Essentia Environments designs an abode for a nuclear family in Gurgaon
This four-floor bungalow in Gurgaon is home for a petite family of four. Built on a plot of 700 yards, its 12,000 sqft space is spread over the four floors. The bungalow is planned around open-to-sky gardens, landscaped courtyards and ingressed green bodies that provide not just a good view out of each window, but also offer complete privacy from an otherwise busy neighbourhood.
There are five bedrooms in all with family lounges and guest lounges on all floors, and a majestic atrium and a broad stairwell that connects all the floors.
The living areas and lounges, in true Essentia style, are furnished with lavish sofas, loungers and armchairs to offer luxurious seating. Elaborate panelling on the walls adds richness and textures to the environment. The background also follows the Essentia philosophy of a neutral palette made interesting by infusing rich textures, wonderful tonal variations and diverse geometric forms. Art works are placed in strategic places to make bold statement. “This house is also a very functional, minimal and sparsely decorated home. Most importantly, it caters to every need of its inhabitants,” says Monica Chawla, Creative Head – Architecture and Interiors, Essentia Environments.
The vertical volumes of the atrium and stairwell are beautifully balanced with the horizontal expanses. Large, sculptural lights add bold features to the vertical spaces. The way the scale and size are managed leads to many surprising moments.
The dining room has stone inlaid flooring in an interesting pattern. The glass table, the sculptural chairs with rivets, further add a sense of exclusiveness. The adjacent bar room is executed in luxurious white stone with gold finish metal inlay.
The bedrooms are sanctuaries of comfort and luxury with fully padded beds and headboards, spacious walk-in closets. They are done up elegantly in a minimal style. With free standing bathtubs and mirrors, island washbasin counters, the expansive bathrooms present bold layouts. The luxurious stones on the walls and the floor create a rich and exclusive space.
The kitchen is also an expansive space with a lot of counter space and well-planned storage and a pantry. The terrace garden is landscaped to offer peace and calm with some potted plants and an interesting Buddha sculpture. It is a great place for a quiet evening or for entertaining.
While the interior design plan follows a minimal approach, what makes the home brim with vibrancy and interest is the superior materials used and the perfect forms they are shaped into. The interiors come alive with rich stones and marbles, luxurious carpets, velvet and suede furnishings, sculptural lights, and other materials like wood, metal, glass. The custom-created artworks add character, colour and a bit of quirkiness to the environment.
The choice of bold sculptural lights from Moooi and Flos is the other highlight of the project. And the way greenery is used inside and outside the house not only adds freshness to the space, but also works as natural screen. “The owners never need to draw their curtains. The vertical gardens set up strategically offer all the privacy needed,” concludes Monica.
