Nestled in a quiet neighbourhood this duplex apartment is part of the first modern housing complex in Guwahati, Assam – the land of mighty river Brahmaputra & the late Bhupen Hazarika. The clients, a family of five desired a simple house with a modern design approach. 

The design idea was to create an expansive house where flowing space was celebrated as the hero. The original layout of the house was modified to a great extend to achieve an open plan layout enhancing the experience of the expansive space. Functions of spaces were shuffled to create a large living & dining space that opened to the terrace on the lower level of this two level apartment.

Editor’s Note: With a playful combination of a muted color scheme, this duplex apartment in Guwahati stands out for its conscious detailing to achieve simplicity with a touch of glam to it. The carefully crafted open plan allows the spaces to flow and blend with each other naturally. The grandeur of the house flows throughout and embraces the user with sheer comfort. ~ Simran Khare

 Duplex Apartment Is Part Of The First Modern Housing Complex in Guwahati | studioADAPL

Characterised by wooden, geometrically laid panels, the main door of this 5500 sqft house welcomes visitors into expansive spaces! Once inside the house, one can experience the space flowing vertically and horizontally.

The double height entrance foyer is dressed in white. The flooring laid is Statuario Vanetino marble that intricately owns its own web pattern. The double height walls were finished with white wall paper with a hint of pearl silver that shimmers in the day light and sparkles when the 98 bulb glass chandelier comes alive, as the sun sets in the Tea city of India. The left wall of the entrance door has a stepped cabinet in white that holds a large amount of storage but at the same time, does not feel too bulky to the naked eye. The unit acts as a console with an intricately carved Buddha statue that is perched peacefully over a hollow tree bark.

The white painted grill not only hides the ac unit within, but also adds some drama when lit in the evening. The pebble shaped beaten metal top table softens this otherwise orthogonal shape design. Floor to ceiling grey curtains provides a perfect background for the light furniture in the front. 

One of the walls in the living room is cladded with the same black marble as the staircase in a book match pattern. The natural cracks in the marble were further highlighted by filling in rose gold inlay that complimented the rose gold art deco console that was placed in the front. This wall acts as a natural stone art wall with a subtle touch of bling.

The white Onyx topped dining table & chair is paired up with a custom design bench with eleven legs in teakwood. The minimal design of the glass petal chandelier in gold frame adds the required touch of subtle grandeur in this entire space.

The walnut dining unit acts defines the living and the dining space but does divides the space visually. Ones line of vision flows from the Pooja room to the terrace and vice-a-versa. The large window opening to north and east direction washes the living and dining with abundant natural light bringing in lot of positive vibes. The L shaped sectional sofa sweeps the living room further accentuating the length of this space. The steel framed black arm chairs invite you to sink in them and enjoy the outdoors from the living room.

The faucet of the wash basin catering to the dining space is designed as a sculpture on the wall. The design is inspired by the calming ripples that are created on a water surface when a droplet of water falls on it. The falling drop was elongated to act as the faucet.

The kitchen further continues the muted language of the entire house. The hero of the kitchen is the stone used for the platform and the dado. The stone appears like several tree barks fused together. To celebrate this natural wonder the entire kitchen was kept in single colour. The built in refrigerator and other gadgets give an uncluttered look to the kitchen. A pull out table was designed in the gadget cabinet that doubles up as a prep counter or breakfast table for the kids in the morning rush hours. The vitrified floor tiles matching the marble outside gives a seamless flow of the horizontal space.

The Pooja room was thoughtfully carved out by calculatively borrowing some space from the guest bedroom. The white palette continued inside the mandir too, with splashes of gold to add to the grandeur of this holy space.

Made in teak wood with a striking lotus motif on it when closed, this jaali door demarcates the unadulterated bounderies of the pooja room. The Pooja room was painted in a bright yellow tint for it to stand out as a special space in the otherwise muted colour scheme of the living & dining area.

The black straight grained marble of the staircase, which was laid in a manner to give a water cascade effect, beautifully contrasts with the floor. The staircase begins with an extended platform to its left, which is used for decorations during special occasions and festivals.

The platform along with the staircase has become a favourite photo opt area whenever the house has friends & family visiting them for the many soirees that the client enjoys hosting. The area below the staircase has been utilised as an additional storage space for all the surplus paraphernalia in the house.

Dressed in hushed tones, the master bedroom is a cocoon of comfort, simplicity and minimalism. Paisley wall paper in peach adorns the panel behind the headboard. The overall colour scheme of the bedroom plays around the soft tones of peach.

The Bianco oro marble on the floor adds an interesting pattern. The dash of gold in the sofa & side tables compliments & elevates the monotone of the room. The gold pendant lights hanging from the ceiling creates interesting shadows on the wall enhancing the overall finesse of the rooms. The large sweeping windows bathe the space in soft north light giving it a relaxing feel during the day.

It was the client’s conscious decision to not have TVs in all the bedrooms except the mother’s bedroom on the lower level. Entertainment being one of the binding element of the family, the client decided to have a media room. This room was created by covering up the double height dining room in the original layout.

The white & grey colour tones continue in this room also with the day bed popping out in rust to add the contrast. A large poodle chair in teal is a super hit with anyone visiting the house bringing out the kid in everyone be it kid or an adult.

Grey and yellow colours dominated the son’s room who is at the threshold of his teenage years. The hexagon tiles in white, yellow and grey adds the playfulness to the room. The fabric upholstered bed has angular shaped extended side giving it a dynamic shape

Adjoining the media room is the 7 year old daughter’s room . She desired a round bed for her bedroom which the clients fulfilled very happily. The teal bed is the show stopper of the room, hence all the other furniture were downplayed in soft pink and white colour. Care was taken while planning the room to have as much open space as possible for the girl to be able to play with her doll house & toys without spilling them all out of her room. Hearts in baby pink, embroidered stars in the curtains & the magenta coloured crescent moon in the ceilings adds to the cuteness quotient of this girly room that the daughter wished for.  

Fact File

Designed by: studioADAPL

Project Type: Residence Interior Design

Project Name: Subtle Grandeur

Location: Guwahati, Assam

Year Built: 2023

Project Size: 5489 Sq.ft

Principal Architect: Ajjay Ssharma

Design Credits: Jignesh Jani

Photograph Courtesy: Ajjay Ssharma

Firm’s Website Link: studioADAPL

Firm’s Instagram Link: studioADAPL

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