This home in Karnataka got a radical makeover with the addition of two new floors – Architectural Digest India

The top floor is reserved for the family while the rest of the home is up on rent

The task at hand was to convert an old single-storey home in a small town in Karnataka into a contemporary one, with the addition of two more floors. For Vinay Mavinakere, founder and principal architect, Sudaiva Studio, this was a special project as the home was in his ancestral town and belonged to his parents. The home was envisioned for renting out, with the top floor reserved for my folks as their holiday home that they visit once or twice a month.

Spread across 500 square feet, the top floor is a one-bedroom studio, with an additional 450 square feet of terrace space. Reveals Mavinakere, During construction, the astonishing views of the rain tree canopies from the top floor inspired the construction of an additional floor for a studio space to be used as a pied--terre for the family, who now live in Bangalore.

As you view the home from outside, you notice the intricate jaali work running the length of the built structure. The architect wanted to work with a simple, cost-effective material that looked native, but was used in an extraordinary way. The idea of a perforated jaali wall was born that made for a striking faade whilst enclosing the corridors.He used custom-built aluminium C-channels to hold the perforated clay blocks together within a grid running horizontally as well as vertically.

Talking about additional floors, Mavinakere says, Building on a load bearing structure posed considerable challenges. Structural interventions included the use of steel beams to strengthen the existing slab on the first-floor level. The top floor studio had to be structurally light. The setback from the mass of the other floors provided a visual relief to the faade.

Inside the studio, an open plan accommodates a living room, eat-in kitchen and a bedroom. Within the compact plan, the living and dining spaces are demarcated with the use of colour. Primary colours in the living room furnishings and wallpaper echo the colour palette used in the building exterior. A perforated screen above the sofa provides ventilation while also casting visually arresting shadows from the western sun.

To keep the already tight space uncluttered, we chose very few furniture elements that doubled up in function wherever possible. For instance, an extension from the kitchen counter serves as a dining table, work table and also an additional preparation zone for the kitchen; a deep sofa with generous cushions also serves as a daybed; nested tables serve as side tables when required and can be stacked together when not in use, explains Geeth Gopinath, creative partner who did the interiors of the home.

Wood-effect vitrified tiles have been used for the flooring with a muted colour and a rustic grain. The tiles on the floor continue as cladding for the kitchen backsplash all the way to the ceiling. They left the exposed concrete ceiling untreated to contrast against the more refined material palette of the rest of the space.

The terrace on this floor is the highlight of the studio, making for a vast open space to enjoy the view. We tried to create a carpet effect by peppering a few ornate and colourful accent tiles within a background of neutral grey tiles. The tiles were custom cut at site. We also added a row of potted heliconia plants to foster a visual connection with the sub-tropical surrounding of the building, adds Gopinath.

The home is a balance of oppositesrefined and rugged, minimal yet cosy, colourful and muted, compact yet allowing for a perception of expansiveness. The house employs familiar, inexpensive materials and techniques. However, inventive application of these materials have given it a contemporary edge, bringing the 1999-built home convincingly to todays time, concludes Mavinakere.

This 9,000-square-foot mansion in Karnataka is gilded in gold

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This home in Karnataka got a radical makeover with the addition of two new floors - Architectural Digest India