Old and New Meet in This Seaside Bungalow
Renovated by Amritha Karnakar Architectural Design, this tropical beach house on the coast of Kelwa blends contemporary spaces with local antiques and artefacts. Here Amritha Karnakar tells us more about the project
Design Anthology: How did you first meet the client?
Amritha Karnakar: We were recommended to the clients by a mutual relative. They were drawn to the way our studio uses South Indian and Indian elements with a modern twist. We met at their house in Mumbai and got to understand their lifestyle and the requirements for their new holiday home. Our design sensibilities and ideas were on the same path so we got on board quickly.
Can you tell us about them and their lifestyle?
The clients are an elderly couple and their son, all living in Bandra, Mumbai. They also have a daughter who visits them with her own family. They love collecting antiques and all things made by local artisans from different parts of India. They also have a set of antique furniture and artefacts given to them by their grandparents. But since they wanted to the comforts of a modern lifestyle, they needed our expertise to create a balance between the old and the new.
What was their brief to you for the project?
The project entailed the renovation and revamping of their holiday home in Kelwa, about 100 kilometres from Mumbai. They needed to add a third bedroom with a connecting bathroom, and a swimming pool to the existing structure, and wanted a new look for the whole space that would still blend with the site’s surroundings.
What’s unique about the building and the location?
The 465-square-metre home is located on Kelwa beach. Coconut trees and lush greenery surround the site, and the home’s porch faces the beach. The quietness, the coconut trees, the view of the beach and the small fishing boats that pass by create a calm and slow vibe, away from the hectic city life of Mumbai.
How did you approach the project — what design references did you try to incorporate into the space?
The site and the surrounding nature gave us a kind of Sri Lankan, Geoffrey Bawa feel. The concept of the house is to not overpower the landscape, but to blend in with it. The first task was to open up the walls to bring in natural light and incorporate glass sliding doors to take advantage of the spectacular views.
We used shades of black and grey, including on the roof and floors, to tie the old and the new spaces together. We’ve also taken extreme care to not damage or cut down any trees in the construction process.
Please tell us a little about the material choices for the space.
We used locally sourced limestone slabs with thin strips of local brick to create the flooring pattern. We retained the old wooden elements, such as the flooring and the ceiling rafters, and polished them to bring them back to life.
The front door is an antique carved wooden door and the back porch has four carved stone pillars, which were all sourced from South India. In the living room is a table originally used by the Naga tribe from Nagaland. Throughout the home, many vintage beds, cupboards and tables were revamped and reused.
Do you have a favourite element or design detail in the architecture or interiors?
The black swimming pool is my favourite part of the house as it blends in with the landscape and the design.
Images / Ishita Sitwala
