A Karnataka Home That Received  a Radical Makeover, Designed by Sudaiva Studio

The task at hand was to convert an old single-storey home in a small town in Karnataka into a contemporary one, with the addition of two more floors. For Vinay Mavinakere, founder and principal architect, Sudaiva Studio, this was a special project as the home was in his ancestral town and belonged to his parents. “The home was envisioned for renting out, with the top floor reserved for my folks as their holiday home that they visit once or twice a month.” As you view the home from outside, you notice the intricate jaali work running the length of the built structure. The architect wanted to work with a simple, cost-effective material that looked native, but was used in an extraordinary way. Reveals Mavinakere, “During construction, the astonishing views of the rain tree canopies from the top floor inspired the construction of an additional floor for a studio space to be used as a pied-à-terre for the family, who now live in Bangalore.” The earthy materiality, openness and connection with greenery truly set this home apart.

Karnataka: An old, single-storey home converted into a modern space

A Bangalore Home With a Unique, Soul-Soothing Quality, by Techno Architecture

Distinctly modern yet rooted in nature, this Bangalore residence located in the upmarket JP Nagar is a picture of modernism and comfort. Christened ‘Belaku’, this home’s design is loosely based on Wabi-Sabi—the age-old Japanese principle of accepting things as they are and with all their ‘imperfections’. Designed by Rajesh Shivaram of Techno Architecture, the home with its generous doses of green offers relief from urban living. “Belaku is close to nature, and celebrates beauty in a naturally imperfect world. The forms are well defined, yet visually well connected to nature and capitalise on the pleasant weather Bangalore has to offer,” says Shivaram. Shivaram’s biggest inspiration for the design came from tropical architecture. “I was passionate about creating a meaningful and lasting impression and contributing to a more sustainable built world.” The exterior is a brick wall framework while the interior material palette is neutral with the use of materials like white plaster, cement finishes, walnut floors and wood cladding. Veneers too were added to inject more warmth to the space. In keeping with the tropical inspiration, the space was planned with a lot of greenery. “With the space limitations of 2,400-square-feet, it was an obvious decision to spread the landscape across different levels, both internally and externally,” explains Shivaram.

A Karnataka home designed on Wabi Sabi

A Home Defined by Arches, by Studio GSA

Located on the twenty-fourth floor of a high-rise on the Old Madras Road in Bangalore, is this contemporary apartment designed by Studio GSA. With an area spanning over 3,100-square-feet, this 3-BHK is perfect for a nuclear family. The client who brought Gaurav Panjwani and Santosh Belani, designers and co-founders of the firm, on board, is also a builder. “The inspiration for this project stemmed from the client’s brief of having a space that would reflect their heritage, a place that could blend the old and the new and yet accommodate their contemporary lifestyle,” says Panjwani. Apart from the colour palette which is primarily pastel in all the rooms, the other feature that stands out are the arches that pop up in different parts of the home. The interior designers have ensured that the space retains its contemporary element, but have added touches of nostalgia with the use of cane in various rooms.

A 3-BHK Karnataka home perfect for a nuclear family

A Mansion in Karnataka Gilded in Gold, by Jiten Mistry

A 9,500-square-feet villa in the ‘chilli town’ of Byadagi, in Karnataka’s Haveri district, elicits a similar reaction from almost everyone who sees it: wow! Exuding an ornate sense of style, the house is home to a family of nine. The brief from the client to the team at Elysium Abodes—a luxury home builders and construction company—and interior designer Jiten Mistry was quite straightforward: a royal and palatial home in the style of a French villa. Before undertaking the task of renovating the home, the design team restored and adapted the home’s old carved doors and frames. To achieve the overall feel of a French style villa and incorporate a contemporary finish to each room, meant striking the right balance between classic and modern, between accommodating each family member’s taste and their functional needs. The team at Elysium Abodes went in for intricate mosaic tile work for the flooring, which lends charm and sophistication to the seven-bedroom home. What also stands out in this palatial home are the art deco pieces. Plenty of gold has been used across the home, and a glittering space thus emerges.

An ornate, luxe Karnataka home