Description:

The Munshaw Home, nestled in a 4 acre mature garden in the outskirts of Ahmedabad is a primary residence.The client’s brief was to design a home that would be a container for collection of their artefacts, paintings, Persian rugs, books and ancestral furniture and reflective of their lifestyle that was essentially outdoors. The interior layout focussed on keeping the common areas as one unified large space, removing any physical barriers in-between and simultaneously offering a flexible spatial configuration to cater to various groups and activities over time. Hence, the library was conceived as a set of four full height centrally pivoted doors that can close to create a private family space when required. When opened, the library doors would modulate the interior space depending on the angle at which they are left opened. The private family living space was characterised by a laser cut corten steel world map with which the client can interact to mark up their trips.

 

The dining and formal drawing room comprises of an eclectic mix of custom-designed new furniture as well as a collection of objects and artefacts collected by the client over generations. Whilst these two spaces were fluid in nature, liberally opening onto the large garden via the verandah, the pendant lamp above the dining table that was conceived from the mandala, served as the focal point.

 

The central circulation spine becomes a gallery of client priced art work collection. The private spaces of the house- the bedrooms, reflect the individual identity of its occupants. Overall, the entire range of furniture (barring a few chairs) were custom designed by PVDRS for this project. The interior designers’ penchant for customisation can be seen in the use of laser cut wooden door knobs, beaten brass handles for console units, brass inlays in library doors to semi-precious stone dining table.

​

Photographs by: Monica Saathe and Bharat Aggrawal