Our client, a Chartered Accountant, envisioned a semi-private office space that embodies both sustainability and ease of maintenance. With his family dealing with stones, he sought to integrate this heirloom into the design, making stone the primary material. Their two requirements – durability and the prominent use of stone-were symbiotic. The use of Indian stones naturally complements self-sufficiency by offering a long-lasting, low-maintenance resource, ensuring that the office remains both elegant and practical over time.
While drawing from Art Deco’s appreciation for material richness and geometric clarity, this design departs from its typical ornamental excess, embracing a more restrained and contemporary approach. Stone—historically integral to Art Deco’s grand architectural statements—becomes the bridge between the context and modernity here. Rather than purely decorative applications, the material is used in a way that emphasizes structure, texture, and functionality, allowing the space to retain Art Deco’s essence while evolving beyond its conventional aesthetic. This balance ensures a workspace that is timeless, durable, and effortlessly sophisticated.
WAITING AREA
The waiting area welcomes visitors with a serene interplay of textures and materials. At its heart stands a mosaic-adorned pillar, a statement piece that bridges art and architecture, offering both a focal point and a cultural touchstone. Its intricate patterns are anchored by a rugged yet refined textured marble base, along with the polished basalt flooring, while the details of Banswara on the walls balance the overall palette.
WORKSTATIONS
The heart of the office is an open-plan workspace designed for seamless collaboration. Here, custom designed marble-topped desks stand as functional sculptures. Cane-backed chairs and warm tones of wood dominate, creating a grounding balance against the robust stone elements. Overhead, sleek linear wooden light fixtures illuminate the space, adding rhythm and continuity.
CABINS
With green marble tabletops commanding attention against the backdrop of rich teakwood finish walls, built-in shelving units, lined with books and curated decor, add a layer of personal warmth while maintaining the aesthetic’s streamlined modernity.
DISCUSSION SPACE
A large marble-topped table takes center stage, surrounded by stone benches and marble details on the wall running through. The perforated sheet ceiling adds depth, allowing light to diffuse softly across the space. The juxtaposition of warm wood, cool marble, and textured stone creates a harmonious setting that fosters creativity and discussion.
PANTRY & UTILITY
Featuring green marble countertops paired with natural wood cabinets, the charm of the basalt flooring contrasts with the sleek black fixtures, creating a functional yet visually appealing space.
CORRIDOORS & TRANSITION SPACE
The corridors act as quiet interludes between the dynamic workspaces. Louvered panels allow light and air to flow through, adding a sense of fluidity and openness. The thoughtful use of materials - such as the textured stone walls and wooden accent - ensures continuity throughout.
RESTROOMS
Green marble dominates the palette, from the walls to the custom designed countertops, creating a cohesive and luxurious ambiance. Antique finish fixtures add a touch of warmth and sophistication, while subtle lighting enhances the space
This project presented a unique set of challenges, beginning with the transformation of a residential space into a fully functional office. The original layout, designed for a home, had to be completely reimagined, walls were removed, and the zoning was carefully restructured to create an efficient workspace. Once the spatial planning was resolved, the focus shifted to the material itself. With stone as the defining element, every detail was custom designed, making transportation and on-site treatment particularly demanding. The weight and scale of the material posed a logistical challenge, especially within a compact site, requiring precise handling and execution. Despite these complexities, meticulous planning and coordination ensured that each element was seamlessly integrated, allowing the space to embody both the strength of its materials and the elegance of its design
The material palette for the project was carefully curated to enhance the space's compactness while exuding sophistication. With a restrained selection of materials, the design emphasizes openness and elegance, creating a sleek, understated aesthetic. The use of three distinguished stones - Banswara marble, green marble, and Basalt. Each material serves a distinct purpose - green marble adds vibrancy, rustic basalt introduces texture, and Banswara marble embodies calm and timeless elegance. Together, with refurbished teakwood they create a harmonious balance of permanence and impermanence. Notably, the 600-pound Banswara stone block for seating, sourced directly from the quarry, was treated textures, providing a personal and tactile touch.
All the stones featured in the space are exclusively sourced from the Parrees Store, based in Pune, ensuring a refined and cohesive material palette. The entire suite of furniture, including the custom-designed wash basin and the entire stone furniture along with the elaborate window frames are meticulously crafted in stone. Every detail has been thoughtfully executed to infuse a personal touch, seamlessly merging functionality with an elevated sense of sophistication.
As we step into the serenity of stone and marble, where every surface speaks in hushed tones of texture and refinement, the mosaic column breaks the silence—like a breath of fresh air. It does what a marble sculpture might, but in the language of stones, standing as a testament to craftsmanship and material mastery. Rather than being a mere structural element, it is a sculptural expression, all shaped from Indian Stones - Red Agra, Jaisalmer, Dholpur Pink, Banswara marble, and Basalt, each stone weaving its own story into the composition. The column does not merely stand - it asserts itself. It is not an embellishment but an evolution, where stone transcends its structural role and transforms into art.
The colour palette was intentionally restricted to monochromes with a hint of hues of stones, creating a sense of expansiveness without overwhelming the senses. The stone mosaic column is an anchor element, with its intricate patterns serving as a vibrant focal point. Custom-designed lamps were crafted specifically for the space, ensuring that every element, from the choice of stone to the lighting, was tailored to the vision of the design. Beyond the column, the slatted wall divider introduces texture and rhythm, layering depth and movement into the space while subtly defining areas without enclosing them. The marble wall details, with their organic veining, bring a quiet luxury, reinforcing the timeless elegance of natural stone.
The lighting design was conceived to optimize the limited east-facing natural light while ensuring adaptability and user control. With daylight accessible for only a short duration, the strategy centred on opening the east façade by expanding window sizes to invite an abundance of natural light into the space. A key feature of this approach was the integration of custom designed aluminium top-hung multiple-shutter horizontal windows. This approach offered flexible light modulation, enabling ventilation enhancement, glare reduction, and daylight intake versatility.
The space above the discussion area, initially being the terrace was converted into an area with a perforated sheet metal skylight. The skylight breathes life into the space, allowing light to groove across the surfaces, highlighting textures and casting shifting patterns that change throughout the day.
The project is a collaborative endeavour, uniting the designer, artists, and craftsmen, each excelling in their niche yet working together towards a unified vision. This collective approach ensured that creativity and craftsmanship blend seamlessly, resulting in a workspace that reflects both individual expertise and coordinated excellence.
