Nested within eastern Bangalore’s mushrooming residential landscape, this dwelling gracefully demonstrates the gusto with which colour can tint a home’s persona! Fittingly dubbed ‘Abode of Hues’, colour poses as an effectual thread which stitches a delicate map through the residence, tingeing each room with an individualistic identity while cohesively weaving the vast blueprint. This apartment in Bangalore is home to a closely-knit trio of a mother and her children. The family is acclaimed for hosting the warmest gatherings for loved ones, more so as the client is a passionate home chef!

“We came on board when the space was brimming with promise, fresh from the builder’s handover! The client is a family friend and knowing her moulded our inspiration while designing her dream home. Her affable demeanor catalyzed the project’s ethos, becoming a quality we subliminally infused into the dwelling,” shares Abhishek. The family’s brief intended a Contemporary-Indian approach (aligned with principles of Vaastu) where hues and textures played a dynamic role while exhibiting restraint. Adeptly designed storage was high on the client’s totem pole of requirements. The team focused on implanting these additions as discreetly into the spaces as possible, highlighting the design narrative instead. Conforming to the dictum of ‘Form follows Function’, the design experience is headlined by geometric forms, rhythmic repetition of structural elements, colour as bookmarks, and a significant influx of daylight.

Editor’s Note: The apartment design in Bangalore takes advantage of the constraints posed by city life. Arches are a constant feature that bridge each space, giving the illusion of spaciousness. Subtle colours are paired with strong textures, while the indoor plants balance the earthy aesthetics. Murals adorn the interiors, suggesting the artistic flair of the residents. – Gopika Pramod

Abode of Hues: an apartment in Bangalore with a serene and joyous mood | DNC Studio9 LLP

“Colour is a living and breathing part of this residence. However, our approach was inclined towards keeping the spaces minimal and simple. There is a visual equation continuously at play. The neutral zones host accents of hues such as art, décor, soft furnishings, and indoor greenery. Alternately, there are sections of the home steeped in colour, and here, we’ve kept all accompanying elements muted. This lends each room a unique experience, while colour champions expression,” observes Chandra.

One’s arrival into the apartment is defined by a compact and effectively conceived foyer, priming the palette in anticipation of what the home holds within. Swathed in teak veneer, the space is bordered along one side by a finned membrane of slender wood columns. Angled vertical members offer privacy to adjacent areas while enabling one to perceive movement in the foyer. A recessed marble-lined countertop conceals shoe storage and electrical boards beneath, with an expansive mirror above that enhances the depth of this spatial segment.

The residence’s design style comes vibrantly uncorked within the living room, the rightful nucleus of the home. Saturated in abundant daylight funneled in through the peripheral balcony, the living space is a microcosm of warmth and colour, perfect for intimately hosting the family’s kith and kin!

“One’s sight is lured to the tangerine-hued Pichwai painting, masquerading as the undisputed objet d’art — the choice of art is indicative of the home’s design grammar and the prevalence of colour as a defining element across spaces,” he highlights. Beneath, the ivory sofa, suave daybed, and monochrome armchairs (all crafted by Creatomy) are grounded upon the jute rug, positioned to face the artisanal beige and blue inlay coffee table by Chairs & Company. Pieced together in wood and marble, the television console occupies the wall across from the conversation space. It turns the corner to reveal a bespoke pooja room in the northeastern pocket. Arched and linear teak wood profiles have been infilled with fluted glass, creating a delicate portal into the sanctum. Inside, a quartet of drawers perches high in the wall, its quartz top doubling as a platform to host the deity’s idols. Indian inspired murals speckle the vignette, establishing a zen milieu during the family’s congregations and prayers

Flanking the other edge of the open blueprint, the dining space is a tribute to umber warmth, perfect to savour the client’s gastronomical adventures! The robust yet minimal dining table by Creatomy is crowned by a textured, natural stone, rested atop a sleek wood frame. Seating a gathering of six, the Mid-Century Modern style dining chairs boast tan-hued upholstery, heightening the richness of tones.

“Addressing the family’s need for maximized storage, we brainstormed a built-in hutch that would be a modern take on classic credenzas. Wrapped in teak veneer, the unit hosts an inset section complete with overhead storage and a heavy-duty quartz countertop to Abode of Hues DNC STUDIO9 LLP 3 double as an extension of the dining space,” Abhishek illustrates. Offsetting this area, a Mughal-inspired portrait dons the role of the focal point, injecting a flurry of colours into this monotoned zone.

The bar nook is positioned alongside the dining area, providing additional functionality to communal spaces, especially while hosting. “The arched shape of the recess is a nod to the element’s pervasive presence across the home — the form debuts as transition portals, doors, and functional pockets of space,” the Architect emphasises. A collage of grey and white patterned tiles form the backdrop while teakwood shelves cantilever forward, garnished with bric-a-brac and barware.

Veiled behind a fluted glass sliding door, the kitchen was designed with minimal interventions, aligning with the home’s materiality. With pragmatic viability topping the priority list, the space was planned to anchor ample provisions for storage.

The surface finishes echo wood tones and creamy whites, contrasted compellingly by the hardwearing, flecked granite countertops. The matrix of motif-bearing tiles by Graffiti has been meticulously laid over the mundane builder floor, giving the space a much-yearned facelift!

Tucked inconspicuously into the dwelling’s expanse, the powder bathroom is a petite space that revels in the timelessness of monochromes. Preserving the builder-provided beige marble below, the top half of the walls has been envisioned as a canvas of sorts. Emulating a dense forest, the water colour-style mural features swaying trees in black and grey gradients and hexagonal wall mirrors.

Designed as an anchorage for the client, the master bedroom is bathed in earthy warmth, unadorned materiality, and bijou cameos of colour. “Natural light being marginally scarce in this space emphasised the need for a bright and airy palette of hues that would innately create a perception of vastness,” he adds.

The omnipresence of whites, textured wood, and doses of gold lend the room an urbane and suite-like character. The gridded beading of the focal wall descends into a wood headboard, the latter’s grains imitating a feeling of movement as one’s sight traces the wall’s entirety.

Skirting the room’s edges, the white wardrobes hold woven cane panels, iterating the Modern Indian allure. Along one side, the wardrobe elongates as a window seat cum bed, with niches for treasured reads and curios.

The son’s bedroom showcases a hearty appetite for colour. Blues travel as a leitmotif across the room, walking the line between an animated and expressive escape for the young inhabitant! “With children, we have the thrilling opportunity to interpret a brief ingeniously.

The arched portal into the bedroom is a nod to the beloved Jerry’s burrow from a fondly cherished cartoon series that the child loves,” smiles Abhishek. A dramatic passage funnels one into the bedroom, enveloping the individual in a dense cloud of blue.

A tall console by Creatomy harbours one side, illuminated moodily by the Hatsu pendant. Inside, the cobalt blue hue washes over the slatted headboard, turning into the quaint walk-in wardrobe that celebrates grey tones.

Across the bed, a veneerclad study transforms into the television console, perfect for addressing the morphing needs of the child or hosted guests

In the daughter’s bedroom, her penchant for the spectrum of pinks takes on a new lease of life! With invigorated potency, the colour claims the room’s canvas while keeping it easy on the eyes. The fluted, dusty pink headboard is the central feature, fringed on either end by walnut-toned wood and cane nightstands.

A duo of glass and brass, planter-style luminaires by The Purple Turtles levitate over the bedside nook, casting transient shadows. The resting space gazes at a medley of cotton candy-tinted wardrobes (paired with svelte handles by Studio Made), the wall’s end earmarked by a study corner.

Strategically placed mirrors augment the room’s scale, featuring an arched installation sourced from Sage Living and a round pick from Kohler, teamed with an apothecary-style cabinet that operates as her elaborate vanity.

“Little things are seldom little! The journey felt like a full-circle moment when the family finally experienced the home. Considering each member’s dreams, needs, and vision made this endeavour successful, and we believe this will be a wholesome, new chapter for them to embark on,” expresses Chandra in conclusion. The Abode of Hues is a testament to the inherent association colours and spaces bear. In this home, the element defines spatial boundaries, creating environments of comfort that are simultaneously buoyant with life!

Fact File

Designed by: DNC Studio9 LLP

Project Type: Residential Interior Design

Project Name: Abode of Hues

Location: Bangalore

Year Built: October 2023

Project Size: 2,900 Sq.ft

Principal Architect: Abhishek Chandra

Design Credits: Deepti Chandra

Text Credit: Lavanya Chopra

Photograph Courtesy: Inclined Studio

Firm’s Website Link: DNC Studio9 LLP

Firm’s Instagram Link: DNC Studio9 LLP

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