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New Delhi-based architecture and design firm Studio Crypt designed the Markat residence in Gurgaon. The client brief was to design a duplex residence for an elderly couple that wanted to enjoy a peaceful retirement life. The design scheme includes traditional artwork comfort and luxury, suitable for a house for three apart from visitors.

The large drawing room with an adjoining pool deck serves as a houseful social gathering spot that can handle up to fifty guests. Tribal artwork has been sourced from traditional regions such as Jodhpur, Bastar, Shantiniketan, Patiala and the Kutch. The intentional plaintiff white walls are a background to such traditional paintings.

Markat or emerald green in Sanskrit symbolizes harmony, balance with nature and the owner’s birthstone as well, and it makes a constant presence around the house. Dark-green Indian marble forms the double-height background of the living room with glazed jaali segregating the spaces. Natural limestone with coral is present in the bedroom flooring, along with emerald Low-E material boards for the inbuilt cupboards. The cabinets are fashioned out of Low-E boards left in their natural state without toxic paints or finishes. Antique furniture ensures the reuse of the otherwise discarded spaces and has been made out of reclaimed timber.

Beige Italian flooring marble was used across for the flooring, and handpainted kitchen cabinetry and ornate fans. High ceilings and open windows overlook the green views of the east compound grounds and west private pool deck. The master bedroom allows the natural green to flow in on black steel hangers yet maintaining the emerald sparkle.

Local artisans from Udaipur, Chattisgarh and the Kutch were engaged in working on the intricate wall finishes and adornments. Stonework and flooring were done by a special contractor to retain the finesse in laying rough Indian limestone. Stone finishes have been left natural, simple and monolithic to avoid wastage. Raw stone floors, local etched glazed tile skirting, raw unpainted or handpainted cabinetry, reclaimed timber, locally customized muslin curtains, and dhurries speak of the blend of traditional vernacular architecture in a modern-day metropolitan residence.

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