Designed by AB Design, The House of Ballygunge, Kolkata, is a stunning home that is both lavish and functional.
In the vibrant city of Kolkata, The House of Ballygunge stands as a shining example of contemporary luxury – a vision that was brought to life by Aanchhal Bhuwalka, the principal designer and founder of AB Design. This 3,700square-foot space combines two adjacent units into a cohesive living space with sophistication and a meticulous attention to detail.
This residence was created by merging two adjacent apartments into one and making it a four-bedroom home. Explaining the brief, Aanchhal says, “The design journey began with understanding the family’s requirements and then creating spaces to fulfill them, since for us at AB Design, every design story begins with a conversation.”
As the client owns the entire floor, Aanchhal was able to implement the changes right from the lift lobby for a thread of design continuity. “However, being an old structure, there were a few challenges like the columns, that had to be worked around and included in the design scheme without compromising on the aesthetics. A case in point being the column of the wall to separate the two apartments that was broken down, which now supports a swing in the living area and seems to have been erected specifically for that purpose”, informs Aanchhal.
Right from the spacious living and dining areas that are visually separated by the swing that can be operated from both sides, to the home theatre room, which was a space outside of the apartment and was brought in, or the bar area and the mandir, or the extra utility area in the kitchen that helps keep the space de-cluttered, Aanchhal has managed to create a modern luxurious home for her client. To maintain the aesthetics, one finds the use of sliding doors, camouflaged doors, mouldings and shutters to storage areas and the like.
Aanchhal further adds, “The family area has an informal sit-out which leads to the four bedrooms, the doors, however, are cleverly hidden adding an interesting dimension to this area. The kids’ room is next to the master bedroom while their play area is beside the parent’s room. The colour and material palette as well as the conveniences are designed to suit the age and interest of the occupants and extends to the bathrooms as well.”
Aanchhal has experimented with a lot of textures throughout the house, especially in the fabric used in the seating options in all areas. Since the ceiling height was low and she wanted to use dashes of colour in different areas of the house to add character, Aanchhal decided to go with white marble for the flooring in the entire space including the bathrooms. This not only became the perfect backdrop for the bursts of colour but also created the perfect balance to bring all the elements together and making the entire house brighter.
As Aanchhal aptly describes it, “Designing The House of Ballygunge was a journey of transformation. It started with a conversation and evolved into a space that perfectly balances functionality with aesthetics, creating a modern sanctuary that the family can truly call home.”
Photography Credits: Kuber Shah
