IN SYNC WITH TRADITION

Rooted in tradition, yet refined for modern living, this serene minimalist home masterfully blends the warmth of heritage with the elegance of restraint

- Seema Sreedharam

“A skyscraper has perfect geometry. A tall tree, on the other hand, doesn’t. An engineered bridge has perfect composition, but somewhere the meandering river that flows under it doesn’t. I think we humans seek perfection, order, symmetry and geometry, and somewhere this question has become even more pronounced in the current times. Yet, when it all gets too much and overwhelms us, we seek the imperfection of nature to calm us. I think a world where we embrace emotions and ageing, and where we celebrate our individual differences is truly the world that spells happiness,” elucidates architect Meena Murthy Kakkar of Envisage, as she talks about her new project, Advaita, a wabi-sabi home where imperfections define the luxury of free expression and the artist’s emotion; a home that celebrates Indian art and form, in a contemporary context.

INDIA MODERN

The home is the definition of the India Modern aesthetic. When we think Indian, we equate it to a cornucopia of colours, patterns and textures. For most of us, recreating an Indian aesthetic would mean creating a maximalist space. But Meena handles this aesthetic with delicate hands. The walls, painted in a limewash finish, provide an excellent canvas for art and artefacts that dot the house.