In the pulsating heart of Gujarat, India, where the shimmer of the ‘Diamond City’ meets the rich tapestry of the ‘Silk City’, Surat has preserved its legacy of craftsmanship across generations. Amidst the precision of diamond cutters and the rhythmic hum of textile looms, the homeowners’ story began. They were not merely entrepreneurs but inheritors of a culture that values both traditional artistry and modern innovation. Seeking a designer who could translate this vision into a home that breathes cultural reverence and contemporary fluidity, they found Rachana Chovatiya and Ashish Chovatiya, founders of Studiorachana369. Their design philosophy is rooted in cultural memory, experiential spirituality, and a deep respect for context.

Where Modern Innovation Meets Traditional Artistry in a Home Rooted in Culture | studiorachana369

On the thirteenth floor of a building that catches the first light glinting off the Tapi River and watches the last glow fade over distant temple spires, lies RangRaas; an 8,000 sq ft apartment awash with natural light, designed for a four-generation joint family.

Heritage Meets Modern Innovation

From the outset, the brief from the client, Arvind bhai, was deeply personal. He wanted to walk through his front door and feel the embrace of his native home. He envisioned a place where carved teak pillars stood with quiet dignity, handwoven fabrics told stories through deep maroon and indigo threads, and courtyards and corridors invited lingering conversations. At the same time, he wanted the home to embrace modern innovation without losing its cultural soul. “I don’t want modern furniture that could be from anywhere in the world,” he told lead designer Rachana. “I want people to step in and instantly know this is a Gujarati home.” 

For Rachana the alignment was immediate and energising. She saw in RangRaas a vast canvas waiting to be filled with the colours of spirituality, layered detail, and a celebration of Indian maximalism. Her design process dug deep into mythology, drawing upon narratives that paralleled the family’s own bonds. Two brothers, two homes, and one shared vision. Both residences mirror each other in layout, yet each has a distinct spirit—one is an ode to the divine court of Ram Darbar, while the other celebrates the lush enchantment of Krishna’s Vrindavan.

Modern Innovation Enhances Everyday Living

The orientation of the apartment worked in favour of the spiritual and functional needs, and this aligned the planning effortlessly. The east-facing kitchen and Tulsi courtyard capture the sunrise over the Tapi, offering a serene setting for morning rituals. To the west, the Aangan (a multi-functional, courtyard-like space) serves as the family’s evening retreat. Here, coffee, conversations, and movie nights under the stars foster a sense of togetherness. At the centre, the living room becomes the heart of the home, linking the entrance foyer, kitchen, dining, and pooja areas to encourage effortless movement, conversation, and daily routines. The designers also transformed structural columns, often seen as limitations, into design features. One column now anchors a beautifully crafted dining basin.

From the common lift lobby, or osari, the home unfolds in two directions. Vrindavan lies on one side, while Awadh is on the other. Both entrances feature doors that honour Ashta Laxmi. Carved wooden columns, ornate torans, and intricate brass detailing frame each entrance.

Designing from the Ground Up

The Ashta Laxmi wooden carving becomes a symbolic threshold, welcoming visitors into spaces where art and design are inseparably woven. Interestingly, Rachana joined the project while the building was still under construction. This gave her the opportunity to plan not only the interiors but also the spatial relationships from the ground up. “We were designing alongside the architecture itself,” she recalls.

The artist team from Rogan Designs joined in at the conceptual stage, so art and design evolved in tandem. “No element in this home is ‘just art’ or ‘just design’,  it’s all woven together. Every artwork has a function, and every piece of furniture carries an artistic soul.” 

Upon entering, a hand-painted pichwai and kalamkari panel gently screens the foyer and living room, offering both privacy and anticipation. Two grand teakwood columns rise from stone kumbhi bases, anchoring the entrance with an old-world gravitas.

Nature-Inspired Living

The living room, conceived as a sparse Van-inspired space, flows effortlessly into the mandir, the open kitchen, and the dining area. A hand-knotted tropical rug introduces vibrant colour underfoot, while the studio’s signature Indian porphyry stone forms a grounding backdrop.

Indian contemporary furniture with finely carved wooden legs keeps the space minimal yet rooted. An intricately detailed wooden swing, accented with brass, creates a focal point within this imagined forest. Fabrics and décor feature carefully chosen motifs and prints that evoke the richness of Indian jungles. Overhead, a chandelier inspired by flowers and buds glows softly.

From here, the space flows seamlessly into the open kitchen and dining area. Here, Rachana reinterpreted the kaangri roofline detail from old Gujarati homes as interior pelmets that frame the windows throughout the house.

The temples in both homes stand as spiritual anchors. Each features hand-painted mural backdrops, wooden frames for the idols, and brass lotus detailing on the doors and partitions. Vrindavan embraces a palette of deep, devotional blues, while Awadh blooms in tranquil greens. Together, they express distinct identities while remaining united in tone, spirit, and craftsmanship.

Private Spaces Rooted in Memory

The private quarters of RangRaas carry the home’s narrative in a more personal register, with each bedroom layered in texture, colour, and memory. Here, modern innovation complements deeply rooted traditions rather than replacing them. The connecting corridor becomes a visual memoir, lined with a series of round canvases that chronicle the family’s journey—from the quiet charm of their native village, through milestones in business and family life, to the realisation of this home in the sky.

“It’s our story in fragments,” says the homeowner, “a reminder of where we started and what we built together.” The master bedroom is a sanctuary of earthy elegance, where modern innovation blends effortlessly with timeless craftsmanship. A carved wooden bedstead, soft neutral walls, handwoven linens, and brass accents embody the couple’s balance of tradition and refinement.

The children’s bedrooms embrace lighter palettes and playful detailing; one with botanical prints and fresh greens that echo the family’s love for nature, another with deeper, cooler tones for a restful, grounded feel.

A Balance of Comfort and Craft

The guest bedroom offers visiting relatives a familiar warmth, with vintage-style furniture paired with contemporary fabrics in soothing shades. In every space, Rachana balances modern innovation with traditional craftsmanship. From the custom headboards and carved wardrobe panels to the carefully selected textiles that reflect the family’s textile heritage, each room becomes a private retreat while remaining firmly rooted in the larger story of RangRaas.

The final chapter of the home unfolds on the outdoor deck, where the rhythm of the day slows into unhurried conversations. As the sun sets over Surat, the family gathers here for evening tea, reclining on charpais that echo the simplicity of village courtyards.

When hosting, this becomes the most convivial corner; a bar counter stretches across the edge and spills seamlessly into the large balcony, turning into a breezy social hub under the open sky.

Closer to the guest room, the deck also doubles as a breakfast nook, where visiting relatives are served their first meal of the day with the cityscape as a backdrop. “We wanted this place to feel both like a courtyard back in the village and a sky lounge above the city,” says Rachana, “a space that is casual, versatile, and always about coming together.”

Concept to Completion

From concept to completion, RangRaas came to life in just eleven months, an astonishing feat for a home of such scale, detail, and craftsmanship. What could have been a daunting timeline was met with clarity and conviction, made possible by the trust between designer and client. Decisions were made with instinct, always guided by a shared belief that this home was an address of inherited memory and meaning.

For Studiorachana369, RangRaas is not just a signature project but a deeply personal one, an opportunity to make their own cultural roots tangible through design. “I wanted every corner to hold sukoon,” Rachana reflects, “so that when the family steps inside, they don’t just see walls and furniture, they feel their journey.” In its finished form, this Gujarati home stands as the epitome of contemporary luxury, where modern innovation coexists with tradition. The home looks out across the skyline of Surat yet remains grounded in the enduring spirit of Gujarat’s craft, culture, and soul.

Fact File

Designed by: studiorachana369

Project Type: Residential Interior Design

Project Name: RangRaas

Location: Surat, Gujarat, India

Project Size: 8000 Sqft

Principal Designers: Rachana Chovatiya & Ashish Chovatiya

Photograph Courtesy: Nilkanth Bharucha | Noaidwin Sttudio

Styling: Hredaya Chandak | Duokri

Text: Tanushree Saluja

Firm’s Instagram Link: studiorachana369

For Similar Projects >> Naturally minimal: A tropical villa rooted in earthy essence