This Chennai home draws inspiration from Geoffrey Bawa’s tropical modernism

By Avantika Shankar

A Chennai home receives a Bawa-inspired tropical modern makeover, under the direction of SLA Architects. The 2,200-square-foot apartment has a fairly linear floor plan, prompting the project name “The Hallway House,” but principal architect and firm founder Sailakshmi Venkatesh was brought on board early enough to ensure the overall layout didn’t seem too cramped. “The internal walls were done, but there was still some level of changes that we could do,” she expresses. “We changed the floor plan so there was more freedom to move around.” One of those changes was the addition of a small foyer that led to the dining room on one side, and the living room on the other. “It made a huge difference, movement-wise and also appearance-wise,” she adds.

The clients wanted a simple, warm, inviting space that had a touch of luxury, but, Venkatesh adds, “nothing fancy. They wanted something easy-maintenance, visually simple looking for the eyes. Neutral palette, not too loud.”

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In keeping with Vaastu, the entrance is fitted with a mirror, while an antique piece from Sunshine Boulevard and a planter from Wood Apple gently furnish the space. Beyond the entrance is a plush foyer, a transient space made cosy enough for regular seating. The foyer is furnished with two chairs from a local vendor, a marble base table from Escape by Creatomy, a bench from FabIndia and some planters. “On the other side of the foyer, you have a planter with taller trees so that makes it look like a green wall,” adds Venkatesh. Two arches, made of black-stained wood veneer on plywood, lead off from either side of the foyer, into the dining room on the left, and the living room on the right.

The living room of this Chennai home is underlined by a Jaipur Rugs carpet and a coffee table from Image Muffin. The sofa was custom-made by SLA Architects’ own workshop, and the armchair was sourced from a local vendor in Chennai. A corner by the window is gently ornamented with fluting, constructed out of white MDF and PU. “The TV wall, opposite, is fluted as well,” indicates Venkatesh. What’s interesting is the little internal window created by the architects that looks out directly onto the green wall in the foyer. “Visually, we’re making the space feel a little longer, and it also brings in more green.” The window is then dressed with an antique ornament from Sunshine Boulevard, set on a side table from The House of Things.

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Wall art from Claymen greets visitors into the dining room. “The dining table and console were made in our workshop, and the chairs were sourced from a local vendor in Chennai,” shares Venkatesh. The bar unit ties all the materials of the room together: the marble and wood that make up the shelving and counter match the dining table, the black PU shutters match the black frame of the dining chairs, and the brass accents reflect the chandelier suspended over the room.

Funnily enough, the master bedroom is the smallest room in the house. “The guest bedroom is the biggest one, in terms of floor area,” expresses Venkatesh. A window overlooking the greens on the road beyond did a lot of the work in terms of opening up the visual length of the room, but much of the wood and upholstery was restricted to neutrals, beiges, and light woods.

The second bedroom belongs to a 10-year-old girl who happens to be a fan of K-pop group BLACKPINK. “She wanted her room to be black and pink” Venkatesh smiles, “So we brought in a tropical wallpaper in black and white, and added a pink headboard.” Her room is definitely distinct from the rest of the house, but not enough to seem out-of-place.

The guest bedroom sees a lot of greenery, specifically because the primary window looks directly onto the foliage of the nearby trees. “We wanted to keep that window as the focal point of the room,” says Venkatesh, “So we kept the upholsteries neutral, and the wood was all in light tones so it doesn’t overpower the rest of the room.” The bed was custom-made on site, backgrounded by a fluted fabric headboard. “Flutes is one of the main design elements of the house,” Venkatesh points out, “You’ll see it in different forms in every room.”

With repeated materials and motifs that the eye can follow, Venkatesh has created a design that is relaxed yet interesting—and the home is nothing less than an urban sanctuary.