Location: South Delhi
Size of the plot: 650 square metres
Number of bedrooms: Two
Principal architects/designers: Aman Issar, UnBox Design
Photography by: Avesh Gaur
When approached to redesign a two-storey farmhouse in a dense green area in South Delhi, Aman Issar, principal architect and founder of UnBox Design saw an opportunity for a well-crafted space that is in dialogue with nature. The client, an entrepreneur and avid art collector, sought the neoclassical-inspired structure to be transformed to a vibrant space that could serve both as an office as well as residence for him and his four dogs. With a few architectural and design interventions, Issar and team were able to execute his vision. “Our scope of work was to re-do the flow of spaces and the interiors of the residence. As a reflection of our client’s warm nature, this farmhouse needed to be transformed into a calm refuge to reside and work in,” notes Issar.
The residential space is on the ground floor, whereas the office space is on the first floor. The existing structure had small windows on the ground floor, cutting it off from the greenery outside. UnBox redesigned the space to ensure increased daylight and ventilation, demolishing a few walls to make room for larger windows. “We wanted to place the homeowners where they would have a series of strong visual connections to the verdant lawns and pool,” explains Issar.
A cobblestone pathway marks the entrance to the farm house. This leads to a verandah and the entry to the home. The verandah has been redesigned to serve as an outdoor entertainment space, with upholstered jute chairs arranged around a circular dining table, framed by cane blinds and lit by warm octagonal pendant lights from White Teak. The visual direction, materials and colour palette of this space have been chosen to complement the checkerboard flooring of the verandah, which was retained from the original structure.
Beyond this is the foyer, which features a black centre-table placed against a wooden screen.“The space is kept minimal – in tune with the Japandi aesthetic of our well-travelled client,” notes Issar.
The foyer leads to the living room. “The spacious living room is the heart of the house, and so we wanted this space to make a statement,” says Issar. It houses much of the client’s art collection, as well as photographs and travel memorabilia, tactfully placed against a backdrop with a pared-down colour palette dominated by greys and browns.
The space features a range of textures — white fluting in plaster along one of the walls leads visitors to a large wooden bookshelf. A leather sofa is placed before the shelf, serving as a comfortable reading spot. “The pièce de résistance in this space is a bindu/red dot painting, nestled amidst books in the study,” adds Issar. Sliding glass doors connect the living room to the verandah and lawn, enabling the entry of daylight through the day.
Further within, the dining space also features a large window that overlooks the lawn, and allows for the entry of natural light through the day. A six-seater dining table as well as consoles that repeat the wooden screen motif seen in the foyer dominate this space. Various sculptural objects as well as family photographs, landscapes, and cityscapes captured by the client adds character.
The calm and serene mood of the house also reflects in the master bedroom. This space opens out to the swimming pool, and features warm and minimalistic wooden furniture that is balanced by pops of blue used in the decor and bedding.
The bathroom within the master bedroom
“Calm, sunlit spaces dotted with art make this home an apt extension of our client’s personality and a refreshing take on bachelor pads,” explains Issar.
Layout of the residence
Story by Sridevi Nambiar
Read more:
Meet India’s Best Interior Designers of 2023
The Saga of Modern Legacies
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.
