Alkove-Design crafts this Pune home with austere Indian aesthetics

It is the dream of resettled families to create a sanctuary in their adopted context. A home that echoes tunes from their roots yet fuses effortlessly into their new milieu. The Kausthubhans, holding south-Indian roots and long settled in Pune, aspired to manifest a soulful dwelling celebrating their melded identities. They approached Alkove-Design with the desire to create a traditional-contemporary home meant to become a gathering nest for their extended families.

The abode was conceived by merging two adjacent 3-bedroom apartments, with a combined carpet area of 2183.36 Sqft. Functions were reallocated and peppered throughout the spacious apartment- a living space, a kitchen, dining, a worship area, 4 bedrooms, a family room, and a study-library.

The interior shell was intentionally envisioned as an understated envelope in ivory white to elevate the vibrance of the art, motifs, textiles, textures, and furniture that resonated with the family’s sensibilities. Among these were several pieces cherished for their sentimental value, carefully preserved and revitalised by the design team. Beyond a commitment to sustainable practices, this approach sought to safeguard the treasure trove of memories woven into the family’s collective narrative, infusing every corner with profundity.

The Living area opens out as a spacious enclosure, yet intimate owing to subtle structural divisions along the ceiling. “When combining the two apartments, the fusion of spaces was accentuated with graceful gestures like draping wooden arched strips along columns and beam bottoms that gently meander across. Serving both to conceal beam projections and delicately partition the living area, these strips create discrete pockets within the space,” says Ninada, Principal Architect at Alkove-Design.

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The furniture in hues of white and teal contributes to the room’s serene palette. An existing sofa set was transformed with re-upholstered Indian textile prints that add artisanal charm to complement the rustic wooden and cane textures. Designed with restrained grace, delicate vertical indentations bring a touch of rhythmic mannerism across a muted white wall. Yet, it is the showpiece on this wall—a resplendent folk-art piece by Rajeshwari Kale, 'The Radha Krishna,' that anchors the room, its vivid colors and stylised mythological characterisation, creating a gripping visual narrative.

The study cum library is designed for the quintessential bibliophile, given that the family members were voracious readers. An ample library unit designed in oak is to house an exhaustive collection of cherished books. Playing an apt backdrop for the wooden unit with rattan panels is cream wallpaper with gold block-printed accents. Kausthubhan had requested a dedicated workspace for his client meetings that the team crafted in a rich teak finish. The linear lines of the work desk rise like slender trunks in an orchard of wisdom.

As one enters the private zones, an honest simplicity takes over, as the resting spaces emerge in a monastic spirit. The bedrooms are all swathed in an ivory white with complementing earthy palettes. The daughter’s bedroom continues in the theme of rustic textures, as a cane wardrobe and side tables, pre-owned by the family, become the anchor for the other elements. However, the most understated of all the bedrooms is the master bedroom. A simple yet powerful design gesture of opening out its balcony brings in a burst of freshness from the outside, as nature is invited in, wrapping the inhabitants in serenity.

The kitchen-dining, accessed by a connecting corridor from the living area, was carved out in the conjoining apartment space. Natural patterns and celestial motifs engulf the attached dining space in the form of floral prints and peacocks perched on foliage- all appearing as a scene straight out of the forest of enchantments. A pre-owned dining table and chairs were given new life with a touch of fresh polish and re-upholstered fabric in natural patterns. An extension of the dining area was a balcony converted to a sublime worship space. Subtly segregated with partitions featuring motifs of mythical creatures, the sacred den hosts altars of worship designed as wooden cabinets on either side of the carved nook.

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“We wished to highlight the richness of Indian crafts alongside celebrating the clients’ love for celestial motifs, albeit with a sombre approach. The colors, patterns, and textures find diversity in art forms like Ikat, Bhujodi, Mughal prints, Block prints, Warli, and many more, making it a celebration of cultural intermingling,” reflects Komal Mittal, Principal Architect at Alkove-Design. What emerges is an austere abode that pays an ode to Indian Aesthetics. It represents the physical and metaphorical fusion of spaces and identities. From two distinct dwellings, a singular sanctuary takes form, imbuing the melody of heritage in a gentle tête-à-tête with the present.

Fact File 

Project: The Indian Austere

Type of Project: Residential

Project Area: 2183.36 sq. ft.

Location: Sacred Heart, Pune

Design Studio: Alkove-Design

Principal Designers: Komal Mittal and Ninada Kashyap

Project photography: Pulkit Sehgal

Text by: Rama Raghavan