Crafted by Studio Altara, this 1500 sq.ft apartment in Chennai, ‘Dwaraka’, seamlessly harmonises timeless aesthetics with its owner’s undeniable passion for life and travel. Nestled on the first floor and shaded by lush greenery, every nook grounded in comfort is elevated by art and artefacts from across the globe.
1500 Sq.ft Apartment In Chennai Has Art And Artefacts From Across the Globe | Studio Altara
To build a home is to build a sanctuary – a space to recharge, recuperate, and reinvigorate the mind, body, and soul. The beauty of this apartment in Chennai lies in the way it weaves the tapestry of the client’s life. It celebrates her lived experiences and artistic passions through carefully curated and immaculately displayed pieces of history and culture. Set against a muted colour palette, her collection of art, artefacts, and antiques deepens the home’s character. The house also elevates and reuses the client’s old furniture in imaginative ways that adapt it to her new abode. Studio Altara has designed interiors that balance vibrancy and near-maximalism.
Hanging adjacent to the main entrance, a soothing Pichwai painting welcomes visitors with the home’s distinct personality. Envisioned as an intimate yet semi-formal space, the open living and dining room one enters builds upon this first impression.
This apartment in Chennai features elegant and earth-toned furniture, including an antique rosewood table, and a selection of the client’s prized artefacts.
This open-plan space is anchored by an accent wall highlighting two Farhan Mujib paintings. The added delicate floral details on the wall and the strategically placed asymmetric Burmese brass finials further enhance this visual focus.
However, there is more to experience in this space. Burmese offering bowls, traditional glass-front cabinets housing brass artefacts collected over 25 years, and console units featuring unique antiques build a global story from the ground up.
A Ravi Verma painting, a vintage mirror, and a wall mounted golden fan from Burma project this story onto the walls, amplifying the intrigue of the room.
The kitchen, on the other hand, embraces the grey of the flooring. Sleek and dark cabinets go hand in hand with open shelves and light grey backsplashes.
Also deviating from the rest of the house are the balconies featuring rustic terracotta tiles. However, despite the difference in stylistic choices, these spaces feel like a cohesive part of the vision for the home.
Somewhere between the quietness of the bedrooms and the busyness of the living space lie the design choices made in creating the study area.
While the wooden furniture and the neutral colour palette seen across the house continue here, the Pichwai painting, the carefully selected carpet, and the diwan dressed in printed textiles add vibrancy to the room with their brighter reds, pops of orange, and contrasting deep blues.
Diagonally flanking this hub of visual and human activity, are the master and kids’ bedroom. While these spaces adopt a more minimalistic approach, art and artefacts remain the focal point of their design.
A striking painting by John Tun Sein and a distinctly patterned and newly varnished teakwood TV cabinet act as eye-grabbers in the master bedroom.
Floral printed chairs set against a tessellated screen repurposed as a backdrop also foster visual interest.
The rest of the room, including its modern details such as the bedside reading lights, complements these pieces and creates an oasis of calm.
Like the master bedroom, the guest/kids’ bedroom also predominantly features wooden tones and exudes calmness. However, bright accent pieces and interesting furniture choices create a contrast that amplifies the room’s vibe.
Studio Altara’s keen eye for detail, careful selection of colours, textures, and materials, and ability to seamlessly integrate the client’s art and furniture reflect a design approach that celebrates the client’s unique personality without compromising on elegance.
With this project, the architects seem to have truly embraced designer David Hicks’ quote: “The best rooms have something to say about the people who live in them.”
Fact File
Designed by: Studio Altara
Project Type: Residential Interior Design
Project Name: Dwaraka
Location: Alwarpet, Chennai
Year Built: 2023
Duration of the project: 4 Months
Project Size: 1500 Sq.ft
Principal Architect: Ar. Hamsini KP
Team Design Credits: Ayilya Anand & Washim Khan
Photograph Courtesy: Pixels by Binsan
Products / Materials / Vendors: Finishes – Wall finishes – Paint and Wallpaper, Kitchen Counter Top – Steel grey granite stone, Kitchen Cabinets: 1mm laminate / Lighting –False Ceiling Lights – ACE – bought from Chandan Lites, Chennai, Pendant Lights – Fab India / Doors and Partitions – Designed by Studio Altara and executed by the carpenter team finished with 1mm laminate / Sanitaryware – Grohe / Paint – Luster Paint from Asian Paints / Flooring – Living room, Bedroom, Kitchen Flooring – Marble tiles from Cosmo Granites, Toilet Flooring tiles – Bought from Allied Ceramics, Chennai, Toilet Wall tiles – Rome Blue and Grey Subway Tiles from Bharat Floorings / Wallpaper – Wallpaper in the living room from Good Earth / Artefacts – Farhan Mujib, John Tun Sein, Burma, Pichwai Painting
Firm’s Instagram Link: Studio Altara
For Similar Project >> A House That Is Warm And Comforting, Keeping Up With The Modern Outlook
A stone fireplace glows softly, with a Chesterfield sofa drawn close beside it. Above, timber rafters stretch across the ceiling while a curved wooden staircase with wrought iron rails peeks from within; and for a moment, one is reminded of the lobbies of old colonial style hotels. The Earthy house: An 8,000-square-foot penthouse in Indore, […]
This residence is a 4bhk flat living poem, thoughtfully designed to echo a way of being that’s both intentional and deeply personal. Its essence is woven from natural light and a fluid, open grace between spaces, rendering the home a calm, grounded sanctuary perfectly attuned to the rhythms of everyday life. Every element whispers purpose, […]
In the heart of Bangalore, this french inspired 3BHK, 2000 sq ft residence unfolds as a composition of curated calm. It is designed for a well-travelled family who migrated from Kerala and spent decades abroad. the home draws on a wide palette of cultural, material, and spatial references. It reflects the confluence of a life […]
Nestled in the heart of Andheri, this compact 700-square-foot residence emerged from a heartfelt vision: a home that breathes light and air, evoking a sense of calm and understated elegance. The homeowners longed for a sanctuary of their own where every detail harmonized subtly with the light and air—from the whitewashed walls to the minimal […]
Tucked away in the heart of Delhi’s chaos, The Saba House is not just a home; it’s a pause. Spread across a modest 950 sq.ft, this apartment belongs to a young working couple who dreamt of something rare in an urban context, a home that felt light, lush, and unhurried. A space where the day […]
Where Contemporary Elegance Meets Colour-Pop Charm Nestled in the heart of the city, this elegantly designed 3BHK residence by informe designs is a celebration of balance where contemporary sophistication is effortlessly layered with playful colour-pop elements. The result is a home that is not only visually stunning but also deeply personal and welcoming. Informé Designs […]
Designed for a family of four, this 3BHK apartment strikes a balance between openness and functionality. “The client presented a straightforward brief, rich with intent—design an open furniture layout in the common areas to allow flexibility, and create bedrooms that maximise storage while maintaining clarity and ease of flow.” The design approach, therefore, was to […]
In an age when life stretches easily across borders, a second home isn’t just a luxury — it’s a lifestyle. For a young Dubai-based couple, originally from Surat, their fluid design vacation apartment was never meant to be a quiet hideaway. Instead, the designers imagined it as a stage for living well — a place […]
What makes House of Heart stand out isn’t a new gadget or flashy material, it’s the intention. Most homes today want to look perfect; this ultra modern home wants to feel perfect in the way comfort and memory make you feel perfect. This Ultra Modern Home Stands Out For Its Clean Lines And Thoughtful Planning […]
The 36th Horizon offers a sweeping view of Mumbai’s ever-evolving skyline from its position as a mindful high-rise retreat perched on the 36th floor. Framing the chaos of the city in soft silence, this home covered in pastel colors strikes a delicate balance where urban energy stays outside, and a warm, grounded calmness thrives within. […]