The Loft by Rasneet Anand blends the spaciousness of New York lofts with the nonchalance of Lokhandwala

This home in the suburbs of Lokhandwala Complex, contextually blessed with greenery, is inspired by the typical New York loft. Located in an old building, the warm and now-fresh-looking apartment is the fruit of Rasneet Anand’s subtle and ingenious design interventions. Principal architect at her namesake practice—Rasneet Anand Design, she along with Rhea Khanna render […]

10 Sep 2021

Twinkle Tolani

The owners are a young couple who felt most at home in their loft back in New York, where they lived for a few years. The couple’s desire for a comfortable and spacious loft-like layout has been achieved through tearing down the walls of the 980 sq ft apartment.

The three BHK is now a two BHK apartment. Two toilets and two rooms have been combined into one massive room with a walk-in wardrobe and a good-sized bathroom. The couple was clear on putting their comfort first.

The ceiling flush mounts and dining table hanging lights were bought by the client from on her trip to Europe. The surfboard above the bar is from her Mexican escapade. Cushions from Nomad India, dining chairs from Gulmohar Lane, and the vases on the bar and dining table from Defurn constitute the main furniture of the dining area; Photographs by Pulkit Sehgal

Grey concrete quartz from Classic Marble Company is employed for the kitchen counter top. The cabinets are finished in white PU paint and walnut veneer. Glossy ceramic tiles adorn the kitchen dado; Photographs by Pulkit Sehgal

Besides spaciousness, blurred boundaries and industrial elements are defining features of a loft. To the left side of the entrance, a wall of the kitchen has been replaced with framed glass partitions to solidify the theme. The kitchen window grill has space for composting.

A challenge to overcome was the size of the kitchen. It was too compact. It was strenuous to house every utility in the kitchen and still have enough space for storage.

The cheer in the neutral tones of the house will be brought by collectibles that the young couples bring back from their trips abroad; Photographs by Pulkit Sehgal

The grey coloured sofa against a darker flooring and exposed brick wall capture the characteristic vista of a New York loft; Photographs by Pulkit Sehgal

To the right of the entrance is the dining area that flows into the living room only through the switch of flooring patterns, further emphasizing the cohesiveness of the space. The kitchen has hexagonal grey cement tiles from Bharat flooring, while the living room sports grey Kota flooring.

Artwork that the clients have collected from their trips abroad adorns the walls of the living room. A neutral-colored L-shaped sofa and an asymmetrical grey rug complete the look of the living room with finesse.

The wall surface where the paintings hang was a structural column prior. Except for that surface, the rest of the new walls are exposed brick, building the character of a loft; Photographs by Pulkit Sehgal

Artwork near the bookshelf in the main bedroom is from Pages Cut and has been framed from a famous illustration calendar, Rifle Paper co. It was the client’s wish to frame illustrations of some of her favourite cities; Photographs by Pulkit Sehgal

The entire apartment is deliberately pronounced in subdued tones. The excitement in the home shall be brought by the collectibles that the clients buy on their travels.

“Our clients love to travel. They picked up various curios, accessories, and art pieces along the way across their travels. It helped weave stories around the spaces. They are the only people we entertained calling us at odd hours of the night because they were shopping for the home in different countries”, reminisces Anand.

Green potted plants are peppered throughout the home to reflect the plant-loving nature of dwellers; Photographs by Pulkit Sehgal

A mild steel and glass partition was fabricated on site between the main bathroom and bedroom. The walls of the main bedroom are brush painted. A large chunk was done by Rasneet while showing the painters what’s required to be done; Photographs by Pulkit Sehgal

To either side of the living rooms are the two bedrooms. The main bedroom and living room share a portion of an exposed brick wall. Timber flooring and a bed made of black-polished cane and wood render the room cozy. The blue hand-painted wall makes the room all the harder to leave!

Another framed glass partition— this time in the form of a window— makes an appearance in the home’s decor. Located between the bathroom and main bedroom, it offers a glimpse of the princely sanitary ware.

The stone flooring from the living room continues in the guest bedroom. The louvered wardrobe shutters are finished in green PU painted with the aim to carry the colour accent of the living room tiles. The yellow blown glass vase on the window sill was bought from Defurn; Photographs by Pulkit Sehgal

The guest also doubles as a study room when the couple is without company. Austere in its setting, the arrangement is accentuated by a mirror at the side; Photographs by Pulkit Sehgal

The guest bedroom room had complicated waterproofing issues initially owing to the age of the building and the fact that the apartment is below the terrace. The guest bedroom is simple. The zenith of the room is the low-lying bed fused with a bookshelf in one corner of the room.

White mosaic tiles and micro-concrete are used for the upper half walls of the main bathroom, which is juxtaposed with the black sanitaryware and fixtures from Modern Ceramics; Photographs by Pulkit Sehgal

The solid white PU painted door is the entrance to the main bedroom. A printed floor tile was chosen for the walk-in wardrobe. The door and the shutters of the walk-in wardrobe are made of cross reeded and flute glass; Photographs by Pulkit Sehgal

Although the home employs materials of varied patterns and colours, there is a theme that strings the house together. The material palette highlights the chaotic nature of lofts subtly. Its non-rigidity is characteristic of the clients’ lifestyles and reflects their personalities successfully.

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