Location: Hyderabad
Size: 8,680 square feet
Number of bedrooms: 4
Design firm: Sona Reddy Studio
Principal architect: Sona Reddy
Design team: Nayantara Patkar, Bhavana Cherukuri, Jemy Joy Philip
Photographer: Pankaj Anand
The inspiration behind this expansive home, that is spread across 9,000 square feet, was the client’s love for nature. Sona Reddy Studio achieved this by introducing a courtyard as the central element, filling the home with natural light, and blending tones of green by way of stone textures, stained carpentry, and plants. Nayantara Patkar from the design team says, “The courtyard tries to blur the boundaries of inside and outside by bringing in nature – it ties the whole project together.” The home sports an earthy-cum-contemporary vibe that is enhanced by the fact that the studio exclusively used materials that were indigenously sourced or made by Indian artists, including the marble, the antiques, modern art, rugs, contemporary light fixtures, and the furniture.
Mid-century-style furniture and curvilinear settees in the courtyard
The central courtyard takes centre stage in the layout of the home
Built around the courtyard, the home has three floors. The ground floor accommodates the common areas and the parents’ bedroom. The family zone and master bedroom take up the first floor, while the second hosts the bar, spa, sauna, guest bedroom, and terrace. The colour palette is a mix of greens, rust, and a few touches of black that accentuate the earthy palette. The corridor that leads from the entrance terminates in the courtyard, which acts as the central axis of the home.
The courtyard itself is a voluminous space boasting a two-storey ceiling. A green-toned, veined marble wall takes pride of place, beyond which lies the dining room. Featuring a water body and large indoor plants, it is a light-filled oasis. The eastward-facing room is filled with natural light for most part of the day. Shades of blue punctuated by peachy rust on the upholstered couches add subtle doses of colour. The mint green perforated wooden panelling above the marble wall shields the family room on the first floor, at the same time allowing for communication with those below through the louvred windows.
The striking doorways are sculptural artworks in themselves.
Just off the courtyard, through a semi-arched aperture cut into green walls, lies the living room. Most of the doorways in the common areas are doorless, some arched, some angular, but always striking. Jemy Joy Philip, from the design team, elaborates, “Every puncture acts as a frame, giving you glimpses of the inside. Each room tells a unique story, from nature-inspired elements in the courtyard to vibrant palettes in the bedrooms.”
The square doorway perfectly frames the artwork featuring a sparrow and the glass chandelier in the dining room. Furniture: Studio Chisel
A water body separates the dining room from the courtyard. Lights: Hesperus
The rust-black-wood palette is reflected in the dry kitchen too
The dining room has a black, wood-stained dining table with a dry kitchen space adjacent to it. A bold glass chandelier set in brass adds drama to the room.
The parents’ bedroom on the ground floor sports a rust colour palette. The bed with its high cane headboard in black stands in contrast to the subdued backdrop. Pops of red are introduced by way of the inbuilt shelving unit and bed cushions.
The family room on the first floor overlooks the courtyard through louvred windows. It’s a warm space cocooned in wooden floors, plush rugs and comfortable seating.
Story by Vinita Kunnath
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Image caption, harmoniously combine two usually distinct indulgences
The link between the two main areas, the one closest to the entryway with the bar counter and lounge and the one at the rear reserved for aesthetic treatments, is a decorative feature with a great scenic impact: a series of deep blue glass portals guides the gaze towards the beauty area, giving the space perspective depth and a theatrical feel. This liminal space also houses the boutique and the facial bar, functions that will cater for a passing public and have faster times than the more complex treatments, as well as delineating the perimeter of the two lounges. “The management of flows and technical spaces,” the architects tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.” cts tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.”The link between the two main areas, the one closest to the entryway with the bar counter and lounge and the one at the rear reserved for aesthetic treatments, is a decorative feature with a great scenic impact: a series of deep blue glass portals guides the gaze towards the beauty area, giving the space perspective depth and a theatrical feel. This liminal space also houses the boutique and the facial bar, functions that will cater for a passing public and have faster times than the more complex treatments, as well as delineating the perimeter of the two lounges. “The management of flows and technical spaces,” the architects tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.” cts tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.”
The link between the two main areas, the one closest to the entryway with the bar counter and lounge and the one at the rear reserved for aesthetic treatments, is a decorative feature with a great scenic impact: a series of deep blue glass portals guides the gaze towards the beauty area, giving the space perspective depth and a theatrical feel. This liminal space also houses the boutique and the facial bar, functions that will cater for a passing public and have faster times than the more complex treatments, as well as delineating the perimeter of the two lounges. “The management of flows and technical spaces,” the architects tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.” cts tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.”
Image caption, harmoniously combine two usually distinct indulgences
The choice of materials and finishes was in keeping with this chromatic landscape. “Through the moodboard we visualized the allure of the space,” explains Pennesi. “An interplay of alternations between more or less tactile surface textures, contrasting colors and opaque and translucent finishes that create intriguing peep-through effects.”
This led to the choice of stoneware tiles by Ceramica Sant’Agostino, which deck the floors and bar counter with their dense and uniform speckled pattern and bind together the different areas into which the space is divided, wth laminates from Arpa Industriale and Kaindl, used respectively for the support surfaces and the structures of the bespoke furnishings.
“We chose these materials for both aesthetic and functional reasons. Aesthetic because this type of semi-finished product has color ranges that enabled us to make choices consistent with the palette we created; and practical because they are wearproof materials and ensure easy sanitization. In particular, Fenix, a special laminate we used to coat the counter top, with a surface that has a non-porous outer layer, makes the material easy to clean and suitable for contact with food as well as fingerprint-proof and pleasant to the touch.”
Even the lighting was curated in detail, helping create a pleasant and richly detailed environment. Bellhop cordless table lamps designed by Barber & Osgerby for Flos, illuminate the tables with their discreet light. Suspended above the bar counter is a spectacular suspension composition created with a series of “leaves” in Diphy polycarbonate. Designed by Mirco Crosatto for Stilnovo, it was inspired by a fascinating Japanese plant, whose flowers turn as transparent as crystal in contact with water.
