Contemporary design for Chennai home
Photography: Ishita Sitwala
Chennai-based Chestnut Storeys has designed the Guindy Home, a residential project spread over 10,000 sq. ft. The client wanted a contemporary and functional design with pastel colours, printings and eclectic furniture. Designed for a joint family, the family’s love for horses is displayed throughout the house. The home blends traditional and modern through intricately-carved teak doors and modern chandeliers.
One sees a large antique wooden chest, a handcrafted Nandi top at the entrance, and a traditional Tanjore painting. The flooring is inlaid with geometrically-patterned tiles. A pastel pink suede sofa and a modern painting by Praveen Kumar comprise the formal living room, along with an amethyst geode table. The informal space contains a silver horse-themed element, and the two rooms are connected through rugs. The dining space features muted green chairs, a large white quartz dining table, wood-panelled ceilings, glass walls and an antique sheesha galloping horse.
The pooja room has selenite doors surrounded by three-dimensional panelled walls. The parents’ bedroom comprises a large bed with a rattan headboard. Green and wooden accents are displayed in the furnishings and furniture. The mid-landing table between the ground and first floors hosts a solid wooden chest with golden bowls of multiple sizes and a traditional standing lamp.
The first-floor hall has a double-height ceiling with an intricately-carved wooden teak door, leading to the lounge with wooden panels and inlay framing an antique carom board that belonged to royalty. A chest doubles up as a corner table for mini-metal soldiers, flanked with silver-grey leather recliners. A baroque wall of etched wood is the bed back wall in the primary bedroom, otherwise coloured in gold and brown. Modern lighting ties together the grey walls, warm wood and stone tones of the furniture and furnishings.
The children’s bedroom features hand-drawn stencil art, a jewel-toned bed and a curved headboard. For the guest room, a simple bed was chosen with a metal frame and a woven headboard. Light pistachio green and figurines add playfulness, along with an antique breastplate decorating the wall. The lounge on the second floor has an open-ended bookshelf, wall-to-wall mirrors, a leather couch and royal teal leather recliners beside a table inlaid with metal and semi-precious stones.
The second master bedroom has wall panelling, a pastel mustard leather bed, matching side tables and burgundy credenza chairs. The second children’s room features pastel colours, storage spaces and striped wallpaper. The second guest bedroom has striped fabric falling alongside the ceiling-high indigo-blue headboard with simple furniture.
