Editor’s Note: There’s something truly special about homes crafted with thought and care—where every corner and detail speaks to its users, becoming part of their memories. For siblings Akhila and Kaushik, Sona Reddy Studio brought this vision to life in One Summer House, a rustic farmhouse tucked within the vibrant city of Hyderabad. Designed with deep sensitivity, it creates harmony between space, light, and nature, offering a home that feels both personal and timeless. – Yamini Patil
Hyderabad, a city where time folds over itself in layers of history and modernity, carries an energy unlike any other. Its skyline is a dance between the ancient and the contemporary, where centuries-old minarets rise alongside glass towers. Here, bustling markets hum with the scent of spices, interwoven with whispers of innovation. It is within this vibrant confluence that a rustic farmhouse emerges—not just as a residence, but as a quiet dialogue between eras, cultures, and sensibilities. Set against the serene backdrop of Himayat Sagar Lake, this farmhouse embraces the land’s quietude in unhurried moments.
In This Rustic Farmhouse in Hyderabad, Time Pauses and Light Dances | Sona Reddy Studio
The vision was clear from the outset; siblings Akhila and Kaushik sought a home that would transcend the functional and become a living, breathing part of their memories. Standing gracefully within this dynamic city, this 8,350 sq ft home, conceptualised by Sona Reddy Studio. The home feels like an oasis of calm and a study in balance.
Every element within its walls speaks to the owners’ desire for a space that is both grounding and inspiring. They wanted a retreat away from the world but remain deeply connected to it. The architecture respects its surroundings, borrowing the warmth of Hyderabad’s cultural richness and infusing it with contemporary elegance.
As you step inside, the air shifts, carrying with it a sense of quietude. The design is unhurried, each detail considered, and each material chosen with intention. Sunlight filters through thoughtfully placed apertures, casting patterns that change with the passing hours. This transforms the interiors into a living canvas. The spaces unfold organically, revealing corners meant for conversation, solitude, for reflection. Yet, it is not just a home—it is a feeling, an experience. It carries the rhythm of those who inhabit it, responding to their pace, their needs, their silences. In its quiet sophistication, it does not demand attention, but it holds it nonetheless.
The formal living space is a lesson in restraint, its pink lime plaster walls and oxide flooring creating a canvas of muted warmth. Here, textures do the talking—knotted jute, aged metals, and deep-toned wood intermingle, while bean-shaped grey sofas by Studio Chisel form an intimate conversation nook. The home doesn’t demand attention; it gently coaxes one into its embrace. At the heart of the residence, a triad of spaces—the lounge, dining area, and dry kitchen—flows seamlessly into each other, their boundaries softened by a deck that blurs the line between indoors and out. Above, sleek wooden pergolas filter the sunlight, casting playful shadows that shift with the hours. The pool, a reflective oasis nestled amid the pink terrazzo-clad deck, mirrors the sky’s changing moods, while beyond, rolling hills complete the pastoral tableau. It is a setting that compels one to linger, to absorb rather than pass through.
One of the most compelling spaces in this rustic farmhouse is the lounge, a double-height volume adorned with wood ceiling panels and crowned by a sculptural pendant luminaire from The Wicker Story. A deep purple sofa by Ray Barn anchors the room, its sinuous form a counterpoint to the angular architectural elements. Beneath it, the Dhara rug from the Sona Reddy x House of Knots collection unfurls like a painting, its hues whispering of distant lands and traditions. The sunken television lounge, just beyond, takes inspiration from traditional baithak seating, its black granite and white Banswara marble floors forming a striking chessboard beneath one’s feet.
The dining area is a masterclass in understated grandeur, where a long wooden table stretches beneath a canopy of curated lighting. Pierre Jeanneret Chandigarh Chairs, reimagined in stained wood and scarlet fabric, lend a quiet nostalgia. The kitchen, a dramatic study in contrast, pairs red travertine and black-stained wood for the island, while densely fluted black cabinetry adds a layer of sculptural intrigue.
The effect is bold yet timeless, a kitchen that feels as much an art piece as it does a functional space. In a home of many moods, the bar is where theatrics take centre stage. Its all-black counter, fashioned from metal sheets, exudes quiet sophistication, while a gilt-finished spiral staircase leads upward to the mezzanine entertainment zone. Here, a custom wood snooker table stands against a fabric patchwork panel by Kambli Studio, its warm rusts and ivories echoing the home’s palette.
The corridors of this rustic farmhouse wind like soft passages of a dream enveloped in the omnipresent pink lime plaster. Their edges curve, a gentle rebellion against rigid geometry, allowing light to pool in unexpected corners. This sense of fluidity carries into the bedrooms, each a bold yet harmonious exploration of colour.
The primary suite is bathed in sage, its floors a polished Kota stone mosaic that feels cool underfoot. A fabric and cane bed in muted pink sits atop a richly textured rug, while beyond dark-stained accordion doors, the bathing chambers unfold in a symphony of stone and marble. The second bedroom takes on a moodier persona, its walls a slate-green plaster that deepens in the evening light. A cyan tadelakt bathing chamber surprises in its vibrancy, a secret world tucked within.
Even in the guest bedroom, where neutrality reigns, there are whispers of drama. An X-frame bed commands attention, while slivers of deep salmon peek through, hinting at the color-drenched ensuite beyond. Every space in this home holds a story, a moment waiting to be discovered.
There is something profoundly poetic about a home that does not seek to impress but instead chooses to unfold itself, layer by layer, revealing its soul with time. One Summer House is not just an architectural achievement; it is a love letter to the land it stands upon, to the past it honours, and to the future it so patiently awaits.
In crafting this rustic farmhouse, Sona Reddy and her team have not merely designed a structure but have distilled an essence of nostalgia, of togetherness, of a life lived in harmony with its surroundings. Here, memories will be woven into the very fabric of the walls, the seasons will leave their marks in the way light filters through, and time will stretch endlessly, just as the family dreamed it would.
And perhaps that is the true beauty of this home; that it exists not just as a retreat from the city, but as a world of its own, where the pulse slows, the senses heighten, and life, in all its simple grandeur, is celebrated.
Fact File
Designed by: Sona Reddy Studio
Project Type: Residential Architecture Design
Project Name: One Summer House,
Location: Hyderabad
Year Built: 2024
Project Size: 8350 Sq.ft
Principal Architect: Sona Reddy
Photograph Courtesy: Pankaj Anand
Text Credit: Lavanya Chopra
Lighting Consultants: SPK Valo
Firm’s Website Link: Sona Reddy Studio
Firm’s Instagram Link: Sona Reddy Studio
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