Living with the Art!
September 19, 2024
Mrinmoy Dey
The kitchen in the arthouse, designed by Monica Khosla Bhargava reflects the overall design philosophy of ‘standing out while not being in the face’. The zoning and intelligent placement of cabinets and appliances increases the efficiency and the overall functionality of the space, reckons Mrinmoy Dey
A contemporary design sensibility with muted colours and seamlessly integrating pieces of the art collection in the design is what stands out in a residential project at Salt Lake City in Kolkata, designed by Kolkata-based architectural firm Kham Consultants, headed by Monica Khosla Bhargava. The project exemplifies the firm’s design philosophy – a house is a reflection of its people and their personalities.
The place is designed for a multigenerational family which shares a close bond where they intermingle and eat together. “In fact, the members of the family are so close to each other, that they haven’t segregated a floor for each nuclear family. Their bedrooms have been intentionally distributed such that a child may have his room adjacent to that of an uncle and aunt, while his parents are on another floor altogether,” informs Monica while briefing the client profile.
A contemporary design sensibility with muted colours and seamlessly integrating pieces of art collection. Photo Courtesy: Kham Consultants
She is of the opinion that the way walls are designed can affect human relationships. “This openness in thought is reflected in the design of the house and a large open kitchen along with the living and dining space was planned on the first floor.”
The Design Brief
Designing a home for a client with an art collection is always special. In this instance, it was not just any art collection, but a significant one, with several pieces from the Bengal School.
Speaking on the design brief of the project, Monica says, “The family wanted to live with the art, not just display it, as in a gallery. Consequently, art is not the focus of attention. It sits back, waiting to participate in an intimate dialogue with viewers, rather than initiating any conversation.”
Fact File
Location: Salt Lake, Kolkata
Area of kitchen: 202 sq ft.
Built-up Area of the house: 5289 sq. ft.
Principal Architect: Monica Khosla Bhargava
Design Team: Kham Consultants
She further added that art and artworks are integrated into every aspect of design in the house. “While paying proper homage to this prized collection, soft focal light treats them as interactive members rather than highlighted displays in a gallery. The emphasis is on the experience of these masterpieces through light and space.”
However, with no bright hues that are ‘in your face', it may be easy for the uninitiated to miss the gravitas of the art collection in the interiors.
The openness in thought is reflected in the design of the house and a large open kitchen along with the living and dining space was planned on the first floor.
Monica Khosla Bhargava
Principal Architect
Kham Consultants
The Kitchen – layout, materials and appliances
Tiles match the stone finishes in the house and complement the geometric pattern of the linen wallpaper in the dining area used to finish the walls of the kitchen. The white makrana marble floor of the dining flows into the kitchen. “To permit workability of the air conditioning system a glass partition is added to demarcate the kitchen and the dining area. An Indian kitchen especially for a large joint family requires a fairly large space and we have allocated 200 sqft for the kitchen out of a total dwelling area of 5200 sqft,” opines Monica.
The kitchen is divided into two zones – one for family and friends walking in the kitchen to get water, snacks, food etc and this consists of a refrigerator and three full-height storage cabinets with a built-in microwave oven. An OTG is also incorporated here as an accessory for the seldom baking sessions.
The U-shaped area behind the kitchen counter formed the area where the actual cooking and washing takes place. Monica adds, “Since the kitchen is visible from the dining, the wash area is placed in the secluded zone so that a cluster of soiled dishes may not be visible. Overhead utensils and crockery units with drip trays have been added above the sinks to facilitate storage of daily used dishes. The cabinets below the sinks incorporate the garbage bins.”
Tiles match the stone finishes in the house and complement the geometric pattern of the linen wallpaper in the dining area used to finish the walls of the kitchen. Photo Courtesy: Kham Consultants