The Southern Plantation Home
The mist cascades over rugged hill slopes, a meandering labyrinth of uncharted paths make their way through dense woods, and the air is intoxicated with the sweet heady fragrance of the delicate coffee blossoms. This vivid imagery paints the mental picture of Coorg or Kodagu across the canvas of the mind. A celebrated hill station tucked in the Western Ghats of Karnataka; the picturesque hill town wears the mantle of India’s coffee cradle while boasting an enviable climate all year round.
Reaping inspiration from historic English bungalows nestled in the embrace of the hillocks of Coorg,The Southern Plantation Home is a love letter to the old-world charm that resides in the colonial homes of this unearthly land. Located off Hebbal in North Bangalore, this apartment occupies the first floor of a high-rise luxury residential establishment in a gated community.
Fact File:
Typology and Square Footage – 4-BHK Family Apartment, 3,200 Square Feet
Text Credit – Lavanya Chopra
Photography Credit – Yash R Jain
The clients Kanchan Appaiah and Rashin Subbaiah hail from Coorg and their design vision for the home was coherent. They desired a home in Bangalore that was reminiscent of their native land of Coorg. A place that channelled its inspiration from plantation-style estate homes. This brief struck an emotional chord with me, kudos to my Kodava roots. As a girl of the hills, my home has always been a place that belonged in the lush estate-laden topography of Coorg. This residence was my homage to our shared homeland.
The Pandemic’s second wave was the ideal period to design the residence in its entirety, allowing the team to delve into execution which spanned a challenging timeline of merely 3 months. The builder-provided floor plan was well-zoned from the get-go and steered the home’s design impetus in a clear direction. A well-defined foyer space preludes the layout and opens into connected yet distinct living and dining areas. The kitchen, although the nucleus of familial activity, almost functions as a private segment of the home. A hallway leads one into the private bedroom chambers, creating a comprehensive transition of spaces traversing public and private zones.
An earthy tropical home with a modern demeanour headlined by a subdued palette, the periphery of the apartment is punctuated by airy decks that offer the home boundless views of surrounding greenery while exemplifying the indoor-outdoor living experience. Dotted with a fleeting play of light and shadows through the day, daylight floods the rooms of the home, kindling them to life.
The client’s needs mandated that the home epitomises a Vintage-English persona, one that conjured the allure of colonial-period dwellings built by the British in locations like Coorg which served as getaway homes when they wanted to escape the wrath of the balmy Indian summers. The welcome challenge at hand was to create a roomy bungalow-like feel in a modern apartment’s blueprint, a process achieved through minor civil alterations and reassignment of functions of certain spaces. English design elements associated with the estate-home style have been reimagined to align with the rooted aesthetic of the subcontinent.
A weathered brick tile-clad accent wall grounds the entryway. A regal deep-grained Ashwood console with turned legs and detailed knobs is the pièce de résistance, peppered with curated bric-a-brac from Gulmohar Lane that draw in on the overarching design grammar. An oversized glass wall sconce by The Purple Turtles crowns the nook romantically while the Matilda mirror by N Square Studio amplifies the light in this corner. The Plumeria plant sculpturally canopies over this vignette, reigning in the doses of greenery indoors.
Formal drawing rooms flicker to life as dusk takes over the skies and the centre of the home dominated by rustic fireplaces are illuminated. The living spaces are especially considered the core of a home in estate residences; it is where the family gathers, entertains, and often spends countless hours conversing in good company.
Conceptualised based on this memory, the living room is sculpted around the electric fireplace that is embedded in a focal built-in unit. The central fireplace section is sheathed in rugged natural stone facing and a classic raw timber mantle detail. The upper tier of the wall is lined by PU-finished vertical shiplap that draws the sight vertically. The central portion is flanked by open and closed cabinets to display artefacts and reads. Samsung’s The Frame TV is the undisputed hero in the living space; it doubles up as a bespoke display of art and a television during downtime.
The other side of the living area features a stunning hand-knotted rug in warm tones by Jaipur Rugs which is further extrapolated in the predominantly umber tones of the furniture. Finished in custom leather-feel fabric, the sofa is of a classic make. A soft, vivacious blush tone bathes the daybed while teak and cane come together adeptly in the form of the Aanai Design Studio armchairs. The central coffee table is wrapped in a decadent teak veneer and the pedestal side table boasts of intricately carved woodworking which is topped off by a pristine white marble top. The custom stained-glass table lamp by Glasscrafters assumes the identity of art as it lights up the space whimsically. A preowned painting of the Buddha was an artistic addition close to the client’s heart. The same was incorporated as a part of the living area and inculcated the space with an inherent sense of serenity and zen, forging a relationship between the old and the new.
The living room is bordered by a generous alfresco deck which allows the indoors to be permeated with dollops of sunshine and natural ventilation while creating an oasis for the homeowners to retreat to surrounded by verdure. Bangalore’s enviable climate and the home’s breezy envelope allowed the generic ceiling fan to be traded off for a glass and metal pendant lamp.
The threshold between the living and dining areas is marked tastefully by a pair of carved teakwood pillars. These artisan pillars have been embellished with detail in the form of a modernised Indian-origin form and brass bands that imbue it with a regal touch. Additionally, they pose as space-separators which sleekly define various interconnected.
The dining table is wrapped in a light oak-toned veneer with traditionally chiselled legs; the detail is carried forth in the dining chairs that are composed of cane and oakwood, both pieces of furniture crafted by Cane Boutique. The stained-glass pendant by Glasscrafters in resplendent hues of blue and scarlet levitates low over the table, creating a dramatic play of light during charming dinners. Finished in the homogeneous tone of the living area cabinetry, the hutch in the dining space functions as a crockery cum concealed pooja unit. With its veined marble backsplash, the hutch is symmetrically composed of two rectilinear cabinets. The latticed shutter conceals the pooja unit ingeniously.
A home’s soul often resides in the kitchen, a portion of a residence that transcends its mere function and poses as a space in which countless memories accompany the preparation of delectable secret family recipes. The original blueprint of the home posed the challenge of navigating multiple corners while attempting to establish the working triangle.
A partition wall was done away with to open the layout, and in its place, a teak veneer island was introduced. This would endow the kitchen with ample storage in the form of cabinets and drawers. The opposite end was mildly cantilevered to create a waterfall-edge breakfast counter complete with wood and brass bar stools. The island presents the compact kitchen with additional space to prepare meals and creates an opportunity for the end-users to indulge in conversations. The warmth of the space is amped up by the trio of amber pendants by The White Teak Company.
A blue-grey hue is the protagonist in the kitchen as it swathes the carpentry ubiquitously to only be interjected by suave variegated white marble across the backsplash adding a sense of contrast and depth to the bijou kitchen. The internal entrance to the service staff quarters was sealed to create room to accommodate the refrigerator and lofty built-in storage unit. Details are the front runners in the kitchen, and we’ve indulged in a farmhouse-style aesthetic here. This can be witnessed in the X-form panelled shutters, open wooden shelves, wicker baskets, and fluted glass infills. The brass hardware in the kitchen is from Studio Made’s exclusive collection of metal knobs and handles.
The hallway creates the link in the layout that connects the communal spaces to the private resting chambers. Deep-tinted sconces from IKEA line the length of the hallway and one’s gaze is met by an ornate teak-framed mirror that visually multiplies the expanse of the space by twofold. A wall is adorned by portraits of the family’s memories, creating a personalised gallery wall.
The master suite at The Southern Plantation Home is evocative of cabins tucked away in the sloping terrains of the green-speckled hills. The neutral volume of the bedroom is layered thoughtfully with accents of teak and colour that strike an equilibrium. A set of walls are finessed with fine mouldings, adding a sense of depth and detail to the space. The tailor-made bed and nightstands in natural teak and brass have been crafted by Aanai Design Studio, dovetailed delicately by illustrated tropical prints by Calcuttan Gallery. The colour-hewn Jaipur Rugs carpet injects a robust dose of hues into the room with its expansive presence. Its earthy make layered with floral pattern work ties the various elements of the room together fittingly, with it adorning the space with a punch of colour.
A floating television console finished in Burma teak veneer with fluted fascia caresses the length of the wall which then ascends to create a quaint study desk. Divided into ‘his and hers’ sections, Kanchan’s wardrobe dons an artistic take on carpentry. A light beige tone has been interjected with a whiff of pattern in the form of fabric from the Sabyasachi Nilaya Collection that is lodged between glass. The other wardrobe sits in the transitory space between the bedroom and the ensuite bathroom.
The master bath is steeped in minimalism and soft tones of wood, beige marble, and traditional patterned tile backed by striking charcoal black grouting. Finished in a nail-groove detail, the vanity packs in umpteen storage as it extends as a capacious linen cabinet. A brass mirror and antique pendant by The Purple Turtles accentuate this nook in tandem with the burnished black countertop basin.
Drenched in hues of vibrant pink and white, the girl’s bedroom is immersed in a concoction of the celebrated colours and all-prevailing functionality tailored for its two young inhabitants. The room has been compartmentalised sans physical partitions to harbour functions of resting, studying, and dressing up with flair and pragmatic planning.
The resting space is anchored by shiplap wall panelling against which two ivory single beds are placed. Details like the pink-dotted Jaipur Rugs carpet, Olie Lighting brass swivel wall lamps, and the custom nightstand make this vignette perfect to a T! The printed flamingo wallpaper customised by Design by Metamorph graces the vanity section playfully as the pink-washed wardrobes travel the length of the wall, bookended by a mud room-inspired section to store miscellaneous items. The study area is dominated by a wood and black metal sleek table, complete with bulletin boards, and pendant lights by BambooPecker.
Whimsical and bright with its every weave, the bathroom designed for the girls is a far cry from the dingy space it was pre-renovation. The bathroom is visually dominated by the melange of glossy pale pink subway tiles and floral-motif floor tiles. Getting the perfect shades down for the grouting was a priority — a pale grey tone was selected for the wall tile grouting, whereas a deep navy grounds the floor tiles by riffing off the blue tone of the distressed floral tiles. The shower cubicle holds two niches culled out to create a neat storage provision. The double-bowl vanity graces the focal wall while resting atop a white console; warm tones make a cameo in the form of copper-toned sanitary fixtures and touches of wicker.
The petite guest room has been conceptualised as a tranquil sanctuary for its inhabitants. Moulded wainscoting wall panelling and a botanically inspired wallpaper by Sanderson clad the walls dually, iterating the classical influences herein. Snug with every square inch of its entirety, the guest bedroom houses a fabric upholstered and wood bed, paired gracefully with fluted glass pendants over the country-style nightstands. The wardrobe bears a pared-down aura with its PU-finished eggshell white hue and tasteful curved hardware rendered in antique brass.
The family room is an interactive space that was formerly a bedroom within the layout. Conceived with the young daughters of the client in mind (aged 8 and 4), the room’s intention promotes the stimulation of their curious minds to be cultivated. Swapping out sedentary activities of the modern age that are ridden with technology and gadgets, this room is laced with elements that allow the girls to delve into activities in a tactile manner — their parents envisioned a space that would allow them to create, express, and unleash their thoughts uninhibitedly.
The space was pieced together with minimalistic yet versatile elements of furniture that could function diversely. The grey textured sofa cum bed is by Ashley Home and makes for a cosy nook for the young end-users. The opposite end hosts a Victorian-style bookshelf by Be Vintage that holds a spectrum of books and board games the family indulges in. A cubby storage unit allows the girls to keep their miscellaneous items away neatly after a day spent in the family room. Colour makes a welcome debut in the otherwise neutral, white-dominated space in the form of quirky art prints and sage-green doused wardrobes.
At The Southern Plantation Home, the design narrative finds its bearings in the clasps of nostalgia. The space comes alive while the nuances of heirloom entwine with tangible design in a modern light, creating a lasting montage for all of posterity to behold.