Infusing Old-World Charm in Contemporary Lifestyle

Design, as I see it, is the art of creating spaces in response to existing environmental and urban conditions to answer a client's needs. In this way creation becomes the resolution between its inner being and the outer conditions imposed upon it. It is never solitary but is part of its setting and thus must blend in a timeless way with its surroundings yet show its own fresh presence. One day I met an old friend who expressed a wish to revamp the interior of his home. Dhiren had a bungalow; and he came up with an idea about carrying out new interior work in his bungalow. "I have a script, you must be the director," he said – and thus the story began. However, unlike most people who are attracted by the latest trends and international styles, Dhiren had a dream to create an entirely traditional ambience in his bungalow. He mentioned that it should resemble an old style ghar (house) in some mohalla / pol (street) of Ahmedabad. To bring in a complete transformation of the space and create an aesthetic as well as functional solution, out-of-the-box thinking, and bold decisions were mandatory. Aesthetics is artistry. As an architect, the primary idea is to create functionally efficient spaces. Of course, visual appeal is important; but I always try to find a reason for adding aesthetics to any design - when we must make our elements and the entire design goes beyond the utilitarian and functional. The details add to the visual appeal. In some ways it is eye candy whose function is solely to generate a wow factor or other emotional response. It is an added layer of beauty on top of the usable and functional. In this project, it was important to pay extreme attention to aesthetics and detailing – because the design certainly had to go beyond its functionality. The styling of each element was therefore a challenge; it had to look good on its own – and complement the theme too! The existing compound wall was bulky; it had to be broken to create a wider area and mohalla like effect. A beautiful, huge old tree was retained, and the wicket gate was replaced by a delo (old style door). A traditional Tulsi kyara (planter) was installed in compound wall. Terra cotta tile selection added to the charm, as did an old-style hand-crafted grill. Light lemon-yellow tone was used to create visual effects. The otla (platform) was beautified by some wall and khidki (window) in addition to the compound wall. The electrical distribution board was concealed with louvered cabinets. A jhoola (swing) on the otla with pots, pans and copper light fixtures blends well with the theme. Kutchi wall treatment in the living room, with jharokha looks extremely attractive as does the multipurpose console. Degda, textile puppets and chairs with peacock fabric were just right to set the mood. The teak wood polishing of the antique-style furniture completes the old-world charm! The partially double-heighted living room gives a scale just right for the furniture, lamps, and accessories. At the culmination of the project, we all felt a deep sense of achievement and satisfaction. The project finally took the right shape with the correct script. An artistic and exquisite design solution emerged from the retrofit exercise!