India Houzz Tour: A Home Stripped Back to its Original Character
Homes by Design peeled away the layers to uncover the beauty of this Indian home's original materials
There is a reason why this abode in Gurgaon, India was given the moniker of Palimpsest Home – it exemplifies the meaning to a tee. Despite being altered, the home deliberately bears visible traces of its earlier form. Tasked with the redesign, Rahoul Bir Singh and Lakshmi Chand Singh, the founding partners and principal architects at Homes by Design, realised that the walls had a story that should not be covered up. In fact, much of this renovation centred around uncovering the original materials used in this home, which had previously been painted and plastered over.
The main door opens into a central corridor that flows into the kitchen, dining and study area on the right, with the living room and a bedroom on the left. The long passageway culminates in the master bedroom.
“A concrete floor with a brass-inlay border unites the entire floor plan, while the varied wall textures are held together by a wash of white paint,” says Singh. The corridor features a wire-mesh ceiling treatment that partially conceals the apartment’s wiring, lending the space a hint of an industrial vibe.
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“A concrete floor with a brass-inlay border unites the entire floor plan, while the varied wall textures are held together by a wash of white paint,” says Singh. The corridor features a wire-mesh ceiling treatment that partially conceals the apartment’s wiring, lending the space a hint of an industrial vibe.
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Using a canvas of white and grey, the living room is enriched with pockets of colour and patterns in the furnishings. “On the ceiling, we used a cement wash on the existing plaster of Paris structure to tie in the look,” says Singh. The exposed filament-bulb hanging lights and a metal pendant lamp add a vintage appeal. In each room, the wiring is concealed within black metal tracks that add to the overall design.
The walls feature a varied materials palette: cement block, white textured surfaces and exposed brickwork. “All of these existed earlier but had been concealed in layers of plaster of Paris and paint. We chipped away the superficial to reveal the real character of the walls,” says Singh.
Browse more industrial-inspired living rooms
Browse more industrial-inspired living rooms
Separate from the living room yet visually connected, the dining area lies across the corridor. The dining set is fashioned from a collection of antiques in varying styles and materials. “The clients have eclectic tastes and they did not want anything mass-market and cookie-cuter style,” says Singh. “The furniture was sourced from various stores and some even refurbished after purchase.”
The highlight of this room is the custom-made pendant light. The rawness of the timber and the rustic aesthetic of the rope stand out against the white-and-grey colour scheme.
The highlight of this room is the custom-made pendant light. The rawness of the timber and the rustic aesthetic of the rope stand out against the white-and-grey colour scheme.
Connected to the dining room is the study space. “The original layout had boxed-up rooms stacked next to each other. We opened up these spaces so that they flow from one to the next,” says Singh. The dining room and office both open to a connected balcony that floods these areas with natural light.
The kitchen also features a cement-wash ceiling with white textured walls. The focal point here is the splashback of square tiles in a range of patterns.
“We added cabinetry made from distressed-finish metal frames and old glass-panel infills, and complemented the look with a benchtop in polished cudappah stone,” says Singh of the local limestone used for the benchtop.
Splashback tiles: Somany Ceramics
“We added cabinetry made from distressed-finish metal frames and old glass-panel infills, and complemented the look with a benchtop in polished cudappah stone,” says Singh of the local limestone used for the benchtop.
Splashback tiles: Somany Ceramics
The master bedroom
The designers chose to let the wall texture be the highlight of the master bedroom, keeping the colour palette understated. What builds a layer of interest are the eclectic details including the spotlight table lamp, vintage toggle switches in brass, and antiques such as the freestanding mirror and almirah wardrobe, which each enhance a corner.
Accentuating the vintage charm of the home are the custom-made doors in timber, glass and aged-mirror panels. The master bedroom’s ensuite houses the wardrobes and features rubberwood and black cudappah stone.
“We created a long vanity benchtop and mirror on one wall and used distressed metal frames with glass infills to close off the shower area,” says Singh.
“We created a long vanity benchtop and mirror on one wall and used distressed metal frames with glass infills to close off the shower area,” says Singh.
The second bedroom
In the second bedroom, the designers again worked with a muted colour scheme. Accents such as the aged-mirror doors, exposed filament-bulb hanging lights and black metal tracks make a feature of the ceiling and echo the wall textures and colours.
The adjoining bathroom features a materials palette of dark timber and concrete, set against textured white walls with a built-in cement sink and vintage toggle switches in brass.
Your turn
What do you love about this industrial-inspired home? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save your favourite images, and join the conversation.
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Your turn
What do you love about this industrial-inspired home? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save your favourite images, and join the conversation.
More
Craving more great international design? You’ll love this Milan Houzz Tour: A Former Mechanic’s Garage Becomes a Home
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of three – a couple and their teenage daughter
Location: Gurgaon, India
Size: 168 square metres; two bedrooms
Year built: 2017
Interior design: Homes by Design
The designers decided to highlight the tactility of the original materials, with some walls featuring multiple surface finishes. “Materials that were otherwise hidden behind layers of plaster were exposed and given an individual identity,” says Lakshmi Chand Singh. “Brick, concrete, metal and glass dominate the materials palette and straddle the worlds of artisanal detailing and mass-market industrial processes.”