The ‘human touch’ of design!

IAnD Exclusive

Designer’s Personal Spaces 

By Archit Raj Thapar

Photography: Harsha Kataraia; courtesy the designer

Read Time: 2 mins

(inset) Designer Parag Ainchwar

Designer Parag Ainchwar from Cluster One Creative Solutions Pvt. Ltd. gives us a sneak peek into his newly refurbished home in Pune – a space that effectively synthesises his design sensibilities...

A mural of Lord Ganesha at the entrance invites us into this 2600 sq.ft. home, where an abundance of bespoke design elements charters out a warm, intimate feel. Be it the Edison bulbs hanging on jute threads wrapped around the wire in the entrance lobby, the bright yellow and grey palette of the living room or the ebony and ivory of the kitchen…they are all set to become signifiers of these spaces.

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Keeping the personalities of all members in mind, the home is expressive without being in-the-face. Parag, who always abides by an unrestrained palette and style (he calls it Design Tribalism), incorporates this approach here too – befitting the ethos of a home, which is characterised by constant growth.    

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Carving functionality out of each space, multi-utility niches and pragmatic storage options abound.  Lighting plays a showstopper here – both, in terms of fittings and chiselling the moods of the spaces. Spacious and uncluttered, the expansive feel of the home is augmented by the open-layout and the use of a floor-to-ceiling mirrored expanse in the dining area.

The terrace serves as a natural extension to the dining, facilitating a spill-over-space with a city-view, opening the home to the outdoors. Parag has a soft spot for this terrace, where he starts his day and unwinds after a hard day at work. 

Just like the crossword arrangement of names at the entrance, the home is the epitome of a simple abode filled to its brim with the colourful personalities of its inmates.

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Foremost Four

• The one quality in you that has been your USP to success? Why?
  • Design infusion at the scale of space and at the scale of objects, responding to both - utility as well as desire.
• What is the one thing that you have done for yourself that you’d never do for a client?
  • Experiment with details.
• An important design lesson that you abide by?
  • Design should be Simple not Simplistic.
• Is there a message that you’d like to convey to your client through your own space?
  • Yes. Framing the requirements at the initial stage and believing in the designer should characterise your way forward.

Fact File:

Design Firm: Cluster One Creative Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Principal Designers/Architects: Parag Ainchwar / Parag Sen

Built-up Area of project: 2600 sq. ft. 

Location: Pune