Set in the new suburbs of Vadodara ‘House of Greys’ stands testimony to a project that came together in the most unexpected way. The house celebrates the designer's love for all things ‘grey’ in sharp contrast to the client’s love for colour. Much like their personalities the house experiments with bringing the two together and creating a balance that is understated and vibrant at the same time. While the shell is predominantly in hues of grey, the profusion of colour is seen through artwork, sculptures and soft furnishings. The resultant is an aesthetic that constantly keeps the viewer engaged and guessing.
At the entrance visitors are received by a large swing door finished in metal and grey micro concrete. A rather funky looking couch coupled with floor standing mesh maps have been compositionally arranged with a vibrant Indian artwork by Nagesh Goud to set the tone of the house. Spacious connecting corridors bathed in natural light and finished in seamless micro concrete flooring and light grey brick faced walls create a tactile experience that holds the public spaces together. The corridor literally feels like an art gallery celebrating various artworks curated by the client over time. The formal living is a space well anointed with bespoke furniture and a larger than life piece of artwork titled ‘Divine Mother’ by Ramdas Shankar Lobhi infusing a sense of energy through its vivid colour palette. The dining room is a cross breed between formality and casual living. A monolithic table in white stuatario marble contrasting with olive green velvet chairs set against fluted oak wood paneling give the room a sense of warmth. A bespoke lighting installation adds a sense of luxury to the space.
The nerve centre of the house is undoubtedly the family living located at the end of the corridor. A complete mood changer, the family living was consciously given a dark vibe to enhance the lounge like experience. This worked perfectly since the room also doubles up as a home theatre. Low laid back sink in sofas coupled with lounge chairs allow for alternative ways of congregating. The bar finished in oxidized rust metal sheets with a suspended lighting installation over it set the tone for a night of fun and engagement. Ceramic works by Vinod Daroz embellish the walls of the lounge with texture and colour.
As one moves to the upper floor one cannot help but notice an interesting looking solid wooden screen that mimics the brick faced cladding on the walls. Tucked behind this intricately detailed sliding folding wooden screen is the mandir space. The main staircase fabricated in solid metal cantilevered of the walls gives the space a sense of lightness. One cannot miss a fun metal and acrylic installation of dragonflies by Dhara Mehrotra as they visually connect the two floors of the house.
Arrayed with bedrooms, the upper floor is the more private part of the house. Wedged between the two daughter’s bedrooms is the ‘yellow’ room which is an informal tv lounge extensively used by the family for day to day interactions. Accessed from the corridor is the home study that feels like a glass enclosure inserted into the layout. While the inner edge is a wooden finned glass partition the outer edge is full height glazing giving unobstructed views of the private lawns. All the bedrooms have been given a distinctive aesthetic take which resonates with the personality of the users.
Moving into the outdoors the landscape looks at two engaging spaces separated by the sprawling lawn. Set in one corner of the plot is an all black gazebo sitout complete with an out door bar and barbeque facility. Infused with dense tropical greens the gazebo feels like the perfect setting for a lazy Sunday brunch. Located at the other corner of the property is a stark looking all exposed concrete pool house. Strategically aligned with the outdoor pool that is neatly hidden with large greens the poolhouse is more like a pavilion blurring the boundaries between the inside and the outside. A perfect testimony to tropical outdoor living, the pool house is complete with a tv lounge gym and spa facilities. Largely obscured from public view the pool house makes for the perfect setting for a sundowner!!
