The Indian sub-continent has been forever engulfed in the mysteries and incredulity of ornate carvings and intricate detailing found within the sacred antique doors of temples and heritage sites. Curating a fable of collected memories, these elaborate patterns are a visual archive of India’s rich history and legacy. Transitioning towards an approach infilled with an appreciation of this visually rich diary, these spaces embody a ‘sense of home’ through a collection of antique and vintage doors. These homes with antique doors serve as a portal to that history of the legacy that is India.
Coimbatore Apartment
Entrenched in traditional Chettinad influences and design elements, this Coimbatore home designed by Dinakar Manie, founder and principal designer, and Ram Krish, principal interior designer of Bricks & Beams is an ornate heaven. The extravagant details are conspicuous through the massive front door serving as the most appropriate introduction to the elaborately decorated apartment. “We began at the entrance with our Chettinad influences,” explains Ram. Converted by joining two existing apartments, this singular home underwent spatial alterations to accommodate a 3,300-square-foot floorscape. “We preserved the two entry points of the two apartments here, with extravagant Burma teak doors finished with a rosewood stain adding gravitas and regality to the entrance,” Ram elaborates. Carved with astoundingly intricate work—including the ‘ashtalakshmi’ (8 Lakshmis), a revered Goddess worshipped by the family—the doors are a spellbinding confluence of vintage and traditional Chettinad flavours.
Words by Alisha Lad. Edited by Harsh Thakkar.
Tamil Nadu Home
Designed as a space bridging generations, this Tamil Nadu home designed by House of Ruya carries an earthen charm and a dusty palette. “We designed the space for a middle-aged couple with young adult children who desired a home that bridged generations and celebrated vibrancy, authenticity and connection to nature,” House of Ruya principal Aishwarya Govind says. Confessing to the popular red theory, the wine-red main door to the house embodies a vintage character that blends with the muted and curated design decisions within the house. Sourced from Dhakshini Antiques, the panelled door contrasts the neutral-toned exterior clad in earthy-brown bricks and cement plastered walls. Each space in the house shares a common language of earthy colours, sisal accents, and antique furniture collected by the family over the years. This vacation home carries an embodied connection to the surrounding landscape.
Words by Ashna Lulla. Edited by Harsh Thakkar.
Pune Apartment
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A house which can be categorised as a gallery of Gond art and teak wood in an array of manifestations, the House of Gond designed by Renesa Architecture Design Studio surpasses familial boundaries. Staying true to the essence of a quintessential Indian home, this Pune apartment is a carefully woven tapestry of Kerala-style influences within a modern context. “Monica Gaur (the owner) has a keen eye for the most minute design details, and had always dreamt of living in a Kerala-style home with an abundance of wooden pillars and panelling. And wanted her penchant for Gond art to echo across each space,” shares Sanchit Arora, principal architect at the New Delhi-based firm, Renesa Architecture Design Studio. Gaur’s penchant for minute details is visible through the intricate details of animals and ornate patterns adoring the home’s main teak door hand-carved by artisans from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh. It depicts a scenery of animals with meticulous detailing, flanking the door’s border frame. The door’s design resonates a retreating portal, a perfect atmosphere created for the entrance to a home of heritage and wonderment.
Words by Ela Das. Edited by Harsh Thakkar.
Madurai Home
Quoted as a tropical dream come to life, this Madurai house built by, and for architect Sumanth Ram Sriram, is a visible homage to the tropical modernist school of architecture inspired by Geoffrey Bawa. Resonating a palimpsest of sorts, the house personifies the intangible concept through a renewed utility found within waste materials from sites and repurposed materials from homes and churches. Through a collated material palette of reclaimed, repurposed, and reused stone, and a variety of textures, the house adheres to its literal philosophy of retaining sustainability in various forms. “Interesting joineries, such as the main entrance door from a royal home in Hyderabad, tower windows and doors from a church in Pondicherry, among others, were repurposed.” The concept of a ‘palimpsest’ not only resonates through material selections, but also through an interaction of people working together. Sriram’s mother, Geetha, an engineer herself, helped build the imposing tower with a Gothic brick arch mirroring the church door that was retrofitted at a later stage.
Words by Arshia. Edited by Harsh Thakkar.
Bengaluru Villa
Designed for homeowners hailing from different parts of India, this villa in Bengaluru designed by The Purple Ink Studio is a blend of cultures, contexts, and specifications from a diverse background. Within a multitude of natural materials and narrative art pieces which formed the foundation for the material design palette, the interior spaces were developed carefully to bring together fixed elements of Indian origin. The home is engulfed in a beautiful montage of carved panels sourced from different Rajasthani havelis natural stone, porous terracotta screens, and brick jaali-lined skylights. Within this careful collection, India’s craft practices are prominently highlighted, majorly through a 10-foot-tall, one-foot-thick, and an incredible 600 kgs heavy main door showcasing the Tamil artisans’ prowess in wood carving. The home is a warm welcome to the embodiment of the owners’ different personalities.
Words by Rupali Sebastian. Edited by Harsh Thakkar.
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