Minimal Geometry

Architect Monica Khosla Bhargava of Kham Consultants blends the existing shell of a 4-BHK apartment in a new complex in Kolkata with her signature minimalist hexagonal design language.

- Alifiya Mehamdabadwala

When entrepreneur Syed Imam and his family moved back to India after living in New York for over a decade, they bought a 4-BHK apartment on the 16th floor of Urbana, a swanky high rise complex in Kolkata. Designing the space was the next step, and their requirement for a creative professional who could marry minimalism with class and luxury led them to the principal architect at Kham Consultants, Monica Khosla Bhargava. Monica had already impressed the Imams with her minimalist style and penchant for clean lines when she designed their state-of-the-art leather factory at the Kolkata Leather Complex a few years earlier.

The 3,865-square-foot apartment the client purchased had Italian marble in the living-dining area and corridors, laminated wood flooring in the bedrooms, toilets and kitchen fitted with tiles and fixtures and central air conditioning in the entire apartment. The Imams could have easily moved in once the basics like painting, light fittings and furniture was taken care of. Instead, they wanted to refurbish the entire space, redo the toilets, kitchen, bedrooms and air conditioning. Since they have been in the leather accessories business for years, both Syed and his wife Pragati were keen to integrate their penchant for an efficient and functional home with classy design. Syed, with his superlative taste in leather, wanted the best leather furniture for his house, while a sleek functional kitchen and ample storage areas were at the top of Pragati’s list of priorities.