Navin and Divya Reddys 3500 sqft Bengaluru home has a distinct colonial style

By Tasneem Merchant

Antique furniture, vintage tiles and local flooring come together beautifully in a neutral backdrop in Reddy’s residence

For Navin and Divya Reddy’s house in Bengaluru, interior designers Farah Ahmad and Dhaval Shellugar of FADD Studio expertly balanced neutral shades with bursts of colour. The 3,500 sq ft home, cocooned in a contemporary concrete and wood shell is a fresh take on colonial design.

As you walk into the house, you are greeted by antique wooden furniture framed against neutral browns and beiges – from the walls to the Jaisalmer flooring used throughout the house. “The home is contemporary Indian. The couple is young and proud of its heritage and they have really strong personalities…the entire space is warm, inviting and simple, like the owners who inhabit it,” divulges Farah.

The large expanse of the living room is sectioned off into a TV viewing corner and a dining room with the help of an L-shaped seating arrangement (Read how you can work the L-Shaped sofa in your own home here). While a vibrant splashback brightens up the kitchen, the bedrooms follow the larger colour scheme with a no-frills approach.

The best way to induce that comforting, Indian vibe in the house is by using wood panels with colonial patterns; for the floors, opt for local stones instead of the usual vitrified tiles and marble.

he bedroom, like the rest of the house, reflects a neutral palette. To break the monotony within the monochrome, use different textures that provide visual relief. Fresh flowers too, can do this trick.

An easy way to make spaces feel more open is by using doors with lattices that afford some peek-a-boo. Strategically placing mirrors too, can make an area look bigger than it is.

A clever way to utilise dead corners is by building cabinets. You can use this to either display fine china or even travel souvenirs. Invest in a minimally designed, sleek dining table that looks suave but also saves on space, especially in small apartments.

The concrete and wood shell of the house has a contemporary outlook as opposed to the colonial vibe in the interiors.

If you’re tired of wooden cabinets and wardrobes, give them a swish makeover with patterned wallpaper. This allows you to experiment with the overall décor of the room as well.