This Gurgaon duplex is a haven of soothing greenery and Italian modernism – Architectural Digest India

New Delhi-based 42MM Architecture recently completed a stunning residence at one of Gurgaons most coveted addresses, DLF Magnolias. The team, lead by firm partner Rudraksh Charan, created the duplex by combining two apartments on consecutive floors, each spanning 3500-square-feet. By virtue of it being a duplex, having a cut-out in the centre and having a double-height terrace, the three-dimensional interactivity of the spaces is brilliant, says Charan. In terms of scale, you dont have too many rooms that are too tiny, and you dont have very large spaces either.

42MM treated the house in three layersthe primary structural layer is neutral, with muted tones and minimal accents. Over that is the layer of greenin the form of expansive views of the DLF golf course, as well as a variety of indoor house plants and hanging terrace planters. Finally, there is a layer of artworksculptural lighting, woven carpets, dcor pieces and wall art, that perfectly compliment the modernist and contemporary Italian furniture. We did not want to give it a very strong flavour of interior design, Charan explains, It did not require interior design, it required the architecture and the vision to be respected.

The most striking feature of the entrance lobby is a stunning 7 metre light sculpture by Artemide, comprising 7 circular pendants, suspended over a shell sculpture by Sogani. It reminded me of a Venn diagram, says Charan. It is a kinetic chandelier; it keeps on moving when you light it up, it has these speckles of light. Charan specifically didnt want a completely opaque chandelier, because he wanted the lobby to remain visually unobstructed. As the nucleus of the apartment, the lobby acts as a pivot around which the other rooms are arranged. The first floor has the public areasthe living room, drawing room, kids activity room, dining and kitchen. The upper level opens onto a family lounge, which leads into four bedrooms. Right at the front of the lobby is the double-height terrace, which is enclosed by the U-shaped building.

Charan describes the living room as a post-modernist hangover. A chaise from B&B Italia presides over the room, in front of which stands a sleek, rounded coffee table from Poliform. The client likes the retro look, Charan explains. And he wanted the living room to feel familiar. A sculptural chandelier by Roll and Hill compliments a minimalist clock wall piece. Red wood panelling on the wall and ceiling compliments a lighter wood floor and stone tiled wall. The use of wood is sparing, and never incidental. Im not using it to over-glamorise the space, explains Charan. It is being used in its completeness, to add a layer of warmth.

While the living room was more in keeping with the clients personal aesthetic, the drawing room is a slightly more formal affair. A neutral-toned carpet sets the colour palette which is furnished with white, grey and brown-toned sofas from Minotti and marble-accented coffee tables. The pop of colour is offered by two orange lounge chairs from B&B Italia. The drawing rooms most eye-catching element is a lighting artwork by Artemide called Chlorophyllia, which, when lit, creates a lustrous shadow pattern on the ceiling.

Dark marble floor tiles identify the study as a formal space, as per Charans nuanced flooring code the for the apartment. The formal area is black, the semi-formal area is white, and all private areas are wooden, he explains. In the formal area, we wanted to create a contrast; we wanted to define it as not just an extension of the semi-formal area. A Giorgetti study desk takes one side of the room; while a more casual seating arrangement comprising a B&B Italia sofa and a Frigerio Salotti coffee table, underscored by an earth-toned rug, is on the other. A wooden ceiling completes the tableau, adding a touch of distant warmth to the space.

A Giorgetti dining table and Cattelan Italia dining chairs sit under an eight-piece pendant lighting arrangement by Bocci. A potted plant balances out the white marble floors and modernist geometric wall panelling. The dining room hovers between semi-formal and intimatewith soothing tones and contours that still allow for movement, space and elegance.

The kids play room is a stark contrast from the rest of the apartment, in that it has a pop of colour and a cacophonous geometry. The couple are very hands on parents, says Charan. They wanted an area that the kids could appropriate for themselves. The 42mm team interacted with the childrenaged 4 and 2 , to see what they liked and disliked. Based on that, they developed a muted, purple and yellow colour palette, with strong geometric shapes and acentric angling. It has some nooks and corners for the kids to get under, get over, which I think was the idea, explains Charan. They dont want to live in very structured environments.

The bedrooms are on the upper floor of the duplex, leading off from the central, pivotal lobby. Wood floors warm the space while stone tiled walls and subtle wood panelling offset the earthy tones. The master bedroom has an especially interesting headboard, crafted of geometric ceramic panels in shades of grey and bronze lines, and a lighting artwork by akritepo. Keeping the wall behind the bed dark was a great idea, because it tends to not reflect on the TV, says Charan. The light from arkitepo is a bounce light, so when youre sitting on the bed, it does not kill your TV viewing experience, at the same time it gives you enough light to be able to read a book.

The master bathroom was well-placed to receive natural light, so the firm added a three-foot wide space of greenery between the shower cubicle and the window. Eventually, the greenery started becoming so thick, the blinds dont need to be drawn every time the bathroom is being used, explains Charan. The small master bathroom doesnt have access to natural light, and so Charan placed a printed picture window to bring in the illusion of natural light.

The double-storey terrace offers expansive views of the DLF Magnolias golf course, which the team was careful to maintain as the hero of the visual plane. We couldnt keep plants on the deck, in front of the railing Charan explains, because then youll see the plants but not the golf course so we decided to hang the plants. The custom-made cold-rolled iron planters are suspended over the terrace, where the plants will grow out to envelop the ceiling. The terrace has a wooden floor, which connects the terrace to the outdoors, while also being a safe material for children to play on. The terrace is also furnished with a Kumo sofa and Mood coffee tables from Manuttiplush indoor pieces that allow the terrace to feel like a comfortable extension of the living space, rather than a segregated section.

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This Gurgaon duplex is a haven of soothing greenery and Italian modernism - Architectural Digest India