This urban apartment for two harks takes one back to a soulful perception of the Garden City, where dwelling amid greens was a given! The mention of ‘Bangalore’ conjures a reel of images in one’s mind. More recently, the thought of dense urban neighborhoods, an electric pace of living, and stark skyscrapers clouds one’s memory.

Situated in Nayanda Halli, tucked in the southern folds of the city, The Nordic Grey Apartment celebrates its union with surrounding verdure, the true-blue hallmark of inhabiting a home in Bangalore. The urban apartment’s vantage peers into a green envelope, a visual composed of tree canopies intimately woven together as far as one’s sight travels, with the urban skyline sprouting at its periphery.

Editor’s Note: “With minimalism taking over the corners of this abode, the design embraces a subtle colour palette with seamless circulation. The organic interplay of materials, enriched by intricate textures, weaves a warm embrace that stirs a profound sense of belonging. Crafted with minute details, the abode is a sanctuary of comfort.” ~Simran Khare

This Urban Apartment Takes One Back to the Garden City | Jois Design House

The Client’s Vision

Vinay and Shaila entrusted the endeavour of moulding their quaint urban apartment project to Ananya Jois, the principal architect of the Bangalore-based, eponymous design firm, Jois Design House. “My first conversation with the couple was in 2021. What stood out was how clear-minded and aligned they were with rekindled our communication after almost a year and a half, and they remained steadfast in their brief!  their vision. We rekindled our communication after almost a year and a half, and they remained steadfast in their brief! Collaborations like these are rare, and I knew I had to partner with them to turn their dream into a reality,” reminisces Ananya. With minimalism at its helm, the couple had expressed a penchant for a monochrome palette to enliven the apartment’s canvas. Detailed discussions on the design trajectory evidenced that Scandinavian sensibilities would spearhead the home’s identity.

Serenity With Panoramic Views

The foyer turns a corner, embracing a seemingly inconspicuous pooja space within. “The clients desired a dedicated area for prayer. We intended to give the nook the privacy it needed while ensuring it melds with the design grammar of the home,” avers Jois. The latticed wood grid veils the frosted glass enclosure. Thus wrapping it like a second skin. However, this element ensures that the hardware is camouflaged within the symmetry of the boxes, creating a focal feature that ties in with the enclosure’s construction. The choice of glass makes the space blend within the layout while manifesting a feeling of seclusion. Nestled within the urban apartment’s locus, the living room is saturated in daylight and a sense of ingrained serenity, with panoramic views of greenery as the space’s muse!

Additionally, rafters line the ceiling’s expanse, evoking a gradual transition towards the textured concrete wall that poses as the television’s backdrop. The tactful placement of the gridded mirror panel across the room perceptibly doubles the space’s volume, amplifying its light and dimension. Moreover, echoing the dominance of smoky greys, monochromes, and wood tones, the furniture is defined by clean lines. Thus, contrasting the organic silhouettes of the greens that claim the outdoor landscape.

Seamless Circulation

Straddling the living room and the kitchen in the urban apartment’s open blueprint, the dining space is a masterstroke. Thus, attesting to the adage of thinking big even when the floor area may not be ample! “The space at hand was, in fact, not going to suffice for a designated dining area. After many iterations, we concurred that a folding table and bench set was the way to go,” Ananya chimes in. This intervention assured uninterrupted circulation between the communal zones. Meanwhile, making the option of tucking away the unit when it was not in use. 

An all-white kitchen borders the dining area, leveraging the colour’s quality of expanse with flair! The uniformity of colour and the high-gloss finish of the laminate on the overhead and under-counter cabinets render the space a seamless persona. Thus riffing off the daylight that percolates into it.

Textured Details

The cabinetry stretches deliberately to the ceiling, projecting an exalted visual of height. The jet-black granite contrasts the sea of textured white backsplash tiles, strengthening the sharp balance of hues. A pair of white saloon doors separate the kitchen and utility area. Thus, creating a continuous band of white around the space.

Masterfully designed to make the most of the square footage while complying with Vaastu principles, the master bedroom upholds the identity of minimal and warmth-imprinted spaces. The concrete-textured wall poses as the trusted protagonist, concocting a grounding background to the wood bed.

A sleek dresser is roosted by the bedside, packing in function in the wee layout. The high-gloss, white-finished wardrobe frees up room for movement while the colour accentuates the shell’s appearance.

Versatility At It’s Essence

Masquerading as the couple’s home office and an inviting oasis for loved ones, the guest bedroom is imagined with versatility as its essence. “Doing away with the idea of a stereotypical bed as the central piece of furniture was our primary instinct! This creates a flexible layout that is vast and illuminated. The Murphy bed was the perfect choice, transforming the room’s layout on a whim,” recalls the principal architect.

The designers cleverly lodged the fold-down bed between a slender, built-in cabinet and an oblong black metal mirror. The former functions as a nightstand, while the latter ingeniously doubles the light within the room. “The apartment came with a deep niche formerly meant to host a window seat. The sheer influx of light made this the optimal spot to host the desk! The artwork on the wall is a house-warming gift presented by Shaila and Vinay’s friend and adds oodles of sentiment to this corner,” Jois recalls. 

Timeless Craftsmanship

“I’ll always remember this home as one where the clients, team, and our vision were aligned from day one! More importantly, I feel that we have been able to craft something timeless. A residence that addresses their needs and fulfils the creative aspiration they harboured while engaging design elements that are here to stay despite fleeting trends! I see this home evolving with Vinay and Shaila, bookmarking an integral and new chapter for their family,” concludes Ananya in reflection.

People have perceived the maxim of ‘less is more’ in varying ways through the decades, often creating spaces with a stark personality devoid of warmth. The Nordic Grey Apartment revisits this tenet on the drawing board while introducing layers of thoughtful simplicity and consideration for the family that dwells within.

Fact File

Designed by: Jois Design House

Project Type: Apartment Interior Design

Project Name: The Nordic Grey Apartment

Location: Bangalore

Year Built: 2024

Duration of the project: 6 Months

Project Size: 850 Sq.ft

Principal Architect: Ar. Ananya Jois

Design Credits: Ar. Deepa G

Photograph Courtesy: Nayan Soni Photography

Products / Materials / Vendors: Finishes – All weather textures (Concrete texture paint) / Lighting – Changi lighting (anti glare COB lights), chandelier & study pendant light from Ikea / Furniture – Murphy bed from Invisible Bed www.invisiblebed.com, Floor to ceiling sliding wardrobe system from SAP Hardware / Kitchen – EBCO accessories & hardware / Paint – Asian Paints full house, All weather textures for concrete finish paint / Hardware – Ebco

Firm’s Website Link: Jois Design House

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