements. Her passion for travel often results in finding inspiration, even in the most unlikely of Indian villages, to be transposed into readaptive uses and spatial experiences.
2. Mangesh Lungare (Architecture & Interior Design)
Interior and architectural designer, Mahesh Lungare, comes from the strong belief that the residents should have a deep physical and psychological connection with the space. It’s a belief that arises from his upbringing in a peaceful, remote village in rural Maharashtra that has had a profound effect on his design aesthetic – for instance, a single file staircase reminiscent of those in rustic Indian houses, is a recurring leitmotif in most of his projects; the other being his abundant use of natural and indigenous materials. His latest venture, Wadi Design Studio is a nod to nature’s wholesome beauty – it uses Indian stones and marbles to create objects with the help of artisans from Rajasthan.
3. MuseLAB
Founded in 2012 by Huzefa Rangwala and Jasem Pirani, MuseLAB from Mumbai is an end-to-end design studio with a unique focus on creating highly customised environments, interiors and furniture. Their artistic expressions move beyond the realms of utility and need, infusing their spaces with what can only be called ‘experiential encounters’, such as the House of Curiosities in Kolhapur that hosts a harmonious medley of over-sized sculptures, fountains, intricately carved screens, spiral staircases, luminous atriums, and much more. Also to their credit are several stunning residences for high profile homeowners across all major cities in the country.
4. Neogenesis+Studi0261
In the 11 years of its existence, this multi-disciplinary design practice from Surat, founded by Chinmay Laiwala, Jigar Asarawala and Tarika Asarawala has carved an enviable niche for itself with the nexus of architecture, contemporary culture, and current technology forming its fulcrum. They are known for creating an authentic “sense of place” by using building materials in their natural form and texture, as is evinced in their smallest project to date, monikered the Tiny House built on a site measuring 12 feet x 28 feet, while yet another, Avadh Kimberly, is envisioned in an earthy palette that incorporates elements of traditional Indian architecture with a minimalist approach.
5. DOT
A small design unit from Surat, helmed by Krishna Mistry and Anand Jariwala, DOT is creating waves in the current landscape with its innovative use of concrete, brick and stone – all natural materials – in residential interiors. The firm is associated with DOT SCET, the Faculty of Architecture in Surat. Their Off-the-Grid Apartment that was nominated for ArchDaily Building of the Year 2024 Awards, is a lesson in the multi-farious use of concrete, in all its forms, ranging from the brutalist to the sublime.
6. Case Design
Samuel Barclay, Erica Barclay and Saleem Bhatri’s design studio works on a wide range of projects including objects, furniture, exhibitions, buildings, and interiors, within India, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Their residences spell simplicity and beauty while achieving maximum functionality with often, regionally sourced materials. Their selection of materials and their minute attention to the design of details points to their belief that objects and spaces deeply impact our relationship with the world around us. In their quest to create things that are simple, beautiful and functional, the studio also designs a range of furniture and objects, some of which have won the AD50 Design Award and the Prize for Contemporary Craftsmanship.
7. MorphLab
Helmed by Sahil Jain and Ajinkya Manohar, Mumbai-based MorphLab places strong emphasis on arriving at solutions through the use of new-age technologies and parametric architecture, as is evinced in their well-known project, Weave House in Kolkata. The 20,000 sq.ft., multi-level residence was designed with the idea of knitting spaces and people together through a fluid and organic design while maintaining a sense of seamless modernity through the widespread use of geometries and innovative use of materials. Another of their projects, Mould House is realised through curves and contours, playing on the firm’s inspiration by the evolution of natural shapes.
8. Quirk Studio
Recently recognised by Forbes India in their Top 30 under 45 Architects and Designers, Disha Bhavsar and Shivani Ajmera, founded Quirk Studio in 2013. The duo has a knack for skirting conventional ideas of luxury while catering to modern, novel notions of comfort and self-expression. One of their residences, Garden Six in Mumbai, is a masterpiece of contemporary living with a touch of English countryside flair. Their modern and minimalist design language can also be seen in the House on the Edge, Hyderabad that balances vibrant art and quirky furniture on a neutral, monotone foundation. The studio was shortlisted for the I-Gen 2020 Awards for one of their projects – House No. 12, which exudes a classic, contemporary aesthetic underlined with fun and colour that is brought in via eclectic art and accessories.
9. Rajiv Saini + Associates
Founded in 1995 by Rajiv Saini, the much celebrated firm is known for its contemporary design aesthetics built upon a luxurious but restrained material palette. Catapulted into the public domain after his execution of Devi Garh Palace, an 18 century palace-turned-hotel that won the Conde Nast Best Design Hotel, Saini’s aesthetic exhibits the same impeccable quality across his creations: clean, pure lines, a seamless integration of diverse materials with textural tactility, and exquisitely crafted details, earning him the indisputable title of the master of sleek, confident spaces that epitomise the India Contemporary style. The designer, who has a penchant for art also creates limited edition design objects, some of which have been featured at prestigious events like Art Basel, Miami.
10. Neterwala Aibara
Phirosa Neterwala and Sunu Aibara have held aloft the beacon of interior design in commercial and residential spaces for over three decades, and are entrenched firmly in the annals of Indian design. They have done so by pre-empting trends and staying true to their own design sensibility – one that blends the best of contemporary style, functionality and sophistication. Their particular brand of USP that epitomises modernity, artistry and luxury is reflected in several high profile homes, such as those of Dr. Cyrus Poonawala, Kumaramangalam Birla, Dattaraj Salgaocar, Nadir Godrej, to name a few.
Story by Vinita Kunnath
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