By Marina
Correa
Photography:
Courtesy the architect
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Ar. Behzad Kharas of The BNK Group articulates a
high-end residential project that pulsates with myriad design styles and a sumptuous
material palette…
Besides the innate strength of optimum space
planning, interior design is characterized by its aesthetic appeal;
incorporated either as an integral element of design or as add-ons in terms of
the décor. In this project, the design brief stressed on “opulence with storage
aplenty” and uses the former approach to luxurious living…
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As you step through the bevel-edged
copper
mirror and smoked-veneer main door, you are greeted by a passage with a champagne-leafed
ceiling. A laser-cut vinyl sheet stuck onto bent glass and coated with gold makes
for an eye-catching feature in the living room; this not only softens the edges
but adds buoyancy to the volume.
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An opulent material vocabulary abounds but is
handled with restraint and constancy. For instance, one wall in the dining area
is completely clad in onyx and back-lit – making it glow like a jewel in the
night. Perlato chips and dark Emperador flooring is seen in the powder bathroom,
while the paneling is done in various shades of veneer like walnut smoked,
burl, venge and smoked ebony. Similarly, leather-clad walls - for the TV and Master bed, back-painted glass, laser-cut
Corean, laser engravings in Teakwood, and a soft colour like beige used in varying degrees,
is seen ubiquitously in the house.
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Highlights include, bevel-edged
veneer-over-veneer and mirror-over-mirror surface finishes, fabricated motifs, crystal
studs, back-lighting, cove lighting, and alabaster and smooth Italian Bottocino marble amongst others.
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Effecting strategic structural changes, specific
niches are created for artefacts and a marble wall in the
living area optimizes space in this 1,500 sq ft apartment, where the ambience
pulsates with an animated play of light on the design features.
I use a professional stylist routinely, on a home-interior shoot for the magazine features I produce: a really good stylist is an invaluable asset, bringing her (it's always a "her") own creativity to the props she brings and how she arranges them - in consultation with me, naturally. I would hate to do an important shoot without a stylist.
ReplyDeleteI know too little of interior design to speak with authority, but I had not previously come across the notion that designers might work with a stylist: for the interior designers I know, it would be superfluous, since "styling" is an integral part of the designer's brief.
I followed the link here, and I have to say this "high end residential project" in Mumbai is not to my taste! The text claims that "An opulent material vocabulary abounds but is handled with restraint and constancy," which is somewhat arguable to say the least: many would describe the interior shown as wildly OTT, kitsch, and tasteless - an exuberant, undisciplined over-use of clashing styles, garish finishes and incompatible materials... It would be an interesting challenge to photograph. In response to IAnD's discussion thread "What are the advantages of having a professional stylist assisting an interior designer?"