Warm and Glamorous

IAnD Exclusive

Pre-Diwali Special

By Marina Correa

Photography: Courtesy the architect

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Using smart features in camouflaging imperfections; extracting the best usage of space with built-in storage; doubling up functions and exploiting niches to distil maximum benefit – are some brilliant ideas employed in handling a tight volume and unconventional contours for a young couple’s cocoon in Assam…

Designed for a newly-married couple, the brief was to design a bedroom in a plush yet timeless décor that would double up as an entertainment hub for close friends coupled with ample storage capacity. Since the enclosed space lay on an open terrace of an existing bungalow, Ajay Sharma, principal architect, ADAPL (Architecture Design Art Private Ltd), created a bedroom, walk-in closet and bath. 

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White was specifically chosen for the walls to make the 400 sq. ft. area look expansive as it was being segmented by structural columns. Colour percolates through multiple sources such as soft furnishings, curtains and colour-changing LEDs, while the focal point of the décor is the raised platform bed that sits on B&W checkered Versace tiles, in turn eschewing the need for a rug.

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Generous storage options beneath the bed and in the form of a central multi-utility unit fulfill interim and long-term needs. Seating options have been doubled up by extending the bed platform and window parapets. A day bed is snugly tucked inside an alcove formed as a residual resultant of the structural columns, while miniature niches flank a window and proudly display artifacts.

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Interestingly, a wooden pergola over the bathtub not only demarcates the visual space at the ceiling level but also camouflages an abrupt drop in the RCC ceiling. “The false ceiling would have had to be drastically lowered to conceal the drop, thereby dwarfing the overall openness of the dressing room,” explains Ajay.

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The bath and shower area is a happy mix of warmth and glamour: the crystal chandelier adds drama while the LEDs create an intimate ambience; wood further accentuates the cozy feel, while closets finished in high-gloss white PU add dazzle.  

Here is a smart approach to tight volumes and unconventional contours.