Winning Collaboration

- Shruti Nambiar

It may not be immediately apparent, but this home inspired a great degree of introspection on the nature of spaces and our modern expectations of them.

Designer Samira Rathod of Mumbai based Samira Rathod Design Associates had always been biased towards generous influx of natural light and the preponderance of statement prints in her layouts, but while working on the Penthouse project in Ahmedabad, lots of ideas on the character of urban spaces stirred inside her mind. “We didn’t want to create anything that was merely second-best. In so many projects, the image of the space, the decoration makes for the primary element of design. Our idea was to unburden and accentuate what was already there,” states Rathod.

The SRDA design team found itself locked in a happy collaboration with the client. “He is very design-conscious and thought deeply about the final plan. He was inspired by stimuli almost 24/7, and he chalked out activities across every week and every month with family and friends so as to help decide the look of the spaces and their material palette.”

This effort blended perfectly with what the designers were already thinking. “We were given a shell. Our approach was to deal with its limitations and not turn it around completely. We wanted to take what we had and convert it into a comfortable, cosy space that was great for coming home to,” reveals Rathod.