Settled in for a Lifetime (Home Tour)

I’ve always loved showcasing homes that are not forced to look good but have come together very organically over the years. And by that I mean a home that is not caught up in trends or imitating another's style but a home that has interesting layers of its own. Each layer replicating the personality, interests, style, aesthetics of its home owner and decoding the meaning of ever evolving perception of relaxed living. We have toured Hemangini’s rental pad earlier and now a year and a half later we get to take a tour of their very "own" piece of haven in Gurgaon. 

Dr. Hemangini Hoskote is a Consultant Nutritionist with a Ph.D in Nutrition and Mr. Hoskote is a senior leader in Quality and Business Excellence. They share the home with their teenage son who is quite the decor enthusiast. He has had his fair share of influence when it comes to his home's design and style. 

The Hoskote family wanted to embrace a design scheme that’s contemporary in style yet exudes warmth, elegance and simplicity. Infact, this design plan was advocated by none other than their teenage son. It seemed right in the context of the relatively modern apartment with high ceilings and a glass wall running through the entire one side of the apartment letting in abundance of sunlight for a bright and airy space.

The Living Room is furnished with pieces that have clean lines and a contemporary feel. A supporting cast of well edited accessories add the shot of color, pattern, texture, identity and make a cultural point with its design. But most importantly, I think they have cracked the code when it comes to the process of a home being relaxing visually, physically and mentally! 

Brass tattoo markers (the two thin sticks displayed on the wall) were found at a local weekly market at Lake Inle, Myanmar. Another unique element added to the wall display is an antique carved wooden kavadi that the family found during their Chennai stay. It was recently refinished and proudly made part of the living room.The black throw is a Ladakhi shawl and the Ikat one is from Java, Indonesia. The turquoise silver and leather lamp is Moroccan.

As a family, the Hoskotes love traveling and photography. They seamlessly integrated their interests into the design of the home by displaying pictures from their travels in different corners of the home. Majority of photographs are grouped into simple frames that are propped on white ledges in the living room that blend into the wall creating an almost floating effect. Besides bringing back memories of fun times, these framed pictures are great conversation starters! Hemangini makes sure to update the pictures in the frame every now and then with the latest ones from their various vacations and globetrotting expeditions. 

Here's what Hemangini had to say when asked about her decor style, "We have deliberately not followed any particular theme/style but primarily used a few hand-me-downs with travel finds. The thumb rule we follow is, one has to absolutely love it and it has to be 'hatke' (unusual/unique), before we buy it and bring it home. The apartment had white walls which are a perfect back drop for the colorful finds."

More from Hemangini, "We did not hire a 'contractor/decorator’ as we do not like the 'decorated' look with gypsum board ceilings though we had to go with the existing gypsum board ceiling in some parts of the apartment."

This corner has been personalized with wooden musician ladies that were picked from an antique store in Jew Town, Kochi, Kerala. The terracotta pieces are all from Goa, acquired over several visits from Potter's studios to antique stores. The Indonesian mirror was bought when the Hoskotes lived in Dubai. Accentuating the bench style seating are throw pillows that pick up the rust and terracotta hues from the gallery wall above.

One of the bedrooms was converted to serve as a media room. It's where the family spends most of their down time. Hemangini decided to have a collection of posters of their favorite movies framed to reinforce the theme and also clearly gives away that the family members are movie buffs!

The media room also serves as their library. With abundant display and storage space on the adjoining wall, books and other collectibles are neatly organised and provide a clutter free look. A diverse collection of musical instruments from Africa, Mauritius and Indonesia allows for a visual change of scene.

Lovely little corners are created using the family's collectibles and rightly shows the power of grouping things in varied heights and textures.The tribal Ganesha is from the Craft Museum, Delhi.  On the console table along with the brass statue of Radha and Krishna are vases and porcelain fishes that were brought home  from a pottery exhibition in Gurgaon. The pencil sketches featuring the horses were done by none other than Hemangini herself.

The dining area has an informal vibe and suits the family's relaxed style of hosting. The ta-da element in this space is the wall of masks. The collection was amassed from family vacations to North East India, Far East, Mauritius, Africa and so on.

A practical dining set works in tandem with the rest of the clean line vibe evident in the home. Clearly "comfort is everything" is a norm that takes charge with the decor in this home. Overlooking a balcony area, the doors are thrown open when entertaining on weekends or to enjoy those relaxed and laid back evenings after work.

Absolutely love the open kitchen-dining-living concept! Over to Hemangini for more as to why she prefers this concept, "It was a plan that I had always wanted in my dream home and am loving it. It’s so much more fun to chat with family n friends as one is rustling up a meal. And it works perfectly with our lifestyle. The cleanliness freak that I am, have to be a little more efficient in having the kitchen even more cleaner at all times! I opted for the open shelves as I wanted the kitchen to look light and airy. Upper kitchen cabinets would have made the kitchen look smaller n boxed in."

What a charming breakfast bar! I'd make excuses of having frequent hunger pangs just to enjoy this lovely nook, wouldn't you?

The Hoskotes were very clear from the onset that the maid's quarters would be converted to a home office for Hemangini. Hemangini shares, "This makeover did take the longest time and even though we had a relatively tight budget we didn't compromise on the look n feel of the office. In a space little over 100 sq feet,we managed to create a small, cosy office."

The walls of the office have SH Raza's prints and pencil sketches made by all members of the family.

The gallery wall in the Master Bedroom suite has a host of paintings and travel memories. The pencil sketches here too, are those done by the talented family members. The Copper n Gold art work, is a temple etching on rice paper, bought in Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia.

More pretty corners from their Master bedroom. The easy chair is an heirloom piece that was handmade by Hemangini's grandfather-in-law! The console in the master bedroom has baskets from Bali, Thai wooden bust, Myanmar lacquer bowls and marble plate from Goa. Love how the old and the new have together so effortlessly in this space.

And finally we get a peek into their son's room. Done up in shades of deep blue, the textured wall was what the young man decided on all by himself. This room is everything a teenager would want - practical, comfortable, low-maintenance yet stylish, masculine and totally lit!

I hope you enjoyed the home tour as much as we loved sharing it with you. Things to take away from this home tour : 

~ Skillful space planning, 

~ Visualizing the function of the space before executing the design plan, 

~ Include artwork to make the space feel more soulful and individualistic,
~ Mixing and layering the old and the new to create a classic vibe and

~ Visually linking the color scheme or decorating style of rooms that open onto one another.

Thank you Hemangini for trusting me yet again with your beautiful home to be showcased on TECD. We wish you and your beautiful family the very best! 

(Image Credit: Hemangini Hoskote, do NOT use the image/images from the blog without prior written permission of the homeowner and TECD)

The Laissez-Faire style of Decorating (Home Tour)

Based in Gurgaon(India), this rental pad is the home of the urban nomads, the Hoskote family. Dr. Hemangini Hoskote is a Consultant Nutritionist with a Ph.D in Nutrition and Mr. Hoskote is a senior leader in Quality and Business Excellence. Together they have a 14 year old teenager. Though the couple  have disparate professional backgrounds, they have an intrinsic liking when it comes to the topic of interior design and home decor. The family has lived in this place for about 6 years. Sprinkling it with generous doses of their personality and unique collections, their abode is anything but a regular rental home. Infact, as I write this blog post they are all packed and ready to set up base, yet again in a new home ! 

What struck me about the Hoskotes decorating style is its refined, laid-back, real and quintessentially global in appeal, each in the perfect proportion. Over to Hemangini to explain more about her style, "I'm as passionate about Home decor as I am about my profession in the field of Nutrition. Guess it’s a balance between the left and right brain activities that makes me happy! Am very fortunate that my husband shares my love for an aesthetically done up home and what we invest in, is often a joint decision. I love reading, music, travelling, cooking, pencil sketching and gardening and certain aspects of these are reflected in my home. As regards interior design, I dislike ornate décor as also too many heavy, dark pieces of furniture. I am not a fan of opulent or a kitschy look.The preference is towards a look that is natural, clean, uncluttered with an understated elegance. We pick up whatever we love and then mix it with our existing stuff. So it could be something during our travels or ancestral, we don’t believe in following any particular style because it seems like it limits our choices. But yes, we do hate the false-ceiling-decorated-look." We hear you loud and clear Hemangini, not a fan of it either!

When it comes to the subject of flowers, Hemangini is a lady after my own heart. She loves to bring the outdoors in with groupings of fresh flowers in every nook and corner of her home. For instance, on the coffee table, she has employed a brass container from a kabaddi store in Surat to house these radiant sunflowers. She also managed to salvage a coconut scraper from Jew Town, Kochi that is currently serving as a wooden tray! 

The entryway of the home, hosts a collage of the family's art. Batik Ganapatis were picked up from the first ever Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, Mumbai. The Tanjore painting of Goddess Lakshmi casually propped against the wall, was a parting gift from a friend in Chennai. As you can see, the little console illustrates the style that follows in the rest of the home. The artwork is prudently paired with a stone sculpture of Ganapati picked up from Siem Reap, Cambodia. 

The living room boasts of a pared down, simplistic style with an underlying color scheme in an oatmeal shade. Chestnut stained furniture and warm bright hues are used as accent colors to add a little verve to this space. No-fuss surfaces and a conscious effort to edit their collection imbues the home with a relaxed, casual mood.  

In the far corner of the living room, the warm glow of brass seeks attention. The exquisite Radha-Krishna idols are from Bengaluru and made of an alloy of bronze and brass.

Thoughtfully put together vignettes are scattered throughout the home making it a visual feast for the onlooker. This beautiful vignette comprises of a Ram- Sita wood carving from Ubud, Bali, lac containers from Myanmar and a potted green for that splash of freshness.

It's commendable how Hemangini has played with textural variations. Tactile beauty at its best........Burmese sculpture of bell/gong ringers sourced from Myanmar is prudently paired with a Raphis palm.

Another grouping of treasured possessions - Buddha and disciples (originally part of a 7-piece set) from Myanmar, horse table from Jodhpur and recycled Spanish glass bowl with floating sunflowers.

This was the lovely lounging nook that I had seen on Hemangini's Instagram gallery that ticked off the entire house tour episode! Isn't it perfect!This is Hemangini preferred place to relax, "The Chaise Lounge is my favorite place to read, savor a hot cup of tea or simply relax." The Indonesian Mirror Frame was bought in Dubai, the teal vase is a Khan Market, Delhi find and the Chaise Lounge is from Ikea. 

You can't go wrong with a composition of books, fresh flowers and a teal mosaic teapot from Leh! Decor advice from Hemangini, "It may sound cliche but I absolutely believe in using/buying something I totally love. Then it’s easy to work it into my existing decor. Am a believer in "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”."

A hand-crafted Moroccan lamp is turned on to drive the evening gloom away! The bamboo-handled vase is from Auroville, small bowls from a local pottery exhibition and a pencil sketch inspired by Raja Ravi Varma's "The Milkmaid" was done by Hemangini herself.

The chair you see here is a prized possession of the family... a set of two, these were handmade by Hemangini's husband's grandfather over 80 years ago.Very fond of working with wood, he used his spare time to engage in creating beautiful creations out of this medium.

A grouping of earthen pots from Indonesia and Delhi make for a lovely corner. The Iranian Kilim bought in Dubai defines the living area and adds the much needed warmth to the cold Gurgaon winters.

A potpourri of African dolls, woven basket from Malaysia, seashell container from Dubai, another pencil sketch by he homeowner and some long stemmed Gladiolas make an interesting corner.

Antique dancing Buddha is another find from Siem Reap, Cambodia. More floating sunflowers in a copper urli from Coppre. Here's what Hemangini had to say about influences on her design style, "My Mom has always inspired me to keep a beautiful home. She did a marvelous job at a time when decor stores in India were non-existent. I have always been interested in home decor and would devour all the fabulous decor books in the library right since my college days!"

A collection of musical instruments from the continent of Africa make for a rustic, global display. 

Masks brought back from a holiday to Venice are framed beautifully in an Ikea Shadow box. The Black-n-White painting below it was done by the 14 year old as a school Art class project. Hemangini managed to coax the teacher to part with it, now proudly displayed as part of the wall collage in the living room!

Clockwise from left: An assortment of Blue-n-white vases makes for an attractive display. The collection comprises of tealight holder from Jaipur, Delft pottery from Holland and more ceramics and glass finds that are part of the vignette as they come from the same color family of blue. A closer look at the Ganesha from the entryway; The copper container is from the bylanes off Juma Masjid, New Delhi and hosts a generous bunch of Queen Anne's lace; and musicians are from Vietnam.

Hemangini loves to swap out her decor accessories every now and then to keep the ambiance looking fresh and interesting. Here, the Indonesian masks from Java are replaced with a Turkish ceramic plate. The carved wooden plate is from Surajkund Mela, Faridabad and the vermilion jewelry box from Trivandrum, Kerala.

Hemangini says the rental pad posed many decorating challenges as the wall colors were boring, kitchen uncomfortable and dark and certain corners of the apartment such as the dining area do not get enough natural light. However, the challenges did not preclude Hemangini from creating an evolved, inviting and initmate space that downplays the negative aspects of a rental property and highlights the inhabitants personality, interests and their well traveled life.

The bedroom is a calming landscape done up in shades of white that oozes a hideaway vibe. The bedside table is uncluttered and organised, with a stem or two of fragrant roses to delight the senses. Describing what a home means to her, Hemangini shares, "A place which exudes love, warmth comfort and beauty. It has to have aesthetic appeal to soothe and calm one after all the stresses of the outside world."

With that its a wrap people! I'd like to thank Hemangini and her wonderful family for letting us tour their beautiful home despite their agenda to pack and move. We wish you all the very best and  another wonderful decorating journey in the new home:) 

(Image Credit: Hemangini Hoskote, do NOT use the image/images from the blog without prior written permission of the homeowner and TECD) 

Bespoke Design By ZERO9 (Home Tour)

I cannot emphasize enough on how “Good Design” can enhance the quality of everyday living. Good design has the ability to magically transform square footage into comfortable, functional and stylishly livable spaces. The Mumbai based multi-disciplinary design studio “Zero9" is adept at balancing cutting edge design with traditional interpretation of comfort and function. I was particularly blown away by their design approach adopted to stylize a 950 sq.ft. apartment in Mumbai owned by a young couple. The design team lead by Prashant Chauhan and Anu Chauhan completed the project within a time span of 5 months. Logically altering the walls that existed in this Mumbai apartment, the team successfully maximized space utility and created a home that exudes contemporary flair integrated with a rustic+homey vibe. Clean lines and simple design is brilliantly combined with old décor elements to create a sense of history in this new Mumbai apartment.

Firm Zero9's strong design beliefs have steered them in the right direction since launching their firm in 2005, "We believe in an evolving and long lasting relationship with the people we connect. We place our client’s virtuous sense and taste as the focus of our works. Our sensitivities translate the client needs to reality by using innovative and state of art mediums like digital art, photography, new-age technology and material analysis. Each of our projects with a unique style has a story to tell." It's no surprise that the distinct design style of the firm is much sort after by young home owners and design enthusiasts who second Zero9's design mantra, "Design is boundless.", and are "aesthetically inclined towards integrating art and space converting it to refined design solutions."

I reached out to Prashant Chauhan to get my answers on latest design trends and how he and his team managed to achieve the design feat in a 950 sq. ft. space. His answer to the latter is straight forward,"It's all about keeping it simple. The lesser the clutter, the bigger the space. Another prerequisite included to see as much as the floor as possible. That makes a space look bigger.” Quoting Prashant on following design trends in the industry, "We believe good, efficient design defining the user and his lifestyle is timeless. Trends are temporary.” 

Characterized by beautiful turmeric colored Jaisalmer stone floors (etched with silhouettes of frangipani leaves in brass) and textured white stucco walls with carved geometric niches,  the space sports a warm rustic vibe with an open airy floor plan. Niches created in the wall along with wooden shelves serve as the perfect display platform for interesting decor accessories and quirky collections. The decor accessories seen in the home are a combination of those that the owners had collected themselves and others that were sourced by the Zero9 design team from Oshiwara Antiques Market in Mumbai and Good Earth. 

The palette of sea foam blue-greens, ocher and nut brown come together in the most charmingly eclectic way to punctuate an otherwise white backdrop. 

My absolute favorite spot in the house, has to be this antique painted "parsi style" day bed tucked close to the window, a perfect spot to curl up and read a good book. 

The colors flow unhindered from one space to the other thus keeping the look cohesive  and creating photogenic corners in every room in the home.

Design challenges to keep the kitchen looking fresh and unique were tackled by thoughtfully combining real wood cabinets, modern G4 stone platform, cheerful ocher colored tiles and wooden carved jali that are lit to emphasize their design presence. All in all, the kitchen is the perfect model of how form and function can come together to create stylish interiors.

Won't you agree when I say that it's all in the details?

As we transition to the master bedroom and bath, the mood is intimate and inviting. Departing from the rest of the design style at home, the master bedroom and bath have a more contemporary, modern, clean line approach to it. White flooring and wardrobe shutters in brown mirror, create that sanctuary spa like feel.

Zero9's services are not limited to Interiors for commercial & residential projects.They are proficient in the areas of advertising, exhibitions and architecture too. You can get acquainted with their range of skill right here. Should you wish to stay abreast of their latest projects and work, follow them via FB or Instagram. 

Thank you Prashant for taking the time to connect with TECD. We wish you and Zero9 all the very best!

(Image credit: Sebastian Zachariah and Rashmi Mallaya, Image Copyright: Zero9. The images may NOT be reproduced with the prior permission of Zero9)