In a world of quiet luxury and minimalist clichés, this Bengaluru residence by Studio ModMySpace goes rogue: vivid, layered, and gloriously nonconformist. The homeowners, an exuberant couple who shuttle between Singapore and Bengaluru, had no interest in beige walls or ‘timeless neutrals’.
“They weren’t afraid of bold choices. In fact, they encouraged them,” recalls Sai Manoj, who conceived the 4000-square-foot interiors alongside Jeet Sheth. “The brief was clear: banish anything boring or expected.” Having spent years globe-trotting, the duo returned not just with souvenirs, but with a full-blown appetite for flamboyance. What followed was a moodboard marinated in scarlet reds, cobalt blues, and sunset oranges—toned down (just barely) with silver accents to soften the visual heat. “It felt a little insane on paper,” laughs Manoj, “but once we tried it across finishes and textures, it clicked. Loud doesn’t have to mean chaotic.”
And while the milieu looks like a page out of an eccentric art magazine, every flourish is grounded in function. Once two 2BHKs, now stitched into a cohesive 3BHK, the layout demanded technical dexterity. Throughout, arches punctuate transitions and highlight curated vignettes, leading the eye like a well-directed film. Lighting is layered, with metallic-textured paints and ombré walls acting as co-conspirators in shaping the mood, while each piece of furniture was meticulously tailored to fit the creative script. Fittingly named Taraash—meaning ‘to hone’—the home stands as a chiselled manifesto of personal expression.
In the foyer, a charcoal sketch of Ganesha (from Bali) is framed like a prologue to the art-heavy narrative that unfolds. A bespoke mild steel partition is threaded with wooden beads that channel the speckled texture of paint-splattered artist jeans. Like a mood ring underfoot, the porcelain tiles shift hue as you move through the home, subtly echoing each room’s palette.
Two living areas split their personalities. The informal lounge leans playful and punchy, dressed in a bold red-and-blue palette meant for casual gatherings. On the wall, a Greco-modern rendition of David mosaic captures a fragmented expression, merging classical iconography with abstraction.
The formal living space, by contrast, is calmer but no less expressive. A hand painted artwork of Frida Kahlo, reimagined from a café piece the couple once admired, shares the room with a cassette-shaped coffee table that nods to their fondness for the rock band Nirvana. This zone, more of a family space with a television, trades saturated colors for tonal play of orange, including a color-blocked floor where meticulously cut tiles flow into curved patterns so precise, they appear painted.
And just when you think the drama has peaked, the dining corner dials it up: a cantilevered table suspended from the ceiling with sleek rods, no legs in sight. “The idea was to keep the floor visible and the volume light,” reveals Jeet. The chairs pose as funky three-legged oddities, as the tabletop glimmers with a high-sheen surface.
Contrary to norms, the whimsy doesn’t subside in the bedrooms; instead, it crescendos in full swing. The primary suite leads through a walk-in wardrobe, which features a quirky dresser with carved wooden legs and an abstract mirror. Underfoot, printed tiles demarcate the passage into the sleeping zone. Inside, the upholstered bed is flanked by polka-dot side tables, while the multicoloured fabric headboard steals focus—each patch a distinct textile stitched into a singular, expressive composition. A handcrafted storage unit, framed in scalloped detail, hovers light and lyrical.
In the guest bedroom, orange chevron flooring plays off a striped ceiling, where colour and pattern collide in a palpable dissonance. Pop art enters the scene through a UV-printed media panel, and the study unit is fitted with a playful array of oval-shaped drawers, adding yet another sculptural layer to the room’s eclectic pulse.
The puja room, often a site of restraint, takes a delightfully unconventional turn. Recessed curves in pink tonal bands wrap around a central wallpapered alcove, while the grid ceiling features colour-blocked panels adorned with ornate plaster murals. Sun motifs etched into a textured wall reinforce the cheerful energy.
Maximalist at heart and masterfully honed in execution, the abode captures the joy of excess while redrawing the boundaries. A living canvas of instinct and individuality, Taraash unfolds as a fearless celebration of all things personal.
The Author is a Faculty at School of Design and Innovation, RV University, Bengaluru
