Tour a Stylish Chennai, India, Residence Designed by Gowri Adappa

Sign Up for Domino’s Newsletter

Among sprawling mango timber in a quiet cul-de-sac in Chennai, India, a newlywed couple discovered their first house collectively. The residence, nonetheless underneath building after they moved in, provided one thing uncommon in city India: full inventive freedom. Here was their clean canvas, ready to be remodeled into one thing that felt distinctly “them”—an area that may change into the backdrop of their shared lives collectively.

Enter Gowri Adappa, the Madras-based co-founder of A Design Co. who additionally occurs to dwell in the identical tree-lined neighborhood. “I think they resonated with my aesthetic, and all it took was one conversation—we were pretty much finishing each other’s sentences in terms of vibe,” Adappa remembers. The problem lay in making a impartial, meditative area paying homage to a New York loft, however one which honored its Indian roots. The couple craved airiness and lightweight, desirous to catch a glimpse of the luxurious greenery surrounding their constructing. “I had to really open up the stuffy layout to allow pockets to look out to the trees, almost evoking the courtyards in old Madras homes,” Adappa explains.

Her method attracts from three many years of residing on this metropolis—childhood recollections passing Charles Correa’s iconic curved MRF building on her option to swim classes. “I am still taken by its gentle Art Deco proportions. The city’s architecture and culture have seeped into every pore in my body,” she smiles. 

Her private experiences grew to become the muse for what she calls “India Modern.” She likes to weave collectively mid-century furnishings, conventional Indian artwork, and daring bursts of shade, and it shines via on this house. Ahead, Adappa provides us the lowdown on the reno. 

How did you’re employed with the residence’s difficult, slim format?

It was primarily one lengthy, slim hall punctuated by columns and rooms jutting off on both facet, like boxcar compartments that had been desperately begging to be “opened up.” It helped that the couple needed to transform the four-bedroom right into a spacious two-bedroom, full with an en-suite walk-in wardrobe, plush major suite, and even a bath.

Tearing down partitions can create a soulless and cavernous area, the place all intimacy is misplaced. And that’s precisely what I needed to keep away from. I needed to have the ability to cozy it up or down, and nonetheless have that circulate, so I went about creating nooks and niches inside this huge open area. Take the formal residing space. We fully curved one of many present columns and turned it into this sculptural second, anchoring the area. It bisects the 2 areas visually however retains every thing open, creating this actually fascinating spatial dynamic. 

Moving via to the eating and cocktail space, we took help from an analogous column and launched a glass brick wall, creating a transparent separation with out closing off the area completely.

What was your start line for the fabric and shade palette?

The metropolis’s relentless summer time was my largest jumping-off level. When you’re contending with scorching temperatures year-round, your supplies must do extra than simply match an aesthetic—they should actually cool you down. And with this west-facing residence getting pounded by mild all day, I knew we wanted a heat palette that embraced the temperature and responded to the shifting mild; a palette whereby morning mild makes it really feel saturated and gentle, however as these shadows roll in throughout the night, it will get moody and complex.

I sourced this beigeish-brown marble flooring that had an nearly retro, shiny high quality. It didn’t learn as conventional marble in any respect, giving us the right heat, impartial base to work from. That restraint is what lets us get daring in different areas. The woodwork grew to become an actual assertion, and I began layering in these earthy tones—mustards, ochres, and biscuit shades in opposition to a heat sandy backdrop. The interaction of those wealthy pigments and assorted textures generates this luminous high quality, the place your complete residence seems to glow from inside.

What’s a intelligent design element on this house that company may not instantly decide up on?

I’ve all the time had my reservations with conventional photograph partitions—they will really feel each static and sterile. We built-in this floor-to-ceiling bookshelf that’s change into a “collectibles wall.” It is far much less on-the-nose and a softer manner of articulating recollections. 

What I like in regards to the bookshelf is its transitory high quality—items can migrate, be rearranged or changed, reflecting their evolving lives. Their poodle has claimed the underside shelf as his perch, curling up so completely into the proportions that you just’d swear we deliberate it that manner from the start.

What’s the good factor you fabricated for this house?

I used to be lifeless set on doing the pantry in chrome steel, not simply the home equipment, however every thing. I needed the residence to really feel younger, gritty, and lofty, with the kitchen giving severe mid-century retro vibes. When I couldn’t discover the correct vendor to put in it, my contractor and I did one thing fully unhinged: we bought the HVAC ducting individual to make the cupboards. Across this sits a classic Le Corbusier LC4 chaise lounge {that a} pal sourced from a BMW dealership.

What is your favourite lighting second on this residence?

Undoubtedly, the material globe pendant from Atelier Lumy’s at Pondicherry. It’s actually low slung within the cocktail room; it feels just like the solar has descended into the area.

What is your go-to supply that different designers perhaps don’t learn about?

The dusty, non-descript, anonymous vintage shops off the highways of Pondicherry, Bangalore, and Bombay. I’m an early riser and spend hours digging via these tiny, cramped aisles for actually cool, distinctive items. I spot issues others would fully go up—a weathered brass vessel, a fraction of outdated architectural element, or perhaps a crumbling piece of carved wooden.

What was the good artisan or retailer that you just found throughout this venture?

I’m an advocate for Made in India. We’re spoiled for selection with the unbelievable homegrown manufacturers which have emerged lately. I sourced a stone espresso desk from Iqrup and Ritz, chairs from Pinnakin and Phantom Hands, and, after all, the hand-woven rugs from Jaipur Rugs, which tie all of it collectively. 

What’s your secret sauce to creating deeply layered interiors?

I’ve no guidelines and can fortunately place a modern up to date sectional subsequent to an vintage Babouches from Souk. I like mixing metals, too; chrome steel and heat brass can co-exist. If I’m engaged on a new-build, I inject persona by layering in lesser-known treasures from vintage shops or with regional artwork. If it’s an older house, I herald modernity via furnishings and lighting.

What’s your prime tip for making a luxurious-looking area with out the value tag?

Luxury to me is high quality and workmanship. It isn’t about going excessive or spending a ridiculous sum of money, however somewhat looking for items with actual tales. Oil-rubbed wooden, handwoven rugs, vibrant textiles—to have the ability to really feel the craftsmanship, see the patina, perceive the story behind each bit that’s positioned with intention.