Set in the outskirts of western Ahmedabad is the weekend home of the Patel family – a serene haven replete with semi-open spaces, courtyards and a view of the outdoors. “The challenge was to respond to the architectural shell, continue and complement the architectural language and ensure that the client’s diverse needs were taken care of,” Keyur Vadodaria says. He is one of the principals of Patel-Vadodaria Design Research Studio (PVDRS), which designed the interiors of this idyllic farmhouse.

The Patels wanted a flexible, clutter-free and low-maintenance space where the three generations of their family could unwind, relax and entertain friends. The interior designers used colours and textures to create a design vocabulary for the home, which was elegant and minimalist, yet uniquely Indian in essence. Teak wood from the client’s 70-year-old factory shed was used to custom design the entire range of furniture for the home.

One enters the home through a courtyard that is part of a vestibule separating the two primary areas of the house – the common space, which consists of the living room, dining room and kitchen, and the private spaces which include the bedrooms.

On one side is the semi-open lounge that opens out into the garden area and also leads to the living, dining and kitchen area. This space is minimally styled with a trio of paintings and a wooden chest. The upper half of a century-old copper pot sourced from the old city of Ahmedabad is cleverly used to fashion a pendant lamp, while the lower half is converted into a tray for flowers and floating diyas.

From the semi-open lounge, one enters a large, linear open-plan common space, which serves as the activity centre and heart of the home. This living room area then leads to the dining room and kitchen.

In response to the architectural design, PVDRS treated the common area as one large, barrier-free, unified space with an open-plan furniture layout that allowed for flexible arrangements to cater to the needs and activities of the inhabitants.

“This is where one enjoys the rain in the monsoon and the sun in the winter and shade in summer,” Patel-Vadodaria says.

The interior design language needed to complement the existing architectural materials used – the exposed RCC ceilings, wooden-frame windows and stone flooring. In order to do this, the designers selected furniture materials and upholstery that would accentuate the existing space.

“Teak wood treated with linseed oil, painted MS (mild steel) frames and plain coloured upholstery were selected as the primary material palette to create an earthy, minimalist interior space which blends well with the architectural shell and its surroundings,” Vadodaria says.

At the far end of this space, one can see the yellow wall of the open kitchen. This wall is finished with crackled tiles and teak wood inserts in a honeycomb pattern – an abstract reference to the natural surroundings of the house.

The dining area, located between the kitchen and living room, is furnished with a large table, benches and chairs, all made from teak wood and MS frames. Punctuations of colour are added through soft linen and upholstery to contrast the neutral surfaces and finishes.

The designers at PVDRS used the available teak-wood pieces from the shed and collaborated with master carpenters to carefully group together pieces of wood based on their size, grain and colour. A combination of lap- and finger-jointing techniques was used to create the furniture.

Similar materials and aesthetic styles are used to design all the customised elements in the home, so that they match and complement each other.

“Our preference for bespoke customised interior design extended to the design of pendant lights and door handles,” Patel-Vadodaria says.

The rectilinear form of the pendant lamp above the dining table is conceived as a subtle reflection of the MS frame structures used in the furniture pieces.

Old wooden blocks from the fabric-printing industry have been reused as door handles, a reference to the prolific textile industry in the city of Ahmedabad.

The dining and open kitchen area have an adjoining powder room as well, which features a combination of wooden finishes and black terrazzo tiles. The wall finishes were installed using an in situ terrazzo technique.

The dining and open kitchen area have an adjoining powder room as well, which features a combination of wooden finishes and black terrazzo tiles. The wall finishes were installed using an in situ terrazzo technique.

The wardrobe handles are designed ergonomically with bent metal plates to reinforce the minimalist ethos.

The left side of the entrance vestibule leads into a courtyard separating the two bedrooms, both styled in minimalist fashion with rough kadappah flooring and plastered internal walls.

The master bedroom features an elegant four-poster bed and opens to a sit-out area.
Ethnic touches are added through personal elements like the antique chair which was restored and refurbished using the silk rope weaving technique.

“Overall, the interior design of the farm house reflects our approach towards creating a place that is on the one hand modern, elegant, clutter free and attentive to detail, and on the other customised to reflect the identity of the users,” Vadodaria says.